"And this, Mr. Trupp, is our greatest gem."

The attendant led the woman...no, girl this time...by the hand as she had the others. Warren wondered if this 'demo mode' hurt them or if they were even aware of the time passing.

As with the others, the attendant brought her into the room, told her to twirl and sat her on the sofa opposite him. Mr. Lomen reached up to caress her cheek with two fingers. The girl did not flinch or even seem to notice his presence.

"I have saved her for last, Mr. Trupp. I wished you to see that we offer many beautiful things, but this one is our prize." The man picked up the scotch bottle and poured each of them another finger before relaxing with his own. "Her parents brought her to us to complete her education in return of support to the family. She has been with us for three years and is both beautiful and sharp as a blade."

Warren looked the girl over. She was petite with strikingly fine features - a young Mina Kunis with bright eyes and lighter skin - he thought before turning towards other things. He sat up in the seat and took a swig of the fine liquor. "How old is she?"

"Ah, now that is the one catch, my friend. She is not of majority for another seven months and would be dangerous to take home. If you are an impatient man, she is not for you. If you can wait, not only can you buy early now, but a bit of patience can be a savings and we could arrange time to prepare her to your...desires, let's say."

Warren took another sip, trying to hush the mix of nervousness and interest inside his chest. Seventeen? he thought. What am I doing? He looked at her again. Her skin was perfect, no bruising to be seen - and he could see a lot of her.

He wondered how she was treated. Do they treat her like parents? He doubted it and decided she needed saving, to be rescued for a better life. A life he could give her in America. "How much?"

Lomen turned to the assistant and ran his fingers through the back of the girl's hair. "For you, we would take 1.3 million. A fair price for such a rare jewel."

Warren's mind went blank. 1.3 million? Sure he could find that, but it would hurt. He took another sip and looked her over. 1.3. His accounting program rendered on his contacts and began compiling numbers. Lomen and the assistant were quiet, knowing how the price always sends them scrambling through their accounts. They had hacked him, of course. Better to know the spender's true limits before starting the negotiation. Set the price a bit higher then he could afford so he would negotiate down and feel like he was getting a deal.

It took the better part of a minute, but Warren eventually figured it out. 1.3 would be a push, but 1.1 was doable. It's an investment, he told himself. With a smart Link, he could rise in the company. Ted and Khalid had told him he had hit the ceiling with his wetware and would need more processing to go any higher. It was either external, unsightly skullmods or buy someone to draw on.

Interested, Warren had approached Ted. His friend explained how and where he "met" his “wife,” sending Warren across the Atlantic on a shopping tour. He pulled himself together. "What makes her worth 1.3?" He tossed back the scotch and signaled for a refill.

Lomen picked up the bottle, "Yes, a wise man should ask these things. She has a high intelligence - over 130 of your IQs. Very, very bright. Very quick. She speaks four languages. Natural, you understand. Not programmed, so new languages can be added very easily. She reads and writes English, Georgian and Russian. She speaks those three and also Armenian. Her instruction has included dance and gymnastics these last three years and she moves like a cat when not...shut down for these meetings."

The man touched her behind the ear. "She is also enhanced. Storage and connectivity are embedded, though she cannot link on her own and requires permission." He waved his hands. "Some choose this and some do not. Best to consider how she takes to you before you let her touch the world, no?"

Lomen leaned towards him. "Would you like to test?"

Warren had tested two others and it had been quite a rush. Both were smart, but not this smart. IQ's in the teens if the sellers could be trusted. "Sure."

The attendant pulled out a card with a picture of the girl. She held it towards him so his cryptoscanner could decode the address. His malware system connected to the server, sniffing the API for threats. Once safe, it connected and pulled the certificate. His left ear buzzed and Warren tilted his head to that side to accept the link.

Awareness hit like a hammer. It was richer this time, fresher. He watched the girl and then switched the feed to look out of her eyes. She wasn't looking at him, but he was in her field of view. Mid-30's, dressed well, expensive shoes. A bit of gray around his muzzle said he could use a fresh shave, but he had turned off the skin crawlers to look a bit roguish for his travels.

He switched the view back and gave Lomen a long look. The man was fit, but going towards fat. A bit of puffiness under his eyes and jowels spoke of overeating. The weariness on the man’s face was probably due to drinking and too many fatty foods. There was tension around his eyes. Why? Warren chewed at that, letting her intuition connect wit his own. He wants her off his hands. She's underage and dangerous, but too valuable to cut loose. Just as quick, he settled on a million for the price. A good, clean number. A bit lower than they might like, but fair. Warren broke the connection and took another sip of scotch as he broke the connection.

He didn’t see the attendant's eyes focus and turn on him, reading his expression as he reached his decision.

"Nice, no?"

Warren again looked at the man, but saw less detail on his own. Just a wolf in a nice suit, smiling through a sheepskin. No, he thought, she does not belong with these people.  "Nice, yes. Clear, I would say. Clear like sunlight."

"That is the age, my friend. Now, what other questions?"

"Is she..." he paused, not certain how to ask. "Does she get along with others?"

"Is she sweet and kind?"

The man turned to the attendant, who had answered questions like these in a cold, British manner. "She is the darling of the house, Mr. Trupp. She lights up a room with her smile and is very outgoing. If..." The woman paused, glancing at Lomen. He waved her on. "If I may say, sir. She is also somewhat lonely and craves to see the world. A man with your resources, charms and good looks…well," she pursed her mouth. "she might could fall in love in the next few months and wish to come with you. You could even slip her away unnoticed, taking her to a new home and a nice life away from here."

Warren felt something stir inside him and glanced at the girl again. "How would..."

"It is simple," Lomen leaned forward to answer. "You come here to meet her a few times as a guest of mine. Later, we take her abroad, where you two meet by accident. She gets your information and maybe she tells you about her next trip. From there, you take her home slipping away in the night."

Warren finished the scotch and glanced from Lomen to the attendant and back to the girl. "What's her name?"

Lomen's grin had fangs. "Whatever you want it to be. Replacement is easy enough." The slaver waved to the assistant.

"Name replacement can take some time and even a few passes to complete. It is often easier if their new name is close to the old, especially the first two letters. Her old name starts with an L and then U. If you choose a name starting with those letters, there is a near perfect success rate with little chance of future issue."

Warren leaned forward, his eyes taking in her sharp and perfect features. "Lucy. Lucy starts with L-U."

The assistant nodded with a smile. "Yes, Mr. Trupp. Lucy would be a perfect match and is quite beautiful as well." She glanced towards Lomen, who picked up his scotch, leaned back and finished it with a swallow. It has been his experience that once they choose a name, it's all down to price.