a couch at theside of the room, surrounded by reports and abstracts and summaries,looked up.
"I took hours and hours of hypno-mech on Kholghoor Sector religions,before I went out on that wild-goose chase for psychokinesis andprecognition data," she said. "About six or eight hundred years ago,there were religious wars and heresies and religious schisms all overthe Kharanda country. No matter how uniform the Kholghoor Sector maybe otherwise, there are dozens and dozens of small belts andsub-sectors of different religions or sects or god-cults."
"That's right," Ranthar Jard agreed, brightening. "We havehagiologists who know all that stuff; we'll have a couple of theminterrogate those slaves. I don't know how much they can get out ofthem--lot of peasants, won't be up on the theological niceties--but asynthesis of what we get from the lot of them--"
"That's an idea," Vall agreed. "About the first idea we've had,here--Oh, how about politics, too? Check on who's the king, what thestories about the royal family are, that sort of thing."
Ranthar Jard looked at the map on the wall. "The Croutha have onlygotten halfway to Nharkan, here. Say we transpose detectives in atnight on some of these time lines we think are promising, and checkup at the tax-collection offices on a big landowner north of Jhirdanamed Ghromdour? That might get us something."
"Well, I don't want you to think we're trying to get out of work,Chief's Assistant," one of the deputies said, "but is there any realnecessity for our trying to locate the Wizard Trader time lines? Ifyou can get them from the Esaron Sector, it'll be the same, won't it?"
"Marv, in this business you never depend on just one lead," RantharJard told him. "And beside, when Skordran Kirv's gang hits the base ofoperations in North America, there's no guarantee that they may nothave time to send off a radio warning to the crowd at the base here inIndia. We have to hit both places at once."
"Well, that, too," Vall said. "But the main thing is to get theseWizard Trader camps on the Kholghoor Sector cleaned out. How are youfixed for men and equipment, for a big raid, Jard?"
Ranthar Jard shrugged. "I can get about five hundred men withconveyers, including a couple of two-hundred-footers to carryairboats," he said.
"Not enough. Skordran Kirv has one complete armored brigade, oneairborne infantry brigade, and an air cavalry regiment, withGhaldron-Hesthor equipment for a simultaneous transposition," Vallsaid.
"Where in blazes did he get them all?" Ranthar Jard demanded.
"They're guard troops, from Service Sector and Industrial Sector.We'll get you the same sort of a force. I only hope we don't haveanother Prole insurrection while they're away--"
"Well, don't think I'm trying to argue policy with you," Ranthar Jardsaid, "but that could raise a dreadful stink on Home Time Line.Especially on top of this news-break about the slave trade."
"We'll have to take a chance on that," Vall said. "If you're worriedabout what the book says, forget it. We're throwing the book away, onthis operation. Do you realize that this thing is a threat to thewhole Paratime Civilization?"
"Of course I do," Ranthar Jard said. "I know the doctrine of ParatimeSecurity as well as you or anybody else. The question is, does thepublic realize it?"
A buzzer sounded. Ranthar Jard pressed a switch on the intercom-box infront of him and said: "Ranthar here. Well?"
"Visiphone call, top urgency, just came in for Chief's AssistantVerkan, from Novilan Equivalent. Where can I put it through, sir?"
"Here; booth seven." Ranthar Jard pointed across the room, nodding toVall. "In just a moment."
* * * * *
Gathon Dard and Antrath Alv--temporary local aliases, Ganadara andAtarazola--sat relaxed in their saddles, swaying to the motion oftheir horses. They wore the rust-brown hooded cloaks of the northernJeseru people, in sober contrast to the red and yellow and bluestriped robes and sun-bonnets of the Caleras in whose company theyrode. They carried short repeating carbines in saddle scabbards, andheavy revolvers and long knives on their belts, and each led sixheavily-laden pack-horses.
Coru-hin-Irigod, riding beside Ganadara, pointed up the trail ahead.
"From up there," he said, speaking in Acalan, the lingua franca of theNorth American West Coast on that sector, "we can see across thevalley to Careba. It will be an hour, as we ride, with thepack-horses. Then we will rest, and drink wine, and feast."
Ganadara nodded. "It was the guidance of our gods--and yours,Coru-hin-Irigod--that we met. Such slaves as you sold at theoutlanders' plantation would bring a fine price in the North. The menare strong, and have the look of good field-workers; the women arecomely and well-formed. Though I fear that my wife would little relishit did I bring home such handmaidens."
Coru-hin-Irigod laughed. "For your wife, I will give you one of ourriding whips." He leaned to the side, slashing at a cactus with hisquirt. "We in Careba have no trouble with our wives, about handmaidensor anything else."
"By Safar, if you doubt your welcome at Careba, wait till you showyour wares," another Calera said. "Rifles and revolvers like thosecome to our country seldom, and then old and battered, sold or stolenmany times before we see them. Rifles that fire seven times withouttaking butt from shoulder!" He invoked the name of the Great LordSafar again.
The trail widened and leveled; they all came up abreast, with thepack-horses strung out behind, and sat looking across the valley tothe adobe walls of the town that perched on the opposite ridge. Aftera while, riders began dismounting and checking and tighteningsaddle-girths; a couple of Caleras helped Ganadara and Atarazolainspect their pack-horses. When they remounted, Atarazola bowed hishead, lifting his left sleeve to cover his mouth, and muttered into itat some length. The Caleras looked at him curiously, andCoru-hin-Irigod inquired of Ganadara what he did.
"He prays," Ganadara said. "He thanks our gods that we have lived tosee your town, and asks that we be spared to bring many more trains ofrifles and ammunition up this trail."
The slaver nodded understandingly. The Caleras were a pious people,too, who believed in keeping on friendly terms with the gods.
"May Safar's hand work with the hands of your gods for it," he said,making what, to a non-Calera, would have been an extremely ribaldsign.
"The gods watch over us," Atarazola said, lifting his head. "They arenear us even now; they have spoken words of comfort in my ear."'
Ganadara nodded. The gods to whom his partner prayed were a couple ofparatime policemen, crouching over a radio a mile or so down theridge.
"My brother," he told Coru-hin-Irigod, "is much favored by our gods.Many people come to him to pray for them."
"Yes. So you told me, now that I think on it." That detail had beenincluded in the pseudo-memories he had been given under hypnosis. "Iserve Safar, as do all Caleras, but I have heard that the Jeserus'gods are good gods, dealing honestly with their servants."
* * * * *
An hour later, under the walls of the town, Coru-hin-Irigod drew oneof his pistols and fired all four barrels in rapid succession into theair, shouting, "Open! Open for Coru-hin-Irigod, and for the Jeserutraders, Ganadara and Atarazola, who are with him!"
A head, black-bearded and sun-bonneted, appeared between the brickmerlons of the wall above the gate, shouted down a welcome, and thenturned away to bawl orders. The gate slid aside, and, after thecaravan had passed through, naked slaves pushed the massive thing shutagain. Although they were familiar with the interior of the town, fromphotographs taken with boomerang-balls--automatic-return transpositionspheres like message-balls--they looked around curiously. The centralsquare was thronged--Caleras in striped robes, people from the southand east in baggy trousers and embroidered shirts, mountaineers indeerskins. A slave market was in progress, and some hundred-odd itemsof human merchandise were assembled in little groups, guarded by theirowners and inspected by prospective buyers. They seemed to be allnatives of that geographic and paratemporal area.
"Don't even look at those," Coru-hin-Irigod advised. "They are butculls; the marke
t is almost over. We'll go to the house ofNebu-hin-Abenoz, where all the considerable men gather, and you willfind those who will be able to trade slaves worthy of the goods youhave with you. Meanwhile, let my people take your horses and packs tomy house; you shall be my guests while you stay in Careba."
It was perfectly safe to trust Coru-hin-Irigod. He was a murderer anda brigand and a slaver, but he would never incur the scorn of men andthe curse of the gods by dealing foully with a guest. The horses andpacks were led away by his retainers; Ganadara and Atarazola pushedtheir horses