"You've got a quarter of a million tied up in baubles. I want 'em."
"Give up my jewelry?" scoffed Linna. "What kind of tramp deal have you got into this time, Keg?"
"No tramp deal, Linna," he said. "I've just sold the spaceline."
"So—you've sold your spaceline. That should have brought you in a pretty penny. What do you need more for?"
"I want to buy Fabriville."
"Who or what is Fabri ... what-is-it?"
"Fabriville. A fairly large manufacturing village south of Canalopsis, here. They have a complete village, assembly plant, stores, and all that's needed to be self-sufficient if you permit a thorough income and outgo of fabricated articles."
"Never heard of it."
"Well," said Keg dourly, "there are a lot of things you have never heard of nor taken the interest to find out, Linna. Better shell out the baubles. They won't be worth an exhausted cathode inside of a year."
"Why?"