Slave Ship from Sergan by E. C. Tubb

Author:E. C. Tubb [Tubb, E. C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science fiction
ISBN: 9780575107731
Publisher: DAW Books
Published: 2011-09-29T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Sina Lahari spread his hands and said, flatly, “My lord, what you ask is impossible. It cannot be done.”

“Cannot?” Elgha Zupreniz snarled with rage, his crest burning orange. “I am the ruler of this world. There is nothing I cannot do. How dare you defy me?”

Lahari sighed, wondering not for the first time how any thinking creature could be such a fool. It had its advantages, of course, but at times his mind felt numbed, bruised by the impact of ignorance. Soon, he promised himself. Very soon now he would act and then all this aggravation would be over. But not yet. For now he had to maintain the pretense that it was Elgha Zupreniz who really ran the operation. That he was just a willing tool and a dedicated servant and friend.

“Consider the matter, my lord,” he said smoothly. “The man you speak of is dangerous in more ways than one. You saved his life in order to use him in the arena. That is proof enough of his capability for destruction. And then?”

“Your man took him from my house. I had a match arranged, bets placed, the thing completed. He was to fight a croat. He would have killed the thing and I would have won a fortune. And now?” The Lord of Sergan lifted one clenched hand and smashed it down on the desk. Beneath the scales the plastic split like glass. “Now I am the object of amusement. The Fenedish laugh in my face. Where is my champion, they ask. Do you know what it means on Obrac to lose by default?”

“I can guess,” said Lahari patiently. “But, my lord, the man need not have won.”

“So?”

“He would have died and you would have lost just the same. Perhaps Sincet did wrong, but the thing is done and cannot be undone. What if I released him? How can you be sure that he wouldn’t tell how you obtain your wealth?”

“And if he did?”

“To you, nothing,” admitted Lahari. “But you have jealous brothers. Once they know what we are doing here, they could move in. You would be challenged and the challenges would never end. And you could be assassinated,” he added shrewdly. “The act would be justified by our use of slaves.”

“No.” Elgha Zupreniz shook his head. “I am the undisputed ruler of this world. All Obrac accepts that. The nobles would never dare to move against me. It is against all tradition.”

The fool was shrewder than he seemed. Lahari reminded himself not to take too much for granted. He said, “That is true, my lord, but there are others. Let the news leak out and where will it end? Once the source of your wealth is common knowledge, enemies will arise. I know men better than you. We have taken miners, robbed ships, forced men into servitude. On most worlds that is reason enough for action to be taken. Add the wealth which lies here and an armada will move against us. Ships and men armed and thirsting for revenge.

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