Chapter III

CONTACT AT LAST

"What in"--Frank Mura, steward, storekeeper, and cook of the Queen,

retreated into the nearest cabin doorway as the young Salarik flashed

down the ladder into his section.

Dane, with the now resigned Sinbad in the crook of his arm, had tailed

his guest and arrived just in time to see the native come to an abrupt

halt before one of the most important doors in the spacer--the portal of

the hydro garden which renewed the ship's oxygen and supplied them with

fresh fruit and vegetables to vary their diet of concentrates.

The Salarik laid one hand on the smooth surface of the sealed compartment

and looked back over his shoulder at Dane with an inquiry to which was

added something of a plea. Guided by his instinct--that this was

important to them all--Dane spoke to Mura:

"Can you let him in there, Frank?"

It was not sensible, it might even be dangerous. But every member of the

crew knew the necessity for making some sort of contact with the natives.

Mura did not even nod, but squeezed by the Salarik and pressed the lock.

There was a sign of air, and the crisp smell of growing things, lacking

the languorous perfumes of the world outside, puffed into the faces.

The cub remained where he was, his head up, his wide nostrils visibly

drinking in that smell. Then he moved with the silent, uncanny speed

which was the heritage of his race, darting down the narrow aisle toward

a mass of greenery at the far end.

Sinbad kicked and growled. This was his private hunting ground--the

preserve he kept free of invaders. Dane put the cat down. The Salarik had

found what he was seeking. He stood on tiptoe to sniff at a plant, his

yellow eyes half closed, his whole stance spelling ecstasy. Dane looked

to the steward for enlightenment.

"What's he so interested in, Frank?"

"Catnip."

"Catnip?" Dane repeated. The word meant nothing to him, but Mura had a

habit of picking up strange plants and cultivating them for study. "What

is it?"

"One of the Terran mints--an herb," Mura gave a short explanation as he

moved down the aisle toward the alien. He broke off a leaf and crushed it

between his fingers.

Dane, his sense of smell largely deadened by the pungency with which he

had been surrounded by most of that day, could distinguish no new odor.

But the young Salarik swung around to face the steward his eyes wide, his

nose questing. And Sinbad gave a whining yowl and made a spring to push

his head against the steward's now aromatic hand.

So--now they had it--an opening wedge. Dane came up to the three.

"All right to take a leaf or two?" he asked Mura.

"Why not? I grow it for Sinbad. To a cat it is like heemel smoke or a

tankard of lackibod."

And by Sinbad's actions Dane guessed that the plant did hold for the cat

the same attraction those stimulants produced in human beings. He

carefully broke off a small stem supporting three leaves and presented it

to the Salarik, who stared at him and then, snatching the twig, raced

from the hydro garden as if pursued by feuding clansmen.

Dane heard the pad of his feet on the ladder--apparently the cub was

making sure of escape with his precious find. But the Cargo-master

apprentice was frowning. As far as he could see there were only five of

the plants.

"That's all the catnip you have?"

Mura tucked Sinbad under his arm and shooed Dane before him out of the

hydro. "There was no need to grow more. A small portion of the herb goes

a long way with this one," he put the cat down in the corridor. "The

leaves may be preserved by drying. I believe that there is a small box of

them in the galley."

A strictly limited supply. Suppose this was the key which would unlock

the Koros trade? And yet it was to be summed up in five plants and a few

dried leaves! However, Van Rycke must know of this as soon as possible.

But to Dane's growing discomfiture the Cargo-master showed no elation as

his junior poured out the particulars of his discovery. Instead there

were definite signs of displeasure to be read by those who knew Van Rycke

well. He heard Dane out and then got to his feet. Tolling the younger man

with him by a crooked finger, he went out of his combined office-living

quarters to the domain of Medic Craig Tau.

"Problem for you, Craig." Van Rycke seated his bulk on the wall jump seat

Tau pulled down for him. Dane was left standing just within the door,

very sure now that instead of being commended for his discovery of a few

minutes before, he was about to suffer some reprimand. And the reason for

it still eluded him.

"What do you know about that plant Mura grows in the hydro--the one

called 'catnip'?"

Tau did not appear surprised at that demand--the Medic of a Free Trading

spacer was never surprised at anything. He had his surfeit of shocks

during his first years of service and after that accepted any occurrence,

no matter how weird, as matter-of-fact. In addition Tau's hobby was

"magic," the hidden knowledge possessed and used by witch doctors and

medicine men on alien worlds. He had a library of recordings, odd scraps

of information, of certified results of certain very peculiar

experiments. Now and then he wrote a report which was sent into Central

Service, read with raised eyebrows by perhaps half a dozen incredulous

desk warmers, and filed away to be safely forgotten. But even that had

ceased to frustrate him.

"It's an herb of the mint family from Terra," he replied. "Mura grows it

for Sinbad--has quite a marked influence on cats. Frank's been trying to

keep him anchored to the ship by allowing him to roll in fresh leaves. He

does it--then continues to sneak out whenever he can--"

That explained something for Dane--why the Salariki cub wished to enter

the Queen tonight. Some of the scent of the plant had clung to Sinbad's

fur, had been detected, and the Salarik had wanted to trace it to its

source.

"Is it a drug?" Van Rycke prodded.

"In the way that all herbs are drugs. Human beings have dosed themselves

in the past with a tea made of the dried leaves. It has no great

medicinal properties. To felines it is a stimulation--and they get the

same satisfaction from rolling in and eating the leaves as we do from

drinking--"

"The Salariki are, in a manner of speaking, felines--" Van Rycke mused.

Tau straightened. "The Salariki have discovered catnip, I take it?"

Van Rycke nodded at Dane and for the second time the Cargo-master

apprentice made his report. When he was done Van Rycke asked a direct

question of the medical officer:

"What effect would catnip have on a Salarik?"

It was only then that Dane grasped the enormity of what he had done. They

had no way of gauging the influence of an off-world plant on alien

metabolism. What if he had introduced to the natives of Sargol a

dangerous drug--started that cub on some path of addiction. He was cold

inside. Why, he might even have poisoned the child!

Tau picked up his cap, and after a second's hesitation, his emergency

medical kit. He had only one question for Dane.

"Any idea of who the cub is--what clan he belongs to?"

And Dane, chill with real fear, was forced to answer in the negative.

What _had_ he done!

"Can you find him?" Van Rycke, ignoring Dane, spoke to Tau.

The Medic shrugged. "I can try. I was out scouting this morning--met one

of the storm priests who handles their medical work. But I wasn't

welcomed. However, under the circumstances, we have to try something--"

In the corridor Van Rycke had an order for Dane. "I suggest that you keep

to quarters, Thorson, until we know how matters stand."

Dane saluted. That note in his superior's voice was like a whip

lash--much worse to take than the abuse of a lesser man. He swallowed as

he shut himself into his own cramped cubby. This might be the end of

their venture. And they would be lucky if their charter was not

withdrawn. Let I-S get an inkling of his rash action and the Company

would have them up before the Board to be stripped of all their rights

in the Service. Just because of his own stupidity--his pride in being

able to break through where Van Rycke and the Captain had faced a stone

wall. And, worse than the future which could face the Queen, was the

thought that he might have introduced some dangerous drug into Sargol

with his gift of those few leaves. When would he learn? He threw himself

face down on his bunk and despondently pictured the string of calamities

which could and maybe would stem from his thoughtless and hasty action.

Within the Queen night and day were mechanical--the lighting in the

cabins did not vary much. Dane did not know how long he lay there forcing

his mind to consider his stupid action, making himself face that in the

Service there were no short cuts which endangered others--not unless

those taking the risks were Terrans.

"Dane--!" Rip Shannon's voice cut through his self-imposed nightmare. But

he refused to answer. "Dane--Van wants you on the double!"

Why? To bring him up before Jellico probably. Dane schooled his

expression, got up, pulling his tunic straight, still unable to meet

Rip's eyes. Shannon was just one of those he had let down so badly. But

the other did not notice his mood. "Wait 'til you see them--! Half Sargol

must be here yelling for trade!"

That comment was so far from what he had been expecting that Dane was

startled out of his own gloomy thoughts. Rip's brown face was one wide

smile, his black eyes danced--it was plain he was honestly elated.

"Get a move on, fire rockets," he urged, "or Van will blast you for

fair!"

Dane did move, up the ladder to the next level and out on the port ramp.

What he saw below brought him up short. Evening had come to Sargol but

the scene immediately below was not in darkness. Blazing torches

advanced in lines from the grass forest and the portable flood light of

the spacer added to the general glare, turning night into noonday.

Van Rycke and Jellico sat on stools facing at least five of the seven

major chieftains with whom they had conferred to no purpose earlier. And

behind these leaders milled a throng of lesser Salariki. Yes, there was

at least one carrying chair--and also an orgel from the back of which a

veiled noblewoman was being assisted to dismount by two retainers. The

women of the clans were coming--which could mean only that trade was at

last in progress. But trade for what?

Dane strode down the ramp. He saw Paft, his hand carefully covered by his

trade cloth, advance to Van Rycke, whose own fingers were decently veiled

by a handkerchief. Under the folds of fabric their hands touched. The

bargaining was in the first stages. And it was important enough for the

clan leaders to conduct themselves. Where, according to Cam's records, it

had been usual to delegate that power to a favored liege man.

Catching the light from the ship's beam and from the softer flares of the

Salariki torches was a small pile of stones resting on a stool to one

side. Dane drew a deep breath. He had heard the Koros stones described,

had seen the tri-dee print of one found among Cam's recordings but the

reality was beyond his expectations. He knew the technical analysis of

the gems--that they were, as the amber of Terra, the fossilized resin

exuded by ancient plants (maybe the ancestors of the grass trees) long

buried in the saline deposits of the shallow seas where chemical changes

had taken place to produce the wonder jewels. In color they shaded from a

rosy apricot to a rich mauve, but in their depths other colors, silver,

fiery gold, spun sparks which seemed to move as the gem was turned.

And--which was what first endeared them to the Salariki--when worn

against the skin and warmed by body heat they gave off a perfume which

enchanted not only the Sargolian natives but all in the Galaxy wealthy

enough to own one.

On another stool placed at Van Rycke's right hand, as that bearing the

Koros stones was at Paft's, was a transparent plastic box containing some

wrinkled brownish leaves. Dane moved as unobtrusively as he could to his

proper place at such a trading session, behind Van Rycke. More Salariki

were tramping out of the forest, torch bearing retainers and cloaked

warriors. A little to one side was a third party Dane had not seen

before.

They were clustered about a staff which had been driven into the ground,

a staff topped with a white streamer marking a temporary trading ground.

These were Salariki right enough but they did not wear the colorful garb

of those about them, instead they were all clad alike in muffling,

sleeved robes of a drab green--the storm priests--their robes denoting

the color of the Sargolian sky just before the onslaught of their worst

tempests. Cam had not left many clues concerning the religion of the

Salariki, but the storm priests had, in narrowly defined limits, power,

and their recognition of the Terran Traders would add to good feeling.

In the knot of storm priests a Terran stood--Medic Tau--and he was

talking earnestly with the leader of the religious party. Dane would have

given much to have been free to cross and ask Tau a question or two. Was

all this assembly the result of the discovery in the hydro? But even as

he asked himself that, the trade cloths were shaken from the hands of the

bargainers and Van Rycke gave an order over his shoulder.

"Measure out two spoonsful of the dried leaves into a box--" he pointed

to a tiny plastic container.

With painstaking care Dane followed directions. At the same time a

servant of the Salarik chief swept the handful of gems from the other

stool and dropped them in a heap before Van Rycke, who transferred them

to a strong box resting between his feet. Paft arose--but he had hardly

quitted the trading seat before one of the lesser clan leaders had taken

his place, the bargaining cloth ready looped loosely about his wrist.

It was at that point that the proceedings were interrupted. A new party

came into the open, their utilitarian Trade tunics made a drab blot as

they threaded their way in a compact group through the throng of

Salariki. I-S men! So they had not lifted from Sargol.

They showed no signs of uneasiness--it was as if _their_ rights were

being infringed by the Free Traders. And Kallee, their Cargo-master,

swaggered straight to the bargaining point. The chatter of Salariki

voices was stilled, the Sargolians withdrew a little, letting one party

of Terrans face the other, sensing drama to come. Neither Van Rycke nor

Jellico spoke, it was left to Kallee to state his case.

"You've crooked your orbit this time, bright boys," his jeer was a paean

of triumph. "Code Three--Article six--or can't you absorb rules tapes

with your thick heads?"

Code Three--Article six, Dane searched his memory for that law of the

Service. The words flashed into his mind as the auto-learner had planted

them during his first year of training back in the Pool.

"To no alien race shall any Trader introduce any drug, food, or drink

from off world, until such a substance has been certified as nonharmful

to the aliens."

There it was! I-S had them and it was all his fault. But if he had been

so wrong, why in the world did Van Rycke sit there trading, condoning the

error and making it into a crime for which they could be summoned before

the Board and struck off the rolls of the Service?

Van Rycke smiled gently. "Code Four--Article two," he quoted with the

genial air of one playing gift-giver at a Forkidan feasting.

Code Four, Article two: Any organic substance offered for trade must be

examined by a committee of trained medical experts, an equal

representation of Terrans and aliens.

Kallee's sneering smile did not vanish. "Well," he challenged, "where's

your board of experts?"

"Tau!" Van Rycke called to the Medic with the storm priests. "Will you

ask your colleague to be so kind as to allow the Cargo-master Kallee to

be presented?"

The tall, dark young Terran Medic spoke to the priest beside him and

together they came across the clearing. Van Rycke and Jellico both arose

and inclined their heads in honor to the priests, as did the chief with

whom they had been about to deal.

"Reader of clouds and master of many winds," Tau's voice flowed with the

many voweled titles of the Sargolian, "may I bring before your face

Cargo-master Kallee, a servant of Inter-Solar in the realm of Trade?"

The storm priest's shaven skull and body gleamed steel gray in the light.

His eyes, of that startling blue-green, regarded the I-S party with

cynical detachment.

"You wish of me?" Plainly he was one who believed in getting down to

essentials at once.

Kallee could not be overawed. "These Free Traders have introduced among

your people a powerful drug which will bring much evil," he spoke slowly

in simple words as if he were addressing a cub.

"You have evidence of such evil?" countered the storm priest. "In what

manner is this new plant evil?"

For a moment Kallee was disconcerted. But he rallied quickly. "It has

not been tested--you do not know how it will affect your people--"

The storm priest shook his head impatiently. "We are not lacking in

intelligence, Trader. This plant _has_ been tested, both by your master

of life secrets and ours. There is no harm in it--rather it is a good

thing, to be highly prized--so highly that we shall give thanks that it

was brought unto us. This speech-together is finished." He pulled the

loose folds of his robe closer about him and walked away.

"Now," Van Rycke addressed the I-S party, "I must ask you to withdraw.

Under the rules of Trade your presence here can be actively resented--"

But Kallee had lost little of his assurance. "You haven't heard the last

of this. A tape of the whole proceedings goes to the Board--"

"As you wish. But in the meantime--" Van Rycke gestured to the waiting

Salariki who were beginning to mutter impatiently. Kallee glanced around,

heard those mutters, and made the only move possible, away from the

Queen. He was not quite so cocky, but neither had he surrendered.

Dane caught at Tau's sleeve and asked the question which had been burning

in him since he had come upon the scene.

"What happened--about the catnip?"

There was lightening of the serious expression on Tau's face.

"Fortunately for you that child took the leaves to the storm priest. They

tested and approved it. And I can't see that it has any ill effects. But

you were just lucky, Thorson--it might have gone another way."

Dane sighed. "I know that, sir," he confessed. "I'm not trying to rocket

out--"

Tau gave a half-smile. "We all off-fire our tubes at times," he

conceded. "Only next time--"

He did not need to complete that warning as Dane caught him up:

"There isn't going to be a next time like this, sir--ever!"