The Cockney's eyes were already shining covetously. Van Voss merely stared sleepily at the metal hoop.
Eric Nelson fingered it again and asked, "Where exactly did it come from? It looks almost like a queer instrument of some kind rather than an ornament."
Shan Kar answered evasively, "It came from a cavern in L'Lan. And there is much more metal like it there."
Li Kin said slowly, "A cavern in L'Lan? That name sounds familiar, somehow. I think there was a legend once—"
Shan Kar interrupted. "Your answer, white men — will you come?"
Nelson hesitated. There was too much about this business that was unexplained. Yet they dared not stay here in Yen Shi.
He finally told Shan Kar, "I'll commit myself to no bargains in the dark. But I'm willing to go to your valley. If the setup is as you say, we'll fight your battle — for platinum."
Sloan planned swiftly. "We can get a few light machine-guns and what tommy-guns and grenades we need from old Yu's arsenal. But it'll take work to round up enough pack-ponies by tomorrow morning."
His face crisped in resolve. "We can do it, though. We'll be ready to start at dawn, Shan Kar."
When Shan Kar had gone Lefty Wister uttered a crow of laughter.