"They would seem almost invulnerable, then - to the usual methods of destruction," was Magnus Ridolph's comment.
"That's about it," said Solinsky brightly. "I suppose a meson grenade would do the trick, but there wouldn't be much specimen left for you to examine."
"My interest in these creatures is not wholly impersonal," said Magnus Ridolph. "They are devouring my ticholama; I want to halt this activity."
"Well - " Solinsky hesitated. "I don't like to say it, Mr. Ridolph, but I'm afraid there's very little you can do - except next year don't raise so tempting a crop. They only go after the choicest fields. Another thing, they're dangerous. Any poor devil they chance upon, they tear him to pieces. So don't go out with a shotgun to scare 'em away."
"No," said Magnus Ridolph. "I shall have to devise other means."
"Hope you succeed," said Solinsky. "No one ever has before."
Magnus Ridolph returned to the kitchen, where Chook was peeling starchy blue bush-apples.
"I see you are preparing lunch," said Magnus Ridolph, "Is it - ?" He raised his eyebrows interrogatively.
Chook rumbled an affirmative. Magnus Ridolph came over beside him, watched a moment.
"Have you ever seen one of these Howling Bounders close at hand?"
"No," said Chook. "When I hear noise, I sleep, stay quiet."
"What do they look like?"
"Very tall, long arms. Ugly - like men." He turned a lambent bottle-green eye at Magnus Ridolph's beard. "But no hair."
"I see," said Magnus Ridolph, stroking the beard. He wandered outside, seated himself on a bench, and relaxed in the warm light of Naos. He found a piece of paper, scribbled. A buzz reached his ears, grew louder, and presently Blantham's copter dropped into his front yard. Blantham hopped out, brisk, cleanly-shaven, his wide-set eyes bright, his jowls pink with health. When he saw Magnus Ridolph, he shaped his features into a frame of grave solicitude.
"Mr. Ridolph, a distressing report has reached me. I understand - I just learned this morning - that those devilish Bounders have been seen on your plantation."
Magnus Ridolph nodded. "Yes, something of that nature has been called to my attention."
"Words can't convey my sense of guilt," said Blantham. "Naturally I'd never have saddled you with the property if I'd known..."
"Naturally," agreed Magnus Ridolph siccatively.
"As soon as I heard, I came over to make what amends I could, but I fear they can only be nominal. You see, last night, as soon as I banked your check, I paid off a number of outstanding debts and I only have about fifty thousand munits left. If you'd like me to take over the burden of coping with those beasts..." He paused, coughed.
Magnus Ridolph looked mildly upward. "That's exceedingly generous of you, Mr. Blantham - a gesture few men would make. However, I think I may be able to salvage something from the property. I am not completely discouraged."
"Good, good," was Blantham's hasty comment. "Never say die; I always admire courage. But I'd better warn you that once those pestiferous Bounders start on a field they never stop till they've run through the whole works. When they reach the cottage you'll be in extreme danger. Many, many men and women they've killed."
"Perhaps," Magnus Ridolph suggested, "you will permit the harvester to gather such of my crop as he is able before starting with yours?"
Blantham's face became long and doleful. "Mr. Ridolph, nothing could please me more than to say yes to your request, but you don't know these Garswan contractors. They're stubborn, inflexible. If I were to suggest any change in our contract, he'd probably cancel the entire thing. And naturally, I must protect my wife, my family. In the second place, there is probably little of your ticholama ripe enough to harvest. The Bounders, you know, attack the plant just before its maturity." He shook his head. "With the best of intentions, I can't see how to help you, unless it's by the method I suggested a moment ago."
Magnus Ridolph raised his eyebrows. "Sell you back the property for fifty thousand munits?"
Blantham coughed. "I'd hardly call it selling. I merely wish - "
"Naturally, naturally," agreed Magnus Ridolph. "However, let us view the matter from a different aspect. Let us momentarily forget that we are friends, neighbors, almost business asociates, each acting only through motives of the highest integrity. Let us assume that we are strangers, unmoral, predatory."
Blantham blew out his cheeks, eyed Magnus Ridolph doubtfully. "Far-fetched, of course. But go on."
"On this latter assumption, let us come to a new agreement."
"Such as?"
"Let us make a wager," mused Magnus Ridolph. "The plantation here against - say, a hundred thirty thousand munits - but I forgot. You have spent your money."
"What would be the terms of the wager?" inquired Blantham, inspecting his finger-tips.
"A profit of sixty-nine thousand munits was mentioned in connection with the sale of the property. The advent of the - ah! - Howling Bounders made this figure possibly over-optimistic."
Blantham murmured sympathetically.
"However," continued Magnus Ridolph, "I believe that a profit of sixty-nine thousand munits is not beyond reason, and I would like to wager the plantation against 130,000 munits on those terms."
Blantham gave Magnus Ridolph a long bright stare. "From the sale of ticholama?"
Magnus Ridolph eloquently held his arms out from his sides. "What else is there to yield a profit?"
"There's no mineral on the property, that's certain," muttered Blantham. "No oil, no magnoflux vortex." He looked across the field to the devastated area. "When those Bounders start on a field, they don't stop, you know."
Magnus Ridolph shrugged. "Protecting my land from intrusion is a problem to which a number of solutions must exist."
Blantham eyed him curiously. "You're very confident."
Magnus Ridolph pursed his lips. "I believe in an aggressive attitude toward difficulties."
Blantham turned once more toward the blighted area, looked boldly back at Magnus Ridolph. "I'll take that bet."
"Good," said Magnus Ridolph. "Let us take your copter to Garswan and cast the wager into a legal form."
In the street below the notary's office later, Magnus Ridolph tucked his copy of the agreement into the microfilm compartment of his wallet.
"I think," he told Blantham, who was watching him covertly with an air of sly amusement, "that I'll remain in Garswan the remainder of the day. I want to find a copter, perhaps take back a few supplies."
"Very well, Mr. Ridolph." Blantham inclined his head courteously, swung his dark blue cape jauntily across his shoulders. "I wish you the best of luck with your plantation."
"Thank you," said Magnus Ridolph, equally punctilious, "and may you likewise enjoy the returns to which you are entitled."
Blantham departed; Magnus Ridolph turned up the main street. Garswan owed its place as Naos VI's first city only to a level field of rock-hard clay, originally the site of native fire-dances. There was little else to commend Garswan, certainly no scenic beauty.
The main street started at the space-port, wound under a great raw bluff of red shale, plunged into a jungle of snake-vine, inch-moss, hammock tree. The shops and dwellings were half of native-style, of slate stabs with curving gables and hollow end-walls; half dingy frame buildings. There was a warehouse, a local of the space-men's union, a Rhodopian social hall, an Earth-style drug-store, a side street given to a native market, a copter yard.