CONTACT AT LAST
"What in"—Frank Mura, steward, storekeeper, and cook of the Queen, into the nearest as the Salarik the into his section.
Dane, with the now Sinbad in the of his arm, had his guest and just in time to see the native come to an one of the most doors in the spacer—the portal of the garden which the ship's and them with fresh fruit and vegetables to their diet of concentrates.
The Salarik one hand on the surface of the sealed and looked over his at Dane with an to which was added something of a plea. Guided by his instinct—that this was to them all—Dane spoke to Mura:
"Can you let him in there, Frank?"
It was not sensible, it might be dangerous. But every of the the for making some of with the natives. Mura did not nod, but by the Salarik and pressed the lock. There was a of air, and the of things, the of the world outside, into the faces.
The where he was, his up, his wide visibly in that smell. Then he moved with the silent, speed which was the of his race, the narrow toward a of at the end.
Sinbad and growled. This was his private ground—the he free of invaders. Dane put the cat down. The Salarik had what he was seeking. He on to at a plant, his yellow closed, his whole ecstasy. Dane looked to the for enlightenment.
"What's he so in, Frank?"
"Catnip."
"Catnip?" Dane repeated. The word meant nothing to him, but Mura had a of up plants and them for study. "What is it?"
"One of the Terran mints—an herb," Mura gave a as he moved the toward the alien. He off a and it his fingers.
Dane, his of by the with which he had been by most of that day, no new odor. But the Salarik around to the his wide, his nose questing. And Sinbad gave a and a to push his against the steward's now hand.
So—now they had it—an opening wedge. Dane came up to the three.
"All right to take a or two?" he asked Mura.
"Why not? I it for Sinbad. To a cat it is like or a of lackibod."
And by Sinbad's Dane that the plant did for the cat the same those produced in beings. He off a small supporting three and presented it to the Salarik, who at him and then, the twig, from the garden as if by clansmen.
Dane the of his on the ladder—apparently the was making sure of with his find. But the Cargo-master was frowning. As as he see there were only five of the plants.
"That's all the you have?"
Mura Sinbad under his arm and Dane him out of the hydro. "There was no need to more. A small of the goes a long way with this one," he put the cat in the corridor. "The may be by drying. I that there is a small box of them in the galley."
A limited supply. Suppose this was the key which would the Koros trade? And yet it was to be up in five plants and a leaves! However, Van Rycke must know of this as soon as possible.
But to Dane's the Cargo-master no as his junior out the particulars of his discovery. Instead there were of to be read by those who Van Rycke well. He Dane out and then got to his feet. Tolling the man with him by a finger, he out of his office-living to the of Medic Craig Tau.
"Problem for you, Craig." Van Rycke seated his on the jump seat Tau for him. Dane was left just the door, very sure now that of being for his of a minutes before, he was about to some reprimand. And the for it still him.
"What do you know about that plant Mura in the hydro—the one called 'catnip'?"
Tau did not appear at that demand—the Medic of a Free Trading was at anything. He had his of his years of service and after that any occurrence, no how weird, as matter-of-fact. In Tau's hobby was "magic," the knowledge and used by doctors and medicine men on worlds. He had a library of recordings, odd of information, of results of very experiments. Now and then he a report which was sent into Central Service, read with by a dozen warmers, and away to be safely forgotten. But that had to him.
"It's an of the family from Terra," he replied. "Mura it for Sinbad—has a marked on cats. Frank's been trying to keep him to the ship by him to roll in fresh leaves. He it—then to out he can—"
That something for Dane—why the Salariki to enter the Queen tonight. Some of the of the plant had to Sinbad's fur, had been detected, and the Salarik had wanted to it to its source.
"Is it a drug?" Van Rycke prodded.
"In the way that all are drugs. Human beings have themselves in the past with a tea of the leaves. It has no great properties. To it is a stimulation—and they the same from in and the as we do from drinking—"
"The Salariki are, in a manner of speaking, felines—" Van Rycke mused.
Tau straightened. "The Salariki have catnip, I take it?"
Van Rycke at Dane and for the second time the Cargo-master his report. When he was done Van Rycke asked a direct question of the medical officer:
"What would have on a Salarik?"
It was only then that Dane the of what he had done. They had no way of the of an off-world plant on metabolism. What if he had to the of Sargol a drug—started that on some path of addiction. He was cold inside. Why, he might have the child!
Tau up his cap, and after a second's hesitation, his medical kit. He had only one question for Dane.
"Any idea of who the is—what he to?"
And Dane, with fear, was to answer in the negative. What had he done!
"Can you him?" Van Rycke, Dane, spoke to Tau.
The Medic shrugged. "I can try. I was out this morning—met one of the who their medical work. But I wasn't welcomed. However, under the circumstances, we have to try something—"
In the Van Rycke had an order for Dane. "I that you keep to quarters, Thorson, until we know how stand."
Dane saluted. That note in his superior's voice was like a lash—much to take than the of a man. He as he himself into his own cubby. This might be the end of their venture. And they would be lucky if their was not withdrawn. Let I-S an of his action and the Company would have them up the Board to be of all their in the Service. Just of his own stupidity—his in being able to through where Van Rycke and the Captain had a wall. And, than the which the Queen, was the that he might have some into Sargol with his gift of those leaves. When would he learn? He himself on his and pictured the of which and maybe would from his and action.
Within the Queen night and day were mechanical—the in the did not much. Dane did not know how long he there his mind to his action, making himself that in the Service there were no which others—not unless those taking the were Terrans.
"Dane—!" Rip Shannon's voice cut through his self-imposed nightmare. But he to answer. "Dane—Van wants you on the double!"
Why? To him up Jellico probably. Dane his expression, got up, his straight, still unable to meet Rip's eyes. Shannon was just one of those he had let so badly. But the other did not notice his mood. "Wait 'til you see them—! Half Sargol must be here for trade!"
That was so from what he had been that Dane was out of his own thoughts. Rip's was one wide smile, his black danced—it was plain he was elated.
"Get a move on, fire rockets," he urged, "or Van will blast you for fair!"
Dane did move, up the to the next level and out on the port ramp. What he saw him up short. Evening had come to Sargol but the was not in darkness. Blazing in lines from the and the portable light of the added to the glare, night into noonday.
Van Rycke and Jellico sat on at least five of the seven major with they had to no purpose earlier. And these a of Salariki. Yes, there was at least one chair—and also an from the of which a was being to by two retainers. The of the were coming—which only that was at last in progress. But for what?
Dane the ramp. He saw Paft, his hand by his cloth, to Van Rycke, own were by a handkerchief. Under the of their hands touched. The was in the stages. And it was for the to themselves. Where, according to Cam's records, it had been to that power to a man.
Catching the light from the ship's and from the of the Salariki was a small of on a to one side. Dane a breath. He had the Koros described, had the tri-dee print of one among Cam's but the was his expectations. He the analysis of the gems—that they were, as the of Terra, the by plants (maybe the of the trees) long in the deposits of the where chemical had taken place to produce the wonder jewels. In color they from a to a rich mauve, but in their other colors, silver, gold, which to move as the was turned. And—which was what them to the Salariki—when against the skin and by they gave off a perfume which not only the Sargolian but all in the Galaxy to own one.
On another at Van Rycke's right hand, as that the Koros was at Paft's, was a plastic box some leaves. Dane moved as as he to his proper place at such a session, Van Rycke. More Salariki were out of the forest, and warriors. A little to one was a third party Dane had not before.
They were about a staff which had been into the ground, a staff with a white marking a temporary ground. These were Salariki right but they did not wear the of those about them, they were all in muffling, of a green—the priests—their the color of the Sargolian sky just the of their tempests. Cam had not left many the religion of the Salariki, but the had, in limits, power, and their of the Terran Traders would add to good feeling.
In the of a Terran stood—Medic Tau—and he was talking with the leader of the religious party. Dane would have much to have been free to and ask Tau a question or two. Was all this the result of the in the hydro? But as he asked himself that, the were from the hands of the and Van Rycke gave an order over his shoulder.
"Measure out two of the into a box—" he pointed to a plastic container.
With Dane directions. At the same time a of the Salarik the of from the other and them in a Van Rycke, who transferred them to a box his feet. Paft arose—but he had the seat one of the had taken his place, the cloth about his wrist.
It was at that point that the were interrupted. A new party came into the open, their Trade a as they their way in a group through the of Salariki. I-S men! So they had not from Sargol.
They no of uneasiness—it was as if their were being by the Free Traders. And Kallee, their Cargo-master, to the point. The of Salariki voices was stilled, the Sargolians a little, one party of Terrans the other, to come. Neither Van Rycke Jellico spoke, it was left to Kallee to his case.
"You've your this time, boys," his was a of triumph. "Code Three—Article six—or can't you with your thick heads?"
Code Three—Article six, Dane his memory for that law of the Service. The into his mind as the auto-learner had planted them his year of in the Pool.
"To no shall any Trader any drug, food, or drink from off world, until such a has been as to the aliens."
There it was! I-S had them and it was all his fault. But if he had been so wrong, why in the world did Van Rycke there trading, the error and making it into a for which they be the Board and off the of the Service?
Van Rycke gently. "Code Four—Article two," he with the air of one playing gift-giver at a Forkidan feasting.
Code Four, Article two: Any offered for must be by a of medical experts, an equal of Terrans and aliens.
Kallee's did not vanish. "Well," he challenged, "where's your of experts?"
"Tau!" Van Rycke called to the Medic with the priests. "Will you ask your to be so as to allow the Cargo-master Kallee to be presented?"
The tall, dark Terran Medic spoke to the him and together they came across the clearing. Van Rycke and Jellico and their in to the priests, as did the with they had been about to deal.
"Reader of clouds and master of many winds," Tau's voice with the many titles of the Sargolian, "may I your Cargo-master Kallee, a of Inter-Solar in the of Trade?"
The priest's and in the light. His eyes, of that blue-green, the I-S party with detachment.
"You wish of me?" Plainly he was one who in to at once.
Kallee not be overawed. "These Free Traders have among your people a powerful which will much evil," he spoke slowly in as if he were a cub.
"You have of such evil?" the priest. "In what manner is this new plant evil?"
For a moment Kallee was disconcerted. But he quickly. "It has not been tested—you do not know how it will affect your people—"
The his impatiently. "We are not in intelligence, Trader. This plant has been tested, by your master of life and ours. There is no in it—rather it is a good thing, to be prized—so that we shall give thanks that it was us. This speech-together is finished." He the of his closer about him and walked away.
"Now," Van Rycke the I-S party, "I must ask you to withdraw. Under the of Trade your presence here can be resented—"
But Kallee had little of his assurance. "You haven't the last of this. A tape of the whole goes to the Board—"
"As you wish. But in the meantime—" Van Rycke to the waiting Salariki who were to impatiently. Kallee around, those mutters, and the only move possible, away from the Queen. He was not so cocky, but neither had he surrendered.
Dane at Tau's and asked the question which had been in him since he had come upon the scene.
"What happened—about the catnip?"
There was of the on Tau's face.
"Fortunately for you that child took the to the priest. They and it. And I can't see that it has any effects. But you were just lucky, Thorson—it might have gone another way."
Dane sighed. "I know that, sir," he confessed. "I'm not trying to out—"
Tau gave a half-smile. "We all off-fire our at times," he conceded. "Only next time—"
He did not need to complete that as Dane him up:
"There isn't going to be a next time like this, sir—ever!"