Plague Ship | Page 8

cutting across the sighing of the wind in the
grass forest.
"Your proposition?"
Perhaps this return to their implied threat bolstered their belief in the infallibility of the
Company, their conviction that no independent dared stand up against the might and
power of Inter-Solar. Kallee replied:
"We'll take up your contract, at a profit to you, and you up-ship before the Salariki are
confused over whom they are to deal with--"
"And the amount of profit?" Van Rycke bored in.
"Oh," Kallee shrugged, "say ten percent of Cam's last shipment--"
Jellico laughed. "Generous, aren't you, Eysie? Ten percent of a cargo which can't be
assessed--the gang on Limbo kept no records of what they plundered."
"We don't know what he was carrying when he crashed on Limbo," countered Kallee
swiftly. "We'll base our offer on what he carried to Axal."
Now Van Rycke chucked. "I wonder who figured that one out?" he inquired of the
scented winds. "He must save the Company a fair amount of credits one way or another.
Interesting offer--"
By the bland satisfaction to be read on the three faces below the I-S men were assured of

their victory. The Solar Queen would be paid off with a pittance, under the 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 superiors.
Had they, Dane speculated, ever had any dealings with Free Traders before--at least with
the brand of independent adventurers such as manned the Solar Queen?
Van Rycke burrowed in his belt pouch and then held out his hand. On the broad palm lay
a flat disc of metal. "Very interesting--" he repeated. "I shall treasure this recording--"
The sight of that disc wiped all satisfaction from the Eysie faces. Grange's purplish flush
spread up from his tight tunic collar, Kallee blinked, and the unknown third's hand
dropped to his sleep rod. An action which was not overlooked by either Dane or Ali.
"A smooth set down to you," Jellico gave the conventional leave taking of the Service.
"You'd better--" the Eysie Captain began hotly, and then seeing the disc Van Rycke
held--that sensitive bit of metal and plastic which was recording this interview for future
reference, he shut his mouth tight.
"Yes?" the Queen's Cargo-master prompted politely. But Kallee had taken his Captain's
arm and was urging Grange away from the spacer.
"You have until noon to lift," was Jellico's parting shot as the three in Company livery
started toward the road.
"I don't think that they will," he added to Van Rycke.
The Cargo-master nodded. "You wouldn't in their place," he pointed out reasonably. "On
the other hand they've had a bit of a blast they weren't expecting. It's been a long time
since Grange heard anyone say 'no.'"
"A shock which is going to wear off," Jellico's habitual distrust of the future gathered
force.
"This," Van Rycke tucked the disc back into his pouch, "sent them off vector a parsec or
two. Grange is not one of the strong arm blaster boys. Suppose Tang Ya does a little
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
Salariki. They don't want to have to answer awkward questions if we turn up a Patrol ship
to ask them. So--" he stretched and beckoned to Dane, "we shall go to work once more."
Again two paces behind Van Rycke Dane tramped to the trade circle of the Salariki
clansmen. They might have walked out only five or six minutes of ship time before, and
the natives betrayed no particular interest in their return. But, Dane noted, there was only
one empty stool, one ceremonial table in evidence. The Salariki had expected only one
Terran Trader to join them.
What followed was a dreary round of ceremony, an exchange of platitudes and empty

good wishes and greetings. No one mentioned Koros stones--or even perfume bark--that
he was willing to offer the off-world traders. None 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 price. But such
boring sessions were part of Trade and Dane, keeping a fraction of attention on the
speeches and "drinkings-together," watched those around him with an eye which tried to
assess and classify what he saw.
The keynote of the Salariki character was a wary independence. The only form of
government they would tolerate was a family-clan organization. Feuds and deadly duels
between individuals and clans were the accepted way of