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naturally habitable planets; the order in which they are colonized and developed; the types of economy
they possess.
Lingane discovered its own values early, which was the great turning point of its history. Next to
the actual possession of a strategic position, the capacity to appreciate and exploit that position is most
important. Lingane had proceeded to occupy small planetoids with neither resources nor capacity for
supporting an independent population, choosing them only because they would help maintain Lingane s
trade monopoly. They built servicing stations on those rocks. All that ships would need, from
hyperatomic replacements to new book reels, could be found there. The stations grew to huge trading
posts. From all the Nebular Kingdoms fur, minerals, grain, beef, timber poured in; from the Inner
Kingdoms, machinery, appliances, medicinals; finished products of all sorts formed a similar flood.
So that, like its windows, Lingane s minuteness looked out on all the Galaxy. It was a planet
alone, but it did well.
The Autarch said, without turning from the window, Start with the mail ship, Rizzett. Where did
it meet this cruiser in the first place?
Less than one hundred thousand miles off Lingane. The exact coordinates don t matter. They ve
been watched ever since. The point is that, even then, the Tyrannian cruiser was in an orbit about the
planet.
As though it had no intention of landing, but, rather, was waiting for something?
Yes.
No way of telling how long they d been waiting?
Impossible, I m afraid. They were sighted by no one else. We checked thoroughly.
Very well, said the Autarch. We ll abandon that for the moment. They stopped the mail ship,
which is, of course, interference with the mails and a violation of our Articles of Association with Tyrann.
I doubt that they were Tyranni. Their unsure actions are more those of outlaws, of prisoners in
flight.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
You mean the men on the Tyrannian cruiser? It may be what they want us to believe, of course.
At any rate, their only overt action was to ask that a message be delivered directly to me.
Directly to the Autarch, that is right.
Nothing else?
Nothing else.
They at no time entered the mail ship?
All communications were by visiplate. The mail capsule was shot across two miles of empty
space and caught by the ship s net.
Was it vision communication or sound only?
Full vision. That s the point. The speaker was described by several as being a young man of
aristocratic bearing, whatever that means.
The Autarch s fist clenched slowly. Really? And no photo-impression was taken of the face?
That was a mistake.
Unfortunately there was no reason for the mail captain to have anticipated the importance of
doing so, If any importance exists! Does all this mean anything to you, sir?
The Autarch did not answer the question. And this is the message?
Exactly. A tremendous message of one word that we were supposed to bring directly to you; a
thing we did not do, of course. It might have been a fission capsule, for instance. Men have been killed
that way before.
Yes, and Autarchs too, said the Autarch. Just the word Gillbret. One word, Gillbret.
The Autarch maintained his indifferent calm, but a certain lack of certainty was gathering, and he
did not like to experience a lack of certainty. He liked nothing which made him aware of limitations. An
Autarch should have no limitations, and on Lingane he had none that natural law did not impose.
There had not always been an Autarch. In its earlier days Lingane had been ruled by dynasties of
merchant princes. The families who had first established the subplanetary service stations were the
aristocrats of the state. They were not rich in land, hence could not compete in social position with the
Ranchers and Grangers of the neighboring worlds. But they were rich in negotiable currency and so could
buy and sell those same Ranchers and Grangers; and, by way of high finance, they sometimes did.
And Lingane suffered the usual fate of a planet ruled (or misruled) under such circumstances. The
balance of power oscillated from one family to another. The various groups alternated in exile. Intrigues
and palace revolutions were chronic, so that if the Directorship of Rhodia was the Sector s prime
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