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She'd have to tell Brule about the Beldon stunt, since it was more than likely he'd hear about it from others Nelauk Pluly, for one. But not now. Things were getting just a little delicate along that line at the moment. "Leave us change the subject, pig," she said cheerfully. "Tell me what else you've been doing besides acquiring a gorgeous tan."
"Are we to understand that you also would be interested in the purchase of a middling plasmoid or two?" "I would be, naturally," Balmordan said. "But not at the risk of causing trouble for my government." "Of course not," Quillan said. He thought a moment. "You, Belchy?" he asked. Pluly looked alarmed. "No! No! No!" he said hastily. He blinked wildly. "I'll stick to the shipping business.
"First Lady " she said. Lyad went white around the lips. Quillan made some kind of startled sound. Trigger shot. Flam ran at her then, screaming, arms waving, eyes wild and green like an animal's. Trigger half turned and shot again. She looked at Quillan. "Just stunned," she explained. She waited. Quillan let his breath out slowly. "Glad to hear it!" He glanced down at Pluly.
"Their missionaries all go armed, of course; but that's their privilege by treaty. They've been browsing around and going hither and yon in skiffs. The ship's been in orbit till this morning." "Think they're here in connection with whatever Balmordan is up to?" Trigger inquired. "We'll take that for granted. Balmordan, by the way, attended a big shindig on the Pluly yacht yesterday.
Another section of wall hanging had folded aside, and a wide door stood open behind it. They went through the door and turned into a mirrored passageway, Pluly still tottering rapidly ahead. "Might keep that gun ready, Trigger," Quillan warned. "We just could get jumped here. Don't think so, though. They'd have to get past the Commissioner." "Oh, he's here, too?"
I'm merely mentioning that I'm interested in the purchase of plasmoids. Incidentally, I'd be very much more interested even in seeing you, and Quillan, enter my employ directly. Yes, Belchik?" Pluly had begun giggling wildly. "I was ha-ha having the same idea!" he gasped. "About one of ha-ha of 'em anyway! He jerked and came to an abrupt stop, transfixed by Trigger's stare.
She checked herself. The room's ComWeb was signaling. Virod went over to it. A voice came through. "... The Garth-Manon subspace run begins in one hour. Rest cubicles have been prepared...." "That means me," Belchik Pluly said. He climbed hastily to his feet. "Can't stand dives! Get hallucinations. Nasty ones."
His fear of the Devagas was due to the fact that he and an associate had provided the hierarchy with a very large quantity of contraband materials. The nature of the materials indicated the Devagas were constructing a major fortified outpost on a world either airless or with poisonous atmosphere. Pluly's associate had since been murdered. Pluly believed he was next in line to be silenced.
Now around this turn and ... oops!" Pluly had reached the turn at the end of the row of pillars, moaned again and fallen forwards. "Fainted!" Quillan said. "Well, we don't need him any more. Watch your step, Trigger dead one just behind Pluly." Trigger stretched her stride and cleared the dead one behind Pluly neatly. There were three more dead ones lying inside the entrance to the next big room.
But he and that unpleasant Belchik Pluly had engaged in some jovial back-slapping and rib-punching when he and Trigger went over to join Lyad's party at her request; and Quillan cried out merrily that he and Belchik had long had one great interest in common ha-ha-ha!
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