BARRING ACCIDENT
The through the and, closer to hand, it at the of the Salariki. Clan sat on stools, on the of the ground the stockade. In their many the of the Terrans were a of at either end of the which had been marked out for them.
At the of their the Queen's men had been into a Jellico had from the first. He, and he alone, would the Free Traders in the duel. And now he there in the early morning, to and boots, nothing on which a catch and so him. The Free Traders were that the I-S men having any would press it to the limit and the death of Captain Jellico would make a great on the Salariki.
Jellico was than the Eysie who him, but almost as lean. Hard moved under his skin, where space had not in the years of his star voyaging. And his every movement was with the liquid of a man who, in his time, had been a master of the blade. Now he in his left hand the knife him by Groft himself and in the other he the rope of the net.
At the other end of the field, the Eysie man was moving his and across the ground, upon them with as much of the as would adhere. And he the in himself which he had at the moment of challenge in the Great Hall.
None of the Free Trading party the mistake of trying to give Jellico advice. The Captain had not to his without learning his duties. And the of a Free Trader a wide range of knowledge and practice. One had to be expert with a and a when the occasion demanded. Though Jellico had not a Salariki with and knife before, he had a memory of other weapons, other which be upon and to his present need.
There was none of the which had the the Salariki in the hall. Here was ceremony. The their own particular Providence, and there was an taken over the of battle. When the the among the had reached, Dane decided, proportions. Large of Sargolian personal property were to hands as a result of this encounter.
As the gave the order to Terrans from their ends of the space with the crouching, light of spacemen. Jellico had his into as close a to rope as its would allow. The very type of weapon, so from any the Traders knew, it a than an asset.
But it was when the Eysie moved out to meet the Captain that Rip's closed about Dane's upper arm in an almost grip.
"He knows—"
Dane had not needed that news to be vocal. Having the of the Salariki earlier, he had already the of that glide, of the way the I-S his net. The Eysie had not had any last minute in the use of Sargolian weapons—he had and, by his stance, to make him a menace. The about the Queen's party rose as the battle-wise of the noted that and the against Jellico while the of his sank.
Only Van Rycke was not disturbed. Now and then he his bottle to his nose with an which matched those of the around him, as if not a of his mind.
The Eysie in a opening which was a copy of the Salarik's more moves some hours before. But, when the settled, Jellico was not there, his quick to one had sent the in an over his with a good six to spare. And a of came not only from his comrades, but from those who had been to their on his performance.
Dane the and the through a film. The he had since that of the cup of had into a of pain his middle in a grip. But he he must it out until Jellico's was over. Someone against him and he up to see Ali's face, a gray-green under the tan, close to his own. For a moment the Engineer-apprentice at his arm for support and then with a visible up. So he wasn't the only one—He looked for Rip and Weeks and saw that they, too, were ill.
But for a moment all that was the of earth and the two men each other. The Eysie another and this time, although Jellico was not caught, the of the a red on his forearm. So the Captain had been to play the role of retreat, studying his enemy, ahead.
The Eysie the game his, that he had only to wait for a moment and the victory. Dane to think it had gone on for hours. And he was aware that the Salariki were also restless. One or two at Jellico in their own tongue.
The end came suddenly. Jellico his footing, stumbled, and down. But his men move, the Eysie forward, his out. Only he the Captain. In the very act of Jellico had his under him so that he was not but crouched, and his but at ground level, the I-S man about the shins, his so that he to the and still.
"The whip—that Lalox trick!" Wilcox's voice rose above the of the crowd. Using his as if it had been a thong, Jellico had the Eysie with a move the other had not foreseen.
Breathing hard, his and making through the red which him, Jellico got to his and walked over to the I-S who had not moved or a since his fall. The Captain on one to him.
"Kill! Kill!" That was the Salariki, all their aroused.
But Jellico spoke to Groft. "By our we do not kill the conquered. Let his friends him hence." He took the knife the Eysie still in his hand and it into his own belt. Then he the I-S party and Kallee.
"Take your man and out!" The he had on his these past days was very thin. "You've your last play here."
Kallee's thick in something close to a Salarik snarl. But neither he his men any reply. They up their and disappeared.
Of their own return to the of the Queen Dane had only the of memories afterwards. He had the of the road he to the of his interior. And after that he had along with Van Rycke's hand under his arm, from other that he was not alone in his torment.
It was some time later, months he when he roused, that he himself in his bunk, very weak and empty as if a large of his middle had been removed, but also at peace with his world. As he himself up the had a to move slowly to the right as if he were a on which it swung, and he had all the of being in free though the Queen was still planeted. But that was only a minor to the he remembered.
Fed the semi-liquid diet by Tau and up by Mura to him and his sufferers, he got his strength. But it had been a close call, he did not need Tau's to that. Weeks had the least of the four, he the most—though none of them had had an easy time. And they had been out of three days.
"The Eysie last night," Rip him as they in the sun on the ramp, the lazy hours of invalidism.
But somehow that news gave Dane no of spirit. "I didn't think they'd give up—"
Rip shrugged. "They may be off to make a dust-off the Board. Only, thanks to Van and the Old Man, we're all along the line. There's nothing they can use against us to our contract. And now we're in so solid they can't cut us out with the Salariki. Groft asked the Captain to teach him that with the net. I didn't know the Old Man Lalox fighting—it's about one of the to cut to pieces in this universe—"
"How's going?"
Rip's clouded. "Supplies have out. Weeks had an idea—but it won't in Koros. That red he's so about, he's Van to some in the since we have Koros to the voyage. Luckily the will take ordinary in for that and Weeks thinks it will sell on Terra. It's to turn a knife and yet it is light and easy to when it's cured. Queer and the color's interesting. That of it planted around Groft's town has been up close to a hundred years and not a of in a of it!"
"Where is Van?"
"The sent for him. Some of a gabble-fest on the star-star level, I gather. Otherwise we're almost to blast. And we know what of to next time."
They did, Dane agreed. But he was not to away his morning. An hour later a came out of the forest, a line of complaining, orgels, their low as they their woes, the hard life which sent them on their way with of red to their toads' backs. Weeks was in of the and Dane to work with the plan Van had left, that the lengths were into the and according to the science of stowage. He that Rip had been right, the for all its was light of weight. Weak as he still was he and a full sized with no great difficulty. And he Weeks was in that it would sell on their home world. The color was novel, the an asset—it would not make as the Koros might, but every of profit helped and this might their fees on Terra.
Sinbad was in the space when the of the came in. With his the cat along the wood, industriously. Suddenly he stopped short, and away, his a crest. Having as as the door he and out. Puzzled, Dane gave the a inspection. There were no or in the surfaces, but as he stopped over the he of a odor. So this was one of the Sinbad did not like. Dane laughed. Maybe they had have Weeks make a gate of the and it across the ramp, Sinbad on ship board. Odd—it wasn't an odor—at least to him it wasn't—just and pungent. He again and was to that it was less now. Perhaps the when taken out of the its scent.
They packed the solid in with the of and locked the Van Rycke returned from his meeting with the priests. When the Cargo-master came he was by two them a chest.
But there was something in Van Rycke's attitude, to those who him best, that he was not too well pleased with his morning's work. Sparing the of the about the of the Captain Jellico and Steen Wilcox out to them in the open. Dane from the hatch, aware that in his present pariah-hood it would not be wise to closer.
The Terran Traders were some of action that the Salariki were upon. In the end the and Kosti was to on the which the had brought. Having it safely the spacer, the departed, but Van Rycke was and Jellico's were a on his as they came up the ramp.
"I don't like it," Jellico as he entered.
"It was none of my doing," Van Rycke snapped. "I'll take if I have to—but there's something about this one—" he off, two lines his thick brows. "Well, you can't teach a to spit," he ended philosophically. "We'll have to do the best we can."
But Jellico did not look at all happy as he to the section. And the hour was out the for the Captain's was common property the ship.
Having the of off-world herbs, the Salariki were to not be cut off from their of supply. Six Terran months from the present Sargolian date would come the great yearly of the Fifty Storms, and the were that this year their and power would be if they offer the in the of Terran plants. Consequently they had produced and upon the Van Rycke the Koros of their order, with that it be on Terra and the price returned to them in the and plants. In the Cargo-master and Captain had pointed out that Galactic was a thing at the best, that accident might prevent return of the Queen to Sargol. But the had and saw in all such only a attempt to prices. They in their turn the they had out of the Company men—that Traders had their and that once pay had been in the must be fulfilled. They, and they alone, wanted the full of the Queen on her next voyage, and they were taking the one way they were sure of that result.
So a in Koros which as yet did not to the Traders was now in the Queen's strong-room and her were by the possible tie in their Service to set on Sargol once more the time had passed. The Free Traders did not like it, there was a that such a would luck to them. But they were left with no choice if they wanted to their with the Salariki.
"Cutting fine, aren't we?" Ali asked Rip across the table. "I saw your two star man it out he came to shoot the with us monkeys—"
Rip nodded. "Steen's every and some he's done four times." He ran his hands over his close with a gesture. As a semi-invalid he had been with his to the Mura had and Tau that they take, but he had been doing a a night's work on the under his chief's he came. "The latest news is that, accident, we can make it with about three weeks' grace, give or take a day or two—"
"Barring accident—" the in the air. Here on the of the star there were so many accidents, so many which put a ship schedule. Only on the main star did the or Company ships attempt to keep on trips. A Free Trader did not to have an contract.
"What Stotz say?" Dane asked Ali.
"He says he can deliver. We don't have the about setting a course—you point the nose and we only give her the to send her along."
Rip sighed. "Yes—point her nose." He his nails. "Goodbye," he added gravely. "These won't be here by the time we here again. I'll have my off to the knuckle. Well, we at six hours. Pleasant down." He the last of the in his mug, a at the flavor, and got to his feet, at his post in control.
Dane, free of until the ship earthed, to his own cabin, sure of part of a night's they off. Sinbad was on his bunk. For some the cat had not been the ship take-off as he did. First he had sat on Van's and now he was here, almost as if he wanted company. Dane him up and Sinbad a purr, his so that it against the man's in an of affection. Smoothing the along the cat's line Dane him to the Cargo-master's cabin.
With some he at the and did not step in until he had Van Rycke's invitation. The Cargo-master was on the bunk, two of the take off already across his as if he to sleep through the blast-off.
"Sinbad, sir. Shall I him?"
Van Rycke an and Dane the cat in the small which was his particular station, the safety cords. For once Sinbad no but rolled into a and was fast asleep. For a moment or two Dane about this and if he should call it to the Cargo-master's attention. Perhaps on Sargol Sinbad had had his of a cup and needed a check-up by Tau.
"Stowage correct?" the question, from Van Rycke, was also unusual. The seal would not have been put across the lock had its not been and rechecked.
"Yes, sir," Dane woodenly, he was still in the darkness. "There was just the wood—we it according to chart."
Van Rycke once more. "Feeling top-layer again?"
"Yes, sir. Any orders, sir?"
"No. Blast-off's at six."
"Yes, sir." Dane left the cabin, the him. Would he—or he—he drearily, in Van Rycke's profit again? Sargol had been unlucky as as he was concerned. First he had that mistake and then he got and now—And now—what was the matter? Was it just the attack of nerves over their and the which their haste, or was it something else? He not himself of a that the Queen was about to take off into trouble. And he did not like the at all!
