Kawahara came and stood closer to me. 'Bancroft isn't the only one that can buy troublesome criminals off colonial stacks. The Kanagawa justice facility were overjoyed when I came to them two days later with a bid for Sachilowska. The way they see it, if you're freighted offworld, the chances of you ever having enough money to buy a needlecast back again are pretty slim. And of course they get paid for the privilege of waving you goodbye. It must seem too good to be true. ] imagine they're hoping it's the start of a trend.' She fingered the lapel of my jacket thoughtfully. 'And in fact the way the virtuals market is at the moment, it might be a trend worth starting.'