“I’d love to, but I don’t think we can afford to let him get mad at us until we’re good and far away. I don’t want him and his friends dropping their spears on the Bree now or any other time.”
“I don’t mean to make him angry, but afraid of us. ‘Barbarians’ — hell eat that word if I have to cook it personally for him. It all depends on certain things: do the Flyers know how — these gliders work, and will they tell us?”
“They probably know, unless they’ve had better ones for so long they’ve forgotten — ”
“So much the better, for what I have in mind.”
“— but I’m not sure whether they’ll tell. I think you know by now what I’m really hoping to get out of this trip; I want to learn everything I possibly can of the Flyers’ science. That’s why I want to get to that rocket of theirs near the Center; Charles himself said that it contained much of the most advanced scientific equipment they have. When we have that, there won’t be a pirate afloat or ashore who’ll be able to touch the Bree, and we’ll have paid our last port dues — we’ll be able to write our own menus from then on.”
“I guessed as much.”
“That’s why I wonder whether they’ll tell what you want; they may suspect what I’m after.”
“I think you’re too suspicious yourself. Have you ever asked for any of this scientific information you want to steal?”
“Yes; Charles always said it was too difficult to explain.”
“Maybe he was right; maybe he doesn’t know it himself. I want to ask one of his people about these gliders, anyway; I want to watch that Reejaaren grovel.”