Part 3 (2/2)

Tse-Mallory took over again. 'Malaika, have you ever heard of the Krang?'

'Nini? No, I ... no, wait a minute.' The trader's thick brows furrowed in thought. 'Yes. Yes, I believe I have. It forms part of the mythology of the, uh, the Branner folk, doesn't it?'

Tse-Mallory nodded approval, 'That's right. The Branner, as you may or may not recall, occupy three star systems on the periphery of the Blight, facing Moth. According to a folk-legend of theirs pa.s.sed down from the cataclysm, even though the Tar-Aiym were hard pressed to find a solution to the threat from the centre, they had not yet given up all forms of nonmilitary development and experimentation. As we now know for a fact, the Tar-Aiym were inordinately fond of music.'

'Marches, no doubt,' murmured Truzenzuzex.

'Perhaps. Anyway, one of the last great works of artistic merit that their culture was supposed to have produced was a great musical instrument called the Krang. It was theoretically completed in the waning days of the Empire, just as the plague was beginning to make itself known on Empire planets as well as those of the enemy.'

'Ili?' said Malaika. 'So?'

'On the side of the Blight almost one hundred and fifty pa.r.s.ecs from Banner lies the home world of a primitive race; ofhominids, little visited by the rest of the galaxy. They are far off the main trade routes and have little to offer in the way of value, either in produce or culture. They are pleasant pastoral, and nonaggressive. Seemingly they once possessed star travel, but sank back into a preatomic civilization and are only just now beginning to show signs of a scientific renaissance. Interestingly enough, they also have a legend concerning something called the Krang. Only in their version it is not an artistic device, but a weapon of war. One which the Tar-Aiym scientists were developing parallel with the plague, before the latter was put into widespread use. According to the legend it was intended to be primarily a defensive and not an offensive weapon. If so, it would be the first time in the literature' that the Tar-Aiym had been reduced to building a device for defensive purposes. This runs contrary to all we know of Tar-Aiym psychology and shows how severely they believed themselves pressed by their new enemy.'

'Fascinating dichotomy,' said Malaika. 'And you have some indication as to where this weapon or lute or whatever might be? If either, it would be very valuable in Commonwealth markets.'

'True, though we are only interested in its scientific and cultural properties.'

'Of course, of course! While my accountants are estimating its net worth, you can draw theoretical rationalizations from its guts to your heart's content ... provided that you remember how to put its pieces back together again. Now just where is this enigmatic little treasure trove, eh?' He leaned forward eagerly.

'Well, we know exactly, almost,' said Tse-Mallory.

'Exactly? Almost? My weak mind again, gentlesirs. Forgive me, but I profess lack of comprehension.'

Truzenzuzex made a very human-sounding sigh. Air made a softwhoosh ! as it was forced out the breathing spicules of his b-thorax.

'The planet on which the Krang is supposedly located was discovered accidentally nearly a t-year ago by a prospector working independently in the Blight. He was hunting for heavy metals, and he found them, 'Only they weren't arranged in the ground the way he'd expected.'

'This fellow, be must have had sponsors,' said Malaika. 'Why didn't he take this information to them?'

'The man owed a very great debt to my s.h.i.+p-brother. Heknew of his interest in Tar-Aiym relics.

Supplying Bran with this information was his way of paying off the debt. It was of a personal nature and going into it here can serve no purpose. It would have been a more than equitable reimburs.e.m.e.nt.'

'Would have been?' Malaika's humour was degenerating visibly into irritation. 'Come, come, gentlesirs, all this subtle evasion makes my mind sleepy and shortens my patience.'

'No evasion intended, merchant. The man was to have met us in our rooms in the market section of the city, bringing with him a star map listing complete co-ordinates for the planet. As we had previously agreed on you as a likely sponsor, the three of us were then to proceed on to this house. When he did not arrive as scheduled we decided after some deliberation to seek you out anyway, in the hope that with your resources you might discover some hint as to his whereabouts. In any case, it would have been difficult to maintain our independence much longer. Despite our best efforts, we do not look like tourists.

Enterprising persons had already begun asking awkward questions.'

'I will - ' began Malaika, but Flinx interrupted.

'Did your friend by any chance have red hair?'

Tse-Mallory jerked around violently. For a second Flinx had a glimpse into something terrifying and b.l.o.o.d.y, which until now the sociologist had kept well buried beneath a placid exterior. It faded as rapidly as it had appeared, but a hint of it persisted in the crisp, military tones of the sociologist's voice.

'How did you know that?'

Flinx pulled the crumpled piece of plastic from his pocket and handed it to an astounded Truzenzuzex.

Tse-Mallory recovered himself and glanced at the unfolded sheet. Flinx continued unperturbed.

'I have a hunch that's your star map. I was on my way to Small Symm's establishment when my attention was caught by a commotion in an alleyway. Ordinarily I would have ignored it. That is the way one lives in Drallar, if one wishes to livelong. But for reasons unknown and thrice cursed my pet,' he gestured at Pip, 'got curious, and took it into his head to investigate. The occupants of the alley took exception to his presence. An unfunny fight was in progress, and in the situation which developed the only argument I had was my knife.

'Your friend had been attacked by two men. Professionals by their looks and actions. They weren't very good ones. I killed one, and Pip finished the other. Your friend was already dead. I'm sorry.' He did not mention his earlier encounter with the three.

Tse-Mallory was looking from the map to Flinx. 'Well, it was said before that it was a fortuitous circ.u.mstance that brought you to our notice. Now it appears to have been doubly so.'

He was interrupted by an intent Malaika, who s.n.a.t.c.hed up the map and moved over to where a flexilamp was poised. Positioning the powerful beam he began to study the lines and symbols on the plastic with great deliberation. Dust motes danced drunken spirals in the subdued light.

'A most unusual and versatile pet,' commented Truzenzuzex idly. I've heard of them. The mortality rate from their venom is notoriously high, giving them a reputation all out of proportion to their numbers and disposition. Fortunately, as I understand it, they do not seem to attack without due provocation.'

'That's right, sir,' said Flinx, scratching the object under discussion on the side of its narrow head. 'A s.h.i.+p's physician at the shuttleport once told me he'd met a scientist who'd actually been to Alaspin. The minidrag is native to there, you know. In his spare time, the man had done some limited research on them.

'He said they seemed standoffish, which struck me as kind of a funny way to describe a poisonous reptile. But harmless unless, as you said, provoked. Pip was already pretty tame when I found him. At least, I've never had any trouble with him. The people in my area have learned to tolerate him, mostly because they haven't any choice.'

'Understandable att.i.tude,' murmured the philosoph.

'This doctor's friend was with an expedition to Alaspin to study the ruins of the ancient civilization there.

He hypotha ... hypothesized that the minidrag's ancestors might have been raised as pets by whoever had produced that culture. Selective breeding could account for some of their peculiar characteristics. Like, they have no natural enemies on the planet. Fortunately their birthrate is very low. And they are omnivorous as well as carnivorous. I found out early what that meant, when Pip started eating bread when he couldn't find meat. Oh yes, he also said they were suspected of being empathetic telepaths. You know, telepathetic on the emotional but not the mental level. That's why I'm never cheated in the marketplace or at business or gambling. Pip's sensitive to such things.'

'A fascinating creature, I say again,' Truzenzuzex continued. 'A subject I would like to pursue further.

However as I am not an exoherpetologist. I don't think it would be worthwhile just now. Too many other things on my mind,' The confession did not entirely ring true, as Flinx could read it. Mot entirely.

Malaika was craning his neck over the map, tracing out lines in the plastic with his fingers and nodding occasionally to himself. 'Ndiyo,ndiyo ... yes.' He looked up finally.

'The planet in question circles a GO, sol-type star. Four-fifths of the way towards GalCentre, straight through the Blight. Quite a trip, gentlesirs. He doesn't supply much information on the planet itself, no, not by anndege -depositing, but it might be enough. Terratype, slightly smaller, marginally thinner atmosphere, higher proportion of certain gases ... helium, for example. Also eighty-one point two per cent water, so we should have little trouble finding the thing.'

'Unless it happens to be submerged,' said Truzenzuzex.

'So. I prefer not to consider possibilities upsetting to the liver. Besides, if that were the case I don't think your prospector friend would have found it. We'll have the same kind of heavy-metal detection instruments with us anyway, but I'd wager on its being above the water-line. If I recall, the information we do have on the Tar-Aiym suggests they were anything but aquatic in build.'

'That's true,' admitted the philosoph.

'We'll travel most of the way through uns.p.a.ced areas, but then, one section of nothing is very much like any other,kweli ? I foresee no problems. Which probably means amavuno of them. At least we will be comfortable. TheGloryhole will not be crowded with all of us.'

Flinx smiled but was careful to bide it from the merchant. The origin of the name of Malaga's private cargo-racer was a well-known joke among those in the know-Most thought it an ancient Terran word meaning a rich mineral strike ...

'Unless, of course, this gun or giant harp or whatever is going to crowd us. How big did you say it was?'

'I didn't,' said Tse-Mallory. 'We've no better idea than you. Only that it's .. large.'

'Hmph! Well, if it's too big to go up on the shuttle, we'll just have to send back for a regular transport.

I'd rather sit on it once we've found it, but there are no relay stations in that area. If it's been there untouched for a few millennia it will wait a few days.' He rolled up the map. 'So then, sirs. If there are no objections, I see no reason why we cannot leavekesho , tomorrow.'

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