But—”“The animals are sold. There is nothing to detain us here. I do not like the Jikhorkdun—”“No more do I!”“Well, then! What ails you, Jak? Let us clear out. I have good suppliers lined up and we can fetch in a fresh consignment—”“What about your cage-voller?”Unmok lifted his upper left and middle right. His upper right held a goblet of cheap wine.“Not yet. I do not have the cash. But our money is safe with Avec Parlin, who has banking connections—”“Yes, yes. But—”“And this voyage will see it, Jak. It will! Then we can buy a cage-voller and set up properly in business.”“I thought you were giving up? What was the last scheme — totrix breeding in Haklanun? Or was it a return to the beads and bangles on a vast scale—?”“You mock me! We are partners, Jak!”It went on for some time. I couldn’t leave Huringa now, of course not, and Unmok couldn’t see why not, and I couldn’t tell him. We went to sleep in an uncomfortable silence that all our attempts to come to an understanding only made worse.In the morning we breakfasted with only the stiffest and politest of words between us.
