A TRANSMUTATION OF MUDDLES _An experienced horse-trader, bargain-haggler, and general swapper has a very special talent for turning two headaches into one aspirin pill. . . . _ By H. B. FYFE Illustrated by Van Dongen The rugged little stellar scout ship flared down to the surface of KappaOrionis VII about a mile from the aboriginal village. The pilot, Lieutenant Eric Haruhiku, scorched an open field, but pointed out toLouis Mayne that he had been careful to disturb neither woodland norshoreline. "The Kappans are touchy about those, Judge, " he explained, "They fish alot, as you'd guess from all these shallow seas, and they pick fruit inthe forests; but they don't farm much. " "No use provoking trouble, " Mayne approved. "It's a long way fromRigel. " "It's a longer way from Sol, " said the pilot. "Don't I know, boy! If it weren't, I'd be just another retired spacecaptain, quietly struggling with my ranch on Rigel IX. As it is, to getthe grant, I had to remain on call as an arbitrator. " "Somebody has to settle these things, " said Haruhiku. "There's not muchlaw way out here, except what the Space Force can apply. Well, if you'llexcuse me, sir, I'll have them get out the helicopter and take us overto the village. " "Let me see that last message again, before you go, " Mayne requested. The pilot extracted a sheet from his clipboard and handed it to Mayne ashe left. Mayne studied the text with little pleasure. Terran Space Force headquarters on Rigel IX wished to inform him thatthe long awaited envoy from Terra to Kappa Orionis VII not only hadarrived but had departed two days behind Mayne. It was hoped, the communication continued, that nothing would interferewith the desired objective of coming to some friendly agreement with theKappans that would permit Terran use of the planet as a base forspaceships. The envoy, of course, was prepared to offer tradeinducements and various other forms of help to the semi-civilizednatives. Mayne was requested to lay whatever groundwork he could. _In my spare time, no doubt_, he reflected. _I'm to settle this sillybusiness any way at all--as long as the natives get their way. But hasanybody told the government about insurance companies? If it costs moneyor a lawsuit, will they back me up?_ He felt himself to be in a ridiculous dilemma. The Kappans were reportedto have seized a Terran spaceship as it landed to trade. Naturally, thecaptain had squawked for help. He claimed he had crashed; his insurancecompany thought otherwise; the Kappans seemed to have some entirelydifferent idea in mind. Mayne had been summoned into action to render adecision, after the rough and ready system of these settlements on thesurface of Terra's sphere of explored space. Regretfully, he made his way now to the cubbyhole allowed him on thecramped scout, where he changed to a more formal tunic of a bright bluehe hoped would look impressive to native eyes. By the time he was ready, the helicopter was waiting. He and Haruhiku entered, and the crewman atthe controls took off for the scene of the dispute. Arriving over the village, they hovered a few minutes while Haruhikustudied the lay of the land. The lieutenant had been to this worldbefore, long enough to pick up some of the language and customs, soMayne was content to follow his advice about landing a little way offfrom a spaceship that towered outside the village. They came down about a hundred yards away, between a rutted sort of roadand a long hut covered by a curved, thatched roof. "They're expecting us, " said Haruhiku, gesturing at the group before thehut. It consisted of half a dozen humans and several of the Kappan natives. The latter, naturally, caught Mayne's eye first. The most imposingindividual among them stood about five feet tall. The planet being ofabout the same mass as Terra, the Kappan probably weighed over twohundred and fifty pounds. He was a rugged biped with something saurianin his ancestry; for his skin was scaled, and bony plates grew into alow crown upon his long skull. His arms and legs were heavy and bowed, with joints obscured by thick muscles and loose skin. Mayne was struckby the fancy that the Kappan's color, a blend of brown and olive, wasthat of a small dragon who had achieved a good suntan. A yellow kilt washis main article of attire, although he wore a few decorations ofpolished bone. * * * * * One of the Terrans stepped forward. He wore a semimilitary uniform. "I suppose you're Louis Mayne?" he asked. "Right, " answered Mayne. "You would be Captain Voorhis, of the_Gemsbok_?" [Illustration] "Check. This here is Eemakh. He's more or less chief of the village, ortribe, or whatever you wanna call it. " Mayne found his gaze sinking into catlike slits of jet in a pair of hugeorange eyes shaded by massive brow ridges. The native made somestatement in a clicking language that had a harsh, choppy rhythm. "He welcomes you to Kappa, " Haruhiku interpreted. "He hopes the godswill not be displeased. " "What a warm welcome!" commented Mayne. "Have you been getting alongthat well, Captain Voorhis?" "Just about, " said the spacer. "One of my boys knows a few words. Restof the time, we make signs. I gotta admit they ain't been toounfriendly. " "But they _have_ seized your ship?" "You're damn' right! That insurance guy they sent out don't see it thatway though. " "Where is this representative of the Belt Insurance Company?" askedMayne. "Melin? His ship landed over on the other side of the village, abouthalf a mile. He oughta be along soon. Must've seen you land. " Mayne wondered whether it were necessary to await the arrival of theinsurance adjustor before asking any questions. To cover his hesitation, he turned to take his first good look at the hull of the _Gemsbok_. "What do they think they're doing?" he demanded, staring. The _Gemsbok_ was--or had been--an ungraceful, thick starship on theverge of aging into scrap. Towering here between the village and thehuge, bluish-green leaves of the Kappan forest, she was in the processof being transformed into a planet-bound object of a certain weirdgrace. A framework was being constructed about the hull by a swarm of natives. They had reached halfway up the ship, which served as a central column. Much of the exterior appeared to be a network of strangely curvedsections of wood that had been given a high polish. Mayne suspected thegreenish highlights were reflections of the forest color. "Bone, " said Voorhis succinctly. "They collect it from things they catchin the sea. Main supports of timber, of course, built to fit the hull. " "The fish here grow very large, " put in Haruhiku. "If you could callthem fish, that is. I once saw them butchering what looked more like adinosaur. " Mayne realized that the bone framework formed a sort of curtain wall. Atthe lower levels, some of the natives seemed to be experimenting with acoating of wet leaves which they were molding to the wall. "They've soaked them in something they boil out of fish parts, " hispilot explained. "Like the village roofs. When it dries, it's prettyhard, even waterproof. The stink never dries out. " "But what do they have in their bony little brains?" asked Mayne. "Justwhat is that mess supposed to be?" "A temple, believe it or not, " answered Voorhis. "They tell me I set herdown on land sacred to the great god Meeg!" Mayne looked at Haruhiku. "Oh, come on, now! I came all the way from--" He stopped as he noticedthe pilot's grave expression. "Oh! That sort of thing _could_ beserious, I guess. " He imagined he had seen the chief, Eemakh, come alert at the mention ofthe local god. Mayne sighed. It was going to be a long day. He was saved for the time being by a hail from the direction of thevillage. A procession was approaching along the set of ruts betweenMayne and the ship. * * * * * The place of honor appeared to be occupied by a two-wheeled cart ofcrude but massive design. Upon it rode a Kappan driver, two Kappans withspears and the look of official guards, and a Terran with a death-gripupon the side railing. A brace of truculent beasts of frighteninglysaurian mien shuffled ponderously along in the loose harness. From timeto time, one or the other would stumble over a turn in his rut and emita menacing rumble as if he suspected his team mate of causing themisstep. Before and behind this conveyance marched a guard of honor of Kappanwarriors. The rear contingent kept close to the cart, but the advanceparty had opened a noticeable gap between themselves and the hulkingteam. The procession halted, the soldier in charge raised his spear in saluteto Eemakh, and the shaken Terran was assisted to dismount. He introducedhimself to Mayne as Robert Melin. "Let's go over to the hut they made for us an' sit down, " suggestedVoorhis. Melin, a tall, gloomy blond whose civilian suit seemed a trifle formalfor the surroundings, acceded gratefully. He mopped the dust from hislong face and watched the cart being turned around. The procession moved off in the direction of the village, the advanceguard stepping out especially smartly, and Mayne began to get hisconference arranged. He learned that the evicted crew of the _Gemsbok_ had been living in thehut nearby. Before it stood a long table with benches, all evidentlyknocked together from recently felled timber. Melin was given credit forthis by Voorhis, since before the arrival of the insurance adjuster andhis crew, no power tools had been available to the men from the_Gemsbok_. Mayne took a place at the end of the table. Some of the _Gemsbok's_ crewcame out of the hut to watch. Most of the Kappan warriors attending thechief took up stations between the table and the ship, in a mannersuggesting long habit. Mayne guessed that attempts had been made tore-enter the ship. He put Haruhiku at his right hand to translate should it be necessary. Melin and Voorhis sat at his left, their backs to the hut. To the otherside of the table, Eemakh brought two Kappans who were explained toMayne as being the tribal high priest, Igrillik, and Kaynox, whorepresented a sort of district overlord. "I meant to land up by _their_ city, " Voorhis put in, "but we hit somebad winds up in the stratosphere. We got knocked around a bit in thestorm, and set down where we could. " "Well, tell me about the details, " said Mayne. "I want to get thisstraight from the start, if I can. By the way, Lieutenant Haruhiku, explain to the chief that a special envoy is on the way, that we wanthis friendship, and that he will be dealt with fairly. " He waited out the exchange of choppy speech between the pilot andEemakh. "He says he is sure he will be fairly dealt with, " reported Haruhiku. "I wonder what he meant by that, " murmured Mayne. "If we make a dealhere, and thereby with his overlord, will that cover enough territory tobe official?" "As much as you can get together anywhere on this world, sir. " Mayne nodded, then turned to Captain Voorhis. "Now about this so-called crash?" he prompted. "Well, there was this storm, like I said. Trouble was we didn't expectto hit it and . . . Well . . . Somebody took it in his head to blow some ofthe fuel tanks for a crash landing. That's why I'm not claimin' anythin'on the fuel, " he finished, turning to Melin. "We are perfectly willing to pay on that item, " replied the insuranceman. "Anyhow, " continued Voorhis, "I set down here where we saw the openspot, an' then of course we were stuck with nothin' to lift off with. Itlooked all right. We'd unload our goods, an' if the local crowd couldn'tuse them all, why they'd pass the rest on at a profit to themselves. Sowe come out to palaver, an' then they won't let us go back in the ship. We were just lucky my com man had sent out a landing report when itlooked like we piled up, or the Space Force patrol never woulda heard ofus. " "Was there any trouble?" asked Mayne. "Any unnecessary hostility?" Voorhis considered, rubbing the back of his head thoughtfully. "Well . . . I suppose, lookin' at it their way, they coulda been a lotrougher. A couple of punches got thrown, an' one of my boys got a spearbusted over his head, but mostly they acted . . . Well . . . Maybe more likecops than cannibals. " "Just enforcing the native laws, eh?" * * * * * Voorhis did not swallow that quite so graciously. He did not know orcare what the local laws might be, but he thought it suspicious in theextreme that he should have plopped down exactly upon the spot chosen bythe natives for a temple. "So do they have to use my ship to hang it on?" he finished plaintively. "The company is in agreement with you there, captain, " Melin put in. "You see, Judge, our point is that nothing is really lost or seriouslydamaged, neither ship nor cargo. They are merely being withheld fromtheir rightful owner, and we believe that puts the responsibility forrecovery upon the Terran government. Captain Voorhis has our entiresympathy--" "Yeah!" said Voorhis. "An' if I get my head sliced off tryin' to get atthat undamaged cargo, you'll come to my funeral! I say it's a loss!" "Now, gentlemen!" interrupted Mayne. "Let me get on with this. Both ofyou, I'm sure, realize that I'm not a lawyer in spite of being a specialjudge. If the colonies way out here had enough lawyers to spare, Icertainly wouldn't be sticking my head into this. Nevertheless, anydecision I make here will be regarded as legally binding by thegovernment of Rigel IX, so let us remain level-headed. " "Very well, Judge, " said Melin. "Here are the figures on--" "Please round them off, " said Mayne. "If I have to listen to a long listin centicredits, I'll probably go off to see what kind of beer they brewhere. " "You wouldn't like it, " muttered Voorhis, staring sourly at the village. "No doubt, " grinned Mayne. Melin swallowed and returned to an inner pocket a sheaf of papers he hadwithdrawn. "Speaking very loosely, " he went on, as if hating to do anythingloosely, "the coverage was about as follows: for the _Gemsbok_ herself, two million; but that was really a nominal figure accorded as a sort ofcourtesy. Otherwise, at her true worth, the authorities would hardlyhave permitted Captain Voorhis to take her into space--" "Get on with it, " urged Mayne, to forestall any wrangle. "Er . . . Yes. Then on the cargo, the purchase cost of two hundredthousand credits. " Voorhis visibly flinched and began to acquire a ruddy hue. "And, finally, on the fuel load, the cost price of three hundredthousand. Of course, Judge, there are detailed clauses as to normal useof fuel. He was actually insured against defects, premature explosions, accidental loss, et cetera. " Mayne did some addition in his head. "So your company, " he said aloud, "is prepared to pay two and a halfmillion for the loss sustained by Captain Voorhis. What seems to bewrong with that?" Both men began to talk but Melin, struggling less with temper, got thelead. "Actually, " he said, "we feel liable for only three hundred thousand. " _Now it will get tough_, thought Mayne. He silently awaited elucidation. The combined stares of all parties, including the enigmatic glance ofEemakh, calmed the spluttering Voorhis. Melin continued. "In the first place, the true value of the ship, even if we consider herto be incapacitated--which we do not--is only about one hundred andfifty thousand. " "She's worth more than that as scrap!" bellowed Voorhis. "No, captain, just about that. It is exactly how we valued her. Do youhave any idea, Judge, of how old that crock is?" "Let's not go into that just yet, " suggested Mayne. "As to the fuel, " said Melin, "I am willing, as a gesture of good will, to stick my company's neck out--and mine with it, you may be sure--andhonor a full claim. " "Even though he used about half the fuel getting here?" asked Mayne. "We'll ignore that. We admit that he is out of fuel, and we want to--" "You want to give me a moon and take a star, " said Voorhis. "Just a minute!" Mayne held up his hand. "That's the ship and the fuel. What about the cargo?" "Why, as to that, Judge, we do not admit that it is lost. It is rightover there, easily accessible. We consider it more the job of the SpaceForce to restore rightful possession than it is the responsibility ofthe company to reimburse Captain Voorhis for the inflated value he setsupon it. " "I begin to see, " murmured Mayne. "You can't stick each other, so you'reout to slip _me_ the bill. " That aroused a babble of denials. Mayne eventually made himself heardand demanded to know how the spacer's evaluation differed from Melin's. Voorhis pulled himself together, glowering at the insurance man. * * * * * "In the first place, " he growled, "I don't want his lousy payment forfuel. I said I'd take the blame for that, an' I will. On the ship . . . Well, maybe she ain't worth two million. Maybe she ain't been for a fewyears now--" Melin made a show of counting on his fingers. ". . . But they charged me premiums by that figure an' I say they oughtapay by that figure. " "But can you prove she's a total loss, captain?" asked Mayne. Voorhis grimaced and spat upon the ground. "Try to get near her, Judge! You'll get proof fast enough!" "Well . . . About the cargo, then?" "_That's_ where he's gouging me!" exploded Voorhis. "The idea of usingthe cost as of loading on Rigel IX! Hell, you know the margin of profitthere is in trading on these new planets, twenty to one at least. Ifigured to lift off with four million worth of ores, gems, curios, andwhatnot. " "So your point is that the mere transportation of the goods throughspace to this planet increased their value. What about that, Mr. Melin?" Melin shifted uncomfortably on his bench. Mayne would have liked tochange his own position, but feared splinters. "There is an element of truth in that, " admitted Melin. "Still, it wouldbe rash to expect such a return every time a tramp spaceship lands toswap with some aboriginal easy marks. " "I suppose, " said Mayne, "that our orange-eyed friends speak no Terran?" "I hope not!" exclaimed Voorhis. "Well, anyway, " Melin said after a startled pause, "how can we beexpected to pay off on hopes? He wants the paper figure for the ship;but he refuses the paper figure for the cargo. " Mayne shrugged. He turned to Haruhiku. "If Captain Voorhis and Mr. Melin don't mind, lieutenant, I'd like toget the chief's view of all this. " "Hah!" grunted Voorhis, clapping both hands to his head. Melin contented himself with rolling his eyes skyward. With Haruhiku translating, Mayne began to get acquainted with theKappans. The visitor from the neighboring city chose mostly to listenattentively, but Igrillik, the priest, occasionally leaned over towhisper sibilantly into Eemakh's recessed ear. Mayne fancied he saw aresemblance between the two, despite Igrillik's professionaltrappings--a long robe of rough material that had been dyed in stripesand figures of several crude colors, and a tall cap to which wereattached a number of pairs of membraneous wings. [Illustration] The first thing that Mayne learned was that the _Gemsbok_ was not aspaceship; it was a symbol, a sign sent to the Kappans by the great godMeeg. "And why did he send it?" asked Mayne. He had sent it as a sign that he was impatient with his children. Theyhad vowed him a temple, they had set aside the necessary land, and yetthey had not begun the work. "Is that why they're all over there, slaving away so feverishly?" It was indeed the reason. After all, Meeg was the god of the inner moon, the one that passed so speedily across the sky. If he could guide thestrangers' ship directly to his own plot of ground, he might just aseasily have caused it to land in the center of the village. They hadseen the flames that attended the landing. Could the honored chief fromthe stars blame them for heeding the warning? "I see their point, " muttered Mayne resignedly. "Well, maybe we can talksense about the cargo. Tell them that there is much in the holds thatwould make their lives richer. Tools, gems, fine cloth--give them thestory, lieutenant. " This time, Eemakh conferred with the high priest. It developed that thecargo was a sacred gift to be used or not as the god Meeg mightsubsequently direct. The chief meant no insult. The Kappans realizedthat Voorhis and his crew were no demons, but starmen such as had oftenbrought valuable goods to trade. The Kappans had not sought to harm orsacrifice them, had they? This was because they were both welcome asvisitors and respected as instruments of Meeg. Eemakh wished to be fair. The starmen might think they had lost by thedivine mission. Very well--they would be granted land, good land withforest for hunting and shoreline for fishing. But go near the templethey should not! "Could _I_ get in to inspect the cargo?" asked Mayne. Haruhiku took this up with the Kappans, who softened but did not yield. "The best I can get, Judge, " said the pilot, "is that they wish it werepossible but only those who serve the purposes of Meeg may enter. " "They _would_ look at it that way, " sighed Mayne. "Let's leave it atthat, until we can think this over some more. It's time for a lunchbreak anyway. " * * * * * He and Haruhiku were flown back to the scout ship. Mayne broodedsilently most of the way. Voorhis thought he was entitled to about sixmillion credits for ship and cargo; Melin thought half a million for theship and fuel would be stretching it. Mayne foresaw that he would haveto knock heads. The two of them lunched in the pilot's cabin, with hardly room to drop aspoon. Except for companionship, Mayne would as soon have eaten standingin the galley. He considered the vast area of the planet's land surface. Would it bewiser for the envoy to land elsewhere? What sort of ties were therebetween tribes? "Loose, " the pilot told him. "Still, word gets around, with no greatmountain or ocean barriers. They've split into groups, but there is alot of contact. " "So if the Space Force should seize the _Gemsbok_, they'll all hearabout it?" "Within a few weeks, sir. That kind of news has wings on any world. Ithink we could take her for you, but we might do some damage. The sizeof a scout crew doesn't lend itself to hand-to-hand brawls. " "And if you sling a couple of torpedoes at the Kappan village, you'llprobably wipe it out, " said Mayne thoughtfully. "Give the story a monthto spread, and no Terran would be trusted anywhere on the planet. Hm-m-m. . . Hardly practical!" "There would also be a chance of damaging the _Gemsbok_. " "Actually, Eric, I'd hardly care if you blew her into orbit, withVoorhis and Melin riding the fins! But I'm supposed to spread sweetnessand light around here--not scraps and parts of spaceships. " He gnawed moodily upon a knuckle, but saw no way to escape putting upsome government money. Soaking the company would just make _them_ appealinstead of Voorhis. "This Meeg, " he said to change the subject. "How important is he?" Haruhiku considered a moment before replying. "They have a whole mess of gods, like most primitive societies. Meeg ispretty important. I think he has a special significance to this tribe. . . You know, like some ancient Terran cities has a special patron. " "He's the god of that little moon?" Mayne asked. "Oh, more than that, I think. Really the god of speed, a message bearerfor the other divinities. There always seems to be one in everyprimitive mythology. " "Yes, " murmured Mayne. "Let's see . . . One parallel would be the ancientTerran Hermes, wouldn't it?" "Something like that, " agreed Haruhiku. "I'm a little vague on thesubject, sir. At least, he isn't one of the bloodthirsty ones. " "That helps, " sighed Mayne, "but not enough. " He got a message blank from the pilot. With some labor, he composed arequest to Terran headquarters on Rigel IX for authorization to spendtwo million credits on good-will preparations for the Terran-Kappantreaty conference. _It almost sounds diplomatic_, he told himself before having the messagesent. The waiting period that followed was more to be blamed upon headquarterspussyfooting than upon the subspace transmission. When an answer finallycame, it required a further exchange of messages. Mayne's last communique might have been boiled down to, "But I _need_it!" The last reply granted provisional permission to spend the summentioned; but gleaming between the lines like the sweep of a revolvingbeacon was a strong intimation that Mayne had better not hope to chargethe item to "good will. " The budget just was not made that way, the hintconcluded. "It's due to get dark soon, isn't it?" he asked Haruhiku, crumpling thefinal message into a side pocket. "I don't believe I'll resume the talkstill morning. Maybe my head will function again by then. " * * * * * In the morning, one of the scout's crew again took the pilot and Mayneto the meeting by helicopter. Mayne spent part of the trip mulling overa message Haruhiku had received. The spaceship _Diamond Belt_ could beexpected to arrive in orbit about the planet later the same day, bearingspecial envoy J. P. McDonald. The captain, having been informed ofHaruhiku's presence, requested landing advice. "I told him what I know, " said the pilot. "We can give him a beam down, of course, unless you think we should send him somewhere else. " "Well . . . Let's see how this goes, " said Mayne. "They seem to be waitingfor us down there. " They landed to find Voorhis, Melin, and the native officialdom gatheredat the hut facing the new "temple. " After exchanging greetings, they satdown at the table as they had the day before. "All right, gentlemen, " said Mayne to the two Terrans. "You win. Thegovernment is going to have to put something in the pot. I want to makeit as little as possible, so let us have no more nonsense about the truevalue of ship or cargo as they stand. " They looked startled at his tone. Mayne went on before they couldrecover. "The object I have in mind, if it seems at all possible, is to putCaptain Voorhis back in business without costing Mr. Melin his job. Now, let's put our heads together on that problem and worry about justifyingourselves later. " The most difficult part was to convince Voorhis to surrender his dreamof fantastic profits; but sometime before Mayne got hoarse, the captainwas made to see that he could not have his cake and eat it, too. Melin agreed that he might pay the paper value of the _Gemsbok_ if hecould pay likewise for the cargo, in which case he would admit a loss. After all, a spaceship anchored by a temple might reasonably be termedunspaceworthy. He would take over the cargo and cut his losses byallowing the government to buy it at two million. "You wanna come with me next trip?" invited Voorhis when he heard this. "If that's how you cut loose, we'll make a fortune!" "Well, there it is, " said Mayne, straightening up to ease his achingback. He must have been leaning tensely over the table longer than hehad thought. "The captain gets two and a half million, Mr. Melin getsoff with paying only half a million, and you've stuck me for the rest. " "Congratulations, Judge!" said Melin. "You now own a ship and cargowhich I presume you will present to the Kappans. " "How can he?" demanded Voorhis. "They figure they own it already. " "We'll worry about that later, " said Mayne. "_You_ will!" Voorhis guffawed. "I hope you get _some_ credit out ofit. " Haruhiku interrupted to inform Mayne that the Kappans, who had beeninterested if bewildered listeners, had invited the Terrans to a smallfeast. "I translated enough to let them understand there would be no attempt todisturb their temple building, " he explained. "They now feel they owe ushospitality. " "Good, that's something, " said Mayne. "I'll tell you what else will be something, " grunted Voorhis. "Thefood!" The assemblage repaired to the Kappan village. The Terrans--though ittook some doing--survived the feast. Mayne thought it best not to inquire into the nature of the dishesserved. Eemakh was evidently determined to display his village's finesthospitality, so the Terrans even tried the Kappan beer. Mayne absorbedenough to get used to it. _Or did it absorb me?_ he wondered. _Igrillik's beginning to look almosthuman!_ Eventually, carts were brought, and they rode bumpily out to admireprogress made on the temple. A fresh breeze helped Mayne to rememberthat it was now late afternoon and he had yet to settle one matter withEemakh. When they arrived at the site, crewmen from the _Gemsbok_ saw fit totake Voorhis in charge and carry him into their hut. Mayne sank down atthe table outside, watching Melin grope to a place beside him. Henoticed that Haruhiku's helicopter pilot handed him a message as soon asthe lieutenant alighted. "That will be from the _Diamond Belt_, " Mayne guessed. He eyed Melin with some amusement. The insurance man stared very quietlyat the board beneath his elbows. His complexion held a tint of green. Even Eemakh, plodding ponderously up, lowered himself to a bench with asigh. The high priest seemed less affected by the celebration, and Maynewas proud when Haruhiku walked over with his normal bland alertness. "They're getting near?" he asked. "Doing braking circles, " reported the pilot. "I sent an order for thescout to give them a beam. There may still be time to send themsomewhere else--" "One more try here first, " Mayne decided. "Tell Eemakh we want tostraighten out some confusion about Meeg and the cargo. " * * * * * Haruhiku permitted himself a small shrug and translated. Eemakh arousedhimself to a show of interest, while Igrillik turned a suspicious orangestare upon Mayne. The latter strove to frame in his mind an argumentthat would strike them as logical. "Tell him, " he instructed, "that we believe this Meeg was known onTerra, but by another name. Then describe the mythical Hermes and seewhat he says. " Haruhiku began a conversation that lasted several minutes. Igrillik, asan authority, obviously felt moved to deliver a lengthy opinion. Atlast, the pilot turned to Mayne. "They say we are to be congratulated, " he reported. "Is that all?" "Well, they do seem a bit more friendly. I was going to try drawing apicture of that famous statue, with the winged heels and hat, but itwould never match their own conception. Igrillik asks if you claimbelief in Meeg. " "Avoid that, " said Mayne. "Now--do they know about ship communications?" "They are aware that it is done, " said Haruhiku. "After all, they justsaw me send a message to the scout over the helicopter screen. " "Good! Point out to them that the _Gemsbok_ also has such equipment. " Haruhiku engaged in another long talk. The Kappans began to show signsof uneasiness at the end. They remained silent. "And that therefore, " added Mayne, "the Terran who served this machineshould rank in their eyes as a servant of Meeg just as much as Igrillik. The cargo in the ship was no more his than a message belongs to themessenger bearing it. " The pilot put this into Kappan, with gestures. "And furthermore, " said Mayne, before it could be suggested that theowner might be Meeg, "what I have arranged here with Melin and Voorhisis that the cargo now belongs to all of the Terran people. " Eemakh began to scowl, an impressive contortion on a broad, olive Kappanvisage. Mayne hurried on. "This being the case, the Kappans _have absolutely no right_ to deny usthe privilege of contributing all these goods to the glory of theirtemple!" "Oh, boy!" grunted Haruhiku. He rattled off the translation. Mayne watched it hit home. Igrillik leaned over to peer at himunbelievingly. Eemakh seemed to have difficulty in focusing his glowingeyes on the Terran. There were, of course, requests for clarification. Mayne left therepetitions to the pilot. In the end, Eemakh arose and embraced him, a startling action that leftMayne feeling introspectively of his ribs. Igrillik called out somethingto the bodyguard attending the chief, causing Mayne to repress a shudderat the flashing display of big Kappan teeth. He assumed that a smile wasa humanoid constant. Haruhiku's pilot approached with a new message. "Now they have to land near here, in half an hour or less, " said thespacer. "There's just one more thing, " Mayne told him. "Voorhis is satisfied, Melin--look, he's gone to sleep on the table!--is relieved, the Kappansare friendly, and J. P. McDonald will be happy when he lands. Now I haveto get myself off the hook for two million!" He turned to the _Gemsbok_ crewmen loitering before the hut. "Who was the communications man?" he demanded. A lean, freckled youth with a big nose admitted to the distinction. Mayne draped an arm about his shoulders and told him he was back inbusiness. "Say to them, " he instructed Haruhiku, "that if they are to learn how touse the equipment Meeg has provided for their temple, they must notdelay one minute in taking our friend here into the ship . . . Uh . . . Makethat 'temple. ' He will show them how a spaceship is called down from theskies. " Haruhiku gave him a straight-faced glance that was a masked guffaw. Hetranslated, and orders began to be shouted back and forth among theKappans, all the way to the top-most level of the construction. Thelieutenant called his pilot. "I'll have him flash the scout an order to monitor the _Gemsbok_ andtransfer landing control as soon as they hear her on the air, " heexplained. Mayne nodded. He clutched the arm of the _Gemsbok_ operator, who wasbeing urged away by Igrillik and a group of warrior escorts. "Just one thing, son, " he shouted over the babble. "Forget about theship's call sign. You go on the air calling yourself Kappa OrionisCentral Control. " "Kappa Orionis Central. . . ?" repeated the youth distrustfully. "You've got it, " said Mayne, and shoved him on his way. He turned toHaruhiku. "The last thing to do is to send the helicopter for somepaint. I don't care if it _isn't_ dry when the _Diamond Belt_ touchesdown--I want a sign over the door of this hut!" "A sign?" "Make it read 'Spaceport Number 1. ' Two million is cheap enough forbuying a spaceport already in operation. There won't be any trouble, since the Kappans promised the land. " Everyone seemed to be running somewhere. Mayne wiped his face with ahandkerchief and sat down beside Melin, who looked comfortable enoughwith his head on the table. From inside the hut, Mayne could hear snores that must have Voorhis as asource; the rest of the _Gemsbok_ crewmen had followed the crowd to thecontrol tower that was also a temple. After a while, Haruhiku returnedand sat down across from Melin. "Magnificent, Judge!" he said. "We might even get away with it. " "Of course we will, " said Mayne, gazing at Melin and listening toVoorhis. "After all, Hermes was the god of thieves, too!" THE END Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from _Astounding Science Fiction_ September 1960. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U. S. Copyright on this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and typographical errors have been corrected without note.