Dane sighed. "I know that, sir," he confessed. "I'm not trying to rocket out—"
Tau gave a half-smile. "We all off-fire our tubes at times," he conceded. "Only next time—"
He did not need to complete that warning as Dane caught him up:
"There isn't going to be a next time like this, sir—ever!"
Chapter IV
GORP HUNT
But the interruption had disturbed the tenor of trading. The small chief who had so eagerly taken Paft's place had only two Koros stones to offer and even to Dane's inexperienced eyes they were inferior in size and color to those the other clan leader had tendered. The Terrans were aware that Koros mining was a dangerous business but they had not known that the stock of available stones was so very small. Within ten minutes the last of the serious bargaining was concluded and the clansmen were drifting away from the burned over space about the Queen's standing fins.
Dane folded up the bargain cloth, glad for a task. He sensed that he was far from being back in Van Rycke's good graces. The fact that his superior did not discuss any of the aspects of the deals with him was a bad sign.
Captain Jellico stretched. Although his was not, or never, what might be termed a good-humored face, he was at peace with his world. "That would seem to be all. What's the haul, Van?"