Chanur’s Legacy by C.J. Cherryh

Dreadfully crazed, a developing economy. But Kita did produce some of the damndest things, geegaws, items in incredibly bad taste, the product of idle minds and fertile imaginations, and occasionally, just occasionally, some product that actually had unanticipated popularity in some other port.

She scanned the lists for materials in future necessity, for materials all species tended to hoard in time of trouble, and idly, finally, for odd items that might prove an inspiration to some local merchant … least reliable: never, as a through-passing trader, gamble I heavily on fads.

But you never knew what might lurk there, and along with the life and comfort necessities … a methane- side curiosity, a compression-jewel that, exposed to oxygen and water … blossomed and ablated unpredictably.

Perhaps she’d been dealing with stsho too long. Perhaps she’d been speaking stshoshi too long.

But there was a word: niylji, art-by-irreproducible-chance.

The image of the exploded object was … white with pale mineral stains.

And the legend said you didn’t know what you’d get until you uncased it. Or detonated it, as the case might be. An electronic fuse. Pull the tab to admit oxygen, and run for your life.

Art by explosion.

How big were the things? Palm-sized. The finished—pieces—were unpredictable. Some went to fragments. Some just puffed up to about the size of one’s head.

Done on methane-side, under pressurized oxygen, they mostly eroded to a fist-sized mess. Done on oxygen-side, they absolutely … flowered. Somebody on Kita must have found it out the hard way, because it was certainly the first time she had seen the offering. The picture and explanation of the exotic was intriguing, although you could expect the entrepreneur who had actually dealt with methane-side (an accomplishment) to get the globes manufactured there, had picked the biggest of the lot.

Certainly worth a try … they had the franchise. It was a mahen company, trying to market them as geological curiosities, cross-listed under collector’s market. They were willing to enter a partnership agreement with a company that could deal in a can lot … gods, that was no small number.

Inexperienced entrepreneur. They hadn’t found any takers. Kita got mostly kif, tc’a, and, mostly, mahendo’sat in the trades associated with industrial companies, and traders, a lot of traders.

Callthe fellow. See if he’d deal.

The merchant ship, captain Hilfy Chanur, to Ehoshenai Karpygijenon. In exchange for exclusive trading franchise under your patent of creation we meet your price and will contract with you for future shipments based on sales and returns, patent holder to assume legal liabilities relating to manufacture and compliance with Compact safety codes. We are at dock for the next 12 hours.

That was a short time frame. But either the seller had the merchandise or he didn’t. Either the seller had been waiting long enough with his funds tied up … or he hadn’t. If it was inexpertly packed, they were making very low-g passage, for reasons other than that cargo, which most merchant carriers would worry about.

The merchant ship, captain Hilfy Chanur, to Tabi Shipping. Order for purchase: item #2090-986, 4 cans. Item #9879-856, 10 cans. Please confirm availability. Order valid for delivery within 12 hours or cancel.

That would hurry them. But it was a fair-sized order.

The merchant ship, captain Hilfy Chanur, to Aisihgoshim Shipping. Order for purchase…

And so on, with three more companies.

Thenshe called Haisi.

“Haisi?”

“I hear, pretty hani.”It was not a cheerful mahe. “What fine double-cross deal you got?”

“By what I can figure,” she said, “you’re right.”

“What you mean ‘right’? What mean, ‘right’?”

Agitated, he was. “You know and I know you know. So let’s not play games, Haisi. We’re headed out, you know we are, and I’ve got a list of futures I’d recommend to you if you want to play the market.”

“Want talk. “

“I’ll bet you do. Safe voyage, Haisi. See you.”

Drive him crazy, that would. She had not an inkling what Haisi knew. But aunt Pyanfar always said, If you’re up against a smart opponent, make him think himself to death…

Com came live, an excited, effusively grateful Ehoshenai Karpygijenon, who spoke very little Trade interspersed with an obscure mahen dialect.

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