Talk of heat—or not—on Xecho. This water-logged world all the most of a steam and one only of coolness, greenness—more land than a of islands.
The man on the above the crash of the the cap of a with the of a cargo-master and not much else, save a pair of very shorts. He one hand across his and it away as he studied, through sun goggles, the promise of the sea. One swim—if he wanted to most of his skin. There were minute in that liquid that their lips—if they had lips—every time they of a Terran.
Dane Thorson his own lips, salt, and through the of the to the of the Solar Queen. This had been a long day, and one with more snarl-ups than he to count, him on a constant, the ship and the where with the possible to the body—or so it to the acting-Cargo-Master of the Free Trader. Captain Jellico had long ago taken in his to the of his temper. Dane had been allowed no such escape.
The Queen had a for to as a ship, and that time did not allow for playing the with the of fitters. She had to be to when the Combine ship now that set and off in her favor. Luckily, most of the work was done and Dane had a last the rigger's book and to his captain.
The air-conditioned of the Queen him as he to his quarters. Ship air was flat, pure but stuff. Today it was a to breathe. Dane on to the bather. At least there was no of water—with the local out. It was but on his body.
He was on his when the sounded. A visitor—oh, not the supervisor-rigger again! Dane to answer with feet. For the of the Queen at the moment numbered four, with himself for boy. Captain Jellico was in his two above, Medic Tau was his supplies, and Sindbad, ship's cat, asleep in some empty cabin.
Dane his into place, very much on his as he came to the of the ramp. But it was not the supervisor-rigger. Dane, used to unusual-appearing strangers, and alien, was by this visitor.
He was tall, this man, his great by a fit leanness, a of and hip, a length of leg and arm. His main article of was the of the Xecho settler. But, being of yellow, they were the more of his of skin. For he was not the warm of the Terran Negroes Dane had beside, though he their features. His was black, black with an almost sheen. Instead of shirt or tunic, his was by two wide straps, the big marking their of fire when he breathed. He at his not the gun of a spaceman, but a which the more Patrol blaster, as well as a long knife in a and sheath. To the he was an example of and to efficiency.
He saluted, out, and spoke Galactic Basic with only a of accent.
"I am Kort Asaki. I Captain Jellico me."
"Yes, sir!" Dane to attention. So this was the Chief Ranger from Khatka, Xecho's sister planet.
The other the cat easily, missing no detail of the ship's as he passed. His was still one of as his on the door of Jellico's cabin. And a from Queex, the captain's hoobat, out any answer. Then that on the of the blue-feathered, crab-parrot-toad's cage, announcing that its master was in residence.
Since the captain's welcome only to his guest, Dane to the to make for supper—though there was not much you do to up in an cooker.
"Company?" Tau sat the cooking unit nursing a of Terran coffee. "And do you have to music with the meals, that particular selection?"
Dane flushed, stopped in mid-note. "Terra Bound" was old and well out; he didn't know why he always off with that.
"A Chief Ranger from Khatka just came on board," he reported, offhand, as he himself reading labels. He than to fish or any of its in again.
"Khatka!" Tau sat up straighter. "Now there's a visiting."
"Not on a Free Trader's pay," Dane.
"You can always to make a big strike, boy. But what I wouldn't give to ship for there!"
"Why? You're no hunter. How come you want to for that port?"
"Oh, I don't about the game preserves, though they're seeing, too. It's the people themselves—"
"But they're Terran settlers, or at least from Terran stock, aren't they?"
"Sure," Tau his coffee slowly. "But there are and settlers, son. And a upon when they left Terra and why, and who they were—also what to them after they out here."
"And Khatkans are special?"
"Well, they have an history. The was by prisoners—and just one stock. They took off from Earth close to the end of the Second Atomic War. That was a war, remember? Which it ugly." Tau's mouth in disgust. "As if the color of a man's skin makes any in what under it! One in that line-up to take over Africa—herded most of the into a and on a scale. Then they were themselves, hard and heavy. During the some in the a revolt, helped by the enemy. They an station in the center of the and a into space in two ships which had been there. That must have been a nightmare, but they were desperate. Somehow they it out here to the and set on Khatka without power to take off again—and by then most of them were dead.
"But we humans, no what our race, are a breed. The that their new world was not too different from Africa, a lucky which might only once in a thousand times. So they thrived, the who survived. But the white they had to the ships didn't. For they set up a color in reverse. The your skin, the you were in the social scale. By that of the present Khatkans are very dark indeed.
"They to the for survival. Then, about two hundred years ago, long the Survey Scout them, something happened. Either the parent mutated, or, as sometimes occurs, a line of people of gifts emerged—not in a births, but with in five family clans. There was a period of power until they the of and an oligarchy, a organization. With the Five Families to push and lead, a new developed, and when Survey came to call they were no longer savages. Combine the about seventy-five years ago. Then the Company and the Five Families got together and a luxury item to the galaxy. You know how every super-jet big on twenty-five wants to say he's on Khatka. And if he can point out a on his wall, or wear a bracelet, he's able to with the best. To on Khatka is and fashionable—and very, very for the and for Combine who sells to the travelers."
"I they have poachers, too," Dane remarked.
"Yes, that naturally follows. You know what a skin on the market. Wherever you have a you're going to have and smugglers. But the Patrol doesn't go to Khatka. The their own criminals. Personally, I'd take a ninety-nine-year in the Lunar in place of what the Khatkans dish out to a they net!"
"So that has spread satisfactorily!"
Coffee over the of Tau's and Dane the packet of he was about to into the cooker. Chief Ranger Asaki in the of the as as if he had been to that point.
The to his and at the visitor.
"Do I in that observation, sir, the that the I have were set to blast where they would do the most good as deterrents?"
A the of the black face.
"I was you are a man in 'magic,' Medic. You the sorcerer's of wit. But this is also truth." The of good had gone again, and there was an in the Chief Ranger's voice which cut. "Poachers on Khatka would welcome the Patrol in place of the attention they now receive."
He came into the cabin, Jellico him, and Dane two of the seats. He was a under the of the coffee as the captain introductions.
"Thorson—our acting-cargo-master."
"Thorson," the Khatkan with a of his head, and then to level with a look of surprise. Weaving a pattern about his legs, loudly, Sindbad was an welcome of his own. The Ranger on one knee, his hand out for Sindbad's sniff. Then the cat that dark palm, at it with claw-sheathed paw.
"A Terran cat! It is of the lion family?"
"Far removed," Jellico supplied. "You'd have to add a of to Sindbad to promote him to the lion class."
"We have only the old tales." Asaki almost as the cat jumped to his and for a on his belts. "But I do not that lions were so toward my ancestors."
Dane would have the cat, but the Khatkan with Sindbad, still loudly, in the of his arm. The Ranger was with a which the whole of his countenance.
"Do not this one to Khatka with you, Captain, or you will take him away again. Those who in the would not let him from their sight. Ah, so this you, small lion?" He Sindbad under the and the cat his neck, his yellow closed in bliss.
"Thorson," the Captain to Dane, "that report on my was the final one from Combine?"
"Yes, sir. There's no of the Rover setting here that date."
Asaki sat down, still the cat. "So you see, Captain, has it all. You have two of days. Four days to go in my cruiser, four days for your return here, and the to the preserve. We not ask for luck, for I do not know when our paths may again. In the normal of events I will not have another mission to Xecho for a year, longer. Also—" He and then spoke to Tau. "Medic, Captain Jellico has me that you have a study of magic on many worlds."
"That is so, sir."
"Do you then that it is force, or that it is only a for child-people who set up to to when some upon them?"
"Some of the magic I have is trickery, some of it upon an knowledge of men and their which a doctor can use to his advantage. There always remains"—Tau put his mug, "—there always a small of and results for which we have not yet any logical explanations—"
"And I believe," Asaki interrupted, "it is also true that a can be from birth to be to of magic so that men of that blood are particularly susceptible." That was more of a than a question, but Tau answered it.
"That is very true. A Lamorian, for example, can be 'sung' to death. I have such a case. But upon a Terran or another off-world man the same would have no effect."
"Those who settled Khatka such magic with them." The Chief Ranger's still moved about Sindbad's and soothingly, but his was chill, the thing in the space of the cabin.
"Yes, a of it," Tau agreed.
"More than you can believe, Medic!" That came in a of cold rage. "I think that its present manifestation—death by a that is not a beast—could be your study."
"Why?" Tau came to the point.
"Because it is a killing magic and it is being used to my world of key men, men we need badly. If there is a weak point in this cloudy attack against us, we must learn it, and soon!"
It was Jellico who added the rest. "We are to visit Khatka and survey a new range as Chief Ranger Asaki's personal term guests."
Dane a of wonder. Guest on Khatka were guarded—they were too valuable to their owners to waste. Whole families on the from the yearly of a one. But the Rangers, by right of office, had which they to visiting scientists or men from other worlds positions to their own. To have such an opportunity offered to an ordinary Trader was almost incredible.
His wonder was matched by Tau's and must have been plain to read for the Chief Ranger smiled.
"For a long time Captain Jellico and I have data on life-forms—his skill in such, his knowledge as an are recognized. And so I have permission for him to visit the new Zoboru preserve, not yet officially opened. And you, Medic Tau, your help, or at least your diagnosis, we need in another direction. So, one expert comes openly, another not so openly. Though, Medic, your is by my superiors. And"—he at Dane—"perhaps to the for the suspicious, shall we not ask this man also?"
Dane's to the captain. Jellico was always and his would have into action on his word alone—even if they were a rain of Thorkian death and that order was to advance. But, on the other hand, Dane would have asked a favor, and the best he for was to be able to perform his without upon their commission. He had no to Jellico was to agree to this.
"You have two weeks' planet-side coming, Thorson. If you want to it on Khatka...." Jellico actually then. "I take it that you do. When do we up-ship, sir?"
"You said that you must wait for the return of your other members—shall we say mid-afternoon tomorrow?" The Chief Ranger up and put Sindbad though the cat with meows.
"Small lion," the tall Khatkan spoke to the cat as to an equal, "this is your jungle, and mine elsewhere. But should you of traveling the stars, there is always a home for you in my courts."
When the Chief Ranger out the door, Sindbad did not try to follow, but he one little of and loss.
"So he wants a trouble shooter, he?" Tau asked. "All right, I'll try to out his for him; it'll be that to visit Khatka!"
Dane, the of the Xecho spaceport, the sea one not swim in, that with the tri-dees he had of the green hunters' on the next of the system. "Yes, sir!" he and a choice for the cooker.
"Don't be too lighthearted," Tau warned. "I'll say that any which was too for that Ranger to might give us fingers—and quick. When we land on Khatka, walk and look over your shoulder, and be prepared for the worst."