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arranged in the ground the way he'd expected.'
'This fellow, be must have had sponsors,' said Malaika. 'Why didn't he take
this information to them?'
'The man owed a very great debt to my ship-brother. Heknew of his interest in
Tar-Aiym relics. Supplying Bran with this information was his way of paying
off the debt. It was of a personal nature and going into it here can serve no
purpose. It would have been a more than equitable reimbursement.'
'Would have been?' Malaika's humour was degenerating visibly into irritation.
'Come, come, gentlesirs, all this subtle evasion makes my mind sleepy and
shortens my patience.'
'No evasion intended, merchant. The man was to have met us in our rooms in the
market section of the city, bringing with him a star map listing complete
co-ordinates for the planet. As we had previously agreed on you as a likely
sponsor, the three of us were then to proceed on to this house. When he did
not arrive as scheduled we decided after some deliberation to seek you out
anyway, in the hope that with your resources you might discover some hint as
to his whereabouts.
In any case, it would have been difficult to maintain our independence much
longer. Despite our best efforts, we do not look like tourists. Enterprising
persons had already begun asking awkward questions.'
'I will - ' began Malaika, but Flinx interrupted.
'Did your friend by any chance have red hair?'
Tse-Mallory jerked around violently. For a second Flinx had a glimpse into
something terrifying and bloody, which until now the sociologist had kept well
buried beneath a placid exterior. It faded as rapidly as it had appeared, but
a hint of it persisted in the crisp, military tones of the sociologist's
voice.
'How did you know that?'
Flinx pulled the crumpled piece of plastic from his pocket and handed it to an
astounded
Truzenzuzex. Tse-Mallory recovered himself and glanced at the unfolded sheet.
Flinx continued unperturbed.
'I have a hunch that's your star map. I was on my way to Small Symm's
establishment when my attention was caught by a commotion in an alleyway.
Ordinarily I would have ignored it. That is
file:///F|/rah/Alan%20Dean%20Foster/Foster,%20...ean%20-%20Flinx%202%20-%20Tar
-Aiym%20Krang.txt (21 of 79) [1/16/03 6:44:31 PM]
file:///F|/rah/Alan%20Dean%20Foster/Foster,%20Alan%20Dean%20-%20Flinx%202%20-%
20Tar-Aiym%20Krang.txt the way one lives in Drallar, if one wishes to
livelong. But for reasons unknown and thrice cursed my pet,' he gestured at
Pip, 'got curious, and took it into his head to investigate. The occupants of
the alley took exception to his presence. An unfunny fight was in progress,
and in the situation which developed the only argument I had was my knife.
'Your friend had been attacked by two men. Professionals by their looks and
actions. They weren't very good ones. I killed one, and Pip finished the
other. Your friend was already dead.
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I'm sorry.' He did not mention his earlier encounter with the three.
Tse-Mallory was looking from the map to Flinx. 'Well, it was said before that
it was a fortuitous circumstance that brought you to our notice. Now it
appears to have been doubly so.'
He was interrupted by an intent Malaika, who snatched up the map and moved
over to where a flexilamp was poised. Positioning the powerful beam he began
to study the lines and symbols on the plastic with great deliberation. Dust
motes danced drunken spirals in the subdued light.
'A most unusual and versatile pet,' commented Truzenzuzex idly. I've heard of
them. The mortality rate from their venom is notoriously high, giving them a
reputation all out of proportion to their numbers and disposition.
Fortunately, as I understand it, they do not seem to attack without due
provocation.'
'That's right, sir,' said Flinx, scratching the object under discussion on the
side of its narrow head. 'A ship's physician at the shuttleport once told me
he'd met a scientist who'd actually been to Alaspin. The minidrag is native to
there, you know. In his spare time, the man had done some limited research on
them.
'He said they seemed standoffish, which struck me as kind of a funny way to
describe a poisonous reptile. But harmless unless, as you said, provoked. Pip
was already pretty tame when I
found him. At least, I've never had any trouble with him. The people in my
area have learned to tolerate him, mostly because they haven't any choice.'
'Understandable attitude,' murmured the philosoph.
'This doctor's friend was with an expedition to Alaspin to study the ruins of
the ancient civilization there. He hypotha ... hypothesized that the
minidrag's ancestors might have been raised as pets by whoever had produced
that culture. Selective breeding could account for some of their peculiar
characteristics. Like, they have no natural enemies on the planet. Fortunately
their birthrate is very low. And they are omnivorous as well as carnivorous. I [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]