Robert Asprin – Tambu

“Of course I laughed at that,” Whitey continued bitterly. “I told them I was one of Tambu’s captains and that Tambu doesn’t operate that way. You know what they said to that?”

“They told you about what happened on Zarn,” Tambu answered tonelessly.

For several moments Whitey stared at him out of the screen, her anger melting into hurt puzzlement.

“Then it’s true?” she finally asked in a soft voice. “I was hoping they were lying-or had been lied to.”

“It’s true,” Tambu admitted.

“And you want to know why I’m calling?” Whitey demanded, her anger returning in a rush. “What’s going on in the fleet? We never agreed to anything like this.”

“I doubt they told you the whole story,” Tambu began.

“How many ways can you read the facts?” Whitey interrupted. “One of our ships burns out a whole city-a city that has no way of fighting back. How can anybody justify that?”

“Nikki’s dead,” Tambu said softly.

“Nikki? Puck?” Whitey blinked. “What happened?” j

“He went to pay a call on the Planetary Council, much j as you did on Elei,” Tambu explained. “It seems they not only refused our services, they were exceptionally unpleasant about it. Among other things, they stated that their planet was going to bar their spaceport to any of our ships.”

“But spaceports are open to any ship, regardless of origin!” Whitey protested.

“That’s right,” Tambu confirmed. “But the Council seemed ready to overlook that detail, along with numerous other niceties humans usually extend to each other-niceties that usually transcend planetary or racial differences. Anyway, to keep a long story short, Puck lost his temper and told him what he thought of them and their decisions. He was complete enough in his oration that he finished it by spitting on the floor, whereupon the Council guards shot him down in cold blood.”