Flight of the Maita Supercollection 3: Solving Galactic Problems Collector's Edition (203 page)

They talked
awhile, then went to bed. Tab and Kit linked in the small morning
hours to exchange information. It was going to be a time of mostly
waiting until they had something to work with.

In the morning
Tab and Kit had a meeting where the exclusive contracts with the
hotels and with Looph were introduced. Djin and a few other foremen
attended. They couldn't believe the prices that were agreed on.

"I think this
would be a great time to prove to the Maitan Empire that the
Grandish are anything but greedy self-centered wallowbeasts!" Tab
announced. "I checked with this Tabori character about something
that occurred to me: This infection or fungus or whatever is
costing the empire about six million credits to fight even if they
can control it quickly. Tabori claims there are always problems
like this somewhere in the empire and they have to find a special
crew to fight it each time it crops up. TR, his ship, is directing
some kind of information gathering plan while they're here. They
have a crew working on it composed of four of the finest biologists
in the galaxy. They're donating their time. That's a trait of the
best races in the empire – they give something to all people.

"We obviously
can't stand the cost of financing the whole thing, but we can
afford to finance a single ship for the use of that crew and the
general upkeep of those scientists. Our profit projections are so
far above what we dared to hope it's nothing if not obscene! I vote
my half of this to do that! It'll be known as the Grandish Aid
Project and will be located on the world called Hospital, which is
exactly that. It'll have a branch office on the world known as
University, which is exactly THAT!

"Grandish will
enter the empire with a sign that will make it known to all people
of every race in every part of the galaxy that we care and that we
will do something about a problem when we come across one!"

It was as good
a speech as Kit's had been on the opening of the plant. Had Kit
refused he would have a revolt on his hands. This was for the pride
of all Grandish!

"With what we
project here we can well afford that!" Kit agreed. "Voted, carried
and approved unanimously. Put it in the records of the meeting.
Next time Tabori comes here we can get him to set the project in
motion.

"Now, about
these bricks for that Parf artist. You guaranteed her an exclusive?
Was that smart?"

"Look at the
price," Tab said. "This is what made the price what it is. Tabori
said the fact a Parf would have anything to do with this at all
guarantees its complete success."

They spoke of
the project for awhile longer, the engineers were called in so they
could make a place on the base of ten of each new design for
Looph's signature. There would be one hundred of each item
produced, then the molds were to be destroyed.

"Isn't a
hundred a very large number for a true work of art like this?" Djin
asked.

"Tabori said
there are more than six thousand worlds in the empire," Tab
replied. "One hundred ten, which is the entire run, means there
wouldn't be but one piece for each sixty planets. That's why they
think nothing of demanding we take thousands of times the price we
were asking."

"We've
developed a process for making lenses for a variety of purposes
that will be of better quality than anything we've ever seen," one
of the engineers suggested. "We can explore that phase of the
business while we’re at it."

"I've also
gotten some positive results on an idea I had for developing a
light-transmitting glass that'll be something else for the Parf to
work with," the other added. "We have lots of ideas!"

The people at
the plant were more enthusiastic than ever. They felt they had
proved their race was among the better in the galaxy, but knew they
would have much to do to keep that fact at the forefront. They had
pride in the fact it was something done by the Grandish and for the
Grandish. They'd all heard of the Zeenans, the Mord, the Feach, the
Parf and other races who were held in the highest esteem by all
worlds in the empire because of their insistence on the finest
quality in everything they produced. The workers at the plant were
determined Grandish was to share that reputation.

The day was
spent with the business, then Tab and Kit went into Koosd for the
evening. They would return in the morning. They could also contact
the ships en route to learn what was happening outside of the local
area.

Things were
being held in a nondeteriorating state if not a bit better. Maita
was in on the transmissions, too. It was concerned deeply with the
problems on Grandish.

*I'm most
satisfied with what you've done there, but don't you think your
primary concern should be that fungus and not with how soon the
Grandish people are to enter the empire and how deserving they're
seen as being?*

"Maita, we
can't do much about the fungus here until Givzoo and Nortich
develop the ... whatever it is they're working on," Tab answered.
"These people deserve all the encouragement we can give them. I'm
convinced."

"I agree," T6
threw in. "TR and I can handle the fungus so long as we don't get
any weather that sets off a rampant growth cycle."

"We can't
vaguely hope to get all the plants that sprout," TR continued. "I
guess we're going to get some that mature and spore. It's still up
to Givzoo. Tab thinks they have some new ideas that'll work on
Kuhlicht. They seemed excited enough when we were there."

*They're on the
right track, but it will take some time. My concern is that the
Grandish are being pushed a bit too hard to donate too much to the
empire. There will be tremendous profit from this glassware bit.
I've seen all of the items. Looph is working at Z's place on the
new batch because of the spectacular light show EC gives us every
day. Shouldn't more of it be spent there on Grandish?*

"No!" Kit
cried. "They want a certain type of reputation. They want to be
seen like Zeena, among the very finest craftsmen in the empire on
at least one kind of thing. They also want to be known as the kind
of people the Feach are – people who care about others as much as
they do about their own race. I know that, Maita. I'm here. I
know!"

"It's true,"
Tab agreed. "They aren't really interested in profit for profit's
sake. They want to feel worthy – and they damned well are!"

*I have some
reservations, but it's your choice. As you say, you're there.
Thing, Kurk and Z agree with you totally so I'm outvoted
regardless. Just be careful.*

They were a few
hundred meters outside of Koosd so got back into character before
going to Veen's where they ordered a late meal, then told about the
amazing orders from offworld and about the plan to finance the
biologists' ship and the education of new members of the team.

"We won't make
any demands, of course," Kit promised. "But I don't see any reason
why there shouldn't be just one member of that team from this
world."

"I think that
would be the fairest, too," Barst agreed. "But you should stipulate
that Grandish is to be represented on that team only when and if we
have someone who has earned the position. As a Grandish I refuse
any special consideration for any reason!"

"We'll insist
the Grandish earn each and every little thing they get. Bet on it!"
Tab replied. "I think we've proved very clearly that Grandish has a
lot to offer. The representative from the empire, this weird Tabori
character you all met, came for another reason entirely, but found
our product to be of surpassingly fine quality and workmanship.
THEY came to US! We didn't have to beg, we EARNED our sales!"

"We can earn
our way anywhere in the galaxy!" Veen stated proudly. "The empire
doesn't have to GIVE us anything at all! I think it should be up to
us to handle this infection or whatever, too. If it started here
it's our problem."

"It's not
nearly that simple," Kit said. "From what little I understand about
this project even the tremendous ability of the empire is having
trouble with it. That's why I think we should help finance the
biologists'. We have to be realistic. Tabori said the thing would
cost billions of empire credits before it was over.

"You see, their
only alternative is to quarantine us here. Emperor Maita demanded
that no such thing happen if there's any way whatever to avoid it.
The emperor himself said the Grandish are one of the most worthy
races he's studied. He wants us in the empire. He thinks we have a
large contribution to make.

"I liked
Tabori. He's working personally to help us because he thinks we're
as good as Zeenans in our own specialties – and he has the most
enormous respect for the Zeenans, who he says have contributed more
than a thousand times what could be expected of a race to the
empire. This infection or whatever is our only stumbling block in
this. If it isn't defeated all is lost. Grandish is lost. I do
think we should be told what this thing is and we should be kept up
to date on what will work against it. It IS our problem even if we
do need help with it! We can't fight something if we don't what it
is!"

"Tabori said he
would send what they call a floater with any requests for
assistance or with any instructions," Tab agreed. "Djin would know
to send it on here. I think we'll have a very definite part in this
and I think we'll be asked for help."

Kit looked a
bit startled, then linked with the internal radio to see what Tab
was up to. Tab sent instructions to TR to send a com floater in the
morning to the plant where it would receive directions from Djin as
to where Mar and Fel were. It would then come on to the inn. It was
to be timed to arrive at dawnmeal. It was to ask the Grandish to
seek out the fungus.

"They have to
take part in this," Tab explained. "It'll be a good time to educate
the people around here about what we're up against, too. T Six and
TR can send floaters to the governments and to the places where
there's likely to be any kind of sudden growth of the spores. The
people CAN help a lot by locating the things, then the floaters can
get rid of them."

Kit agreed in
essence. They passed the entire evening in serious conversations
with various people, then went back to their rooms until the
dawnmeal when TR’s com floater arrived right on schedule. The
speakers were heard in the common dining room from the front
entrance asking if Mar and/or Fel were in attendance at the inn.
Veen went to the door to let it in, though he wasn't sure how to
act toward a small disk that floated at eye height and talked to
him.

"This is Tabori
DeSixtee speaking. The floater carries speakers or papers for me,"
TR explained through the floater. "There's the medium we call
two-way television aboard. The screen will rise now to show me. I
have a similar screen here aboard my ship that shows me a picture
of you."

The screen rose
with a simulated picture of Tab looking out at the assemblage.

"Ah, there's
Fel. Hello, my friend. Hello, Mar. I recognize Veen and Barst from
my earlier visit and the lovely Peld," the image said in Tab's
voice. "I haven't yet met these other three.

"I'm called
Tabori. I'm an agent of the Maitan Empire here on Grandish on
special assignment for Emperor Maita."

"Er, this is
Kon, Jorn Kon, this is Meer, Lap Meer, and this other is Anj, Cahl
Anj," Veen introduced. "I understand your full name is Tabori R.
DeSixtee and that your people use the primary name in familiar
conversation."

"Call me Tab,"
the floater replied. "We actually often use a shortened part of our
first name. I'm now acting as agent for Maita and not as a salesman
or buyer for private companies. Maita wants me to inform the people
of Grandish there's a major problem with a lifeform on your world.
That plant, for it's a fungoid type of growth, is a great danger to
Grandish. It has a real potential of doing devastating damage to
the entire galaxy if it escapes this planet.

"I believe
you've seen some examples of what it can do. It was the thing that
contaminated Flint Creek and was the thing that drove the grazers
from their pastures."

"But we moved
the rotten wood that it feeds on so it's no problem anymore!" Meer
cried. "All it did was stink so bad it made us sick."

"There are
several things to bear in mind about that thing," TR replied.
"First, that it's a fungus that spreads through spores carried for
thousands of kilometers on the wind. What you found were some of
those spores beginning to grow. From what we know at this time the
spores may live for as much as twenty four years before they begin
to grow (That was to inform Tab and Kit that Givzoo had used the
growth acceleration chambers to learn how long the spores would be
able to survive under perfect conditions). There are already
billions of spores all over Klormedt if not all over Grandish. The
fungus does NOT produce an odor. It simply has a little of what you
call the witchmind power to reach your minds.

"You've only
seen the smallest beginning plantlets. They were young and had
little power. If they were much more mature you couldn't resist
them, so you see the danger. They can take control of your minds
and can make you do their bidding.

"I repeat, you
cannot resist a mature plant!"

"But that
would.... How can you be sure?" Veen stammered.

"You have seen
very clear evidence of what the fungoid can do," TR continued.
"Pause to think for a moment about Flint Creek. There was one large
plant a little above Milk Lake. It caused the fertilization of the
lake and the creek, as you've all noted. Consider that you had that
strange condition for four long years if what Veen told me when I
visited there is accurate, yet no one ever went to investigate past
a certain point.