“Once more wouldn’t hurt, Captain.”
Clay shrugged, lifted David up once more, and placed him on the branch. Silverston held out her arms again, and David jumped, laughing for the sheer joy of it.
“Again,” he said.
“No.” This time Clay’s voice brooked no dissent. “Brian, come down now. We have to start back.”
When they all had two feet once more on the ground, they began a meandering journey out of the park.
“Very well, Ms Silverston, I’ll call up and arrange for a cabin.”
“Thank you, Captain.”
CHAPTER 13
Blue Powder
Blue Powder entered hyperspace and began her journey towards Daiovan Station. Colleen sensed an excitement emanating from both crew and passengers. Everyone, it seemed, wanted to be part of the first venture into Damarg space. It would put them in the history books. Even Ms Pendleton had decided that she would remain with the ship, much to Mr Telford’s chagrin.
“Night Sky’s crew won’t like this,” Johannes said, as he totalled the votes. “Everyone has given their thumbs-up. We all go to Pallinteth.”
“I’ve figured out what we need to dump at Daiovan,” Colleen said. And it included some of their more lucrative trade goods. She pointed them out. “Night Sky will like that – unless you want to leave them at Daiovan.”
Johannes shook his head. “We don’t know how long this will delay us, and some of those goods are rush orders. Pity, but there it is.”
“I’ve sent the list down to Gerard. He’s not happy. He figures that we’ll be sorting cargo all the way to Daiovan.”
“The cargo master’s job never ends,” Johannes laughed, quoting that unfortunate. “We’ll have to send down hands to aid him. Anything else?”
“Just that I love you,” Colleen said. She moved into his arms and gave him a kiss. “There’s more of that after you sit at Captain’s Table.”
He put his hand over his eyes and groaned. “Not again.”
She shrugged. “We didn’t have to take over Blue Powder; we could have asked for a simple freighter instead. But, no, you got greedy. This is how the greedy pay for their sins.”
He bent his head for another kiss, but she backed off, laughing. “After the Captain’s Table, darling.”
He gave her a fierce frown. “And what will you occupy yourself with while I’m there?”
She gave a terrible sigh, and hung her head. “Helping the cargo master. You’re not the only one who has to pay for his greed.”
She watched him put on his captain’s hat, look at her longingly, and then turn reluctantly to walk out the door. She gave out with another sigh, this one real, and changed into rough clothing. Working with cargo had never excited her.
* * *
Adrian Telford took his place in the acceleration lounge. It didn’t surprise him when Ms Pendleton sat down next to him.
“Isn’t it exciting?” she said. “We’re going to become the first human ship to ever enter into Damarg space.”
He could think of words other than exciting. In fact, exciting didn’t make the list of desirable outcomes. Exciting usually meant death and destruction. He had had enough of that. Why couldn’t they just do the job without any excitement?
“Drop from hyperspace in two minutes,” came the warning from the InShip Address.
At least this time Ms Pendleton did not ask him to drop linked. Small mercies in an otherwise merciless universe.
The countdown reached zero, and the starfield appeared outside the ship. It never failed to impress him. Too often, he sat in his office during drop. It felt good to experience it out where one could see. He felt the buzz go through him, the little euphoria.
“How long do you think we’ll be here?” Ms Pendleton asked.
“For as short a time as possible, I’d imagine. This will put us way behind schedule as it is; I doubt that the captain will want to add to that delay.”
She sighed. “How disappointing.”
“Disappointing? I thought you wanted to get into Damarg space.”
She laughed, though he hadn’t meant what he said to induce mirth. “Dear Mr Telford, I read up on Daiovan. The Pagayans run the station. I’m interested in meeting more Pagayans.” She gave him a light pat on the arm as if to emphasize his foolishness.
And this from the woman who had called them bestial. He hadn’t thought her to possess any kind of an open mind, let alone one that would allow her to change directions so completely. Tro Vremen had much to answer for.
“And you, Mr Telford, will you accompany us to Damarg Space, or does your business demand that you not endure this delay?”
Telford sighed and wished that Tro Vremen had accompanied them. His presence might have displaced her interest in him.
“I will stay with Blue Powder,” he said. “Like the Yrdens, I look upon this as an opportunity to gain new custom.”
* * *
Daiovan Station grew large in the forward screen. Docked to it, lay Night Sky. Unlike most human stations, the Pagayan ones allowed for large trade vessels to dock directly to the station. Only four could dock at one time, but that totalled four more than could dock at Liberty, for instance. Haida Gwaii could dock two.
“We’ll carry out cargo transfer the usual way, via workboat,” Clay told the crew. “No sense in carrying it through the station where some goods might get purloined.”
Gerard Yrden nodded. “Though we do have goods for Daiovan. Easier to offload directly than to use workboats.”
Clay nodded, conceding the point. “For goods staying on Daiovan, we’ll offload directly. For goods transhipping to Night Sky, we use workboats.
“Anyone else?”
No one spoke. “Good. Let’s go to it.”
Gerard left first, heading for the holds. He knew his job, and Clay let him do it without trying to micromanage. Soon, only he, Colleen, Minda, and Telford remained in the conference room.
“Like it or not, we’ll have to talk with Tony Paxton,” Clay told them.
“I’ll want to be with you, Mr Yrden,” Telford said.
“And I’ll want you there. Colleen, I’d prefer not to have both of us together – not with this threat hanging over our heads. If they – whoever they are – see such an opportunity, they might forget common sense and try to do something.”
Colleen frowned. “Then you will follow your own standing orders, Clay.”
He tilted his head. “And those are?”
“Crew from Blue Powder will only go about in groups of four or more.”
Telford laughed. “She has you, Mr Yrden. Those are your standing orders.”
“Fine. I’ll take a trader and a pilot with us. Minda can find out if the Treverstons or Paxtons have anything to trade or sell.” He stopped short, and held up his hands wanting to think it out before he presented it to the other two.
They waited respectfully.
“Let’s have Minda offer both Paxton and Treverston cubage. We’ll take their goods – if they are on the Damarg approved list – to sell on consignment. We’ll be running light, anyway, we can afford it.”
Colleen caught on immediately. “It’ll be a peace offering to the Paxtons. Might not buy us anything, but it might reduce tensions.”
Minda agreed. “Let’s sweeten the pot and not charge cartage. A percentage, yes, but no hauling fees.”
“Agreed,” Colleen said. “We can afford a little generosity.”
Telford smiled his bleak smile. “Let’s take it one step further, Ms Yrden.”
“One step further?” Colleen raised her eyebrows. “What step would that be?”
“Let us offer both Tony Paxton and Max Treverston the opportunity to ship with us and make their own trades.”
Everyone looked at him in surprise.
“And why would we want to do that?” Clay wondered. He knew he definitely did not want Tony Paxton on his ship.
Telford’s smile grew a little wider, but did not reach h
is eyes. “It will be interesting to see, will it not, whether either or both exhibit a reluctance to set foot on an Yrden ship?”
The thought stunned everyone to silence.
Colleen finally broke it. “Yes, Mr Telford, that would be most instructive. Clay?”
“I concur. It would.” He shrugged. “However, if both jump at the chance, it may only be that no one higher up in their families has informed them of other operations.”
“Let’s do it,” Minda said. “Helen told me how both Treverston’s and Paxton’s noses are out of joint. Apparently they cultivated the Hittorsh trader – and then he made his request for us. They feel – rightly so – cut out. That can’t have improved their feelings towards us. But if they can make their own contacts on this Damarg Station, it can only be of benefit to the Families entire.
“Yes, I know,” she continued. “It would be great for the Yrdens to have a monopoly, but that can only engender resentment.”
Clay nodded. “However, if the Damargs only allow the Yrdens in – they’ve waited a long time to invite any of us – what can we do?”
Colleen suddenly laughed. “Why we accept, of course. And whatever ship – or ships – of ours travel into Damarg space will make room for other Families’ goods. In effect, though we use Yrden Family ships, those ships will consider that particular route a Family Trading League route, not an Yrden route. Traders from any and all Families welcome.”
She turned to Telford.
“Thank you Mr Telford, you made an excellent suggestion.”
He shook his head. “I intended something a little more basic.”
Clay let him deny credit. Who knew what motivated him – other than the desire to remain near Colleen? But he thanked him, as well.
“I’ll contact the Treverstons and Paxtons requesting a meeting for as soon as possible after we arrive.”
* * *
Tony Paxton actually glared at them as they walked into The Best Meet and Greet on Daiovan. Max Treverston regarded them with no great enthusiasm, either, but at least he offered a hand. Clay took it.
Mr Telford went to the bar with Pilot Williams and ordered a juice, leaving Minda and him to face the two traders.
“We understand that our invitation from Hittorsh Company comes to us because of your efforts with the Damarg trader,” Clay began.
Paxton developed a tic under one eye. “We do all the work and you damned Yrdens get the benefits. It isn’t fair.”
Before he could react to that, Minda took over, perhaps thinking that he might sink the entire enterprise before it even got started.
“Exactly,” she said. “Not fair to either of you or your Families. So, we come to you with a proposal.”
Paxton made a negating motion with his hand, but Max Treverston stepped forward. “What kind of proposal?”
“We’ll take your cargo – if you have anything to sell or trade – to Pallinteth on Blue Powder to sell on commission.”
“I’m interested,” Treverston said. “What sort of commission are we talking about?”
Paxton, on the other hand, dismissed it with a wave of his hand. “Given some time, we might have a cargo. As it is? Nothing. This is all a sham, Max.”
Clay’s jaw tightened, and he took a half-step forward, but Minda pulled him back. She ignored Paxton and spoke directly to Treverston.
“Max, why don’t we sit down and discuss this? Drinks on me.” She turned to Paxton. “Tony, it couldn’t do any harm to hear us out, could it? You can always laugh at us and leave. At a minimum, you’ll have the price of a drink out of me – and you can order the most expensive stuff they have on hand.”
Grumbling a bit, Paxton agreed, and they sat around one of the fine wooden tables. Interesting that the Pagayans would spend the fuel to lift solid wood like this, though lighter plastic would do just as well.
A server brought their drinks to them.
“So,” Max asked after taking a sip of his whiskey, “what did you have in mind?”
“This is the opportunity everyone in the Families has dreamed about for years,” Minda said, only to get interrupted by Paxton.
“Which has gone to you Yrdens through no effort of your own.”
“Which has come to us Yrdens through no effort of our own,” Minda agreed with him, to Paxton’s surprise. “So, to make it fair – after all, Fair Trade is our Family Motto—”
Paxton snorted.
Minda continued as if he hadn’t made a sound, “We’d like to make it a Family Trading League affair. For this trip, we’re willing to take your cargo – as long as it’s on the Damarg approved list – with us, no cartage.”
Paxton’s eyebrows went up, and Treverston pursed his lips, nodding.
“We’ll ask a commission of ten percent of profits for our part.”
“If there are any profits; if you don’t just give our goods away,” sneered Paxton.
“And that’s why we would like to offer any Family on station – and I guess that consists of just your two – a cabin on Blue Powder. That way you can make your own trades, make your own contacts on Pallinteth. Even if you have nothing that the Damargs actually want, and we bring it all back, you’ll have made contacts that you otherwise couldn’t. You can sound out the market there. Next trip – if there is a next trip – we’ll all have a better idea of what sells and what the Damargs have on offer that we can sell or trade back in human or Pagayan space.”
Max leaned forward, intensely interested. Tony’s face lost its sneer.
“You are serious?” Max asked Minda.
“Very serious.”
“And if we make no profits, can sell no goods?” Paxton asked.
Clay took that question for himself. “Then we take you and your cargo on a joy ride to Pallinteth and back – no charge.”
“That’s fair, Tony,” Max said.
Paxton wasn’t so easily convinced. “Who decides how much profit gets made?”
Clay laughed. “Why you, do, Tony. You report your profits, and sign over ten percent. If you want to lie and stiff us, you can. You’ll get no argument from our side. But that’s not the way the Paxton Family does business.”
“No, it isn’t,” Tony agreed, mollified. “If we’d had more notice, we could have brought goods to this station.”
Clay shrugged. “We had no notice either. Word reached us at Pelgraff, and we came straight here. We have had no opportunity to load anything other than what we had on board. We can pick up some things from our warehouse here – same as you – and we’ll load some of Night Sky’s cargo, too. On the other hand, we must also offload some of ours that sits on the Damarg ‘not allowed’ list.”
“We can sweeten the deal,” Minda said. Clay wondered what that entailed. They hadn’t discussed anything other than this.
“How so?” Max asked.
“We’ll give you a copy of our manifest, and a base price. You can act as our representatives, and sell our goods on commission, as well. That will give you a wider selection to trade from, make it easier to make contacts of your own. You sell our goods at base price, and you get ten percent of our profit. You sell above the base price and you get fifty percent of everything over that base price. If you trade for Damarg goods – which we will likewise bring back to Daiovan without a cartage charge – you pay us the base price for the goods you traded.”
Clay wouldn’t have been so generous, but he didn’t contradict Minda.
“That’s more than fair, Tony,” Max said.
“It is. How much time do we have to load?” Paxton asked.
Clay smiled. “Well, we want to leave as soon as possible. We have passengers, and every day we delay, is a day further that we’ll fall behind schedule. However, we don’t want to go in a mad rush.” He thought about it a minute. “And if any other Family ship comes in before we leave, we’ll wait a reasonable amount of time for their cargo – if any. So, take your time, but don’t waste ours.”
Minda jumped in. “We can work out al
l the details on the way there. Are you guys in or out?”
“Count me in,” Max said.
Tony pursed his lips, then gave a sharp nod of his head. “Never thought I’d want to travel on an Yrden ship.” He put his hand out to Clay.
Clay took it and shook. “I’d better get back to Blue Powder. We’ve a lot to move and organize before we leave. And we want to see if we can trade with the Pagayans here for something we might take.”
“I can help with that,” Max said. “We’ve been doing a lot of research – seeing what they pick up before heading into Damarg space. Maybe I’ll do a little of the same.”
“Fair enough.” Clay rose, and the others joined him.
“Oh,” Max said. “You told us that we had a one-trip only deal. What if the Yrdens get a monopoly on the route?”
Minda took that one. “Then we’ll charge cartage – only fair. Otherwise, we’ll just consider it an FTL route using an Yrden ship. After this, we won’t offer our goods to sell on consignment to your traders, nor take a percentage of profits from yours. Other than that, we’ll take Family traders who can make their own deals, or cargo on consignment from those who don’t have a trader to send.”
Max downed the rest of his drink. “My Family will go for that. Talk with you later; I’ve work to do.”
“And I think the Paxtons will sign on, too.” Tony Paxton swallowed what remained in his glass and set it down on the table. “Later, Yrden.”
“Later, Tony,” Minda said.
She and Clay walked to the bar where Minda paid for the drinks.
“It looked friendly, Mr Yrden,” Telford said. “How did it go?”
“They both jumped at the deal, Mr Telford. No hesitation.”
Telford shrugged. “Well, you can’t win them all.”
Minda laughed. “Mr Telford, you have a strange thought process. Clay, let’s head down to the Damarg trade office, make sure we have their latest ‘acceptable-unacceptable’ list.”
CHAPTER 14
Blue Powder
One Trade Too Many Page 11