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Updated: June 16, 2025
Chambriss carried a needler, Starns was unarmed except for a small protection stunner, his tri-dee box slung on his chest by well-worn carrying straps. Yactisi shouldered an electric pole, wore its control belt buckled about his middle, though Hume had warned him that the storm would prevent any deep hole fishing.
"I came here for a water-cat, and a water-cat I'm going to have. You don't find those in wooded areas." "There will be a schedule," Hume announced. "Each of you has signed up, according to contract, for a different trophy. You for a water-cat, Gentlehomo. And you, Gentlehomo Starns, want to make tri-dees of the pit-dragons. While Gentlehomo Yactisi wishes to try electo fishing in the deep holes.
Starns continued to question. Hume laughed. "Not to be found on Jumala, you may be sure of that the seas here are small and shallow. Such, not to be picked up by the verifier, would have to exist at great depths and never venture on land. So we need not fear any surprises here. The Guild takes no chances." "As it always continues to assure one," Yactisi replied. "The hour grows late.
And he planted Rovald on me as a check. But I didn't know Yactisi was a plant, also." The Patrol officer smiled. "Insurance," he waved the viv-root, "just insurance." "What we didn't foresee was this complicating alien trouble. You were to be collected as the castaway, brought back to the Center and then, once Wass was firmly enmeshed, the Patrol would blow the thing wide open.
"Yes, though you didn't give us many details about that, Hunter." Hume put down the needler he had been charging. He studied Yactisi across that weapon. "Who are you?" His voice was soft but carried a snap. For the first time Vye saw the tall, lean civ really smile. "A man of many interests, Hunter shall we let it go at that for the present?
Remember, our boy's roaming around out there. He might just be picked off by something before these stumble-footed civs catch up with him." "That's the chance we knew we'd have to take. We don't dare raise any suspicion. Yactisi, for one, is no fool, neither is Starns. Chambriss just wants to get his water-cat, but he could become nasty if anyone tried to steer him."
So it was that Starns was installed in the com cabin of the spacer, sending out the request for Patrol aid, while Rovald was locked in the storage compartment of the same ship, pending arrival of those same authorities. As Hume sorted out supplies and Vye loaded them into the waiting flitter, Yactisi approached the Hunter. "You have a definite plan of search?" "Just to cast north from their camp.
Rovald's tube was now aimed directly at Hume. "No Patrol!" he ordered. "This wrangling has gone far enough." It was Yactisi who spoke with an authority which startled them all. And as their attention swung to him, he was already in action. Rovald cried out, the weapon spun from his fingers, fingers which were slowly reddening.
"Yes, of course, this is, in a manner of speaking, a truly historic occasion. We are in a unique position!" Had Yactisi smiled? That change of lip line had been so slight Vye could not call it a smile. But Starns appeared to have found the right way to handle Chambriss.
Yactisi nodded with satisfaction and he held his electo pole ready for a second attack. Vye scooped up the tube which had whirled across the ground to strike against his borrowed boot. "I'll set the call for the Patrol, then I'll try to locate Wass," Hume stated. "Sensible procedure," Yactisi approved in his dry voice.
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