Plague Ship

ere inferior in size and color to those the other clan leader had tendered. The Terrans were aware that Koros mining was a dangerous business but they had not known that the stock of availab

far from being back in Van Rycke's good graces. The fact that his superio

at might be termed a good-humored face, he was at peace with

enty or so of third. The chiefs will go to the fisheries

d Dane too. Surely the few plants in the hydro an

ycke frowned. "But Craig thinks he'

ation and were wrapping the white streamer about it. Their lead

e an idea," the C

And we can't unless the pr

hout saying-"

was sure it had been directed at him. Well, they needn't worry-never a

use he was a member of the crew. How far the reason for his disgrace had

sed the properties of catnip and gave information on the limited

many other of our native mammals,

t than that given off by the crushed catnip-Dane was not sure he liked it. But a moment later Sinbad streaked in from the corridor and committed the unpardonable sin of leaping to t

" Jellico wa

riki it ought to be a bigger bargaining point than any perfumes or spices, I-S can import. And remember, with their unlimited capital, they can flood the market wit

ding or want to trade perfumes. But they stock only manufactured products

tems from Casper-chemical products which sold well and at high prices in the civilized ports of the G

the Eysies are operating here. But-note-they were offered to me in trade, along with t

e Salariki prefer natura

hink

Cam's secret?" speculate

"he certainly kept it! If we

with useless trade goods. Where, if they had known, the same space could

stuff," Tang Ya, torn away from his beloved communicators for the conference, said w

we could have done so much better-" he brooded over the tricks of fate which had land

engine room detail, the third generation Venusian colonist whom the more vocal members of the Queen's complement w

quel bark-

to the list. "Importe

ch cedar, lacquel bark, forsh weed, cinnam

rise. In the quiet which followed they could hear the clatter of his boots on ladder rungs as he descended

he goi

as an individual impressed his mates-a fact which was slowly dawning on them all now. Then they heard the scramble of feet hu

ts tough exterior was guaranteed to protect the contents against everything but

othed up about his fingers like soap lather. Then with more care he lifted up a tray divided into many small compartments, each wi

e weird denizens of the Venusian polar swamps were there, along with lifelike effigies of Terran animals, a Martian sand-mouse in all its monstrous ferocity, and the native animal and reptile life of half a hundred different worlds. Weeks put down a

hand. That was lacquel bark-the aromatic product of a Venusian vine. And each little animal or reptile lay encased in a soft dab of frothy white-frosh weed-th

an cedar,"

ight. "I am waiting now for sanda

rray in puzzled wonder.

himself, the shapes of the carvings more than the ma

ew duties to keep them alert. Jellico's cabin was papered with tri-dee pictures of the rare animals and alien creatures he had studied in their native haunts or of which he kept careful and painstaking records. Tau had his magic, Mura not only his pl

d first. "You're willing to transfer these to 'c

then a fourth tray from the b

Yes, I'll tr

figure of an Astran duocorn. "Pity to trade these here," he mused

ther set. And right now-well, maybe they'll be worth more to the Queen, seeing as how they're made out of aromatic woods, then

" Van Rycke gave hon

Dane knew that his lapse was not forgotten nor forgiven, but now he was ho

neutral arbitrators, had divided up the Koros grounds. And the clansmen, under the personal supervision of their chieftains were busy hu

length of shoal water-had been attacked and killed by gorp. The unusual activity of the Salariki in the shallows had in turn drawn to the spot battalions of the intelligent, malignant reptiles who had struck i

chieftain was another thing altogether, having repercussions which carried far beyond the fact of his death. When the news reache

i inquired. "Do they d

the unfortunate answ

Dane, "that they'd think we w

r the whole matter of Salariki trade

e men were restless. Had Paft's death resulted in some interclan quarrel over the heirship and the other clans withdrawn to let the various contendents for that honor fight it out? Or-what was more probable

ip. And the limit to their traveling was the edge of the forest

from being considered in any way an enemy, they were about to be accepted in

ign of his official grief. He carried in one hand a burned out torch, and in the other an unsheathed claw knife, its blade reflecting

a formal deputation were Captain, Astrogator, Cargo-

family. And now, following custom, he was inviting the friends and sometimes allies of the dead Paft to a gorp hunt. Such a gorp hunt, Dane gathered from amidst the flowers of ceremonial Salariki speech, as had never been planned before on the fa

send your young men to this hunting so that they may know the joy of plunging knive

h a foray the Terrans were being admitted to kinship of a sort, cementing relations by a tie which the I-S, or any other interloper from

during the voyage, using Cam's recording. Yes, the Terrans would join with pleasure in so good and great a cause. They would lend th

warriors of few years, that they might earn glory and be able to stand before the fires at the Naming as men. Therefore-the thumb claw of Groft was extended to its greatest length as he used it to single out the Terrans he had been

asper Weeks. Perhaps because of his native pallor of skin and slightness of body the oiler had seemed, to the alien, to be younger than his years. At any rate Groft had

o carry their sleep rods. Though the Salariki, apparently for some reason of binding and hoary custom, were total

erstand? On the other hand dead heroes have never helped to lift a ship. And these gorp are tough from all accounts. Yo

ver shown before. Rip was his usual soft voiced self, dependable as a rock and a good base fo