"Norton, Andre - Redline the stars" - читать интересную книгу автора (Norton Andre)

verse. She has that, but there's something unique about
her, strange even. -- No, she wasn't at the auction. Rael
rarely accompanies her brother when he's conducting sur-
planetary business. That's why none of you children has

seen her yet."

"She does attend gem markets now and then," Jellico

informed them. His usually cold eyes laughed as they
flickered to Van Rycke. The shot was deserved payment for

the surprise he had been given.

The Cargo-Master growled and then sighed. "I had the
misfortune of trying to do some business on a day when the
pair of them were out buying," he informed the others. "I
might as well have stayed home. Between Cofort's store of
credits and her eye, nothing--and I mean absolutely noth-


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ing--of real value remained that was anywhere near being

in a Free Trader's price range."

"Why so many jewels?" Rip inquired curiously.
Van Rycke glanced up at his apprentice. "Answer him."
"Teague Cofort trades with powerful people on some
highly developed planets and with fairly sophisticated,
complex societies even on those less technically advanced.
He has to carry quality goods, not trinkets, or no one would

bother coming to him."
"Precisely."

ReiSllnelhe Stars 15

Thorson breathed an inner sigh of relief. Questions and
testing were every apprentice's lot, part of the process that
would eventually transform the dead material learned at
Training Pool into the ingrained knowledge and experi-
ence of a Master. Still, he hated the feeling of being trans-
ported back to the classroom and hated more the chance
that he might not respond correctly, embarrassing himself
and letting his chief down. He realized with a touch of
pride that it had been a compliment to him that the ques-
tion had been put to him publicly. Van Rycke had expected