Plague Ship

on stools, lesser folk squatted on the trampled stubble of the cleared ground outside the stockade. In their many colored splendo

the coming duel. And now he stood there in the early morning, stripped down to shorts and boots, wearing nothing on which a net could catch and so trap him. The Free Trad

in the years of his star voyaging. And his every movement was with the liquid grace of a man who, in his time, had been a master of the fo

oss the ground, intent upon coating them with as much of the gritty sand as would adhere. And he displ

f a Free Trader covered a wide range of knowledge and practice. One had to be equally expert with a blaster and a slingshot when the occasion demanded. Though Jellico h

oked their own particular grim Providence, and there was an oath taken over the weapons of battle. When the actual engagement began the betting among the s

half crouching, light footed tread of spacemen. Jellico had pulled his net into as close a resemblance to rope as its bulk

the Captain that Rip's fingers closed about

kn

champion carried his net. The Eysie had not had any last minute instruction in the use of Sargolian weapons-he had practiced and, by his stance, knew enough to make him a formidable me

ottle to his nose with an elegant gesture which matched those of the be

llico was simply not there, his quick drop to one knee had sent the mesh flailing in an arc over his bowed shoulders with a good six inches to spare.

in a torturing grip. But he knew he must stick it out until Jellico's ordeal was over. Someone stumbled against him and he glanced up to see Ali's face, a horrible gray-green under the tan, close to his ow

ade another cast and this time, although Jellico was not caught, the slap of the mesh raised a red welt on his fore

nch the victory. Dane began to think it had gone on for weary hours. And he was dimly aware th

hirling out. Only he never reached the Captain. In the very act of falling Jellico had pulled his legs under him so that he was not supine but crouche

e the babble of the crowd. Using his net as if it had been a thong, Jel

dust which streaked him, Jellico got to his feet and walked over to the I-S champion who ha

e Salariki, all their ins

is friends bear him hence." He took the claw knife the Eysie still clutched in

kept on his temper these past days was growin

larik snarl. But neither he nor his men made any reply.

privacy of the forest road before he yielded to the demands of his outraged interior. And after that he had stumbled

been removed, but also at peace with his world. As he levered himself up the cabin had a nasty tendency to move slowly to the right as if he were a pivot on which it swung,

is strength. But it had been a close call, he did not need Tau's explanation to underline that. Weeks had suffered the l

him as they lounged in the sun on the ramp,

Dane no lift of spirit. "I

ng they can use against us to break our contract. And now we're in so solid they can't cut us out with the Salariki. Groft asked the Captain to teach hi

trade

ros stones to cover the voyage. Luckily the clansmen will take ordinary trade goods in exchange for that and Weeks thinks it will sell on Terra. It's tough enough to turn a steel knife blade and yet it is

e is

n the star-star level, I gather. Otherwise we're almost ready

s in charge of the procession and Dane went to work with the cargo plan Van had left, seeing that the brilliant scarlet lengths were hoist into the lower cargo hatch and stacked according to the science of stowage. He discovered that Rip had been right, the wood for all its incredible hardness was light of weight. Weak as he still was

. Puzzled, Dane gave the wood a swift inspection. There were no cracks or crevices in the smooth surfaces, but as he stopped over the logs he became conscious of a sharp odor. So this was one scent of the perfumed planet Sinbad did not like. Dane laughed. Maybe they had better have Weeks make a gate of

the hatch before Van Rycke returned from his meeting with the storm priests. When th

rning's work. Sparing the feelings of the accompanying storm priests about the offensiveness of the spacer Captain Jellico and Steen Wilcox w

and Kosti was summoned to carry on board the chest which the servants had brought. Having seen it carried safely inside the spacer

," Jellico state

ing about this one-" he broke off, two deep lines showing between his thick brows. "Well, you

ntrol section. And before the hour was out the reason for the

y they had produced and forced upon the reluctant Van Rycke the Koros collection of their order, with instructions that it be sold on Terra and the price returned to them in the precious seeds and plants. In vain the Cargo-master and Captain had pointed out that Galactic trade was a chancy thing at the best, that accident might prevent return of the Queen to Sargol. But the priests had remained adamant

ble tie known in their Service to set down on Sargol once more before the allotted time had passed. The Free Traders did not like it, there was even a vaguely superst

the mess table. "I saw your two star man sweating it out be

he had been herded down with his fellows to swallow the builder Mura had concocted and Tau insisted that they take, but he had been doing a half a night's work on the pl

s, so many delays which could put a ship behind schedule. Only on the main star trails did the huge liners or Comp

totz say?" D

che about setting a course-you point the nose an

planet here again. I'll have my fingers gnawed off to the first knuckle. Well, we lift at six hours. Pleasant strap down."

ot been prowling the ship before take-off as he usually did. First he had sat on Van's desk and now he was here, almost as if he wanted human company. Dane picked him up and Sinbad rumbled a purr, archi

's muffled invitation. The Cargo-master was stretched on the bunk, two of the take off

ir. Shall

ad made no protest but rolled into a ball and was promptly fast asleep. For a moment or two Dane thought about this unnatural behavior and wondered i

s also unusual. The seal would not have been put across th

was still in the outer darkness. "There was

once more. "Feelin

. Any ord

st-off's

s he was concerned. First he had made that stupid mistake and then he got sick and now-And now-what was the matter? Was it just the general attack of nerves over their voyage and the commitmen