Spinneret

Allerton shrugged. "Nothing I've heard the Ctencri say has even hinted at this type of technology. Particularly the gravity control the Spi

"You can surely assume the Rooshrike had no inkling it was on Astra, also," Saleh ruminated. "Unless they had tried already to locate it and hoped we could do so for them … no. That makes no sense."

"I agree. Almost certainly this is completely unknown, at least in this part of space. And it's going to drastically change mankind's position in the interstellar trading community."

Saleh smiled sardonically. "As well as that of the U.S. in this community, of course." The smile faded. "I imagine your mandate will have to be reconsidered."

"I don't see why," Allerton said, keeping his voice steady. He'd known the Astran Mandate would quickly be altered—if not scrapped altogether—but had hoped disbelief in the report would slow the process. "We haven't broken any of the conditions of the agreement."

"Don't act naive. We both understand the politics involved … and how those politics have now changed."

"Certainly. But if those nations—and groups of nations— who thought Astra was an amusing albatross to hang around our neck think they can vote themselves a large piece of the pie we've discovered, they'd better check the fine print. The mandate can't be changed without Security Council approval, and last I checked we still had a veto there."

"Legally, of course, you're correct," Saleh conceded. "But I'll warn you that you'll face a great deal of worldwide public condemnation if you attempt to keep Astra's discoveries for yourself."

Allerton leaned back in his chair and favored Saleh with a faint smile. "Actually, Mr. Saleh, I think in a case like this I'd be perfectly willing to tell world opinion to go take a walk in hard vacuum. For once the United States is not going to back down from a perfectly legal and reasonable position just because someone else doesn't like it."

Saleh's face was still calm, but there was a glint in his eye. "I understand your feelings, perhaps better than you think. But I warn you against biting off more than you can chew. Remember that all contact with the Ctencri is still by way of the UN, including trade both ways. We have more teeth now than at any time in our history … and I know of quite a few nations that Would welcome the opportunity to test those teeth."

"Well, you tell them to go ahead and try it," Allerton said. "I think that as of right now we have a few new teeth ourselves. Good-bye, Mr. Saleh; I'll have a copy of this report sent over to you by secure messenger."

He broke the co

And he was damned if it hadn't felt good to let it out at last.

Still … Activating the phone again, he keyed for the Secretary of State. "Josh, have you gotten anywhere yet with the Ctencri on direct trade?"

"Nowhere at all. They still insist all goods in either direction go through the UN

Secretariat. I don't know whether they're pushing for a one-world government or just generally like sticking with their first contact in a new market."

"Whichever it is, we can't let it continue," Allerton told him. "Step up the pressure. I want a trade pipeline that's free of UN control as soon as possible."

"I understand, sir. We'll do our best."

Saleh's office was also classified a silent room; but unlike that at the White House, his had played host on numerous occasions to Ctencri representatives … and Ctencri surveillance equipment was on a par with the rest of their technology.

The pulse reader went black, and First Trader Sen sat quietly for the moment it took his mind to process the information from visual short-term memory.

Unbelievable. Utterly. An unsuspected alien technology—and on Rooshrike Parkh-

3, of all unlikely places. An irony of first magnitude … but an equally great opportunity. For once the Ctencri policy of patiently taking new races by the ears and pointing them toward interstellar trade had brought in something more useful than a few paltry troid-weights of metals.

Turning to his recorder, the First Trader grunted it on and began outlining his campaign. Other races—the M'zarchs, for obvious example—would, in such a position, probably attempt to gain control of this Spi

So first: all Ctencri contacts and surveillance on Earth would be immediately tightened. The Humans' tangled political system was still murky enough to defy predictive analysis, and pressure might be needed at any of a hundred points on a moment's notice. Second: the home world would be notified. There was a small bit of personal hazard in that, of course— they might decide to replace him with someone else and he would thus lose the chance to see the campaign through to completion. But even if that happened, his name and financial position were still secure. The discovery and project initiation were his, and his percentage of the final profits was fixed. If he were replaced and his successor muffed it, he would be paid out of the bungler's personal holdings.

And third: potential buyers had to know the product existed. A notice, sent free to each of the other races, describing the cable and perhaps a bit about the Spi

Dialing up a vial of semarin—not really the brain stimulator it was reputed to be, but a pleasant scent nonetheless—he took several sniffs and began composing the data release.

It was something of a truism among those who knew them that the M'zarchs never talked when they could be taking direct action instead; but even with such a base line the meeting of the High Command was abnormally short.

"No question," the Senior Commander declared. "We attack."

There were grunts of agreement around the tableless room— tableless so that none of the assembled Clan Commanders could secretly draw a weapon. "We will need to penetrate both Rooshrike and Pom territory," one of the others pointed out.

Another hissed depreciatingly. "It will not take a fleet to a

quarter-wing could bypass Rooshrike detectors with ease."

"The Poms will not be fooled."

"Poms do not engage alien craft unless they perceive a threat to themselves," the Senior Commander said. "Our course through their territory will be open and clear of worlds and bases."