Man-Kzin Wars XII, Larry Niven [readnow .TXT] 📗

sealed container. Inside was a tiny vial of yellow powder, resembling pollen.

Joanna said, "Is . . ." and trailed off.

"A gift from Aunt Sophronia," her son said.

"Where did it come from?" she exclaimed.

"Jinx," he said, as if to a small and unclever child.

"I know that," she snapped.

"T.C., no," Perpetua said. "We can't let you give up your boosterspice."

He looked blank. Then he dug out four more vials. "Where do you think confiscated contraband ends up?" he said.

The quickest way to effect the trade turned out to be bringing Jubilee into the cavern. Perpetua didn't even think of doing the piloting for this. Ginger brought the ship through the series of hatchways and chambers not only safely, but symmetrically—that is, with almost identical clearance on all sides. (Locals in pressure suits stood around clapping after some of the narrower turns.) After he set the ship down and the cavern door began to shut, he turned to T.C. and said, "Breathe. It's very distracting when you stop."

Joanna ran the cargo lifter herself. She paused to stare at the gold. "I've never seen so much," she said softly.

"Sol System uses a power standard, don't they?" Ginger said.

"What?" she said, startled out of reverie. "Yes, of course, what else has a value that can't change?"

"Nothing I know of. I was just wondering why gold is still so prized."

"Eighteen billion flatlanders watch a lot of television," she replied. "The only stuff that makes better connections is superconductor, and that can't be laid down only one atom thick." She started the lifter loading. "This planet with the refugees—" (she hadn't been told they were Romans) "—does it have a lot of volcanoes?"

"I don't believe it has any," Ginger realized.

"That's weird," she said.

"Why? Jinx has no volcanoes."

"And no gold. I was wondering where this stuff came from. Quartz is out."

"There's quartz," he said.

"Must be old, if there's no geological activity."

"There's hot springs," he recalled.

She paused the lifter and said, "It's going to bug me." She did some searching on its control screen, then said, "Calaverite and sylvanite. Gold ores found in upwelling deposits from springs. Huh, no wonder the humans haven't been rooted out!"

"What do you mean?"

"They're tellurium compounds. Any refining process would produce huge amounts of tellurium residues, and that'd definitely keep away anyone with a nose like yours!" She started up the lifter again and got back to work.

"Why?" he said to her back.

"They reek. Smell just like garlic," she called over her shoulder.

Once Jubilee was back outside, T.C. wandered around while they spent some of their gold on extra supplies. They were just coming in for another load when he showed up and said, "You guys have to go now. The ARM has figured out you're buying starship parts, and they'll have a ship here in five hours or so."

Ginger just nodded, but Perpetua said, "You're doing this without permission?"

They both looked at her, and T.C. told Ginger, "Look out for her, will you?"

"She doesn't need it, she's just surprised sometimes," Ginger said. "Before we go, tell me: Where did Joanna locate a tank of lobsters for sale?"

Smith just spread his hands. "She does that."

"Yes, but how?"

"I've always assumed some sort of pact. Look, no fooling, you need all the head start you can get. I'll stay here and get a ride from somebody."

"Will you be in much trouble?" Perpetua said.

"You kidding? If they fire me my income goes up eight and a half percent. Go, shoo." He made brushing motions away from himself.

On a sudden impulse Perpetua stepped forward and kissed him. She took her time about it. When she let him go, Smith said faintly, "Cogswell."

"What?"

"My middle name. You better go."

Jubilee had a fusion drive along with the planer, and using the two together gave an acceleration of just under thirty-one gees. They left atmosphere on planer alone, then boosted straight down from the ecliptic until they could get into hyperdrive. The planer couldn't be used to compensate for all the fusion thrust, so they put up with as much as they could stand—about two gees. It was worse for Ginger; Perpetua had a tank of water she could float in.

The transition to hyperdrive was blissful relief.

"What was that kiss about?" was the first thing Ginger said when conversation was worth trying. "You weren't interested in mating with him. I'd have noticed."

She smiled. "No. But I thought he'd enjoy thinking so."

Ginger thought about that. He suspected there was an insight to be had into human thinking.

"Hey, he left us his stuff!" she exclaimed.

"Well, don't open anything."

"Of course not. But he could have got it out in about a minute. I must have done a better job than I thought."

Definitely called for more thought. He'd have a few days before they got to Wunderland.

Finding a spy to inform to shouldn't be difficult. There were markhams everywhere, it seemed sometimes.

XIII

Old Conalus Leophagus, whose scars were mute testimony to the standard that had won his family their surname, walked with a marked limp until he was near his commander's workroom; then he straightened and strode as befit a herald. Outside the groveroom he coughed for attention; then he coughed a lot more.

Marcus Augustus came out and guided him in, bent over and gasping, to a seat with a back, and put him in it. The Jotoki leader, Kaluseritash, who had been coordinating plans with Marcus, opened a medical kit and got out a patch, which they slapped onto Conalus's neck. "You should not be performing extra duties," they said sternly.

"I wanted to be the one," Conalus wheezed, the adrenaline opening his lungs already, "to give the news. Caesar, the hyperdrives"—he pronounced the foreign word carefully—"are being installed even now. The crews will be ready to steal the ships as soon as we can start our diversion."

"Well done," said Marcus. "Ask each legionary if he is certain, then tell them: the morning after tomorrow. And Conalus . . . are you certain?" he said, a little sadly.

"I am, Caesar. I am too weakened to hold a shield on the line, but I can