et rough with it. That's a sword you're
holding, Chum, not one of those bronze skull busters."

Banasel extended the sword, whipping it violently. The blade bent, then
straightened, and bent again, as it slashed through the air.

"Well," he murmured. "Something new."

He put the sword on the workbench and took an instrument from a cabinet.
For a few minutes, he busied himself taking readings and tapping out
data on his computer. He sat back, looking at the sword curiously. At
last, he glanced at the computer, then put the test instrument he had
been using back in the cabinet, taking another to replace it. After
taking more readings, he looked at the computer, then shook his head,
turning to Lanko.

"This," he said slowly, "is excellent steel. Of course, it could be an
accidental alloy, but I wouldn't think anyone on this planet could have
developed the technology to get it just so." He held the sword away from
him, looking at it closely. "Assuming an accidental alloy, an accident
in getting precisely the right degree of heat before quenching, and
someone who ground and polished with such care as to leave the temper
undisturbed, while getting this finish--Oh, it's possible, all right.
But 'tain't likely. Musa told you this came from overseas?"

"To the best of his knowledge. He got it from a trader who claimed to
have been on a voyage across the Eastern Sea."

Banasel leaned back, clasping his hands behind his head. "You must have
had quite a talk with Musa. Did he remember you?"

Lanko shook his head. "Don't be foolish," he grunted. "You and I were
blotted out of his memory, remember? So are quite a few of the things
that happened around Atakar, way back when. He's got a complete past, of
course, but we're not part of it.

"No, he had a booth in the Karth market. I came through, just looking
things over, and recognized him. So, I picked an acquaintance. Beat him
down to about half the asking price for this sword, still leaving him a
whopping profit. He went to dinner with me, still bewailing the rooking
I'd given him. Told you, he's a trader. We had quite a talk, certainly.
But we were strangers."

"Yeah." Banasel looked off into space. "Seems funny. You and I were born
on this planet. We were brought up here, and a lot of people once knew
us. But they've all forgotten, and we don't belong any more. I'm
beginning to see what they mean by 'the lonely life of a guardsman.'"

He was silent for a time, then looke