"And so are you," snapped Mardlin. "It isn't like Benjin to pay two men to do the same job. And I don't like you, Rogue."
"Mutual," Herndon responded heartily. He stood up. "My orders say I'm to take the freighter Dawnlight back to Borlaam tomorrow evening. I'll meet you here one hour before to examine the merchandise."
He made one other stop that day. It was a visit with Brennt, a jewelmonger of Vyapore who served as the funnel between the native starstone-miners and Benjin's courier, Mardlin.
Herndon gave his identifying cube to Brennt and said, once he had satisfactorily proven himself, "I'd like to check your books on the last consignment."
Brennt glanced up sharply. "We keep no books on starstones, idiot. What do you want to know?"
Herndon frowned. "We suspect our courier of diverting some of our stones to his own pocket. We have no way of checking up on him, since we can't ask for vouchers of any kind in starstone traffic."
The Vyaporan shrugged. "All couriers steal."
"Starstones cost us eight thousand stellors apiece," Herndon said. "We can't afford to lose any of them, at that price. Tell me how many are being sent in the current shipment."
"I don't remember," Brennt said.