Read Online The Ethical Engineer by Harry Harrison - Free Book Online Page A

of
krenoj
over
to her.
    "I can see where it is not going to be an easy thing changing this
social setup. Tell me, do you or any of the others ever have any
desire to be free?"
    "What is free?"
    "Well ... I suppose that answers my question. Free is what you are
when you are not a slave, or a slave owner, free to go where you want
and do what you want."
    "I wouldn't like that." She shivered. "Who would take care of me? How
could I find any
krenoj
? It takes many people together to find
krenoj
, one alone would starve."
    "If you are free, you can combine with other free people and look for
krenoj
together."
    "That is stupid. Whoever found would eat and not share unless a master
made him. I like to eat."
    Jason rasped his sprouting beard. "We all like to eat, but that
doesn't mean we have to be slaves. But I can see that unless there are
some radical changes in this environment I am not going to have much
luck in freeing anyone, and I had better take all the precautions of a
Ch'aka to see that I can stay alive."
    He picked up his club and stalked off into the darkness, silently
circling the camp until he found a good-sized knoll with smooth sides.
Working by touch he pulled the little pegs from their bag and planted
them in rows, carefully laying the leather strings in their forked
tops. The ends of the strings were fastened to delicately balanced
steel bells that tinkled at the slightest touch. Thus protected he lay
down in the center of his warning spiderweb and spent a restless
night, half awake, waiting tensely for the bells to ring.
*
    In the morning the march continued and they came to the barrier cairn,
and when the slaves stopped Jason urged them past it. They did this
happily, looking forward to witnessing a good fight for possession of
the violated territory. Their hopes were justified when later in the
day the other row of slaves was seen far off to the right, and a
figure detached itself and ran towards them.
    "Hate you, Ch'aka!" Fasimba shouted as he ran up, only this time he
meant what he said. "Coming on my ground, I kill you!"
    "Not yet," Jason called out. "And hate you, Fasimba, sorry I forgot
the formalities. I don't want any of your land and the old treaty or
whatever it is still holds. I just want to talk to you."
    Fasimba stopped, but kept his stone hammer ready, very suspicious.
"You got new voice, Ch'aka."
    "I got new Ch'aka, old Ch'aka now pushing up the daisies. I want to
trade back a slave from you and then we'll go."
    "Ch'aka fight hard. You must be good fighter Ch'aka." He shook his
hammer angrily. "Not as good as me, Ch'aka!"
    "You're the tops, Fasimba, nine slaves out of ten want you for a
master. Look, can't we get to the point, then I'll get my mob out of
here." He looked at the row of approaching slaves, trying to pick out
Mikah. "I want back the slave who had the hole in his head. I'll give
you two slaves in trade, your choice. What do you say to that?"
    "Good trade, Ch'aka. You pick one of mine, take the best, I'll take
two of yours. But hole-in-head gone. Too much trouble. Talk all the
time. I got sore foot from kicking him. Got rid of him."
    "Did you kill him?"
    "Don't waste slave. Traded him to the D'zertanoj. Got arrows. You want
arrows?"
    "Not this time, Fasimba, but thanks for the information." He rooted
around in a pouch and pulled out a
krenoj
. "Here, have something to
eat."
    "Where you get poisoned
krenoj
?" Fasimba asked with interest. "I
could use a poisoned
krenoj
."
    "This isn't poisoned, it's perfectly edible, or at least as edible as
these things ever are."
    Fasimba laughed. "You pretty funny, Ch'aka. I give you one arrow for
poisoned
krenoj
."
    "You're on," Jason said throwing the
krenoj
to the ground between
them. "But I tell you it is perfectly good."
    "That's what I tell man I give it to. I got good use for a poisoned
krenoj
." He threw an arrow into the sand away from them and grabbed
up the vegetable as he left.
    When Jason picked up the arrow it bent, and he saw that it was