ling efforts
with the first caravan and his halting improvements when he had dealt
with the next. What were those fellows' names?

He shrugged. He could remember that first fellow practically begging him
to take action and he could remember his own frightened evaluation of
the situation after the first step. He had gone over a whole, long line
of alternative choices, rejecting them one by one until the inevitable,
ideal method of operation had come out. He smiled.

When he had finally settled on his general method, it had been elegantly
simple. But it had been very nearly perfect. Basically, he was still
using the same plan.

Now, of course, it was smoother and even more simplified. There were two
general routines involved.

Most caravan masters were treated with the greatest of consideration.
They were allowed to pass through the Estates with only nominal fees and
invited to avail themselves of the courtesy of the Estates at any time
in the future. If trades with the Estates were involved, the fees were
waived, of course. And many of them had returned, bringing goods and
information, as well as taking away the produce of the Estates.

Then, there were those caravans which came during turbulences in the
null and which seemed worthwhile to the now practiced eyes of Kio Barra.
These were the ones ripe for harvest. Their owners had been offered the
courtesy of the Estates--and more.

They had been taken for sightseeing tours--perhaps of the lake--perhaps
to see valuable carrier stock which could be had at bargain rates.

Then, in complete privacy, a distorter beam had made neat disposition of
them.

Their goods had been distributed through the various warehouses and
later disposed of through the safe channels which Barra had carefully
cultivated. Their slaves, of course, had been eliminated.

Barra regretted this waste of valuable property, but this way there
could be no leak of information and no inquiry could be successful.

There had been an inquiry at one time, but that had been in the earlier
days.

The inquirer had gone away with no suspicion in his mind. He had
examined the null from the hills and had agreed with Kio Barra that it
was indeed a menace. He had listened sympathetically to Barra's rueful
comments about slaves and stock which had drifted into the null, never
to be heard from again.

Barra activated the view crystal. It was time for another inspection of
the Estates.

* *