Plague Ship

by Andre Norton

  Chapter II

  RIVALS

  "That's far enough, Eysie!"

  Although Traders by law and tradition carried no more potent personalweapons--except in times of great crisis--than hand sleep rods, theresultant shot from the latter was just as unpleasant for temporaryperiods as a more forceful beam--and the threat of it was enough to haltthe three men who had come to the foot of the Queen's ramp and who couldsee the rod held rather negligently by Ali. Ali's eyes were anything butnegligent, however, and Free Traders had reputations to be respected bytheir rivals of the Companies. The very nature of their roving livestaught them savage lessons--which they either learned or died.

  Dane, glancing down over the Engineer-apprentice's shoulder, saw that VanRycke's assumption of confidence had indeed paid off. They had left thetrade enclosure of the Salariki barely three-quarters of an hour ago. Butbelow now stood the bebadged Captain of the I-S ship and hisCargo-master.

  "I want to speak to your Captain--" snarled the Eysie officer.

  Ali registered faint amusement, an expression which tended to rouse theworst in the spectator, as Dane knew of old when that same mockingappraisal had been turned on him as the rawest of the Queen's crew.

  "But does _he_ wish to speak to you?" countered Kamil. "Just stay whereyou are, Eysie, until we are sure about that fact."

  That was his cue to act as messenger. Dane retreated into the ship andswung up the ladder to the command section. As he passed CaptainJellico's private cabin he heard the muffled squall of the commander'sunpleasant pet--Queex, the Hoobat--a nightmare combination of crab,parrot and toad, wearing a blue feather coating and inclined to screamand spit at all comers. Since Queex would not be howling in that fashionif its master was present, Dane kept on to the control cabin where heblundered in upon an executive level conference of Captain, Cargo-masterand Astrogator.

  "Well?" Jellico's blaster scarred left cheek twitched as he snapped thatimpatient inquiry at the messenger.

  "Eysie Captain below, sir. With his Cargo-master. They want to see you--"

  Jellico's mouth was a straight line, his eyes very hard. By instinctDane's hand went to the grip of the sleep rod slung at his belt. When theOld Man put on his fighting face--look out! Here we go again, he toldhimself, speculating as to just what type of action lay before them now.

  "Oh, they do, do they!" Jellico began and then throttled down the temperhe could put under iron control when and if it were necessary. "Verywell, tell them to stay where they are. Van, we'll go down--"

  For a moment the Cargo-master hesitated, his heavy-lidded eyes lookedsleepy, he seemed almost disinterested in the suggestion. And when henodded it was with the air of someone about to perform some boring duty.

  "Right, sir." He wriggled his heavy body from behind the small table,resealed his tunic, and settled his cap with as much precision as if hewere about to represent the Queen before the assembled nobility ofSargol.

  Dane hurried down the ladders, coming to a halt beside Ali. It was theturn of the man at the foot of the ramp to bark an impatient demand:

  "Well?" (Was that the theme word of every Captain's vocabulary?)

  "You wait," Dane replied with no inclination to give the Eysie officerany courtesy address. Close to a Terran year aboard the Solar Queen hadinoculated him with pride in his own section of Service. A Free Traderwas answerable to his own officers and to no one else on earth--or amongthe stars--no matter how much discipline and official etiquette theCompanies used to enhance their power.

  He half expected the I-S officers to leave after an answer such as that.For a Company Captain to be forced to wait upon the convenience of a FreeTrader must be galling in the extreme. And the fact that this one wasdoing just that was an indication that the Queen's crew did, perhaps,have the edge of advantage in any coming bargain. In the meantime theEysie contingent fumed below while Ali lounged whistling against the exitport, playing with his sleep rod and Dane studied the grass forest. Hisboot nudged a packet just inside the port casing and he glancedinquiringly from it to Ali.

  "Cat ransom," the other answered his unspoken question.

  So that was it--the fee for Sinbad's return. "What is it today?"

  "Sugar--about a tablespoon full," the Engineer-assistant returned, "andtwo colored steelos. So far they haven't run up the price on us. I thinkthey're sharing out the spoil evenly, a new cub brings him back everynight."

  As did all Terran ships, the Solar Queen carried a cat as an importantmember of the regular crew. And the portly Sinbad, before their landingon Sargol, had never presented any problem. He had done his duty ofridding the ship of unusual and usual pests and cargo despoilers withdispatch, neatness and energy. And when in port on alien worlds had nevershown any inclination to go a-roving.

  But the scents of Sargol had apparently intoxicated him, shearing awayhis solid dignity and middle-aged dependability. Now Sinbad flashed outof the Queen at the opening of her port in the early morning and wasbrought back, protesting with both voice and claws, at the end of the dayby that member of the juvenile population whose turn it was to collectthe standing reward for his forceful delivery. Within three days it hadbecome an accepted business transaction which satisfied everyone butSinbad.

  The scrape of metal boot soles on ladder rungs warned of the arrival oftheir officers. Ali and Dane withdrew down the corridor, leaving theentrance open for Jellico and Van Rycke. Then they drifted back towitness the meeting with the Eysies.

  There were no prolonged greetings between the two parties, no offer ofhospitality as might have been expected between Terrans on an alienplanet a quarter of the Galaxy away from the earth which had given them acommon heritage.

  Jellico, with Van Rycke at his shoulder, halted before he stepped fromthe ramp so that the three Inter-Solar men, Captain, Cargo-master andescort, whether they wished or no, were put in the disadvantageousposition of having to look up to a Captain whom they, as members of oneof the powerful Companies, affected to despise. The lean, well muscled,trim figure of the Queen's commander gave the impression of hard bittenforce held in check by will control, just as his face under its thicklayer of space burn was that of an adventurer accustomed to make splitsecond decisions--an estimate underlined by that seam of blaster burnacross one flat cheek.

  Van Rycke, with a slight change of dress, could have been a Company manin the higher ranks--or so the casual observer would have placed him,until an observer marked the eyes behind those sleepy drooping lids, orcaught a certain note in the calm, unhurried drawl of his voice. To lookat the two senior officers of the Free Trading spacer were the antithesisof each other--in action they were each half of a powerful, steamrollerwhole--as a good many men in the Service--scattered over a half dozen orso planets--had discovered to their cost in the past.

  Now Jellico brought the heels of his space boots together with anextravagant click and his hand flourished at the fore of his helmet in agesture which was better suited to the Patrol hero of a slightlyout-of-date Video serial.

  "Jellico, Solar Queen, Free Trader," he identified himself brusquely, andadded, "this is Van Rycke, our Cargo-master."

  Not all the flush had faded from the face of the I-S Captain.

  "Grange of the Dart," he did not even sketch a salute. "Inter-Solar.Kallee, Cargo-master--" And he did not name the hovering third member ofhis party.

  Jellico stood waiting and after a long moment of silence Grange wasforced to state his business.

  "We have until noon--"

  Jellico, his fingers hooked in his belt, simply waited. And under hislevel gaze the Eysie Captain began to find the going hard.

  "They have given us until noon," he started once more, "to gettogether--"

  Jellico's voice came, coldly remote. "There is no reason for any 'gettingtogether,' Grange. By rights I can have you up before the Trade Board forpoaching. The Solar Queen has sole trading rights here. If you up-shipwithin a reasonable amount of time, I'll be inclined to let it pass.After all I've no desire to run all the w
ay to the nearest Patrol post toreport you--"

  "You can't expect to buck Inter-Solar. We'll make you an offer--" Thatwas Kallee's contribution, made probably because his commanding officercouldn't find words explosive enough.

  Jellico, whose fort? was more direct action, took an excursion intoheavy-handed sarcasm. "You Eysies have certainly been given excellentbriefing. I would advise a little closer study of the Code--and not thesections in small symbols at the end of the tape, either! _We're_ notbucking anyone. You'll find our registration for Sargol down on tapes atthe Center. And I suggest that the sooner you withdraw the better--beforewe cite you for illegal planeting."

  Grange had gained control of his emotions. "We're pretty far from Centerhere," he remarked. It was a statement of fact, but it carried over-toneswhich they were able to assess correctly. The Solar Queen was a FreeTrader, alone on an alien world. But the I-S ship might be cruising incompany, ready to summon aid, men and supplies. Dane drew a deep breath,the Eysies _must_ be sure of themselves, not only that, but they mustwant what Sargol had to offer to the point of being willing to stepoutside the law to get it.

  The I-S Captain took a step forward. "I think we understand each othernow," he said, his confidence restored.

  Van Rycke answered him, his deep voice cutting across the sighing of thewind in the grass forest.

  "Your proposition?"

  Perhaps this return to their implied threat bolstered their belief in theinfallibility of the Company, their conviction that no independent daredstand 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 beforethe 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 cargowhich can't be assessed--the gang on Limbo kept no records of what theyplundered."

  "We don't know what he was carrying when he crashed on Limbo," counteredKallee swiftly. "We'll base our offer on what he carried to Axal."

  Now Van Rycke chucked. "I wonder who figured that one out?" he inquiredof the scented winds. "He must save the Company a fair amount of creditsone way or another. Interesting offer--"

  By the bland satisfaction to be read on the three faces below the I-S menwere assured of their victory. The Solar Queen would be paid off with apittance, under the vague threat of Company retaliation she wouldup-ship from Sargol, and they would be left in possession of the richKoros trade--to be commended and rewarded by their superiors. Had they,Dane speculated, ever had any dealings with Free Traders before--at leastwith 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 thebroad palm lay a flat disc of metal. "Very interesting--" he repeated. "Ishall 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, Kalleeblinked, and the unknown third's hand dropped to his sleep rod. An actionwhich was not overlooked by either Dane or Ali.

  "A smooth set down to you," Jellico gave the conventional leave taking ofthe Service.

  "You'd better--" the Eysie Captain began hotly, and then seeing the discVan Rycke held--that sensitive bit of metal and plastic which wasrecording this interview for future reference, he shut his mouth tight.

  "Yes?" the Queen's Cargo-master prompted politely. But Kallee had takenhis 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 inCompany 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 outreasonably. "On the other hand they've had a bit of a blast they weren'texpecting. 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 thefuture gathered force.

  "This," Van Rycke tucked the disc back into his pouch, "sent them offvector a parsec or two. Grange is not one of the strong arm blasterboys. Suppose Tang Ya does a little listening in--and maybe we can riganother 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 aPatrol ship to ask them. So--" he stretched and beckoned to Dane, "weshall go to work once more."

  Again two paces behind Van Rycke Dane tramped to the trade circle of theSalariki clansmen. They might have walked out only five or six minutes ofship time before, and the natives betrayed no particular interest intheir return. But, Dane noted, there was only one empty stool, oneceremonial table in evidence. The Salariki had expected only one TerranTrader to join them.

  What followed was a dreary round of ceremony, an exchange of platitudesand empty good wishes and greetings. No one mentioned Koros stones--oreven 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 hewere ready to deal seriously, his hidden hand would meet that of thebuyer, so that by finger pressure alone they could agree or disagree onprice. But such boring sessions were part of Trade and Dane, keeping afraction of attention on the speeches and "drinkings-together," watchedthose around him with an eye which tried to assess and classify what hesaw.

  The keynote of the Salariki character was a wary independence. The onlyform of government they would tolerate was a family-clan organization.Feuds and deadly duels between individuals and clans were the acceptedway of life and every male who reached adulthood went armed and ready forcombat until he became a "Speaker for the past"--too old to bear arms inthe field. Due to the nature of their battling lives, relatively few ofthe Salariki ever reached that retirement. Short-lived alliances betweenfamilies sometimes occurred, usually when they were to face a commonenemy greater than either. But a quarrel between chieftains, a fanciedinsult would rip that open in an instant. Only under the Trade Shieldcould seven clans sit this way without their warriors being at oneanother's furred throats.

  An hour before sunset Paft turned his goblet upside down on his table, amove followed speedily by every chieftain in the circle. The conferencewas at an end for that day. And as far as Dane could see it hadaccomplished exactly nothing--except to bring the Eysies into the open.What _had_ Traxt Cam discovered which had given him the trading contractwith these suspicious aliens? Unless the men from the Queen learned it,they could go on talking until the contract ran out and get no fartherthan they had today.

  From his training Dane knew that ofttimes contact with an alien race didrequire long and patient handling. But between study and experiencing thesituation himself there was a gulf, and he thought somewhat ruefully thathe had much to learn before he could meet such a situation with VanRycke's unfailing patience and aplomb. The Cargo-master seemed in nowisetired by his wasted day and Dane knew that Van would probably sit up halfthe night, going over for the hundredth time Traxt Cam's sketchyrecordings in another painstaking attempt to discover why and how theother Free Trader had succeeded where the Queen's men were up against astone wall.

  The harvesting of Koros stones was, as Dane and all those who had beenbriefed from Cam's records knew, a perilous job. Though the rule of theSalariki was undisputed on the land masses of Sargol, it was anothermatter in the watery world of the shallow seas. There the Gorp were incommand of the territory and one had to be constantly alert for attackfrom the sly, reptilian intelligence, so alien to the thinking processesof both Salariki and Terran that there was, or seemed to be, no point ofpossible contact. One went gathering Koros gems after balancing lifeagainst gain. And perhaps the Salariki did not see any profit in thatoperation. Yet Traxt Cam had brought back his bag of gems--somehow he hadmanaged to secure them in trade.

 
; Van Rycke climbed the ramp, hurrying on into the Queen as if he would notget back to his records soon enough. But Dane paused and looked back atthe grass jungle a little wistfully. To his mind these early morninghours were the best time on Sargol. The light was golden, the night windshad not yet arisen. He disliked exchanging the freedom of the open forthe confinement of the spacer.

  And, as he hesitated there, two of the juvenile population of Sargol cameout of the forest. Between them they carried one of their hunting nets, anet which now enclosed a quiet but baneful eyed captive--Sinbad beingdelivered for nightly ransom. Dane was reaching for the pay to give thecaptors when, to his real astonishment, one of them advanced and pointedwith an extended forefinger claw to the open port.

  "Go in," he formed the Trade Lingo words with care. And Dane's surprisemust have been plain to read for the cub followed his speech with avigorous nod and set one foot on the ramp to underline his desire.

  For one of the Salariki, who had continually manifested their belief thatTerrans and their ship were an offence to the nostrils of all rightliving "men," to wish to enter the spacer was an astonishing about-face.But any advantage no matter how small, which might bring about a closerunderstanding, must be seized at once.

  Dane accepted the growling Sinbad and beckoned, knowing better than totouch the boy. "Come--"

  Only one of the junior clansmen obeyed that invitation. The otherwatched, big-eyed, and then scuttled back to the forest when his fellowcalled out some suggestion. _He_ was not going to be trapped.

  Dane led the way up the ramp, paying no visible attention to the youngSalarik, nor did he urge the other on when he lingered for a long momentor two at the port. In his mind the Cargo-master apprentice wasfeverishly running over the list of general trade goods. What _did_ theycarry which would make a suitable and intriguing gift for a small alienwith such a promising bump of curiosity? If he had only time to get VanRycke!

  The Salarik was inside the corridor now, his nostrils spread, assayingeach and every odor in this strange place. Suddenly his head jerked as iftugged by one of his own net ropes. His interest had been riveted by somescent his sensitive senses had detected. His eyes met Dane's in appeal.Swiftly the Terran nodded and then followed with a lengthened stride asthe Salarik sped down into the lower reaches of the Queen, obviously inquest of something of great importance.