Plague Ship Read online

  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 flasheddown the ladder into his section.

  Dane, with the now resigned Sinbad in the crook of his arm, had tailedhis guest and arrived just in time to see the native come to an abrupthalt before one of the most important doors in the spacer--the portal ofthe hydro garden which renewed the ship's oxygen and supplied them withfresh fruit and vegetables to vary their diet of concentrates.

  The Salarik laid one hand on the smooth surface of the sealed compartmentand looked back over his shoulder at Dane with an inquiry to which wasadded something of a plea. Guided by his instinct--that this wasimportant 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 thecrew 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, lackingthe languorous perfumes of the world outside, puffed into the faces.

  The cub remained where he was, his head up, his wide nostrils visiblydrinking in that smell. Then he moved with the silent, uncanny speedwhich was the heritage of his race, darting down the narrow aisle towarda mass of greenery at the far end.

  Sinbad kicked and growled. This was his private hunting ground--thepreserve he kept free of invaders. Dane put the cat down. The Salarik hadfound what he was seeking. He stood on tiptoe to sniff at a plant, hisyellow eyes half closed, his whole stance spelling ecstasy. Dane lookedto the steward for enlightenment.

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

  "Catnip."

  "Catnip?" Dane repeated. The word meant nothing to him, but Mura had ahabit of picking up strange plants and cultivating them for study. "Whatis it?"

  "One of the Terran mints--an herb," Mura gave a short explanation as hemoved down the aisle toward the alien. He broke off a leaf and crushed itbetween his fingers.

  Dane, his sense of smell largely deadened by the pungency with which hehad 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, hisnose questing. And Sinbad gave a whining yowl and made a spring to pushhis 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 atankard of lackibod."

  And by Sinbad's actions Dane guessed that the plant did hold for the catthe same attraction those stimulants produced in human beings. Hecarefully broke off a small stem supporting three leaves and presented itto the Salarik, who stared at him and then, snatching the twig, racedfrom the hydro garden as if pursued by feuding clansmen.

  Dane heard the pad of his feet on the ladder--apparently the cub wasmaking sure of escape with his precious find. But the Cargo-masterapprentice was frowning. As far as he could see there were only five ofthe plants.

  "That's all the catnip you have?"

  Mura tucked Sinbad under his arm and shooed Dane before him out of thehydro. "There was no need to grow more. A small portion of the herb goesa long way with this one," he put the cat down in the corridor. "Theleaves may be preserved by drying. I believe that there is a small box ofthem in the galley."

  A strictly limited supply. Suppose this was the key which would unlockthe Koros trade? And yet it was to be summed up in five plants and a fewdried leaves! However, Van Rycke must know of this as soon as possible.

  But to Dane's growing discomfiture the Cargo-master showed no elation ashis junior poured out the particulars of his discovery. Instead therewere definite signs of displeasure to be read by those who knew Van Ryckewell. He heard Dane out and then got to his feet. Tolling the younger manwith him by a crooked finger, he went out of his combined office-livingquarters to the domain of Medic Craig Tau.

  "Problem for you, Craig." Van Rycke seated his bulk on the wall jump seatTau 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 fewminutes before, he was about to suffer some reprimand. And the reason forit still eluded him.

  "What do you know about that plant Mura grows in the hydro--the onecalled 'catnip'?"

  Tau did not appear surprised at that demand--the Medic of a Free Tradingspacer was never surprised at anything. He had his surfeit of shocksduring 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 andmedicine men on alien worlds. He had a library of recordings, odd scrapsof information, of certified results of certain very peculiarexperiments. Now and then he wrote a report which was sent into CentralService, read with raised eyebrows by perhaps half a dozen incredulousdesk warmers, and filed away to be safely forgotten. But even that hadceased to frustrate him.

  "It's an herb of the mint family from Terra," he replied. "Mura grows itfor Sinbad--has quite a marked influence on cats. Frank's been trying tokeep him anchored to the ship by allowing him to roll in fresh leaves. Hedoes it--then continues to sneak out whenever he can--"

  That explained something for Dane--why the Salariki cub wished to enterthe Queen tonight. Some of the scent of the plant had clung to Sinbad'sfur, had been detected, and the Salarik had wanted to trace it to itssource.

  "Is it a drug?" Van Rycke prodded.

  "In the way that all herbs are drugs. Human beings have dosed themselvesin the past with a tea made of the dried leaves. It has no greatmedicinal properties. To felines it is a stimulation--and they get thesame satisfaction from rolling in and eating the leaves as we do fromdrinking--"

  "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-masterapprentice made his report. When he was done Van Rycke asked a directquestion 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. Theyhad no way of gauging the influence of an off-world plant on alienmetabolism. What if he had introduced to the natives of Sargol adangerous drug--started that cub on some path of addiction. He was coldinside. Why, he might even have poisoned the child!

  Tau picked up his cap, and after a second's hesitation, his emergencymedical 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 oneof the storm priests who handles their medical work. But I wasn'twelcomed. However, under the circumstances, we have to try something--"

  In the corridor Van Rycke had an order for Dane. "I suggest that you keepto quarters, Thorson, until we know how matters stand."

  Dane saluted. That note in his superior's voice was like a whiplash--much worse to take than the abuse of a lesser man. He swallowed ashe shut himself into his own cramped cubby. This might be the end oftheir venture. And they would be lucky if their charter was notwithdrawn. Let I-S get an inkling of his rash action and the Companywould have them up before the Board to be stripped of all their rightsin the Service. Just because of his own stupidity--his pride in beingable to break through where Van Rycke and the Captain had faced a stonewall. And, worse than the future which could face the Queen, was thethought that he might have introduced some dangerous drug into Sargolwith his gift of those few leaves. When would he learn? He threw himselfface down on his bunk and des
pondently pictured the string of calamitieswhich could and maybe would stem from his thoughtless and hasty action.

  Within the Queen night and day were mechanical--the lighting in thecabins did not vary much. Dane did not know how long he lay there forcinghis mind to consider his stupid action, making himself face that in theService there were no short cuts which endangered others--not unlessthose taking the risks were Terrans.

  "Dane--!" Rip Shannon's voice cut through his self-imposed nightmare. Buthe refused to answer. "Dane--Van wants you on the double!"

  Why? To bring him up before Jellico probably. Dane schooled hisexpression, got up, pulling his tunic straight, still unable to meetRip's eyes. Shannon was just one of those he had let down so badly. Butthe other did not notice his mood. "Wait 'til you see them--! Half Sargolmust be here yelling for trade!"

  That comment was so far from what he had been expecting that Dane wasstartled out of his own gloomy thoughts. Rip's brown face was one widesmile, his black eyes danced--it was plain he was honestly elated.

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

  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 butthe scene immediately below was not in darkness. Blazing torchesadvanced in lines from the grass forest and the portable flood light ofthe spacer added to the general glare, turning night into noonday.

  Van Rycke and Jellico sat on stools facing at least five of the sevenmajor chieftains with whom they had conferred to no purpose earlier. Andbehind these leaders milled a throng of lesser Salariki. Yes, there wasat least one carrying chair--and also an orgel from the back of which aveiled noblewoman was being assisted to dismount by two retainers. Thewomen of the clans were coming--which could mean only that trade was atlast in progress. But trade for what?

  Dane strode down the ramp. He saw Paft, his hand carefully covered by histrade cloth, advance to Van Rycke, whose own fingers were decently veiledby a handkerchief. Under the folds of fabric their hands touched. Thebargaining was in the first stages. And it was important enough for theclan leaders to conduct themselves. Where, according to Cam's records, ithad 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 theSalariki torches was a small pile of stones resting on a stool to oneside. 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 thereality was beyond his expectations. He knew the technical analysis ofthe gems--that they were, as the amber of Terra, the fossilized resinexuded by ancient plants (maybe the ancestors of the grass trees) longburied in the saline deposits of the shallow seas where chemical changeshad taken place to produce the wonder jewels. In color they shaded from arosy 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 wornagainst the skin and warmed by body heat they gave off a perfume whichenchanted not only the Sargolian natives but all in the Galaxy wealthyenough to own one.

  On another stool placed at Van Rycke's right hand, as that bearing theKoros stones was at Paft's, was a transparent plastic box containing somewrinkled brownish leaves. Dane moved as unobtrusively as he could to hisproper place at such a trading session, behind Van Rycke. More Salarikiwere tramping out of the forest, torch bearing retainers and cloakedwarriors. A little to one side was a third party Dane had not seenbefore.

  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 garbof those about them, instead they were all clad alike in muffling,sleeved robes of a drab green--the storm priests--their robes denotingthe color of the Sargolian sky just before the onslaught of their worsttempests. Cam had not left many clues concerning the religion of theSalariki, 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 wastalking earnestly with the leader of the religious party. Dane would havegiven much to have been free to cross and ask Tau a question or two. Wasall this assembly the result of the discovery in the hydro? But even ashe asked himself that, the trade cloths were shaken from the hands of thebargainers and Van Rycke gave an order over his shoulder.

  "Measure out two spoonsful of the dried leaves into a box--" he pointedto a tiny plastic container.

  With painstaking care Dane followed directions. At the same time aservant of the Salarik chief swept the handful of gems from the otherstool and dropped them in a heap before Van Rycke, who transferred themto a strong box resting between his feet. Paft arose--but he had hardlyquitted the trading seat before one of the lesser clan leaders had takenhis place, the bargaining cloth ready looped loosely about his wrist.

  It was at that point that the proceedings were interrupted. A new partycame into the open, their utilitarian Trade tunics made a drab blot asthey threaded their way in a compact group through the throng ofSalariki. I-S men! So they had not lifted from Sargol.

  They showed no signs of uneasiness--it was as if _their_ rights werebeing infringed by the Free Traders. And Kallee, their Cargo-master,swaggered straight to the bargaining point. The chatter of Salarikivoices was stilled, the Sargolians withdrew a little, letting one partyof Terrans face the other, sensing drama to come. Neither Van Rycke norJellico spoke, it was left to Kallee to state his case.

  "You've crooked your orbit this time, bright boys," his jeer was a paeanof triumph. "Code Three--Article six--or can't you absorb rules tapeswith your thick heads?"

  Code Three--Article six, Dane searched his memory for that law of theService. The words flashed into his mind as the auto-learner had plantedthem during his first year of training back in the Pool.

  "To no alien race shall any Trader introduce any drug, food, or drinkfrom off world, until such a substance has been certified as nonharmfulto the aliens."

  There it was! I-S had them and it was all his fault. But if he had beenso wrong, why in the world did Van Rycke sit there trading, condoning theerror and making it into a crime for which they could be summoned beforethe Board and struck off the rolls of the Service?

  Van Rycke smiled gently. "Code Four--Article two," he quoted with thegenial air of one playing gift-giver at a Forkidan feasting.

  Code Four, Article two: Any organic substance offered for trade must beexamined by a committee of trained medical experts, an equalrepresentation of Terrans and aliens.

  Kallee's sneering smile did not vanish. "Well," he challenged, "where'syour board of experts?"

  "Tau!" Van Rycke called to the Medic with the storm priests. "Will youask your colleague to be so kind as to allow the Cargo-master Kallee tobe presented?"

  The tall, dark young Terran Medic spoke to the priest beside him andtogether they came across the clearing. Van Rycke and Jellico both aroseand inclined their heads in honor to the priests, as did the chief withwhom they had been about to deal.

  "Reader of clouds and master of many winds," Tau's voice flowed with themany voweled titles of the Sargolian, "may I bring before your faceCargo-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 withcynical detachment.

  "You wish of me?" Plainly he was one who believed in getting down toessentials at once.

  Kallee could not be overawed. "These Free Traders have introduced amongyour people a powerful drug which will bring much evil," he spoke slowlyin simple words as if he were addressing a cub.

  "You have evidence of such evil?" countered the storm priest. "In whatmanner is this new plant evil?"

  For a moment Kallee was disconcerted. But he ral
lied quickly. "It hasnot been tested--you do not know how it will affect your people--"

  The storm priest shook his head impatiently. "We are not lacking inintelligence, Trader. This plant _has_ been tested, both by your masterof life secrets and ours. There is no harm in it--rather it is a goodthing, to be highly prized--so highly that we shall give thanks that itwas brought unto us. This speech-together is finished." He pulled theloose 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 lastof this. A tape of the whole proceedings goes to the Board--"

  "As you wish. But in the meantime--" Van Rycke gestured to the waitingSalariki who were beginning to mutter impatiently. Kallee glanced around,heard those mutters, and made the only move possible, away from theQueen. He was not quite so cocky, but neither had he surrendered.

  Dane caught at Tau's sleeve and asked the question which had been burningin 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. Theytested and approved it. And I can't see that it has any ill effects. Butyou were just lucky, Thorson--it might have gone another way."

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

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