there, easily accessible. We consider it more the job of the Space
Force to restore rightful possession than it is the responsibility of
the company to reimburse Captain Voorhis for the inflated value he sets
upon it."

"I begin to see," murmured Mayne. "You can't stick each other, so you're
out to slip _me_ the bill."

That aroused a babble of denials. Mayne eventually made himself heard
and demanded to know how the spacer's evaluation differed from Melin's.
Voorhis pulled himself together, glowering at the insurance man.

* * * * *

"In the first place," he growled, "I don't want his lousy payment for
fuel. I said I'd take the blame for that, an' I will. On the ship ...
well, maybe she ain't worth two million. Maybe she ain't been for a few
years now--"

Melin made a show of counting on his fingers.

"... But they charged me premiums by that figure an' I say they oughta
pay by that figure."

"But can you prove she's a total loss, captain?" asked Mayne.

Voorhis grimaced and spat upon the ground.

"Try to get near her, Judge! You'll get proof fast enough!"

"Well ... about the cargo, then?"

"_That's_ where he's gouging me!" exploded Voorhis. "The idea of using
the cost as of loading on Rigel IX! Hell, you know the margin of profit
there is in trading on these new planets, twenty to one at least. I
figured to lift off with four million worth of ores, gems, curios, and
whatnot."

"So your point is that the mere transportation of the goods through
space to this planet increased their value. What about that, Mr. Melin?"

Melin shifted uncomfortably on his bench. Mayne would have liked to
change his own position, but feared splinters.

"There is an element of truth in that," admitted Melin. "Still, it would
be rash to expect such a return every time a tramp spaceship lands to
swap with some aboriginal easy marks."

"I suppose," said Mayne, "that our orange-eyed friends speak no Terran?"

"I hope not!" exclaimed Voorhis.

"Well, anyway," Melin said after a startled pause, "how can we be
expected to pay off on hopes? He wants the paper figure for the ship;
but he refuses the paper figure for the cargo."

Mayne shrugged. He turned to Haruhiku.

"If Captain Voorhis and Mr. Melin don't mind, lieutenant, I'd like to
get the chief's view of all this."

"Hah!" grunted Voorhis, clapping both hands to his head.

Melin contented himself with rolling his eyes skyward.

With H