going to do with the Wrack? We won't find many buyers
10 Andre Norton & P.M. Griffin
out here eager to snap her upчthat's how we were able to
get her in the first placeчwe can't keep flying both ships
with half crews indefinitely, not if we ever intend to get
back into real Trade again, and we certainly can't afford to
hire enough hands to fill out the duty roster on the pair of
them."
Their Medic, Craig Tau, nodded. "All's right about our
not being able to keep on short-handed much longer. The
strain's beginning to tell even now, and we've had no
trouble yet to push either ship. It's time to cut, at a profit,
and not wait for something real bad to happen."
Miceal Jellico, Captain of the So7or Queen, said nothing
as he listened to his crew's discussion. His gray eyes swept
the company. Seated with him at the table were the star-
ship's senior officers: Jan Van Rycke, easily the best Cargo-
Master in the ranks of the Free Traders and maybe in all
Trade; the Mars-born Com-Tech Tang Ya; Steen Wilcox,
the Queen's Astrogator; Chief Engineer Johan Stotz; Tau;
and Cook-Steward Frank Mura. Standing above and
around them were the three apprenticesчDane, who re-
ported to Van Rycke; Rip, who worked under Wilcox; and
Ali Kamil. With them, rounding out the roster, were the
huge Karl Kosti and his slight, almost bleached-pale associ-
ate, Jasper Weeks, both, like Ali, from Stotz's department.
A good crew, the Captain thought somberly. He hoped he
had not repaid their services by effectively ruining the lot
of them on this one.
The gamble in buying the Space Wrack had paid off
short-term. They had been able to grab the Trewsworld-
Riginni run when it had opened up and had more than
recouped their initial investment and expenses, but now it
ReclllnB the Stars 11
looked like they were not going to find disengaging from
the commitment quite so simple.
Damn it to all the hells! The So/ar Queen and her crew
were Free Traders. They belonged in deep space, out rang-
