Kaufmann's smile slowly faded. At first, he said nothing, but Tau could see the gears turning in his tiny brain, trying to figure out if he had been threatened or not. He leaned back slightly, eyeing Titan warily, and stood up to his full height, but made no other move for a few agonizingly long minutes.

Tau found herself holding her breath, waiting for Kaufmann's response. She'd been this close to freedom before, but every time it had slipped through her fingers. Of course, no one had come with his asking price. [color=red][b]"... All right,"[/b][/color] Kaufmann said slowly, nodding now as he worked out some math on his fingers. [color=red][b]"All right, you can have her. For a ship."[/b][/color] Tau's eyes widened in disbelief-- [color=red][b]"However... So unless she's going to quit right now, and leave her coworkers to pick up the slack--"[/b][/color] His cruel grin returned, and his gaze shifted to Tau. [color=red][b]"She still has a shift today."[/b][/color]