It wasn’t a long composition, just four verses and no chorus, a simple ode to an unrequited love. As I finished, the last note hanging in the still...night air for a moment, I looked down at the stage. The crowd was silent for a second then exploded into cheers and whistles and calls to hear the song again. ‘Glad you like it.’ I looked up and smiled. ‘But the curfew is up, no more time allotted I’m afraid. Thank you all and goodnight.’ The spot went out and I left the stage, the cheers still. There was a big black guy with him. They entered the room, locking the door behind them. "Ooooo-EEE! You wasn't shittin', Jose!" the black guy said, staring at me. "This some sweet lookin' pussy!"I tol' you, man," Jose said. "So, we gots a deal?" We gots a deal", the black man said. He took a wad of bills out of his pocket and handed it to the clerk, who took it and stuffed it into his pocket. He opened the door and looked at me, cowering on the bed, naked and scared. He shook his head. "Good. "McCock laughed,"Don't get carried away. It's got to fit in one thousand tons AND THAT IS A MAXIMUM! Silas put the lower limit at six hundred but I think he is a bit optimistic. To get this done in the time, the systems have to be available now! The latest AND THE BEST! Start thinking about it. I'll take hull and I'm thinking of the Spaceyacht "Aurora" so get their specs and think "Aurora". I'll have to put it through the design pattern but I think that's the shape to work on. This thing has to. Probably got a family somewhere who will worry?"I nodded yes at that. He reached into a pocket and pulled out several copper coins, both larger than the ones I'd seen in my previous begging trips."Come back tomorrow and I'll put you to work. You are a hard worker!"Yela handed me a cloth wrapped bundle as I left, and I waved goodbye, and I took off down the street. My 'safe' arrival area had been a narrow alley between two buildings with high windowless walls. When I returned there it was still.