"That's true. But there are so many of us aboard the Caduceus, and none of us has any of the new coin of the realm. Oh, a little, perhaps, from the sale of our drugs, but we asked so little. And of you, we asked nothing at all to save your life."
"He's perfectly right, Yon," Caryl said suddenly. "We both owe him our lives."
"Besides," persisted Hale, "you have Crystals coming from the estate of the previous Commander. He certainly had plenty." Hale didn't mention that the previous Commander had given him almost all of his diamonds in return for Hale's futile attempt to save his life.
"That's true," Yon agreed, brightening perceptibly.
"Furthermore," Hale continued inexorably, "my people will, of course, spend this money, which will be divided evenly among us. I think a man of your proven ability will be able to get most of it back in a short time."
In the end, the bargain was sealed. Hale walked out to the ship and spent two days doing nothing while Yon looked on. Finally, Yon got bored and went home to Caryl, and Hale wrapped up the repair job in short order—plus one little addition of his own.
Then he lifted the ship on its antigravs and flew to Taun to collect his bill.
Yon paid promptly. He was overjoyed. He positively bubbled. He learned to control it in the atmosphere very quickly, and Leland Hale decided to end the whole job as rapidly as possible.
"I suggest we fly out to the Island," he said. "I'll tell my people that they can move to the mainland, and give them their share of the Crystals."