Hugh had got the notion from Memtok. The Chief Domestic had growled about how difficult it was to run things, with penny-pinching from on high getting worse every year.
“May it please Their Charity, this one’s opinions are of no value, it is true, but-”
“Cut the flowery talk, damn you!”
“Ponse, back where-when-I came from there never was a man so rich but what he needed more money. Usually, the richer he was, the more he needed.”
The lord grinned. “’Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.’ Hugh, you aren’t just sniffing Happiness. Things are the same now. Well? What’s your idea? Spit it out.”
“It seems to me that there are things in your encyclopaedia which might be turned to a profit. Processes and such that have been lost in the last two thousand years-but might be worth money now.”
“All right, do it. The stuff you send up is satisfactory, what I’ve had time to read. But some of it is trivial. ‘Smith, John, born and died-a politician who did nothing much and did that little poorly.’ Know what I mean?”
“I think so, Ponse.”
“All right, skip that garbage and dig me up four or five juicy ideas I can cash in on.”
Hugh hesitated. Ponse said, “Well? Didn’t you understand?”
“I think I need help. You see, I don’t know anything really, except what goes on belowstairs. I thought Joe might help.”
“How?”
“I understand that he has traveled with you, seen things. He is more likely to be able to pick out subjects that merit study. He could pick the articles, I will translate them, and you can judge whether there is anything to exploit. I can synopsize them, so that you needn’t waste time wading through details if the subject doesn’t merit it.”
“Good idea. I’m sure Joe will be happy to help. All right, send up the encyclopaedia. All.”
Hugh was dismissed so abruptly that he had no chance to mention Barbara. But, he reflected, he could not have risked it with Grace present.
He considered digging out Duke, telling him that his mother was fat and happy-both literally-but decided against it. He wasn’t sure how pleased Duke would be with a truthful report. They didn’t see eye to eye and that was that.
Chapter 15
Joe sent down a volume every day for many days, with pages marked; Hugh slaved to keep up and to make useful translations. After two weeks Hugh was again sent for.
He expected a conference over some business idea. What he found was Ponse, Joe, and a Chosen he had never seen. Hugh instantly prepared to speak protocol mode, rising.
The Lord Protector said, “Come here, Hugh. Cut the cards. And don’t start any of that tiresome formality, this is family. Private.”
Hugh hesitantly approached. The other Chosen, a big dark man with a permanent scowl, didn’t seem pleased. He was carrying his quirt and twitched it. But Joe looked up and smiled. “I’ve been teaching them contract, Hugh, and our fourth had to be away. I’ve been telling Ponse that you are the best player any where or when. So don’t let me down.”
“I’ll try not to.” Hugh recognized one deck of cards, they had once been his. The other deck appeared to be hand painted and were beautiful. The card table was not from the shelter; fabulous hand craftsmanship had gone into it.
The cut made Hugh partner of the strange Chosen. Hugh tried not to show how nervous it made him, as his partner clearly did not like it. But the Chosen grunted and accepted it.
His partner’s contract, at three spades-by a fluke distribution ‘they made four. His partner growled, “Boy, you underbid, you wasted game. Don’t let it happen again.”
Hugh kept quiet and dealt.
On the next hand Joe and Ponse made five clubs. Hugh’s partner was furious-at Hugh. “If you had led diamonds, we would have set them! And you washed out our leg. I warned you. Now I’m-”
“Mrika!” Ponse said sharply. “This is contract. Play it as such. And put that tickler down. The servant played correctly.”
“It did not! And I’m damned if I care for letting it in the game anyhow. I can smell the rank, sharp stink of a buck servant no matter how much it’s scrubbed. I don’t think this one is scrubbed at all.”