CHAPTER IX
spaceships-For Whoria?
AT FULL cruising speed, it.was about three weeks to F-rulan. The time was put to good use by Joachim, wh o had to inform his crew that this was no ordinary voyage of discovery, trade, or exploitation. He let guided rumors circulate until it was common knowledge that the Peregrine was committed to scouting out a foreign and perhaps hostile domain. Plaving down the dangers and building up the idea of possible huge profits-in addition to the amount already promised from the other Nomads-belonged in joachim’s devious tactics.
His public order came when they were close to their goal: because of delicate negotiations to be carried out, and the chance of assault from their hosts, there would be no liberty
on the planet.
Trevelyan was a more difficult problem. Joachim spoke to the Coordinator early in the trip. “You won’t like the truth,” be declared, “but we’d better look the situation squarely in the face.”
“I’ve been hearing some things about Erulan.”
“Well, I’ll begin at the beginning.” Joachim stuffed his pipe with elaborate care. “About seventy-flve years back, two new ships were founded, the Hadii and the Mountain Man. Only these were prettv ambitious young folks, who’d figured that regular Nomad fife was too bare for them. Still, they coi-ildn’t see settling on some colony planet. Well, there was this barbaric world Erulan. With modern weapons, it wasn’t hard to take over a warlike nation and help to conquer the rest. Now they sit on Erulan as bosses of a planet.”
“Conquest.” The word was bitter and obscene in Trevelyan’s month.
“Oh, it’s not so bad, Dow. They’ve only done to the natives what the natives were doing to each other. ‘Course, all the other Nomads realized this could bring on real trouble with the Union, and passed laws against such capers, but by that time it was too late as far as ErulaD goes. We still trade with the place, and they’re one of the few cases where it was a Nomad ship that got diddled, instead of the other way around. But you can do pretty good business with em if you watch yourself.”
Trevelyaii’s voice was blank: “What do you want with them now?”
“Infori-pation, lad. They’re well into tl-ie Great Cross, and from little things I’ve picked up, I wonder if Eruian may not be in contact with X.” Joachim veiled his face in smoke. “Cheer up, it’s really not so awful.”
“It’s the sort of thing my service was set up to prevent.”
“Which is why you’re not going with us to the surface, nor ire you going to get your hanis on any astrogation instrumeiits while we’re in that neighborhood.” Joachim grinned cheerily.
The ship was close to her destination when Joachim sent for Sean and Ilaloa. “Sean,” said Joachim, “you’re a good pilot, so I’m letting you take me down to the planet. And there’s no reason why Ilaloa can’t go.”
The younger man inhaled a cigarette. ‘Vhat’s your real motive?”
“You don’t rank high enough to be paid much attention to. You might as well take your lady on a stroll through town. Sight-seeing. And if that telepathy or wbatever-it-is of hers should just happen to pick up some thoughts-oh, let’s suppose thoughts about X aliens on Erulan, or even the thoughts of those otberlings-it’d be interesting, wouldn’t it?”
“You could have said it in half the words,” replied Sean. “AU right, Captain, if Ilaloa’s willing.”
“This is my ship too,” she answered.
On the twenty-tbird day from Nerthus, the Peregrine flashed out of hyperdrive and approached the sun of Erulan on gravity beams.
Joachim sat in the bridge, waiting for his communications man to raise the planet. The internal gravity field made the outer hull “down,” so that the big vision screens were underfoot. The screen buzzed and bummed with cosmic interference, the wordless talking of the stars. There was silence on the bridge, only the patient voice of the operator
spoke. “Nomad ship Peregrine calling Erulan Station. Come
in, Erulan. Come in, Eriflan.”
A streaked image grew on the screen.
The man that finally looked out was a hard-visaged sort, gorgeous in the furs and jewelry of a noble. His bead was shaven, except for a queue, and be spoke with an accent. ‘What do you want?”