The drivers looked at each other questioningly, then moved slowly forward, to form a tight group before Barra, who watched until they were in satisfactory position.
He concentrated on the group for a few seconds, starting the formation of a projection to his left.
As the air glowed and started to show form, the eyes of the drivers swung toward it. Barra smiled tightly and swung his distorter up. The [p 34] crystal flamed as he swept it across the group of slaves.
He kept the power on, sweeping the distorter back and forth until all that remained was a large pool of slime which thinned, then oozed into the humus. At last, he tucked the rod back under his arm and examined the scene.
There was the pile of goods. There were the carrier beasts. But no man or pseudoman remained of the caravan. His smile broadened.
Once he had sorted this cargo and moved it to the Residence and to various warehouses about the Estates, all traces of Dar Makun and his train would be gone.
To be sure, a few villages would find that their herds had increased, but this was nothing to worry about. He sighed.
It had been a hard day and it would be a hard night’s work. He would have to forget his dignity for the time and do real labor. But this was necessity. And there was plenty of profit in it as well.
So far as the rest of the world might know, Dar Makun and his caravan had left Kira Barra to cut back to the northern swing. And the turbulent null had swallowed them without trace.
He turned away. He would have to bring work boats in to the nearby beach. Their surrogates were already attuned and ready, and one of them had been equipped with an auxiliary power crystal. He would need that.