Part 2 (2/2)
His power seemed to be growing, too. There were rumors that he had been entertained at the palace in Keegark, just as he was usually entertained by the big s.h.i.+powning n.o.bles here at Konkrook; come to think of it, the last time here, he'd been guest of the Keegarkan amba.s.sador. He went all over Ullr, crusading, traveling coolie-cla.s.s in disguise on Company s.h.i.+ps, according to their best information.
Blount sighed heavily. ”This d.a.m.ned dog business worries me.”
”Worries me, too,” Harrington said. ”I'm fond of that mutt, and G.o.d only knows what sort of stuff he's been getting to eat.”
”I'm a lot more worried about why Keeluk was hiding him, and why he was willing to murder the only two Terrans on Konkrook who trust him, to prevent our finding out he had Stalin,” Blount struck in.
Von Schlichten chain-lit another cigarette and stubbed out the old one. ”Maybe Keeluk turned him over to Rakkeed to kill before a congregation of his followers--killing us in effigy. Or maybe they figure we wors.h.i.+p Stalin, and getting him would give them power over us. I wish I knew a little more about Ullran psychology.”
”One thing,” Blount said. ”It doesn't take any Ullran psychologist to know about eighty per cent of them hate us poisonously.”
”Oh, rubbis.h.!.+” Harrington blew the exclamation out around his pipe stem with a gush of smoke. ”A few fanatics hate us, but nine-tenths of them have benefitted enormously from us.”
”And hate us more deeply with each new benefit,” Blount added. ”They resent everything we've done for them.”
”Yes, this s.p.a.ceport proposition of King Orgzild of Keegark looks like it, doesn't it?” Harrington retorted. ”He hates us so much he's offered us a s.p.a.ceport at his city....”
”At what cost?” Blount asked. ”He takes the land from some n.o.ble he executes for treason and gives it to us--together with forced labor.
We furnish everything else. We get a port we don't need, and he gets all the business it'll bring. In fact, considering that Rakkeed is a welcome guest there, I wonder if he isn't fomenting trouble here at Konkrook to make us move our main base to Keegark. He's so sure we'll accept already that he's started building two new power-reactors to handle the additional demand from increased business.”
”Where's he getting the plutonium?” von Schlichten asked, suspiciously.
”He just bought four tons of it from us, off the _City of Pretoria_,”
Harrington replied.
”A h.e.l.l of a lot of plutonium,” Blount said. ”I wonder if he has any idea of what else plutonium can be used for?”
”Oh, G.o.d, I hope not!” Harrington exclaimed. ”Bos.h.!.+ What about those letters Keeluk gave the Quinton girl?”
”All addressed to rabidly anti-Terran Rakkeed disciples,” von Schlichten replied. ”We couldn't find any indication of a cipher, but the gossip about Keeluk's friends might have had code-meanings. I'll have to advise her to have nothing to do with any of the people Keeluk gave her letters to.”
”Think she'll listen to you? These Extraterrestrial Rights a.s.sociation people are a lot of blasted fanatics, themselves. They think we're a gang of b.l.o.o.d.y-fisted, flint-hearted imperialists.”
”Oh, they're not as bad as all that. Old Mohammed Ferriera's always been decent enough. And the a.s.sociation's really done a lot of good in other places.”
A calculating look came into Harrington's eye. ”She was going to Skilk, eh? And you're going there yourself, to investigate some of this Rakkeed worry of Eric's. Why not invite her along, and maybe you can plant a couple of ideas where they'll do the most good. We all know there are a lot of things at the polar mines that would look bad to anybody who didn't understand. And with all this trouble being stirred up now....”
It was his first admission that there _was_ trouble, but von Schlichten let it pa.s.s. ”Her company wouldn't be any heavy cross to bear,” he replied. ”I won't guarantee anything, of course....”
The intercom-speaker on the table whistled, and Harrington flipped a switch and spoke into the box. ”Governor,” a voice replied out of it, ”there's a geek procession just landed from a water-barge in front, coming up the roadway to Company House. A platoon of Jaikark's Household Guards with a royal litter, Spear of State, gift-litter, n.o.bles and such.”
”Gurgurk with indemnity for the riot, eh? Let them in, give them an honor guard of Kragans, but keep their own gun-toters outside. Take them to Reception Hall until I signal from Audience Hall, then herd them in.”
He flipped back the switch and turned back. ”We'll have to let them wait or they'll think we're worried. But you see--everything's going along normal lines.”
Blount nodded, but his face showed disbelief. And von Schlichten grumbled unhappily to himself, without knowing why, until they finally went out to the big Audience Hall to meet the delegation.
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