PERFUMED PLANET
Dane Thorson, Cargo-master-apprentice of the Solar Queen, Galactic Free Trader spacer, Terra registry, in the middle of the ship's while Rip Shannon, Astrogator and his senior in the Service of Trade by some four years, of paste to the skin Dane's blades. The small was with and Rip appreciatively.
"You're sure going to be about the best Terran who set on Sargol's soil," his soft of speech ended in a rich chuckle.
Dane and to progress over one shoulder.
"The we have to do for Trade!" his a hint of present embarrassment. "Get it well in—this stuff's to for hours. It'd better. According to Van those Salariki can talk your ears right off your and say nothing hearing. And we have to and until we a answer out of them. Phew!" He his head. In such close the scent, as it was, was also overpowering. "We would have to a world such as this—"
Rip's dark their motion. "Dane," he warned, "don't you go talking against this venture. We got it soft and we're going to be credit-happy—if it out—"
But, perversely, Dane to a view of the future. "If," he repeated. "There's a of 'ifs' in this Sargol proposition. All very well for you to easy on your fins—you don't have to about like a you can the time of day from one of the natives!"
Rip put the of cream. "Different worlds, different customs," he the old of the Service. "Be this one is so easy to to. There are some I can think of—There," he ended his with a slap. "You're all greased. Good thing you don't have Van's to cover. It takes him a good hour to his on—even with Frank helping to spread. Your ought to be up and ready, too, by now—"
He opened a tight cabinet, originally to which might be by with to Terrans. A cloud of steam with the same out.
Dane his Trade uniform, its on his skin as he dressed. Luckily Sargol was warm. When he out on its this no of his off-world must to the of the Salariki. He he would used to this process. After all this was the time he had the ritual. But he couldn't the that it was all very silly. Only what Rip had pointed out was the truth—one to the of or one didn't and there were other he might have had to do on other worlds which would have been more to that of private which would have in his tall, frame.
"Whew—out in the open with you—!" Ali Kamil Engineer, his too regular into an of and Dane by him in the corridor.
For the of his shipmates' nerves, Dane on to the port which gave on the now the Queen to Sargol's crust. But there he lingered, waiting for Van Rycke, the Cargo-master of the and his superior. It was early and now that he was out of the of the ship the fresh cut about him, through the blue-green beyond, to take much of his with them.
There were no in this of Sargol—the being with the same ten-foot which the plains. From the Queen's ports, one watch the of the so that the appeared to be in a shimmering, carpet. To the west were the seas—stretches of water so cut up by of that they more a series of lakes. And it was what was to be in those which had the Solar Queen to Sargol.
Though, by rights, the was that of another Trader—Traxt Cam—who had for to Sargol, to make a fortune—or at least with a profit—in the perfume trade, from the some of its most products. But once on Sargol he had the Koros stones—gems of a new type—a of which offered across the in one of the had nearly a among merchants. And Cam had been well on the way to one of the of Trade when he had been into the of the Limbian and off.
Because they, too, had into the which was Limbo, and had had a very part in up that installation, the of the Solar Queen had as their the of Traxt Cam in of legal heirs. And so here they were on Sargol with the notes left by Cam as their guide, and as much the Salariki as was into their minds.
Dane sat on the end of the ramp, his on Sargolian soil, thin, red with of gold in it. He did not that he was under from eyes, but he to no that he it. The adult Salariki at all times an of and complete toward the Traders, but the population were as as their were contemptuous. Perhaps there was a method of approach in that. Dane the idea.
Van Rycke and Captain Jellico had the negotiations—and the had taken most of a day—the result nothing. In their with the off world men the Salariki were ceremonious, wary, and detached. But Cam had to them somehow—or he would not have returned from his with that of Koros stones. Only, among his records, on Limbo, he had left no as to how he had native resistance. It was baffling. But patience had to be the middle name of every Trader and Dane had complete in Van. Sooner or later the Cargo-master would a key to the Salariki.
As if the of Dane's had him, Van Rycke, his sealed to his bull's in trimness, his cap on his head, the ramp, of as he moved. He as he approached his and then in approval.
"So you're all and ready—"
"Is the Captain too, sir?"
Van Rycke his head. "This is our headache. Patience, my boy, patience—" He the way through a thin screen of the on the other of the landing to a well-packed earth road.
Again Dane eyes, that they were being watched. But no Salarik out of concealment. At least they had nothing to in the way of attack. Traders were immune, taboo, and the were set up under the white diamond of peace, a peace on blood by every in the district. Even in the of met in under that and would not turn knife against each other a two mile of its protection.
The betrayingly, but the Terrans no in those who upon them. An with of green itself from the of a tree and ahead of the Traders as if it were an official herald. From the red by their a odor which with the they with them. Dane three or four times and that his officer had not noticed that of discomfort. Though Van Rycke, in of his air of and careless goodwill, noticed everything, no how trivial, which might have a on the of Galactic Trade. He had not to his present of expert Cargo-master by anything at all. Now he gave an order:
"Take an equalizer—"
Dane for his pouch, flushing, himself, that no how about him that day, he was not going to let it him. He the Medic Tau had prepared for just such and to his mind with the work to come. If there would be any work—or would another long day be in speeches of which gave lip service to Trade and its benefits?
"Houuuu—" The which was wail, warning, along the road them.
Van Rycke's did not vary. He did not turn his head, any he had that for a chieftain. And he to keep to the exact center of the road, Dane the one to the and left as his rank.
"Houuu—" that blast from the of a Salarik for his power was now by the of many feet. The Terrans neither looked around from the center, did their quicken.
That, too, was in order, Dane knew. To the rank Salariki you did not unless you wanted at once to your inferiority—and if you did that by some of or omission, there was no use in trying to to with their again.
"Houuu—!" The blast was a as the it around the in the road to catch of the two Traders of it. Dane to be able to turn his head, just to see which one of the local they blocked.
"Houu—" there was a note in the now and the thud-thud of was slacking. The party had them, were about the of trying to them aside.
Van Rycke and Dane matched his pace. They might not a leather-lunged to clear their road, but they gave every of having the right to as much of it as they wished. And that had its affect upon those behind. The of to a walk, a walk which would keep a the two Terrans. It had worked—the Salariki—or these Salariki—were them at their own valuation—a good for the day's business. Dane's rose, but he his into a as as his superior's. After all this was a very minor victory and they had ten or twelve hours of polite, and hidden, them.
The Solar Queen had set as closely as possible to the center marked on Traxt Cam's private map and the Terrans now had another five minutes march, in the middle of the road, ahead of the who must be at their presence, they came out in the the roofless, which the Salariki of the as a market place and a common meeting ground for talks and the of private alliances. Erect on a in the middle, well above the of the trees, was the the which promised not only peace to those under it, but a three day to any or who managed to win to it and hands upon its standard.
They were not the to arrive, which was also a good thing. Gathered in small groups about the of the place were the personal attendants, warriors, and relatives of at least four or five chieftains. But, Dane noted at once, there was not a single or to be seen. None of the part of the Salariki had arrived. Nor would they until the final was and by their fathers, husbands, or sons.
With the of one who was master in his own clan, Van Rycke, no at all in the shifting of rank Salariki, on to the door of the enclosure. Two or three of the got to their feet, their out like wings. But when Van Rycke did not an in their direction, they no move to his path.
As men, Dane thought, trying to study the him with a totally stare, the Salariki were an lot. Their was close to six feet, their only in small vestiges. A Salarik's on hands and were retractile, his skin was gray, his thick hair, close to the of fur, his and along the of his well arms and legs, and was tawny-yellow, blue-gray or white. To Terran the faces, now all in their direction, expression. The were large and set in the skull, being orange-red or a green-blue. They of with wide about their middles, from which the gem-set of their knives, the of which proved their adulthood. Cloaks as as their other in from their and each and every one moved in an cloud of perfume.
Brilliant as the of men without had been, the of and their upper officers the place was a of color—and odor. The were on the stools, each with a small table him on which rested a his own sign, a of patterned cloth—his "trade shield"—and a box the paste he would use for the of conference.
A ends and at cloaks, otherwise the was and quiet. Still making no Van Rycke to a and table which a little and seated himself. Dane into the action of him. Before his he set out a plastic pocket flask, its color as alive in the as the cut which the Salariki sported, a handkerchief, and, last of all, a bottle of Terran salts provided by Medic Tau as a necessary after some hours of Salariki and Salariki perfumes. Having thus done the of man, Dane was at to seat himself, cross-legged on the ground his chief, as the other sons, heirs, and had their lords.
The they had in a manner came in after them and Dane saw that it was Fashdor—another piece of luck—since that was a small one and the had little influence. Had they so Halfer or Paft it might be a different altogether.
Fashdor was at his seat, his spread out, and Dane, unobtrusively, was that the was now complete. Seven Traxt Cam had recorded the sea and there were seven here—indicative of the of this meeting since some of these the of the peace, must be a blood at that very moment. Yes, seven were here. Yet there still a single stool, directly across the circle from Van Rycke. An empty stool—who was the late comer?
That question was answered almost as it into Dane's mind. But no Salariki came through the door. Dane's self-control him in his place, after he the meaning of the across the newcomer's tunic. Trader—and not only a Trader but a Company man! But why—and how? The Companies only after big game—this was a open to Free Traders, the of the star lanes. By law and right no Company man had any place here. Unless—behind a Dane to keep as as Van's his raced. Traxt Cam as a Free Trader had for the right to Sargol when its product was to be perfume—a small, as as the Companies were concerned. And then the Koros had been and the of Sargol must have as as the big boys see. They of Traxt Cam's death as soon as the Patrol report on Limbo had been sent to Headquarters. The Companies all their private and services. And, with Traxt Cam without an heir, they had their and moved in. Only, Dane's teeth set firmly, they didn't have the of a now. Legally there was only one Trader on Sargol and that was the Solar Queen, Captain Jellico had his records by the Patrol to prove that. And all this Inter-Solar man would do now was to out and try elsewhere.
But the I-S man appeared to be in no to that only possible course. He was seating himself with on that stool, and a man in I-S was him the same type of Dane had produced for Van Rycke. The Cargo-master of the Solar Queen no surprise, if the Eysies' had been such to him.
One of the in Paft's train got to his and his hands together with a clap which across the with the of an solid shot. A Salarik, the rich dress of the upper ranks, but also the upon a taken in combat, came into the a in hands. Preceded by Paft's son he the of the a liquid from his into the each chieftain, a which Paft's it was presented to the visiting leader. When they paused Van Rycke the Salarik touched the of the in token. It was that off world men must be over the of local and that when they joined in the Taking of the First Cup of Peace, they did so symbolically.
Paft his cup, his by around the circle. In the of his he a so that of the Salariki now the sing-song words. They and the meeting was opened.
But it was an Salarik seated to the right of Halfer, a man who no knife and yellow and a note the of his fellows, who spoke first, using the click-clack of the Trade Lingo his nation had learned from Cam.
"Under the white," he pointed to the aloft, "we to many things. But now come two to speak where once there was but one father of a clan. Tell us, outlanders, which of you must we now to in truth?" He looked from Van Rycke to the I-S representative.
The Cargo-master from the Queen did not reply. He across the circle at the Company man. Dane waited eagerly. What was the I-S going to say to that?
But the did have an answer, and waiting. "It is true, fathers of clans, that here are two voices, where by right and there should only be one. But this is a which can be us. Give us to from your and speak privately together. Then he who returns to you will be the true voice and there shall be no more division—"
It was Paft who in Halfer's reply.
"It would have been to have spoken together you came to us. Go then until the of the is not, then return and speak truly. We do not wait upon the of outlanders—"
A that comment. "Until the of the is not." They had until noon. Van Rycke and Dane up his chief's possessions. With the same to his he had upon entering, the Cargo-master left the enclosure, the Eysies following. But they were away from the clearing, out upon the road to the Queen the two from the Company up with them.
"Captain Grange will see you right away—" the Eysie Cargo-master was when Van Rycke met him with a stare.
"If you have anything to say—you say it at the Queen and to Captain Jellico," he and started on.
Above his tight the other's flushed, his teeth as he his lip them as if to an answer he to make. For a second he and then he a path with his assistant. Van Rycke had gone a of the to the ship he spoke.
"I it was too easy," he muttered. "Now we're in for it—maybe right up the rockets! By the Spiked Tail of Exol, this is not our lucky day!" He until they were close to trotting.
