BARGAIN CONCLUDED
"—and so we here, sir," Rip his report in the matter-of-fact he might have used in a perfectly ordinary voyage, say Terraport and Luna City, a of no and carrying.
The of the Solar Queen, save for Tau, were assembled in a room in the of Patrol Headquarters. Since the room a chamber, Dane that their must now be on a higher level than that of Patrol Posted outlaws. But he was also sure that if they to walk out of the that would not be successful.
Van Rycke sat in his seat, of hands across his middle. He had sat as as the Captain while Rip had their since they had all been stricken. Though the other had in the story, the senior officers no comments. Now Jellico to his Cargo-master.
"How about it, Van?"
"What's done is done—"
Dane's as if away by a Sargolian wind. The Cargo-master didn't approve. So there must have been another way to their ends—one the members of the had been too or too to see—
"If we off today we might just make contract."
Dane started. That was it! The point they had of their to aid. There was no possible of the ship today—probably not for days to come—or ever, if the case against them. So they had contract—and the Board would be on them for that. Dane inside. He try to against the Patrol—there had always been a of the Free Traders and the space police. But you couldn't the Board—and keep your and so have a means of in space. A cut one off from the forever. Captain Jellico looked very at that reminder.
"The Eysies will be all to step in. I'd like to know why they were so sure we had the on board—"
Van Rycke snorted. "I can supply you five to that—for one they may have the of those for the wood, and it would be easy to as a result of our taking a on board—or again they may have planted the on us through the Salariki—But we can't prove it. It that they are going to for themselves the Sargolian unless—" He stopped short, ahead of him at the Rip and Dane. And his that Van was a fresh idea. Van's ideas were to be and Jellico did not now the Cargo-master with questions.
It was Rip who spoke next and directly to the Captain. "Do you know what they plan to do about us, sir?"
Captain Jellico and there was a to his mouth as he replied, "It's my opinion that they're now adding up the list of you four have committed—maybe they had to turn the big HG computer on the problem. The isn't in yet. We gave them our record and that ought to give them more food for thought."
Dane as to what the would make of the record of the Queen's past weeks—the with their landing in the Big Burn ought to be a little surprising. Van Rycke got to his and to the door of the room. It was opened from without so Dane was sure that they had been under surveillance.
"Trade business," the Cargo-master, "contract deal. Take me to a sealed booth!"
Contracts might not be as to the Service as they were to Trade, but Trade had its powers and since Van Rycke, an of the Queen's troubles, not legally be with any crime, he was out of the room. But the door was sealed him, in the with the that they were not free agents. Jellico in his chair and stretched. Long years of close had him that his Cargo-master was to be with not only the and tending, but also think them out of some of the which not be solved by his own direct action methods. Direct action had been to their present problem—now the was up to Van, and he was to all responsibility.
But they were not left long to themselves. The door opened once more to admit star rank Patrolmen. None of the Free Traders arose. As members of another Service they themselves equals. And it was their private that the of Galactic civilization, as by the black and silver, often followed, not the into new of the universe.
However, Rip, Ali, Dane, and Weeks answered as as they the of questions which them. They in detail their visit to the E-Stat, the landing in the Big Burn, the of Hovan. Dane's of being in the right in opposition to the questioning. Under the same set of how would that Commander—that Wing Officer—that Senior Scout—now all seated there—have acted? And every time they that his part in the had been illegal he stiffened.
Sure, there had to be law and order out on the Rim—and sure it had to and protect life on the of the systems. He wasn't that on Limbo, he, for one, had been very to see the Patrol blast their way into the of the up on that half-dead world. And he was of the men in the field. But like all Free Traders he was by a that too often the laws as by the Patrol the and might of the Companies, that law be and the Patrol sent to push through which, though legal, were to those who had not the to it out in the off Council courts. Just as now he was that the Eysies were all the they had to here against the Queen's men. And Inter-Solar had a of influence.
At the end of their their were read to them from the tape and they thumb them. Were these or confessions, Dane mused. Perhaps in their reports they had just their way into the moon mines. Only there was no move to lead them out and book them. And when Weeks pressed his thumb at the of the tape, Captain Jellico took a hand. He looked at his watch.
"It is now ten hours," he observed. "My men need rest, and we all want food. Are you through with us?"
The Commander was for the other group. "You are to in quarantine, Captain. Your ship has not yet been passed as port-free. But you will be quarters—"
Once again they were through blank to the other of the Patrol Headquarters. No looked upon the world, but there were and a small alcove. Ali, Dane, and Rip in, more in sleep than food. And the last thing the Cargo-apprentice was Jellico talking with Steen Wilcox as they of Terran coffee.
But with twelve hours of sleep them the three were less in confinement. No one had come near them and Van Rycke had not returned. Which the to as a of hope. Somewhere the Cargo-master must be their battle. And all Van's store of Trade knowledge, all his of and a bargain, on their behalf, must win them some concessions.
Medic Tau came in, Hovan with him. Both looked but triumphant. And their report was a in the arm for the now Traders.
"We've it their throats," Tau announced. "They're to admit that it was those and not a plague. Incidentally," he at Jellico and then looked around expectantly, "where's Van? This comes in his department. We're going to cash in on those the in the freeze. Terra-Lab is on them. I said to see Van—he can the best for us. Where is he?"
"Gone to see about our contract," Jellico reported. "What's the news about our now?"
"Well, they've got to out the ship listing. Also—we're big news. There're about twenty men around out in the offices trying to in and have us do some spot broadcasts. Seems that the children here," he his thumb at the three apprentices, "started something. An inter-solar couldn't be news! Human by the tankful. I've been on Video twice and they're trying to up Hovan almost steady—"
The Medic from the nodded. "Wanted me to appear on a three week schedule," he chuckled. "I was asked to come in on 'Our Heroes of the Starlines' and two Quiz programs. As for you, you criminal," he to Dane, "you're going to be game for about three networks. It you well," he the last as if it were an and Dane squirmed. "Anyway you did something with your stunt. And, Captain, three men want to your Hoobat. I they are a of how it those pests. So be prepared—"
Dane to a in which he top with Queex and shuddered. All he wanted now was to free of Terra for a nice, quiet, world where problems be settled with a sleep or a and the Video screen was unknown.
Having of what them without, the men of the Queen were more to be in the section. But as time on and the Cargo-master did not return, their awoke. They were sure by now that any the Patrol or the Terrapolice would would not be too drastic. But a was another and more affair—a which might ground them more than any of the law bodies. And Jellico took to the room, while Tang and Wilcox who had started a game of four errors of move, and Stotz at the wall, too in his own to from the table in the alcove.
Though time had to have much meaning for them as an of the now sure failure of their Sargolian venture, they marked the hours into a second full day of Van Rycke put in appearance. The Cargo-master was tired, but he no of discomposure. In as he came in he was what he was a popular tune.
Jellico asked no questions, he his officer with a eyebrow. But the others around. It was so that Van Rycke was pleased with himself. Which only that in some way he had managed to their in a full landing, that somehow he had the Queen out of into a position where he the situation.
He just the and Dane, Ali, and Rip with severity. "You're boys," he told them with a shake of the and a of the adjective. "You've been ten each on the list."
Which must put him on the once more, Dane calculated swiftly. Or below—though he didn't see how he the rank he at assignment. However, he the news of discouraging. Compared to a at the moon such was nothing and he that Van Rycke was the news first.
"You also all pay for this voyage," the Cargo-master was continuing. But Jellico in.
"Board fine?"
At the Cargo-master's nod, Jellico added. "Ship pays that."
"So I told them," Van Rycke agreed. "The Queen's off Terra for ten years—"
They take that, too. Other Free Traders got to their home once in a century. It was so much less than they had that the was with a of relief.
"No earth-side leave—"
All right—no leave. They were not, after their late so with Terraport that they wanted to in its any longer than they had to.
"We the Sargol contract—"
That did hurt. But they had themselves to it since the hour when they had that they not make it to the planet.
"To Inter-Solar?" Wilcox asked the question.
Van Rycke was broadly, as if the he had just was in some way a gain. "No—to Combine!"
"Combine?" the Captain and his was around the circle. How did Inter-Solar's come into it?
"We've a with Combine," Van Rycke them. "I wasn't going to let I-S cash in on our loss. So I to Vickers at Combine and told him the situation. He that we were in solid with the Salariki and that the Eysies are not. And a to point a at I-S's is just what he has been waiting for. The will go out to the tomorrow on a light cruiser—it'll make it on time."
Yes, a light cruiser, one of the fast ships by the big Companies, make the to Sargol with a to spare. Stotz his at this practical solution.
"I'm going with it—" That did them all up short. For Van Rycke to the Queen—that was as as if Captain Jellico had that he was about to retire and a farmer. "Just for the one trip," the Cargo-master to them. "I their with the and hand over so the Eysies will be out—"
Captain Jellico at that point. "D'you that Combine is us out—not just taking over? What of a deal—"
But Van Rycke, his a across his face, was in agreement. "They're taking over our and our place with the Salariki."
"In return for what?" Steen Wilcox asked for them all.
"For twenty-five thousand and a Xecho and Trewsworld—frontier planets. They're from Terra to around the ruling. The Patrol will us out and see that we to work like good little space men. We'll have two years of a nice, on regular pay. Then, when all the powers that have about us, we can cut in on the again."
"And the pay?" "First or second class mail?" "When do we start?"
"Standard pay on the of each run—Board rates," he in order. "First, second and third class mail—anything that the government seal and out in those it is to be anything! And you start as soon as you can to Xecho and the Combine which has been the run."
"While you go to Sargol—" Jellico.
"While I make one to Sargol. You can me," he one of his big hands on Dane's and gave the it a quick squeeze. "Seeing as how our helped us out of this last mix-up we can trust them about an than we did before. Anyway—Cargo-master on a is more or less a thumb-twiddling job at the best. And you can trust Thorson on stowage—that's one thing he know." Which left Dane as to he had been or warned. "I'll be on again you know it—the Combine will ship me out to Trewsworld on your second across and I'll join ship there. For once we won't have to worry for awhile. Nothing can on a run." He his at the three members of the crew. "You're in for a very time—and it will you right. Give you a to learn your jobs so that when you come up for you can up some of those you were just demoted. Now," he started for the door, "I'll to the Combine cruiser. I take it that you don't want to meet the Video people?"
At their agreement to that, he laughed. "Well, the Patrol doesn't want the Video about 'high-handed official news suppression' so about an hour or so from now you'll be let out the way. They put the Queen in a and a will take you to her. You'll her for a take-off to Luna City. You can there for space. Frankly the sooner you off-world the all ranks are going to be—both here and on the Board. It will be for us to walk for a while and let them that the Solar Queen and her exists. Separately and together you've managed to break—or at least bend—half the laws in the books and they'd like to have us out of their minds."
Captain Jellico up. "They aren't any more to see us go than we are to out of here. You've it off for us again, Van, and we're lucky to out of it this easy—"
Van Rycke rolled his ceilingward. "You'll know how lucky! Be Combine the space I-S through. We were able to use that to our advantage. Get the big at each others' and they'll stop us—simple but it works. Anyway we're set in and peaceful now. Thank the Spirit of Free Space there's no trouble one can into on a safe and route!"
But Cargo-master Van Rycke, in of the Solar Queen and the of her crew, was over-optimistic when he that statement.
