"
Yes, a light cruiser, one of the fast ships maintained by the big
Companies, could make the transition to Sargol with a slight margin to
spare. Stotz nodded his approval at this practical solution.
"I'm going with it--" That did jerk them all up short. For Van Rycke to
leave the Queen--_that_ was as unthinkable as if Captain Jellico had
suddenly announced that he was about to retire and become a kelp farmer.
"Just for the one trip," the Cargo-master hastened to assure them. "I
smooth their vector with the storm priests and hand over so the Eysies
will be frozen out--"
Captain Jellico interrupted at that point. "D'you mean that Combine is
_buying_ us out--not just taking over? What kind of a deal--"
But Van Rycke, his smile a brilliant stretch across his plump face, was
nodding in agreement. "They're taking over our contract and our place
with the Salariki."
"In return for what?" Steen Wilcox asked for them all.
"For twenty-five thousand credits and a mail run between Xecho and
Trewsworld--frontier planets. They're far enough from Terra to get around
the exile ruling.
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