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worth a try. It just shows, you never know."
Valcroix treated them to one of his rare smiles thin, but real nevertheless. "Presumably, Reese has
realized that if there's a choice, he will find life more amenable as a partner than as a captive," he said to
the company. Then, addressing Walsh, "Splendid news, Captain. We will treat this in a civilized manner,
accordingly. Tell Reese that we will receive him and a selected deputation of their senior people here,
aboard theTrojan. Make appropriate arrangements to host them. Cuisine in the Officers' Dining Room
would be suitable but not VIP standard. Limit the number to ten and get a list of the names they intend
sending, which I want to see before it's confirmed. Does anyone have anything to add?" Nobody did.
Since they were in the superior bargaining position and setting the terms, protocol required that the
representatives from theAztec come to them.
"I'll get onto it right away," Walsh said.
"One more thing," Ludwig Grasse put in. Valcroix turned to him. "Zeigler has been holding out against
difficult odds there on Earth. To boost his morale, I think we should let him know that interception of the
Aztec has been accomplished successfully. I doubt if he'll learn of it from elsewhere for some time."
Trojanhad maintained communications silence since its takeover en route for Jupiter. Kronia would have
been informed of its appearance as soon as it was identified byAztec, but there was nothing anybody
could have done to prevent that. Even if those at Kronia had had their suspicions previously, there was
no reason why they would communicate them to Earth, more so in view of the uncertain situation that
they would have discerned there too. Now that they knew for sure ofTrojan 's part in the scheme, they
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would be under no further delusions as to what had happened on Earth. Hence, they wouldn't be sending
news there of the success of theTrojan 's mission.
"A good point," Valcroix agreed. "Yes, by all means, let's keep Zeigler in the picture. I'm sure he could
use all the good news he can get. Can you take care of that too, Captain Walsh?"
"Right away," Walsh promised.
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
The Oldworlders said that men had once lived in palaces huge structures that they built as level upon
level rising higher than the cliffs above the caves. Jemmo had decided that caves were dark, damp,
inhospitably shaped, and unbecoming of his status. He wanted to build himself a palace.
The line of rock outcrops connected by earth ramparts that had once been the defensive barrier
enclosing the front of the caves was now forming parts of dwelling huts, inner works, and animal pens.
The population had grown. And nobody any longer lived down in the swamps, all the people having
migrated up to the caves. The extended settlement around the caves was now bounded by a wall built
from rocks cemented by dried mud. On the outside of it was a ditch, and on the inside a protected step
for defenders, raised posts to provide elevate positions for watchmen and archers. Access was via two
gates, one backing the other, made from thick root-wood and branches brought up from the swamps,
and woven with thorns. On the heights above the caves was a lookout tower, also built from
mud-cemented rocks.
The Oldworlder Wakabe had become Jemmo's builder. Jemmo wanted him to build the palace. But
whatever Jemmo wanted, always, it seemed, all anybody could tell him were the problems. He didn't
want to hear about what couldn't be done. Just for once, couldn't someone just agree and do it? The
problem with building a palace, he was told, was that of bridging the roof.
He scowled as he stood with Wakabe and a couple of Wakabe's helpers in front of the four-walled
enclosure that Wakabe had built to try out his latest attempt at a solution. The space between the walls
was spanned by a mat of woven vines with mud worked into it to form a solid shell. When the mud dried,
Wakabe had added another layer on top, and when that dried, another, the intention being that it would
become strong enough to support additional loads above. But the work was showing cracks that had
spread and widened more since yesterday, Jemmo wouldn't have risked walking under it, never mind
have trusted his weight on top.
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