Vane shook his head. "She was testing you, and now she knows how easy it is to get a rise out of you," he replied. "Then again, I suppose I'm not really one to talk." Grunting, he scratched at his stubbled chin and thought through all the implications of Anne's actions and what they could mean for him and his crew.

"Oh, Eleanor Guthrie can take plenty," he answered. "She wouldn't be running the business she is if she couldn't. But that doesn't mean she has to suffer it. If she decides she doesn't want to move our cargo, then there's no income. No income means no one gets paid. And when a crew doesn't get paid, it mutinies."

"You'll go back there tomorrow," Vane told her, raising a hand before any objections. "Not to apologize, just to make sure you two cats can sheathe your claws long enough for us all to do some business."