CHAPTER VI
Indiscreet Agent
TM ECONOMY of the frontier planets, and therefore the physical arrangement of their artifacts, is as different from Earth’s as the rest of their culture. Like most new lands of human history, they show a reversion to older and more primitive types of social organization; yet it is not a reconstruction of the past which exists there.
From Sol to the vaguely defined Sagittari frontier of the Union was a two months’ voyage even in the fastest hyperdrive transport. But the Solarian’s own needs were adequately provided for at home; he had no particular reason to haul goods out to the stars. The interstellar colonists had to provide for themselves.
They scattered over the faces of many planets, those colonists. They weren’t isolated, not with their telescreens and gravity fliers, but they dwelt well apart. A small but brisk trade went on between the stars of any given sector, carried by merchant ships or by such Nomads as weren’t heading out into the depthless yonder. A few goods from Sol itself, or other highly civilized systems, found their way out to the frontier, too. That meant spaceports, warehouses, depots, service and repair establishments, shops,and with them, local robot factories,entertainment facilities, and administrative centers. The city, a forcotten phe nomenon of Solar history, was reborn.
One for a planet, or even a system , was usuallyy enough. The city on Carsten’s Star ‘III, Nerthus, was called Stellamont. Joachim brought the Peregrine there to get supplies and ammunition.
The trip took about three weeks
The Peregrine contacted Nerthus’ robot monitor, and was assigned an orbit about the world. Her visit was to be short , so most of the crew were left aboard; Joachim and a few assistants went “down” in a couple of fliers to dicker and a boat took a single liberty party, chosen by lot. The rest swore philosophically and carried on with their usual shipboard rounds, Among other things, the Peregrine had a poker and a dice gamee in the main recreation room which, with interruptions, bad been going so long -about a century now-that their continuance had become almost a fetish
.
Joachim bad based lis success in the captaincy on a number of tricks, among them the fine art of rigging lots. Those of the crew whom he thought needed the liberty most got it. That included Sean and Ilaloa. Tle Lorinyan girl hadn’t been well lately, A Little blue sky might help.
When. he stood on the ground, Sean drew a lungfull of Nerthusian air and smiled down at llaloa. “Is this better, darling?”
“Yes.” Her voice came faint under the clangor of the spaceport.
Sean shook his head, tasting bitterness. “You’ll get used to it,” he said. “You couldn’t expect to make a change like that all at once.”
“I am happy,” she insisted.
The memory of anotier face and another voice drifted through him. His mouth tightened and he walked from the port with long strides.
They left the concrete prairie of the spaceport behind them and strolled out on a wide avenue. It was a busy scene; humans and nonhumans hurrying on their way, cars and trucks filling the street with a steady roar, aircraft overhead. Ilaloa’s hands went up to her ears. She smiled at him ruefully, but her eyes were darkened.
Even in that cosmopolitan crowd, they stood out. Sean wore Nomad costume-kilt, buskins, full shirt and tight jerkin, cape flowing behind him and bonnet slanted across his forehead. Ilaloa, in spite of her professed dislike for clothes, had adopted a loose filmy version of woman’s dress. Against its dark blues and reds, the pale beauty of her was spectacular. Both wore sidearms, as crewfolk generally did on any planet except Rendezvous.
“Sean, Sean, let me go.”
He drew Ilaloa aside, into a doorway. Her fingers plucked at his sleeve and the eyes turned to his were an unseeing blankness.
“Let me go alone for a little, Sean. It is only for the littlest time, away in the voice of trees. Oh, Sean, I want the sun!”
He stood for a moment, unsure, half-frigbtened. Then the simple realization came: Ilaloa couldn’t take the city. She needed quiet.