As the Lupan raider sped from the system they had just struck, its commander
was pleased. He was the first of his people ever to successfully raid a Hume
colony. Now, his cargo hold was packed with treasure, treasure that would
bring him a considerable profit when it was auctioned off on his home world.
"Any sign of pursuit?" he asked one of his officers.
"No, sir," the officer replied, "the nullifier he left in their system has
just been shut down. There was no way they could track us while it functioned."
"When our Zarin allies join us," said the commander, "I will not mind giving
them their share of their prize money. It was a brilliant idea to disguise
our ship as a gas bag attached to their hull! When we dropped off, they simply
had to attach another, and inflate it. The Humes suspected nothing."
An officer entered the bridge and the commander turned to him. "What is
it?" he said.
"One of the crewmen disobeyed orders and went in to try out some of the
cargo. I think you'd better come have a look."
"I told them not to TOUCH the cargo!" the commander said. "I want none
of it spoiled until it's sold. I'll not have its value decreased!"
He reached back to the hold and even as the hatch opened, he smelled blood.
Off the narrow corridor on each side were racks and racks of narrow bunks
into which Hume females had been packed. There were seven layers of such
bunks. On the walkway between the bunks more females sat packed together
so tightly there was no room to move around. The commander descended to the
bottom-most level. Near the door one of his men lay on the floor...what was
left of him. He had literally been ripped apart. Several stunned females
were being tended as best they could, by their companions.
"Weapons at the ready," said the commander. His guards brought up their
stunners as the door was opened, and the body of their comrade was dragged
out.
"If you weren't so valuable," said the commander, "I'd hang all of you as
a lesson for the others. But I can't afford such a waste. THAT one's got
the most blood on her. Take her. We'll use her as an example for the rest.
Hang her here. Then, so the rest can see, hang her in front of the other
levels, so they get the idea, too. You obey or you die. WE are your masters
now! You will learn obedience."
"If you step inside," said one of the women, "and are careless for a moment,
you will learn just how obedient we are! And I promise you now, you will
pay for this innocent blood."
"Innocent blood?" said the commander, "You murdered one of my men. What
do you expect me to do? I told you to behave and you would be treated well.
If you disobey you pay the price."
"It is YOU who will pay the price!" the woman said. "Our people are already
in pursuit. Your friend here, talked too much, and we were able to atell
our men back on the colony who took us, and where we're headed. They are
already in pursuit. If you kill our sister you will pay the price!"
"Savages!" said the Lupan. "We don't believe in your religious mumbo-jumbo!
You can no more communicate with your minds than we can, so don't try to
frighten me!"
As the guards dragged the chosen woman out, she suddenly pulled free from
the guards and a metallic object in her hand slashed at the commander ripping
into his canine jaw and tearing up the side of his face. Before the woman
could strike again, the guards disarmed her, handing the commander the jagged
piece of metal ripped from one of the doorcases.
"Damn you whores!" the commander said. Not personally wanting to witness
the hanging, he hurried off to medical to get his wound repaired. When he
retired to the bridge he asked if anyone was following.
"There's only one ship behind us," said an officer. "it's our Earth friends
about a day and a half behind. Apparantly they've concluded their business
and are anxious to catch up with us to collect their prize."
"Good!" said the commander. "We're two days away from Lupa. Contact the
capitol. Tell them we have more than a full load to be sold by auction at
the space port, to the biggest bidder. Every noble in the district will be
there. The bidding will be good. Maybe even a representative of The First
Pack! I smell much gold and platinum flowing into our accounts. We're going
to be rich, gentlemen, very rich!"
By the time they went in to land, The Zarin ship was only minutes behind
them. While the cargo was being cleaned and appropriately dressed for the
occassion the Lupan commander took his manifest to the auctioneer. "The auction
area is already packed," said the auctioneer. "I have never seen so many
nobles in all my days! Every high pack is represented, and the King's own
council has already taken his royal place. We should be ready to begin in
about an hour."
The Lupan commander returned to see to the cargo's preparations. As they
were being brought out, he spoke to the woman who had taken charge of her
companions.
"You will be completely obedient," he said. "Remember you are no longer
among your people, and among ours women know their place, and are subserviant.
You will learn to be quickly, or your lives will become very miserable.
Do I make myself clear?"
The woman said nothing, but spat in the commander's face.
"Damn you!" said the commander. "This stupid ignorant pride will get you
all killed! Be reasonable! Submit to our authority, respect and obey your
masters!"
"Give us the opportunity," the woman said, "and we will kill our masters!
We will not be slaves. It is not our people's way. WE are not afraid to
die for our freedom. We know we will live again."
The Lupan commander ordered extra guards. He had a feeling these women
were going to be hard to handle and he was not wrong. As they were being
taken to the display area they tried to overpower the guards. Not wanting
to stun them before the sale, they had to subdue them by hand, leaving many
of the guards injured. But finally the first woman was brought up on the
block and the auction was ready to begin. The Lupan commander saw his Zarin
counterpart and saluted. The Zarin returned the salute but the Lupan noticed
something strange. All the Zarin troopers were scattered around the edge
of the display area, and had their battle visors down. Oh, well, perhaps
they were just being cautious. The auctioneer began to speak.
"We have here, gentlemen," he said, "one of the rarest cargo ever to be
brought back by our traders. At tremendous cost to them they have managed
to purchase for the first time, Hume females, all young, all prime, all excellent
for servants or for other purposes. Just look at this first example! A
lovely creature by anyone's standards. I think it only reasonable that bidding
on any one of these fine creatures begin at 500 gold credits apiece. I think
that is the only reasonable beginning bid. Do I hear that offered?"
The Zarin commander rose. "I wish to make a bid," he said, "I wish to bid
for these women...the lives of every man, woman and child on this spaceport,
and, in the surrounding area for 200 legues about it!Will that bid be accepted?"
A murmur went ujp through the crowd, and the auctioneer fell silent. In
the front of the crowd the royal representative rose and turned toward the
Zarin commander.
"An intereting bid, sir!" he said. "May I ask for what reason you make
it?"
The Zarin commander unsnapped the helmet and lifted it off his head. "Becaue,"
he said, "I am The First Speaker of the colony from where these women were
abducted. Moments ago a small ship left our freighter. It is now two leagues
above your head. It carries a single thermite bomb, the capabilities of which
you are well aware of. I might mention that the bomb is so rigged that should
a stun beam hit that ship, it will explode. You will also note that each
of my troopers and myself are wearing thermite charges similarily
equippped. Should we be struck by a stun beam, or any beam weapon, for that
matter, they will detonate. I'm sure you realize what that will mean. In
a crowd as densely packed as this one is, those that die will be the lucky
ones. Thermite burns bring slow and agonizing death!"
"I do not understand," said the royal representative, "these females were
traded for fairly and honorably. Do you now try to come and take them back?"
"The settlement in which these women lived," said the Hume Speaker, "was
heavily stun-beamed while they slept. This commander and his crew then landed
and packed their vessel with every woman they could find in the vacinity,
then took off, disrupting our tracking system so we could not pursue them.
Fortunately before they got out of range of our telepathic ability, one of
your crewmen described the whole plot to one of our women. We seized the
Zarin ship and pursued. We now place the crew of that raider under arrest.
They will be taken back to stand trial for their crimes."