Plague Ship Andre Norton (book recommendations website .TXT) đ
- Author: Andre Norton
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Van Rycke smiled gently. âCode Fourâ âArticle two,â he quoted with the genial air of one playing gift-giver at a Forkidan feasting.
Code Four, Article two: Any organic substance offered for trade must be examined by a committee of trained medical experts, an equal representation of Terrans and aliens.
Kalleeâs sneering smile did not vanish. âWell,â he challenged, âwhereâs your board of experts?â
âTau!â Van Rycke called to the Medic with the storm priests. âWill you ask your colleague to be so kind as to allow the Cargo-master Kallee to be presented?â
The tall, dark young Terran Medic spoke to the priest beside him and together they came across the clearing. Van Rycke and Jellico both arose and inclined their heads in honor to the priests, as did the chief with whom they had been about to deal.
âReader of clouds and master of many winds,â Tauâs voice flowed with the many-voweled titles of the Sargolian, âmay I bring before your face Cargo-master Kallee, a servant of Inter-Solar in the realm of Trade?â
The storm priestâs shaven skull and body gleamed steel gray in the light. His eyes, of that startling blue-green, regarded the I-S party with cynical detachment.
âYou wish of me?â Plainly he was one who believed in getting down to essentials at once.
Kallee could not be overawed. âThese Free Traders have introduced among your people a powerful drug which will bring much evil,â he spoke slowly in simple words as if he were addressing a cub.
âYou have evidence of such evil?â countered the storm priest. âIn what manner is this new plant evil?â
For a moment Kallee was disconcerted. But he rallied quickly. âIt has not been testedâ âyou do not know how it will affect your peopleâ ââ
The storm priest shook his head impatiently. âWe are not lacking in intelligence, Trader. This plant has been tested, both by your master of life secrets and ours. There is no harm in itâ ârather it is a good thing, to be highly prizedâ âso highly that we shall give thanks that it was brought unto us. This speech-together is finished.â He pulled the loose folds of his robe closer about him and walked away.
âNow,â Van Rycke addressed the I-S party, âI must ask you to withdraw. Under the rules of Trade your presence here can be actively resentedâ ââ
But Kallee had lost little of his assurance. âYou havenât heard the last of this. A tape of the whole proceedings goes to the Boardâ ââ
âAs you wish. But in the meantimeâ ââ Van Rycke gestured to the waiting Salariki who were beginning to mutter impatiently. Kallee glanced around, heard those mutters, and made the only move possible, away from the Queen. He was not quite so cocky, but neither had he surrendered.
Dane caught at Tauâs sleeve and asked the question which had been burning in him since he had come upon the scene.
âWhat happenedâ âabout the catnip?â
There was lightening of the serious expression on Tauâs face.
âFortunately for you that child took the leaves to the storm priest. They tested and approved it. And I canât see that it has any ill effects. But you were just lucky, Thorsonâ âit might have gone another way.â
Dane sighed. âI know that, sir,â he confessed. âIâm not trying to rocket outâ ââ
Tau gave a half-smile. âWe all off-fire our tubes at times,â he conceded. âOnly next timeâ ââ
He did not need to complete that warning as Dane caught him up:
âThere isnât going to be a next time like this, sirâ âever!â
IV Gorp HuntBut the interruption had disturbed the tenor of trading. The small chief who had so eagerly taken Paftâs place had only two Koros stones to offer and even to Daneâs inexperienced eyes they were 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 available stones was so very small. Within ten minutes the last of the serious bargaining was concluded and the clansmen were drifting away from the burned-over space about the Queenâs standing fins.
Dane folded up the bargain cloth, glad for a task. He sensed that he was far from being back in Van Ryckeâs good graces. The fact that his superior did not discuss any of the aspects of the deals with him was a bad sign.
Captain Jellico stretched. Although his was not, or never, what might be termed a good-humored face, he was at peace with his world. âThat would seem to be all. Whatâs the haul, Van?â
âTen first-class stones, about fifty second-grade, and twenty or so of third. The chiefs will go to the fisheries tomorrow. Then weâll be in to see the really good stuff.â
âAnd howâs the herbs holding out?â That interested Dane too. Surely the few plants in the hydro and the dried leaves could not be stretched too far.
âAs well as we could expect.â Van Rycke frowned. âBut Craig thinks heâs on the trail of something to helpâ ââ
The storm priests had uprooted the staff marking the trading station and were wrapping the white streamer about it. Their leader had already gone and now Tau came up to the group by the ramp.
âVan says you have an idea,â the Captain hailed him.
âWe havenât tried it yet. And we canât unless the priests give it a clear laneâ ââ
âThat goes without sayingâ ââ Jellico agreed.
The Captain had not addressed that remark to him personally, but Dane was sure it had been directed at him. Well, they neednât worryâ ânever again was he going to make that mistake, they could be very sure of that.
He was part of the conference which followed in the mess cabin only because he was a member of the crew. How far the reason for his disgrace had spread he had no way of telling, but he made no overtures, even to Rip.
Tau had the floor with Mura as an efficient lieutenant. He discussed the properties of catnip and gave information on the limited supply the
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