Plague Ship Andre Norton (book recommendations website .TXT) đ
- Author: Andre Norton
Book online «Plague Ship Andre Norton (book recommendations website .TXT) đ». Author Andre Norton
âThatâs far enough, Eysie!â
Although Traders by law and tradition carried no more potent personal weaponsâ âexcept in times of great crisisâ âthan hand sleep rods, the resultant shot from the latter was just as unpleasant for temporary periods as a more forceful beamâ âand the threat of it was enough to halt the three men who had come to the foot of the Queenâs ramp and who could see the rod held rather negligently by Ali. Aliâs eyes were anything but negligent, however, and Free Traders had reputations to be respected by their rivals of the Companies. The very nature of their roving lives taught them savage lessonsâ âwhich they either learned or died.
Dane, glancing down over the Engineer-apprenticeâs shoulder, saw that Van Ryckeâs assumption of confidence had indeed paid off. They had left the trade enclosure of the Salariki barely three-quarters of an hour ago. But below now stood the bebadged Captain of the I-S ship and his Cargo-master.
âI want to speak to your Captainâ ââ snarled the Eysie officer.
Ali registered faint amusement, an expression which tended to rouse the worst in the spectator, as Dane knew of old when that same mocking appraisal had been turned on him as the rawest of the Queenâs crew.
âBut does he wish to speak to you?â countered Kamil. âJust stay where you are, Eysie, until we are sure about that fact.â
That was his cue to act as messenger. Dane retreated into the ship and swung up the ladder to the command section. As he passed Captain Jellicoâs private cabin he heard the muffled squall of the commanderâs unpleasant petâ âQueex, the Hoobatâ âa nightmare combination of crab, parrot and toad, wearing a blue feather coating and inclined to scream and spit at all comers. Since Queex would not be howling in that fashion if its master was present, Dane kept on to the control cabin where he blundered in upon an executive level conference of Captain, Cargo-master and Astrogator.
âWell?â Jellicoâs blaster-scarred left cheek twitched as he snapped that impatient inquiry at the messenger.
âEysie Captain below, sir. With his Cargo-master. They want to see youâ ââ
Jellicoâs mouth was a straight line, his eyes very hard. By instinct Daneâs hand went to the grip of the sleep rod slung at his belt. When the Old Man put on his fighting faceâ âlook out! Here we go again, he told himself, speculating as to just what type of action lay before them now.
âOh, they do, do they!â Jellico began and then throttled down the temper he could put under iron control when and if it were necessary. âVery well, tell them to stay where they are. Van, weâll go downâ ââ
For a moment the Cargo-master hesitated, his heavy-lidded eyes looked sleepy, he seemed almost disinterested in the suggestion. And when he nodded it was with the air of someone about to perform some boring duty.
âRight, sir.â He wriggled his heavy body from behind the small table, resealed his tunic, and settled his cap with as much precision as if he were about to represent the Queen before the assembled nobility of Sargol.
Dane hurried down the ladders, coming to a halt beside Ali. It was the turn of the man at the foot of the ramp to bark an impatient demand:
âWell?â (Was that the theme word of every Captainâs vocabulary?)
âYou wait,â Dane replied with no inclination to give the Eysie officer any courtesy address. Close to a Terran year aboard the Solar Queen had inoculated him with pride in his own section of Service. A Free Trader was answerable to his own officers and to no one else on earthâ âor among the starsâ âno matter how much discipline and official etiquette the Companies 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 Free Trader must be galling in the extreme. And the fact that this one was doing just that was an indication that the Queenâs crew did, perhaps, have the edge of advantage in any coming bargain. In the meantime the Eysie contingent fumed below while Ali lounged whistling against the exit port, playing with his sleep rod and Dane studied the grass forest. His boot nudged a packet just inside the port casing and he glanced inquiringly from it to Ali.
âCat ransom,â the other answered his unspoken question.
So that was itâ âthe fee for Sinbadâs return. âWhat is it today?â
âSugarâ âabout a tablespoon full,â the Engineer-assistant returned, âand two colored steelos. So far they havenât run up the price on us. I think theyâre sharing out the spoil evenly, a new cub brings him back every night.â
As did all Terran ships, the Solar Queen carried a cat as an important member of the regular crew. And the portly Sinbad, before their landing on Sargol, had never presented any problem. He had done his duty of ridding the ship of unusual and usual pests and cargo despoilers with dispatch, neatness and energy. And when in port on alien worlds had never shown any inclination to go a-roving.
But the scents of Sargol had apparently intoxicated him, shearing away his solid dignity and middle-aged dependability. Now Sinbad flashed out of the Queen at the opening of her port in the early morning and was brought back, protesting with both voice and claws, at the end of the day by that member of the juvenile population whose turn it was to collect the standing reward for his forceful delivery. Within three days it had become an accepted business transaction which satisfied everyone but Sinbad.
The scrape of metal boot soles on ladder rungs warned of the arrival of their officers. Ali and Dane withdrew down the corridor, leaving the entrance open for Jellico and Van Rycke. Then they drifted back to witness the meeting with the Eysies.
There were no prolonged greetings between the two parties, no offer of hospitality as might have
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