“It’s my job, Captain, sir.”
Joshua took a bundle of leftover Lalonde francs from his ship-suit pocket, and slipped three out. “I appreciate it.” The plastic notes were pressed into the boy’s hand. A smile returned to his face.
“Now tell me,” Joshua said in a low tone. “Someone who can be trusted with passport duty must know what goes on around here, where the bodies are buried, am I right?”
Andrew Unwin nodded, too nervous to speak. What bodies?
“I hear there are some pretty important families on Norfolk, do you know which is the most influential here on Kesteven?”
“That would be the Kavanaghs, Captain, sir. There’s dozens and dozens of them, real gentry; they own farms and houses and businesses all over the island.”
“Do they have any roseyards?”
“Yes, there’s several of their estates which bottle their own Tears.”
“Great. Now, the big question: do you know who handles their offworld sales for them?”
“Yes, Captain, sir,” he said proudly. That wad of crisp notes was still in the captain’s hand, he did his best not to stare at it. “You want Kenneth Kavanagh for that. If anyone can find you a cargo, he can.”
Ten notes were counted off. “Where can I find him?”
“Drayton’s Import company, in Penn Street.”
Joshua handed over the notes.
Andrew folded them with practised alacrity, and shoved them in his shorts pocket. After he’d ridden twenty yards from the spaceplane his processor block let out a quiet bleep. It was fully functional again. He gave it a bewildered look, then shrugged and rode off towards the spaceplane that was just landing.
Judging by the receptionist’s initial attitude, Joshua guessed he wasn’t the first starship captain to come knocking at Drayton’s Import this week. But he managed to catch her eye as she held the pearl handset to her ear, and earned a demure smile.
“Mr Kavanagh will see you now, Captain Calvert,” she said.
“That’s very kind of you to press my case.”
“Not at all.”
“I wonder if you could recommend a decent restaurant for tonight. My associate and I haven’t eaten for hours, we’re looking forward to a meal. Somewhere you use, perhaps?”
She straightened her back self-consciously, and her voice slid up a social stratum. “I sometimes visit the Metropole,” she said airily.
“Then I’m sure it must be delightful.”
Ashly raised his eyes heavenwards in silent appeal.
It was another quarter of an hour before they were shown into Kenneth Kavanagh’s office. Joshua didn’t shirk from eye contact with Gideon when Kenneth introduced them. He got the distinct impression the amputee victim was suppressing extreme nervousness, his face was held too rigidly, as if he was afraid of showing emotions. Then he realized that Kenneth was watching his own reaction. Something about the situation wasn’t quite right.
Kenneth offered them seats in front of the desk as Gideon explained how he’d lost his arm. The restriction on medical cloning was a stiff one, Joshua thought, although he could appreciate the reasoning. Once the line was drawn, Norfolk had to stick to it. They wanted a stable pastoral culture. If you opened the doors to one medical technology, where did you stop? He was glad he didn’t have to decide.
“Is this your first visit to Norfolk, Captain?” Kenneth asked.
“Yes. I only started flying last year.”
“Is that so? Well, I always like to welcome first-time captains. I believe it’s important to build up personal contacts.”
“That sounds like a good policy.”
“Exporting Norfolk Tears is our lifeblood, alienating starship captains is not a wise option.”
“I’m hoping I won’t be alienated.”
“And so do I. I try not to send anyone away empty handed, although you must understand there is a high level of demand, and I do have long-established customers to whom I owe a certain loyalty. And most of them have been here a week or more already. I have to say, you have left it somewhat late. What sort of cargo size were you thinking of?”
“Lady Mac can boost a thousand tonnes without too much trouble.”
“Captain Calvert, there are some of my oldest customers who don’t get that many cases.”
“I have a trade proposition for you, a part exchange.”
“Well, a trade is always helpful; although Norfolk’s import laws are rather strict. I couldn’t countenance breaking, or even bending them. I have the family reputation to consider.”
“I understand perfectly,” Joshua said.
“Jolly good. What is it you’ve brought?”
“Wood.”
Kenneth Kavanagh gave him a stupefied stare, then burst out laughing. Even Gideon’s sombre expression perked up.
“Wood? Are you serious?” Kenneth asked. “Your starship hold is full of wood?”
“A thousand tonnes.” Joshua turned the seal of the shoulder-bag and pulled out the black wedge of mayope he’d brought. He had chosen it specially in the lumberyard back on Lalonde. It was a standard slice, twenty-five centimetres long, but the bark was still attached, and more importantly, there was a small twig with a few shrivelled leaves. He dropped it on the middle of the desk, making a solid thud.
Kenneth stopped laughing and leaned forward. “Good Lord.” He tapped it with a fingernail, then gave it a harder knock with his knuckles.
Without speaking, Joshua handed over a stainless steel chisel.
Kenneth applied the sharp blade to the wood. “I can’t even scratch it.”
“You normally need a fission blade to cut mayope. But it can be cut with the mechanical power saws you have on Norfolk,” Joshua said. “Though it’s a brute of a job. As you can imagine, once it’s cut into shape it’s incredibly hard wearing. I expect your artisans could come up with a few interesting applications if they put their minds to it.”
Kenneth picked the wedge up in one hand to test the weight, pulling thoughtfully on his lower lip with the other. “Mayope, you call it?”
“That’s right, it comes from a planet called Lalonde. Which is tropical; in other words it won’t grow here on Norfolk. Not without extensive geneering, anyway.” He looked at Gideon who was standing behind Kenneth’s chair. The man showed a certain admiration for the wood, but he wasn’t particularly involved, not like his senior cousin. Surely an aide should at least ask one question? But then he hadn’t said a word since they had been introduced. Why was he present? Joshua instinctively knew the reason was important. If the Kavanaghs were as eminent as they appeared, even an injured one wouldn’t be wasting time standing about in an office doing nothing.
He thought of Ione again. “Trust yourself when it comes to people,” she’d said.
“Have you been to any other importer with this?” Kenneth asked cautiously.