Astounding British Edition, Volume 8, No. 11 — page 43: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

BLOOD BANK The girl answered. “That's right. Let’s get this over with.” The captain gave her a searing, head-to- toe glance. “Are you the ship’s owner, woman?” Daleth Incorporated contained her anger with an effort. “I am.” The captain told her what a Tragorian thought of it by turning aside from her, and continuing to address Roki as if he were ship’s skipper. “Please leave the ship while we fumigate and inspect. Wohr will make you comfortable in the patrol vessel. You will have to submit to physical ex- amination—a contagion precaution.” Roki nodded, and they started out after the assistant. As they entered the corridor, he grinned at Daleth, and received a savage kick in the shin for his trouble. “Oops, sorry!” she muttered. ““Oh—one moment, sir,” the captain called after them. “May I speak to you a moment—” They both stopped and turned. “Privately,” the captain added. The girl marched angrily on. Roki step- ped back in the cabin and nodded, “You are a well-traveled man, E Roki?” the bushy-browed man asked politely. “Space has been my business.” “Then you need no warning about local customs.” The captain bowed. “J know enough to respect them and con- form to them,” Roki assured him. “That’s a general rule. But I’m not familiar with Tragor III. Is there anything special I should know before we start out?” “Your woman, E Roki. You might do well to inform her that she will have to wear a veil, speak to no man, and be escorted upon the streets at all times. Other- wise, she will be wise to remain on the ship, in her quarters.” Roki suppressed a grin. “I shall try to insure her good behavior.” The captain looked defensive. “You re- gard our customs as primitive?” “Every society to its own tastes, captain. The wisdom of one society would be folly for another. Who is qualified to judge? Only the universe, which passes the judg- ment of survival on all peoples.” “Thank you. You are a wise traveler. I might explain that our purdah is the result of an evolutionary peculiarity. You will see for yourself, however.” “I can’t guarantee my companion’s— be- havior,” Roki said before he went to join < Daleth. “But Til try my best to influence her.” Roki was grinning broadly as he went to the patrol vessel to wait. One thing was certain: the girl would have a rough time on Tragor if she tried to have him jailed for mutiny. Her face reddened to forge-heat as he relayed the captain’s warning. “I shall do nothing of the sort,” she said stiffly. Roki shrugged. “You know enough to respect local customs.” “Not when they're personally humiliat- ing!” She curled up on a padded seat in the visitor's room and began to pout. He decided to drop the subject. Repairing the synchronizers promised to be a week-long job, according to the Tragorian inspector who accompanied the Idiot upon landing. “Our replacements are standardized, of course—within our own system. But parts for SSC ships aren't carried in stock. The synchronizers will have to be specially tailored.” “Any chance of rushing the job?” “A week is rushing it.” “All right, we'll have to wait.” Roki nudged the controls a bit, guiding the ship toward the landing site pointed out by the captain. Daleth was in her cabin, alone, to save herself embarrassment. “May I ask a question about your mission, E Roki—or is it confidential in nature?” Roki paused to think before answering. He would have to lie, of course, but he had to make it safe. Suddenly he chuckled. “I forgot for a moment that you weren’t with Sixty-Star Cluster. So I'll tell you the truth. This is supposed to be an observation mis- 41 sion, officially—but actually, our superior — sent us to buy him a holdful of a certain scarce commodity.” 3 The captain grinned. Graft and corrup- tion were apparently not entirely foreign to Tragor III. But then his grin faded into thoughtfulness. “On Sol’s planets?” . Roki nodded. “This scarce commodity—if I’m not too curious—is it surgibank supplies?” Roki felt his face twitch with surprise. But he recovered from his shock in. an instant. “Perhaps,” he said calmly. He wanted to grab the man by the shoulders and shout a thousand questions, but he said nothing else. The official squirmed in his seat for a time, “Does your federation buy many mercy cargoes from Sol?” CORnMCOOOKSs (Oh