Astounding Science Fiction (UK Edition) — page 57: what you’re looking at

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

THE IRON STANDARD windows open to the cooling breezes. Jorust was skittering around the room on a high chair, equipped with wheels and some sort of motor. Along the walls ran a slanting shelf, like a desk and presumably serving the same function. It was shoulder-high, but Jorust’s chair raised her to its level. She probably. started in one corner in the morning, Munn thought, and worked her way around the room during the day. Jorust was a slim, gray-haired Venusian woman with a skin the texture of fine shagreen, and alert black eyes that were wary now. She climbed down from her chair, gestured the men to seats, and took one herself. She lit a pipe that looked like an oversized cigarette holder, stuffing it ‘with a cylinder of pressed yellow herbs. Aromatic smoke drifted up. Underhill sniffed wistfully. “May you be worthy of your fathers,”’ Jorust said politely, extending her six- fingered hand in greeting. “What brings you?” “Hunger,” Munn said bluntly. it’s about time for a showdown.” Jorust watched him inscrutably. “Well?”’ “We don’t like being pushed around.” “Have we harmed you?” the Council head asked. Munn looked at her. “‘Let’s put our cards on the table. We’re getting the squeeze play. You’re a big shot here, and you’re either responsible or you know why. How about 1?’ | “No,” Jorust said after a pause, “no, I’m not as powerful as you seem to think. I am one of the administrators. I do not make the laws. I merely see that they are carried out. We are not enemies.” “That might happen,” Munn said grimly. “If another expedition comes from Earth and finds us dead—” “We would not kill you. It is untradi- tional.” “You could starve us to death, though.” Jorust narrowed her eyes. “Buy food. Any man can do that, no matter what his race.” ““And what do we use for money?” Munn asked. “You won’t take our currency. We haven’t any of yours.” “Your currency is worthless,” Jorust ex- plained. “We have gold and silver for the mining—it is common here. A difal—twelve fals—will buy a good deal of food. A sofal will buy even more than that.” She was right, of course, Munn knew. A sofal was one thousand seven hundred . twenty-eight fals. Yeah! “TI think scended in the elevator, 55 “And how do you expect us to get any of your iron money?” he snapped. “Work for it, as our own people do. The fact that you are from another world does not dispose of your obligatory duty . create through labor.” “All right,’ Munn pursued, “we’re will- ing. Get us a job.” : “What kind?” “Dredging canals! Anything!” “Are you a member of the canal dred- gers’ tarkomar?“ “No,” Munn said. forgotten to join?” Jorust ignored the sarcasm. “You must join. All trades here have their tarkomars.” “Lend me a thousand sofals and Ill join one.” “You have tried that before,” Jorust told him. “Our moneylenders report that your collateral was worthless.” “Worthless! D’you mean to say we’ve nothing in our ship worth a thousand sofals to your race? It’s a squeeze play and you know it. Our water purifier alone is worth six times that to you.’ Jorust seemed affronted. “For a thousand years we have cleansed our water with char- coal. If we changed now, we would be naming our ancestors fools. They were not fools; they were great and wise.” “What about progress?” “IT see no need for it,’ Jorust said. “Our civilization is a perfect unit as it stands. Even the beggars are well-fed. There is no unhappiness on Venus. The ways of our ancestors have been tested and found good. So why change?” “RBit—" “We would merely upset the status quo if we altered the balance,’ Jorust said de- cisively, rising. “May you be worthy of your fathers’ names.” “Listen—” Munn began. But Jorust was back on her chair, no longer listening. : The three Earthmen looked at another, shrugged, and went out. answer was definitely no. “And that,’ Munn said, as they de- “is emphatically that. Jorust plans to have us starve to death. The word’s out.” Underhill was inclined to disagree. ‘“‘She’s all right. As she said, she’s just an adminis- trator. It’s the tarkomars who are the pres- sure group here. They’re a powerful bloc.” “How could I have one The “They run Venus. I know.” Munn grimaced. “It’s difficult to understand the Comiclooks.con