oke.

"I thought it was too easy," he muttered. "Now we're in for it--maybe
right up the rockets! By the Spiked Tail of Exol, this is certainly _not_
our lucky day!" He quickened pace until they were close to trotting.

Chapter II

RIVALS

"That's far enough, Eysie!"

Although Traders by law and tradition carried no more potent personal
weapons--except in times of great crisis--than hand sleep rods, the
resultant shot from the latter was just as unpleasant for temporary
periods as a more forceful beam--and the threat of it was enough to halt
the three men who had come to the foot of the Queen's ramp and who could
see the rod held rather negligently by Ali. Ali's eyes were anything but
negligent, however, and Free Traders had reputations to be respected by
their rivals of the Companies. The very nature of their roving lives
taught them savage lessons--which they either learned or died.

Dane, glancing down over the Engineer-apprentice's shoulder, saw that Van
Rycke's assumption of confidence had indeed paid off. They had left the
trade enclosure of the Salariki barely three-quarters of an hour ago. But
below now stood the bebadged Captain of the I-S ship and his
Cargo-master.

"I want to speak to your Captain--" snarled the Eysie officer.

Ali registered faint amusement, an expression which tended to rouse the
worst in the spectator, as Dane knew of old when that same mocking
appraisal had been turned on him as the rawest of the Queen's crew.

"But does _he_ wish to speak to you?" countered Kamil. "Just stay where
you are, Eysie, until we are sure about that fact."

That was his cue to act as messenger. Dane retreated into the ship and
swung up the ladder to the command section. As he passed Captain
Jellico's private cabin he heard the muffled squall of the commander's
unpleasant pet--Queex, the Hoobat--a nightmare combination of crab,
parrot and toad, wearing a blue feather coating and inclined to scream
and spit at all comers. Since Queex would not be howling in that fashion
if its master was present, Dane kept on to the control cabin where he
blundered in upon an executive level conference of Captain, Cargo-master
and Astrogator.

"Well?" Jellico's blaster scarred left cheek twitched as he snapped that
impatient inquiry at the messenger.

"Eysie Captain below, sir. With his Cargo-master. They want to see you--"

Jellico's mouth was a straight line, his eyes very hard. By instinct
Dane's hand we