Temporary Duty (50 page)

"That what I think it is?" asked Peters.

"It’s what you suggested."

"How do we work this?"

"You’ve still got the knife, right?" Todd was smiling. He started exploring around the front of the larger one’s buckle, punched the emergency override combination, and pulled the
kathir
suit open to expose a muscular chest and belly. "Just cut anywhere."

"Right." Peters set to work. "That’ll do it," he said finally. "Go see if you can borrow a stretcher, we’ll tote our friends down to the ops bay. I ain’t in the mood to untie ‘em so’s they can walk."

* * *

Neither of them had ever been in the captain’s office before. Captain’s suite, actually; it opened off the bridge access corridor just aft of the double doors. The walls were paneled in dark vertical strips with prominent grain, and there were accents of brass and red here and there, including the heavy desk the secretary sat behind.

She gestured and smiled, and Peters pushed the latch. More of the same paneling; the desk was bigger, with inlaid panels of contrasting wood. Preligotis sat behind the desk, looking genial, and Prethuvenigis the trader chief sat in a wooden armchair set at right angles to the desk. «Come in, come in,» the captain said without rising.

They eased into the room. «Please take seats,» Preligotis urged. «You look worried. There’s no need for worry. Sit, sit.»

Prethuvenigis was smiling faintly. "Do please sit," he urged in his odd accent. "We have a spot of business to conduct."

"Yes, sir," said Peters. He eased into another spindly armchair, facing Preligotis, and Todd followed clumsily. There was a short pause as the captain and the trader inspected the sailors, and the sailors took in a few details: pens and pencils on the desk, a framed picture of a sailing ship on the wall behind Preligotis, a tall brass lamp by Prethuvenigis’s chair.

«You take important matters into your own hands, do you not?» the captain inquired by way of an opening.

«Yes, I suppose we did,» Peters said without implying apology.

Preligotis smiled faintly. «If I understand your customs, you must be expecting to be disciplined,» he noted. «As I’m sure you’ve learned, we do many things differently. Tell me: what do your superiors among the humans think of the recent events?»

Well, that was a thing. «We are under threat of severe discipline for assaulting the nekrit,» Peters explained, with a bared-teeth gesture that couldn’t be mistaken for a smile. «When Commander Bolton returned and discovered the situation he was extremely angry.» That was understatement. The Commander had ranted for several minutes on the subject of insubordination and underlings taking matters into their own stupid incompetent hands. The "severe discipline" they were under threat of was a summary Court; it would have already been under way if they hadn’t been summoned up here.

«At you? That doesn’t seem reasonable,» Preligotis commented.

«From his point of view it might seem reasonable,» Peters pointed out. «He thinks of the races we meet as potential trading partners or enemies, and doesn’t care to offend them unnecessarily.»

Prethuvenigis laughed out loud. «Kh kh kh! Peters, how does your society manage if people with such insight are kept in subordinate positions?

«I don’t know that it’s any great insight,» Peters objected uncomfortably, aware of Todd’s grin in the next chair.

«It’s more than many subordinates manage, especially when they’re expecting to be disciplined,» Preligotis pointed out.

«Yes,» the trader agreed.

«Can you squash that?» the First asked. «You have a man assigned to the officers, as I recall.»

Prethuvenigis frowned. «We aren’t supposed to interfere in disciplinary matters within their group, but I can certainly tell my man to explain a bit more completely.»

«It may take more force than that,» Preligotis warned. «It certainly would if I were in Commander Bolton’s place.»

«Yes.» Prethuvenigis sighed. «I’ll go myself.»

«Good,» Preligotis acknowledged with a nod. «Do you think that will be sufficent?» he asked Peters.

«I don’t know. It will certainly help, at least a little.»

«Are you under threat of bodily harm?»

«Probably not.» Peters looked at Todd. «We would expect to be confined, and to lose the little precedence we have among our group.»

«You qualified that carefully,» Prethuvenigis noted. «Do you expect worse after we return to your home planet?»

«Possibly,» Peters admitted.

«Let’s see if Commander Bolton is prepared to be reasonable,» Preligotis suggested. «If worst comes to worst we can offer refuge.»

«We would like to avoid that if possible,» Peters said grimly.

«Yes. Well, we will certainly exert ourselves on your behalf,» the trader said. «It’s the least we can do in the circumstances.»

«The very least,» the First agreed. «Perhaps the rest of it will help. It would certainly have to be considered a strong commendation from us.»

«Yes,» Prethuvenigis smiled. «Peters, on what basis did you take the action you did? I know you’ve done a lot of reading. Had you found some information that you acted on in this case?»

«No.» Peters frowned. «I’ve been reading fiction. I hadn’t thought to look for facts about the situation.»

«Even more remarkable. So what did you base your actions on?

Peters shrugged. «We had a confused but seemingly accurate description of their reproductive arrangements. It was Todd who made the connection between those and their probable attitude toward losing the contest. Our reasoning followed from that.»

Prethuvenigis leaned back and crossed his arms, still smiling. «You will no doubt be interested to know that First Preligotis and I have just completed an interview with the chief of the nekrit.»

Peters glanced at Todd, who managed a shaky grin. «We were preoccupied with other matters. Are we in trouble from that quarter as well?»

«Quite the contrary,» Preligotis rumbled.

«Yes,» the trader agreed. «Drava considers your actions courageous, forthright, and showing a remarkable grasp of nekrit custom.» A flash of teeth. «He was particularly struck by your choice of revenge. It’s precisely what he would have done in a similar situation.»

Peters gaped. «But–»

«Oh, he was quite put out, as you might imagine, but his chief concern was that the incident not be publicized. He was rather insistent about that.»

«I don’t understand,» Peters objected.

«Are you aware of the function you and your superiors perform for us?» the trader asked seriously.

Todd spoke up for the first time. «We understand we show our stuff to many peoples, hope for trade.»

Prethuvenigis nodded. «That’s your motive for being here. We consider that a desirable goal, of course–»

«Oh, cut the introductory material, Thuven,» Preligotis broke in. «It’s gaming. Betting.»

For the second time in the conversation Peters felt his jaw drop. «Oh?» was all he could manage.

The trader nodded and leaned forward. «Yes,» he confirmed. «We have been wagering on the encounters between your ship operators and the others you have met. You people are new, and we have been getting excellent odds. The proceeds have been impressive.»

Peters suppressed a hundred questions in favor of the top of the stack: «Do they know that? It isn’t common knowledge among the enlisted such as myself.» Todd’s slack jaw tended to confirm that.

Prethuvenigis chuckled. «Kh kh! No, your ship operators have not been told.»

Second item on the pile: «Had you intended to inform them, or to share the proceeds?»

The trader nodded. «We meant to withhold the news until the end of the voyage, to discourage peculation. At that time we intend to split the profit with them. As I said, the proceeds have been handsome, and I believe that will somewhat soften the impact of the news.»

«Probably so,» Peters conceded. «What constitutes ‘handsome proceeds’ in your lexicon?»

The two Grallt shared a look; the captain leaned back in his chair with a benevolent expression, and Prethuvenigis said, "Profits to date amount to a little more than two great big numbers."

The expression he had used was "squares of large squares of large squares." A "square" was sixty-four, the base-eight "hundred"; a "large square" was two to the twelfth. Peters began ticking off powers of two on his fingers, lost track, and pulled out the handheld. He showed the readout to Todd: 1,073,741,824.

"A billion ornh?" the younger sailor managed to gasp.

"Just over two, he says." Peters turned back to the trader. «Obviously that is a large number; our living allowance is tiny in comparison. But what does it mean in real terms?»

«In real terms–» the trader glanced at Preligotis, who continued to beam and made a go-on gesture «–a ship like
Llapaaloapalla
might be purchased for, oh, four to eight times that amount, depending on condition.»

«We of the zerkre are extremely gratified,» Preligotis put in. «If things continue as they are, we will be able to pay off over half our debt out of our share of the proceeds.»

Prethuvenigis nodded. «From our point of view it is not a mammoth amount, but quite respectable even so.»

«Indeed,» Peters managed. Numbers swam in his head, but…. «What has all this to do with the nekrit and our actions?»

«The nekrit are a proud people,» Prethuvenigis said solemnly, then looked at Preligotis. The two Grallt shared a chuckle, and the trader continued, «At least they are proud of themselves. They lost both bouts with your ship operators, and are anxious that the fact not be publicized lest they lose face.»

Another concept that translated directly: face. «And …» Peters encouraged.

«And they have offered us a substantial bribe to keep it quiet,» Prethuvenigis said with a satisfied smile.

«Do you intend to take it?»

«Oh, certainly! We could derive a great deal of amusement from spreading the word–very few of the kree like the nekrit, they’re nasty people–but money is money.»

«It certainly is,» Peters agreed.

«More to the point, they wish to offer you a bribe. You personally, I mean.»

«Eh?»

Prethuvenigis spread his hands. «They carefully cultivate their reputation as fearsome warriors,» he explained. «Imagine their chagrin when one of their better pairs is defeated by a couple of
sailors
with little or no training in combat and almost no experience in space.»

«And I take it you recommend we accept this bribe.» Peters stole a look at Todd, who had settled in his chair and was looking smug.

«Oh, yes,» Prethuvenigis said. «It’s substantial.»

«How much exactly?»

«Four squares of large squares.»

Peters worked that out and showed it to Todd. "A million ornh," the younger sailor said with a nod.

«Is that enough, in your professional opinion?» Peters asked the trader.

«Of course not,» Prethuvenigis said with an impatient wave. «Drava said so himself. He apologizes, but after paying us he hasn’t enough ready cash to increase it significantly. He offers instead zifthkakik, of the size used for small craft such as the fighting ships.»

The grammatical form was ambiguous; Peters offered, «One zifthkakik …»

«And four squares of large squares of ornh. That’s for each of you. Drava knows that a bribe should be large enough to make an impression on the one taking it.»

«It certainly makes an impression on us.» Peters glanced at Todd again. The younger sailor was lying back loosely in his chair, face a bit pale, looking for all the world as if he’d passed out drunk except for his open eyes. «In your professional opinion,» he asked Prethuvenigis again, «do you recommend we accept this amount?»

«Oh, no question,» the trader recommended without hesitation. «The zifthkakik are worth eight times the cash, which makes the total quite adequate. Altogether a very respectable bribe.»

«And what, exactly, are we being bribed to do?»

«You are being bribed to
not
do, in this case. Specifically you are not to discuss the events which took place on this ship between you and the nekrit with anyone, at any time.» Prethuvenigis smiled again. «Forever, or for your lifetimes, whichever is longer.»

Peters thought about that. «I see a problem.»

«What is that?»

«We are accused of wrongdoing. If we cannot discuss our encounter with the nekrit we cannot defend ourselves.»

Prethuvenigis frowned. «Yes, that’s a difficulty, isn’t it?»

«Must we say yes or no immediately?»

«Immediately? No. But you should answer within a llor or so.»

Peters smiled, a little thinly. «We then await news of your success or failure in dealing with our superiors. If you are successful we will certainly accept the bribe, right, Todd?»

«Certainly.»

Prethuvenigis was smiling in return. «And what am I offered for that service?» he asked. Peters didn’t miss the wink he aimed at Preligotis.

There was a pregnant pause as Peters figured. «Half,» Todd said firmly.

The trader nodded, smiling more broadly. «I accept.»

«The amount not to be paid if you are unsuccessful,» Peters qualified.

«Kh kh kh! Of course not.» He suppressed his smile and regarded the humans from under lowered brows. «If I am not successful, you cannot accept it in the first place, am I not correct?»

«Yes, that’s right,» Peters admitted.

«Then I certainly have an incentive.» Prethuvenigis rose. «I believe we’re done here. Do you agree, Preligotis?»

«Yes, I think so,» the First judged. «We have not resolved all the issues, but some remain pending upon other events. Do you agree, Peters? Todd?»

Peters looked at Todd, who nodded. «Yes, I believe we have done what can be done in this session.»

«Yes,» the First agreed.

«Yes,» Prethuvenigis added cheerfully. «I’m on my way. I am, after all, a trader, and with such a handsome profit in view I should be eager and persistent, should I not?» "Cheerio," he added in English, and departed without further ceremony.

Peters rose. «Thank you, Preligotis,» he said as Todd came to his feet as well.

The First of
Llapaaloapalla
smiled and nodded, and Peters and Todd turned and left. They didn’t even feel odd about it any more.