Plague Ship

ar enough

ods as a more forceful beam-and the threat of it was enough to halt the three men who had come to the foot of the Queen's ramp and who could see the rod held rather negligently by Ali. Ali's eyes were anythin

nfidence had indeed paid off. They had left the trade enclosure of the Salariki barely three-quart

your Captain-" snarl

the worst in the spectator, as Dane knew of old when that same mocki

tered Kamil. "Just stay where you are, E

the commander's unpleasant pet-Queex, the Hoobat-a nightmare combination of crab, parrot and toad, wearing a blue feather coating and inclined to scream and spit at all comers. Since Queex wo

ft cheek twitched as he snapped that

r. With his Cargo-master

rip of the sleep rod slung at his belt. When the Old Man put on his fighting face-look out! He

emper he could put under iron control when and if it were necessary

sleepy, he seemed almost disinterested in the suggestion. And when he

sealed his tunic, and settled his cap with as much precision as if he we

t beside Ali. It was the turn of the man at th

theme word of every

ar Queen had inoculated him with pride in his own section of Service. A Free Trader was answerable to his own officers and to no o

that this one was doing just that was an indication that the Queen's crew did, perhaps, have the edge of advantage in any coming bargain. In the meantime the Eysie contingent fumed below while Ali

other answered his

e for Sinbad's return

o colored steelos. So far they haven't run up the price on us. I think th

heir landing on Sargol, had never presented any problem. He had done his duty of ridding the ship of unusual and usual pests and c

ng of her port in the early morning and was brought back, protesting with both voice and claws, at the end of the day by that member of the juvenile population whose tu

icers. Ali and Dane withdrew down the corridor, leaving the entrance open for Jel

tality as might have been expected between Terrans on an alien planet a quar

f having to look up to a Captain whom they, as members of one of the powerful Companies, affected to despise. The lean, well muscled, trim figure of the Queen's commander gave the impression of hard bitten force held i

ose sleepy drooping lids, or caught a certain note in the calm, unhurried drawl of his voice. To look at the two senior officers of the Free Trading spacer were the antithesis of each

t click and his hand flourished at the fore of his helmet in a gesture which

identified himself brusquely, and adde

d faded from the fac

ute. "Inter-Solar. Kallee, Cargo-master-" And he d

a long moment of silence Grange

e until

imply waited. And under his level gaze the

l noon," he started once

ore the Trade Board for poaching. The Solar Queen has sole trading rights here. If you up-ship within a reasonable amount of

fer-" That was Kallee's contribution, made probably because

uld advise a little closer study of the Code-and not the sections in small symbols at the end of the tape, either! We're not bucking anyone. You'll find

ess correctly. The Solar Queen was a Free Trader, alone on an alien world. But the I-S ship might be cruising in company, ready to summon aid, men and supplies. Dane drew a d

"I think we understand each other n

voice cutting across the sighin

propos

he infallibility of the Company, their conviction that no independent d

you, and you up-ship before the Salariki ar

of profit?" Va

, "say ten percent of

percent of a cargo which can't be assessed-the ga

ashed on Limbo," countered Kallee swiftly. "We

e inquired of the scented winds. "He must save the Company a

vague threat of Company retaliation she would up-ship from Sargol, and they would be left in possession of the rich Koros trade-to be commended and rewarded by their

hand. On the broad palm lay a flat disc of metal. "Very i

flush spread up from his tight tunic collar, Kallee blinked, and the unknown third's h

Jellico gave the conventiona

sc Van Rycke held-that sensitive bit of metal and plastic which was r

itely. But Kallee had taken his Captain's ar

llico's parting shot as the three in

t they will," he a

reasonably. "On the other hand they've had a bit of a blast they weren'

off," Jellico's habitual distr

listening in-and maybe we can rig another surprise if Grange does try to ask advice of someone off world. In the meantime I don't think they are going to meddle with the Sa

ive or six minutes of ship time before, and the natives betrayed no particular interest in their return. But, Dane noted, the

ne lifted so much as a corner of his trade cloth, under which, if he were ready to deal seriously, his hidden hand would meet that of the buyer, so that by finger pressure alone they could agree or disagree on pric

rmed and ready for combat until he became a "Speaker for the past"-too old to bear arms in the field. Due to the nature of their battling lives, relatively few of the Salariki ever reached that retirement. Short-lived alliances between families sometimes occurred, usua

. And as far as Dane could see it had accomplished exactly nothing-except to bring the Eysies into the open. What had Traxt Cam discovered which had given him the trading

at he had much to learn before he could meet such a situation with Van Rycke's unfailing patience and aplomb. The Cargo-master seemed in nowise tired by his wasted day and Dane knew that Van would probably sit up half

allow seas. There the Gorp were in command of the territory and one had to be constantly alert for attack from the sly, reptilian intelligence, so alien to the thinking processes of both Salariki and Terran that there was, or seemed to be, no point

looked back at the grass jungle a little wistfully. To his mind these early morning hours were the best time on Sargol. The light

ng nets, a net which now enclosed a quiet but baneful eyed captive-Sinbad being delivered for nightly ransom. Dane was reaching for the p

ise must have been plain to read for the cub followed his speech wit

ence to the nostrils of all right living "men," to wish to enter the spacer was an astonishing about-face. B

ad and beckoned, knowing better

watched, big-eyed, and then scuttled back to the forest when his

or two at the port. In his mind the Cargo-master apprentice was feverishly running over the list of general trade goods. What did they carry w

of his own net ropes. His interest had been riveted by some scent his sensitive senses had detected. His eyes met Dane's in appeal. Swiftly the Terran nodded