GORP HUNT
But the had the of trading. The small who had so taken Paft's place had only two Koros to offer and to Dane's they were in size and color to those the other leader had tendered. The Terrans were aware that Koros was a but they had not that the stock of available was so very small. Within ten minutes the last of the was and the were away from the over space about the Queen's fins.
Dane up the cloth, for a task. He that he was from being in Van Rycke's good graces. The that his did not discuss any of the of the with him was a sign.
Captain Jellico stretched. Although his was not, or never, what might be a good-humored face, he was at peace with his world. "That would to be all. What's the haul, Van?"
"Ten class stones, about fifty second grade, and twenty or so of third. The will go to the tomorrow. Then we'll be in to see the good stuff."
"And how's the out?" That Dane too. Surely the plants in the and the not be too far.
"As well as we expect." Van Rycke frowned. "But Craig thinks he's on the of something to help—"
The had the staff marking the station and were the white about it. Their leader had already gone and now Tau came up to the group by the ramp.
"Van says you have an idea," the Captain him.
"We haven't it yet. And we can't unless the give it a clear lane—"
"That goes without saying—" Jellico agreed.
The Captain had not that to him personally, but Dane was sure it had been at him. Well, they needn't worry—never again was he going to make that mistake, they be very sure of that.
He was part of the which in the only he was a of the crew. How the for his had spread he had no way of telling, but he no overtures, to Rip.
Tau had the with Mura as an lieutenant. He the properties of and gave on the limited supply the Queen carried. Then he into a new suggestion.
"Felines of Terra, in a great many other of our native mammals, have a for this."
Mura produced a small and Tau opened it, it to Captain Jellico and so from hand to hand about the room. Each at the aroma. It was a than that off by the catnip—Dane was not sure he liked it. But a moment later Sinbad in from the and the of to the table top just Mura who had taken the from Dane. He and at the steward's cuff. Mura the and put the cat on the floor.
"What is it?" Jellico wanted to know.
"Anisette, a from the oil of anise—from of the plant. It is a stimulant, but we use it mainly as a condiment. If it is for the Salariki it ought to be a point than any or spices, I-S can import. And remember, with their unlimited capital, they can the market with we can't touch, selling at a if need be to cut us out. Because their ship is not going to from Sargol just she has no legal right here."
"There's this point," Van Rycke added to the lecture. "The Eysies are or want to perfumes. But they stock only products, stuff, but synthetic." He took from his two boxes.
Before he the rich of the paste them Dane had already each as luxury from Casper—chemical which well and at high prices in the of the Galaxy. The Cargo-master the boxes over, the symbol on their undersides—the mark of I-S.
"These were offered to me in by a Salarik. I took them, just to have proof that the Eysies are here. But—note—they were offered to me in trade, along with two top Koros for what? One of leaves. Does that anything?"
Mura answered first. "The Salariki natural to synthetic."
"I think so."
"D'you that was Cam's secret?" Astrogator Steen Wilcox.
"If it was," Jellico cut in, "he it! If we had only this earlier—"
They were all of that, of their space packed with goods. Where, if they had known, the same space have with five or twenty-five times as much power.
"Maybe now that their sales' is broken, we can to some of the other stuff," Tang Ya, away from his for the conference, said wistfully. "They like color—how about out some of Harlinian silk?"
Van Rycke wearily. "Oh, we'll try. We'll out and anything. But we have done so much better—" he over the of which had them on a wild for with no proper in either of their holds.
There was a little of a being cleared. Jasper Weeks, the small from the engine room detail, the third Venusian the more members of the Queen's were to upon occasion, all upon him, spoke though his voice was above a whisper.
"Cedar—lacquel bark—forsh weed—"
"Cinnamon," Mura added to the list. "Imported in small quantities—"
"Naturally! Only the problem now is—how much cedar, bark, weed, do we have on board?" Van Rycke.
His did not register with Weeks for the little man pushed by Dane and left the to their surprise. In the which they the of his on as he to the of the engine room staff. Tang to his neighbor, Johan Stotz, the Queen's Engineer.
"What's he going for?"
Stotz shrugged. Weeks was a self-effacing man—so much so that in the of the very little about him as an his mates—a which was slowly on them all now. Then they the of and Weeks in with energy which him across to the table which the Captain and Van Rycke now sat.
In the wiper's hands was a plasta-steel box—the of a spaceman. Its was to protect the against but disintegration. Weeks put it on the table and up the lid.
A new aroma, or aromas, was added to the now at in the cabin. Weeks out a of white which up about his like soap lather. Then with more he up a into many small compartments, each with a of its own. The men of the Queen moved in, their aroused, until they were one another.
Being tall Dane had an advantage, though Van Rycke's and the wide of the Captain were him and the object they were so upon. In each of the tray, easily through the lids, was a figure. The of the Venusian were there, along with of Terran animals, a Martian sand-mouse in all its ferocity, and the native animal and life of a hundred different worlds. Weeks put a second the first, again a of life forms. But when he open one of the and the it to the Captain, Dane the for now the carvings.
The majority of them were from a blue-gray and Dane that if he one up he would that it close to nothing in his hand. That was bark—the product of a Venusian vine. And each little animal or in a soft of white—frosh weed—the of the Martian plants. One or two on the second were of a red-brown and these Van Rycke at appreciatively.
"Cedar—Terran cedar," he murmured.
Weeks eagerly, his alight. "I am waiting now for sandalwood—it is also good for carving—"
Jellico at the in puzzled wonder. "You have these?"
Being an of no small himself, the of the more than the material from which they his attention.
All those on the Queen had their own hobbies. The of through hyper-space had long ago upon men the need for hands and mind the days while they were into close with to keep them alert. Jellico's was with tri-dee pictures of the animals and he had in their native or of which he and records. Tau had his magic, Mura not only his plants but the he fashioned, to be in the of protecting balls. But Weeks had his work and now he had an artist's of his shipmates.
The Cargo-master returned to the on hand first. "You're to transfer these to 'cargo'?" he asked briskly. "How many do you have?"
Weeks, now a third and then a fourth from the box, without looking up.
"Two hundred. Yes, I'll transfer, sir."
The Captain was about in his the of an Astran duocorn. "Pity to these here," he aloud. "Will Paft or Halfer more than just their scent?"
Weeks shyly. "I've this case, sir. I was going to offer them to Mr. Van Rycke on a venture. I can always make another set. And right now—well, maybe they'll be more to the Queen, as how they're out of woods, then they'd be elsewhere. Leastwise the Eysies aren't going to have anything like them to show!" he ended in a of pride.
"Indeed they aren't!" Van Rycke gave where it was due.
So they plans and then to sleep out the of the night. Dane that his was not forgiven, but now he was too to and slept as well as if his were clear.
But only a of class for and none of them had much but news to offer. The priests, as arbitrators, had up the Koros grounds. And the clansmen, under the personal of their were the stones. The Terrans from of that on such a large had been before.
Before night there came other news, and much more chilling. Paft, one of the two major of this of Sargol—while the of his men on a newly and length of water—had been and killed by gorp. The activity of the Salariki in the had in turn to the spot of the intelligent, who had in strength, and the Salariki an defense, having killed the land dwellers' and on the main of hunters.
A of a number of or had been as the price one paid for Koros in quantity. But the death of a was another thing altogether, having which the of his death. When the news the Salariki about the Queen they melted away into the and for the time the Terrans free of eyes.
"What now?" Ali inquired. "Do they all off?"
"That might just be the answer," Van Rycke.
"Could be," Rip to Dane, "that they'd think we were in some way responsible—"
But Dane's conscience, over the whole of Salariki trade, had already that conclusion.
The Terran party, of what were the best tactics, to do nothing at all for the time being. But, when the Salariki to have on the of the second day, the men were restless. Had Paft's death resulted in some over the and the other to let the for that it out? Or—what was more and dangerous—had the come to the point of view that the Queen was in the main for the and were in preparing too warm a welcome for any Traders who to visit them?
With the idea in mind they did not from the ship. And the limit to their traveling was the of the from which they be and so they did not learn much.
It was well into the they were that, from being in any way an enemy, they were about to be in a tie as close as to one of the temporary but truces.
The messenger came in state, a Salarik warrior, his rent and in pieces from his as a of his official grief. He in one hand a out torch, and in the other an knife, its the with a glitter. Behind him three of retainers, their also fringes, their drawn.
Standing up on the to what only be a were Captain, Astrogator, Cargo-master and Engineer, the senior officers of the spacer.
In the of the Trade Lingo the himself as Groft, son and of the late Paft. Until his father was in blood he not assume the high seat of his the of the family. And now, custom, he was the friends and sometimes of the Paft to a hunt. Such a hunt, Dane from the flowers of Salariki speech, as had been planned on the of Sargol. Salariki without number in the past had died the of the water reptiles, but it was that a had so and his were in their to take a full blood price from the killers.
"—and so, sky lords," Groft his to a close, "we come to ask that you send your men to this so that they may know the of into the death and see the ones die in their own blood!"
Dane needed no hint from the Queen's officers that this was a from custom. By joining with the in such a the Terrans were being to of a sort, relations by a tie which the I-S, or any other from off-world, would hard to break. It was a piece of such excellent good as they would not have of three days earlier.
Van Rycke replied, his voice properly sonorous, out the of the which they had all been the voyage, using Cam's recording. Yes, the Terrans would join with in so good and great a cause. They would the of their arms to the of all they had the good to meet. Groft need only name the hour for them to join him—
It was not needful, the Salariki chieftain-to-be to tell the Cargo-master, that the senior sky themselves in this matter. In it would be against custom, for it was meet that such a be left to of years, that they might earn and be able to the at the Naming as men. Therefore—the thumb of Groft was to its length as he used it to single out the Terrans he had been eyeing—let this one, and that, and that, and the fourth be to join with the Salariki party an hour after on this very day and they would teach the slimy, in the a well needed lesson.
The Salarik's choice with one had upon the members of the crew, Ali, Rip, and Dane in that order. But his fourth had been Jasper Weeks. Perhaps of his native of skin and of the had seemed, to the alien, to be than his years. At any Groft had it very plain that he these men and Dane that the Queen's officers would no which might the of relations.
Van Rycke did ask for one which was granted. He permission for the spacer's men to their sleep rods. Though the Salariki, for some of and custom, were totally to their age-old enemy with anything other than their duelists' of and knife.
"Go along with them," Captain Jellico gave his final orders to the four, "as long as it doesn't your own necks—understand? On the other hand have helped to a ship. And these are from all accounts. You'll just have to use your own about your on them—" He looked at that thought.
Ali was and little Weeks his with a touch of he had before. Rip was his soft self, as a and a good for the of them—taking without question as they off to join Groft's company.
