"The Venturi do not war, they trade. And when it is not time to trade, when the world is disturbed, we withdraw until the mainland is sane again. So has it been in the past and that system has always worked to our advantage."
"But before did the Llor ever ally with those who could bring war through the air? Perhaps Po'ult cannot be captured from the sea — but what if you are attacked from above, Master of Many Ships?"
"You have no machine which can ride the wind, are these others then more powerful than you?"
"They are ones who have been trained in a different mode of making war. And it is against our custom for them to use that warfare upon such a world as Fronn. With the weapons they have they can make themselves master of this whole planet if they wish. Do you think that your withdrawal will avail you if that is their plan? One by one they shall search out your island strongholds and rain destruction upon you from the air. They may even bring to subdue you the burning death — which is a weapon forbidden to all living creatures — a weapon so terrible that its use once wrecked my own world and sent my race back to barbarism for centuries. For" — Hansu repeated the warning he had voiced to Kana earlier — "when the law is once broken, it is easily fractured again. These renegades have broken our law by coming to Fronn, and from that they may go on to worse things — "
"If you do not fight as do these others, then why or how could you be of service to us?"
"Just this — " Hansu held himself stiffly erect, braced as if facing an enemy charge. "The news of what has occurred here must be carried to our first rank Masters. Only they have the power to deal with these outlaws. And that message must be carried by one to whom they will listen. Give my men refuge and I, myself, will take the message off-world. And I promise you that when I am heard by our inner Council there shall be a reckoning and Fronn shall be cleansed. So that here off-world men shall be forbidden to land — as has happened on other planets — and you shall be left to manage your affairs as you wish. Do you not know that there are those who do not wish to see the trade of Fronn only Venturi trade? They would help the Llor to break you as they would a rotten stick for a night campfire — for the Llor are ignorant of the mysteries of your craft and those from off-world would speedily take it all into their own hands — to hold forever! You have never welcomed the alien traders and they would be free of your restrictions."
Was the Blademaster making an impression? Kana could not tell. And his hopes sank when the spokesman of the Masters answered:
"You say much which we must consider in council. Be thou becalmed in our waters this night — "
That last had the flavor of some formula of hospitality. And the Terrans discovered that it meant escort to a room overlooking the valley where two of the treasured smoke braziers filled the air with spicy scent. One of the Masters came in, followed by a lesser trader bearing a tray on which were set out three cups and a ewer. The Master poured out a small measure of the same liquid Kana had been given in the hidden room, and proffered the cups to the Combatants with his own hands. Again Kana sipped the icy stuff and felt it seep through him, bringing once more the heightened senses, the alertness of mind and body. The ceremonial drink was borne away and small tables set up on which were laid a series of dishes, none containing more than a mouthful or so of that particular viand.
"These foods have been exported off-world," the Master assured them. "They can be safely eaten by those of your species."
The Terrans ate, thankful for the change from rations, finding the subtle flavors intriguing. The Venturi were artists in food, striving for strange effects — substances were hot and cold at the same time, a sharp sour was followed by a bland sweet, the whole blending into a feeling of gastronomic content such as Kana, for one, had never before experienced.
"Your city is well concealed." Hansu gestured toward the bucolic scene in the crater valley.
"The plan was not intended to conceal," corrected the Master. "When our far-off ancestors first crawled from water to land they lived in caves within the cliffs of these sea islands. So, instead of building in the open, our race built within the land — for it is our nature to wish our living space to be enclosed and close to water. As our intelligence and civilization grew our cities became such as Po'ult. We are uncomfortable on the dry plains of the large continents — each of us must serve his apprenticeship there as a duty but he is joyful when he may return to his home island. Are you of a race which lives in the open as do the Llor?"
Hansu nodded, and began to describe Terra, her blue skies, green hills, and open, changeable seas.
"Tell me, since you appear to be one who thinks upon matters beyond his duties for the day, why do you sell your skill to war? You are not barbarian as are the Llor, who are a young race. You must come of an old people, perhaps older than we. Why have you not realized that what you do is a waste, a negation of growth and good?"
"We are born with a will to struggle, a desire to match our strength against that of others. Among our kind when that inner urge is stilled the tribe or nation which has lost it declines. We broke into outer space — and that was a struggle and goal which absorbed us for centuries — we were eager for the stars. But we discovered that space was not ours — that there we were deemed as young and barbaric as the Llor. There were many races and species before us and they had fashioned a code of law and order to control newcomers. Those who exercised that control judged us and ruled that we were, because of our temperaments, unfit for space except within the boundaries they set. Since it was in our nature to fight, we were to provide the mercenaries for other planets. We were geared to that service, a small piece fitted into their pattern. And so it is with us — the price we must pay for the stars since there is this guard upon the stellar lanes."
"To me that does not sound like an equal bargain," commented their host. "And when any bargain is uneven, there comes a day when it will be declared no bargain and he who has been defrauded will go elsewhere to trade. Does the time come when you of Terra will go elsewhere?"
"Perhaps. And what happens here on Fronn may decide that."
"May your trading be even, the profit good!"
"May your ships ever return filled from far voyaging." Hansu made the proper answer as the Master left them.
The Combatants were not summoned to attend the Masters again that day. Soon the storm closed in for a second prolonged buffeting and the window through which they watched the crater was obscured most of the time by foam and flying debris caught up by the gusts.
"D'you think we have a chance?" Kana ventured to interrupt the silence as Hansu stared into the wildness without.
"At least they're now giving us the attention due honored guests. When they fed us they acknowledged equality. And when you win one point you have advanced that far. But their logic is not ours. We cannot deduce what they are going to do by what we would do in their place. You, as an AL man, should know that. This is your first enlistment?"
"Yes, sir."
"Why did you try for AL rating?"
"I liked the basic course, sir. There was a Zacathan instructor — he made me think a lot. And the way his mind worked fascinated me. Through him I met other X-Tees. So I signed for specialization testing and I passed the prelim. It isn't too popular a course — too many extra hours. But — well, sir — it never really seemed like work to me. And visiting around in the X-Tee quarters was more interesting than taking town leave — at least I liked it better though we weren't encouraged to — "
"Make off-world friends, no. Just to learn the minimum enabling us to get around on other planets — I know!"