They were the Solomons, whose specialty was gambling. Their leader had adopted the name Straight, evidently relating to one of the winning configurations of the card game of poker, but he had the reputation of being straight in his dealings, too. This was essential for his business, for the gamblers had to have the trust of their clients, and the violation of understandings was not conducive to that. Straight was a pirate, and he had killed ruthlessly in the defense of his turf, but he kept his word. Mondy's research indicated that though the Solomons were one of the weaker bands in terms of hardware, they were perhaps the most competently led. “Damn, I feel him.” Emerald muttered. "I feel Straight taking my measure, and I don't mean my bust line! He's getting set to make a real fool of me in battle. I've got to come up with something good!" “He shouldn't know it's you he's dealing with,” I said. “I'm the Task Force Commander, and there's no hint of strategic or tactical genius in my evaluation.
