Pugme's ship might have been pretty old, but it turned out to be sturdy enough to make a safe planetfall after an hour being buffeted by a storm we just couldn't avoid high up in Cor-te-Eva's atmosphere. We touched down on an area of grassland, just to the south of a small forest. After all that noise and bouncing around, it was now quiet enough to hear the metal in the engine shrouds ticking as it cooled. 
Pugme responded to my questioning look with the explanation that the Cor-te-Eva clan he was dealing with had built their village deep in that particular forest. Although what he said made sense, I had to wonder how I was going to locate the clan that had kidnapped Funn's sister. I needn't have worried. Pugme had that covered. Ever the efficient businessman, he'd already contacted the clan we were about to trade with and told them he was bringing me and why. That surprised me, coz I wasn't aware they, the 'Cor-te-Eva', had technology like 'T' or 'H' band radios. Pugme told me they'd been given them, so they could order what they needed and agree how many 'snik-snik' tusks they needed to gather to pay for it. When I pointed out that on Earth, a similar kind of trade had almost eradicated the African elephant, a mammal not too dissimilar to the 'snik-snik' in that it grew two long ivory tusks, he replied that the 'Cor-te-Eva' did not need to kill the animal, because fights between the males during the rutting season, once every two years, resulted in large numbers of tusks being broken off and left lying on the ground. Unlike their Earthly counterparts, the 'snik-snik' shed their old tusks after the rut and regrew them in time for the next mating season. So, all the Cor-te-Eva had to do was stroll about and collect them. "What's to stop outsiders simply coming down and taking the stuff?" I asked.
"Why should we?" he asked. "What we trade with them is worth less than three percent of the value of the product they pay for it with."
"So," I said, "your thinking is: why take the chance of being cut up and roasted for stealing it, when you can steal it from them without them knowing you're stealing it from them?"
"Exactly," he said. "Though, to be fair," he went on, "if they want newer technologies brought in, and in greater quantities, they'll have to start culling animals."
As we made our way through the cramped cargo bay, I noticed two drab green colored, plastic cases. They looked to be six feet long by two feet square. The hieroglyphs on the side were Jurean - though I was sure Pugme had no idea that I knew. After what others had told me about the 'Cor-te-Eva' only importing low-tech hardware, like knives and stuff, you can imagine I was really surprised to see a pair of forty-kilowatt pulse cannons among the pills and creams. I thought about asking Pugme about them, but decided he'd probably just lie. Far better to wait until I could see for myself, I decided. I had no doubt, you see, that this 'state of the art' firepower had something to do with Cor-te-Eva's problem, and was completely in character with they way they'd approach most problems.... Violently!.
Pugme popped the airlock and we strolled out to be greeted by bright sunlight, the sound of birdsong and the smell of grass. "We wait," he said, sitting down on the edge of the ramp.
I lay down and looked up at the sky. There was no sign of the storm that had given us such a bumpy ride - just pale indigo, with streaks of pinky-white cloud. It was warm, and I'd started to drift off to sleep, when Pugme got to his feet and whispered, "They're here."
I rolled over onto my belly and watched them approaching though the blades of grass in front of my face. There appeared to be two groups: one of about twenty, and the other less than ten. Every one of them, however, was enormous! Some of the females stood seven feet tall. All of them were over 'six-six', though the females seemed on average to be taller than the males. Both sexes had broad shoulders and powerful arms and legs, and were naked above the waist. They all wore calf length skirts, and I couldn't help but notice the females had smallish breasts that barely covered their broad pectorals. They were also all barefoot. Each of them carried a yatara, either slung at the hip, or across the back.
Very slowly, I got to my feet. Pugme walked towards them, hands outstretched - like he was showing them he wasn't carrying a weapon. Taking my cue from him, I did the same, at which point, one of the women in the smaller of the two groups started laughing.
"What's so funny?" I demanded.
"Put down your hands, little one," the woman said, with a smirk. "We know we have nothing to fear from you."
"You do?"
"Are you not the one called, Sashi?" she asked.
'Wow,' I'm thinking. 'I'm famous even this far out.' "Yes," I replied, "I'm Sashi."
"We were expecting you."
She turned and raised her hand. The group split into two halves, and I could see a small female figure standing alone. "We have what we want," the woman said to her. "You are free to go."
"Jarmia?" I called, holding out my arms to her. She ran towards me and threw her arms around my neck. I had to bend a little to accommodate her lesser height and squeezed her right back.
With the help of several male members of the larger group, Pugme got busy unloading his cargo and loading up a huge pile of tusks while Jarmia and I talked about this and that. The payment seemed totally dis-proportionate to the supplies Pugme had delivered. I wondered at that point if it might be a pre-payment for the next arms delivery. Arms supply is almost universally an 'up front' business. It would not be unreasonable for Pugme to ask for an advance.
Eventually, he was ready to leave, and called out to me. I walked over to the loading ramp with Jarmia and said goodbye. In less than a minute, the doors were all closed and locked and Pugme had the main engine fuel pumps running. I sensed I was not alone, and turned to find two of the Cor-te-Eva women standing right behind me. "Come," the one who had spoken previously said, "we have far to go."
"How far, exactly?" I asked, thinking about my poor feet teetering in five-inch heels.
"Too far for you, I think," she replied, looking at my feet with obvious disgust. "Lucky for you, we know how you are," she went on, summoning two men, who came towards me carrying what can only be described as a chair attached to two poles by four miles of hemp rope. I sat on the chair, the two men lifted me like I weighed nothing, and we started out on our long journey. Two women carried the pulse cannons, while others carried some of the medical supplies. I remember thinking as I bounced up and down in time with the mens' stride, that I never did ask Jarmia what she was doing this far out.
After two scorching hot days on the march, and two freezing nights huddled around a camp fire - during which time Rathvira, the woman who appeared to have been in charge of collecting me, made it pretty clear she liked me, and not because of how I was dressed - we arrived at our destination: a large hilltop settlement surrounded by a deep, water-filled moat. It was home to, maybe, a thousand people, of all ages, and several hundred animals, which were held in four large corrals at the far side of the compound. We entered by a narrow wooden bridge, that could be raised if danger threatened, and then through a heavily fortified gate, set in a twelve foot high wall built from tree trunks driven into the ground and bound together with miles of the same stuff that secured my chair to the poles. One thing struck me, as we made our way slowly to the large, dome-roofed, building in the center of the compound: there was no noise. No one spoke. The children were silent. Even the animals were strangely quiet. It was totally eerie!
The men lowered my chair in front of the large building and I stood up. Rathvira knelt and lowered her head. The rest of the group I had traveled with did the same. Then all of them started chanting. The rest of the people in the compound joined in. It was deafening! Suddenly, it stopped. The reed curtain moved aside and a woman emerged. She was quite old, very tall - perhaps, seven feet - had red hair that reached to her waist, and was positively dripping in bangles, rings and necklaces. She carried her yatara across her back, and wore a brightly colored skirt wrapped around her waist. Unlike the other females, she wore heavy eye makeup. I had the impression that maybe she was a priestess, or something. She came towards me and looked down. Her face was expressionless, and her eyes burned with the sort of fire you see in a maniac's. "You are the one called Sashi?" she demanded.
"Yes, ma'am," I replied, with my eyes downcast, having decided deference was probably my best course. 'Gosh,' I thought to myself, 'I'm really getting into being submissive! Maybe I should take it up permanently?'
"I am happy for you to be here," she monotoned.
Being nice to me was obviously giving her a bellyache. That worried me. Not for the first time I had to wonder what could possibly have driven these violent and self-reliant people into needing a reporter to help them out?
"Thank you for asking me," I replied, somewhat inanely. I tried a smile. "Why am I here, by the way?"
The smile didn't work. She scowled right back at me. "You will take refreshment?"
I had no idea what their diet consisted of, apart from the strips of dried meat we'd consumed on the journey here. What if it was, like, 'abilani' (a sort of maize porridge), or 'rishabo' (a bit like chicken, but it lives underground) - both of which were the staple diet on ' Tekys', and tasted pretty yucky. She stood there, looking really irritated, so I just buckled, like a good little 'subbie', and said, "Oh, ma'am, I'd really love to."
Without a word, she turned and went inside the building. I followed. Inside, it was, like, totally amazing! There were several beautifully decorated rugs scattered over the dirt floor, lots of plump cushions with brightly colored covers, dozens of oil lamps hanging from the ceiling supports and the sweet, heady smell of incense. To one side, there was a small doorway, leading, probably, to her sleeping quarters - unless, of course, she slept right there on the floor. She beckoned me over to a low table, covered in rough, unglazed, clay bowls. In each one was a different kind of meat, or vegetable, or fruit. At first glance, their diet seemed fairly varied; and, I have to admit, pretty tasty, too. My hostess sat, cross-legged, and dug her fingers into the bowl closest to her, without even waiting for me to sit, let alone offering me anything. I watched in horrified fascination as she repeatedly shoveled handfuls of meat, or stringy leaf vegetables, into her mouth, and the juices ran down either side and onto her chin. "Come," she said, "eat your fill."
I reached out and picked up a piece of meat. It was pale, like chicken, and fairly dry, but it was well cooked and heavily spiced. I really liked it, and set about emptying the bowl to the obvious delight of my hostess. It really is true, you know, but everywhere I go, people always loosen up and smile at you when you look like you're enjoying eating their food. I suppose it's because a well prepared meal is indicative of success. When a stranger arrives in your midst, the first thing you want to do is impress them, even if it means the rest of the people go without a meal. If you succeed - or the visitor is smart enough to at least pretend you succeeded - you can't help but warm to them. And so it was with Valmarica, my hostess. Inside half an hour, each of us had drunk three cups of 'nuburto' - the local, alcoholic brew - and were laughing and singing and rolling around on the floor. My cup was small, compared to her big wooden mug, and I know how to pace myself, having attended lots of diplomatic functions - some of which lasted days - so I was much less affected than she was, but I was affected. It was seriously strong stuff! Anyway, we were total sisters by the time Rathvira entered, made a poor attempt at bowing and sat next to me. "You have told her, Kahri (that's leader, I think)?"
Valmarica looked at her with un-focused eyes, and slurred, "Told her?" She then hiccupped and giggled. She emptied her large wooden cup in one gulp, fell over backwards and started snoring loudly.
I giggled, too, and reached for the large bucket of 'nuburto'. "So, whaa's thish all about, Rath.... Raff..." I grinned. Deep breath. Another deep breath. "What's this all about..... Ravira?" I asked, eventually.
Rathvira looked really upset. Well, I suppose she had a right to be, what with her Kahri being totally blitzed in front of an outsider, me getting her name hopelessly wrong, and her now having to tell me what I was doing here, and all.
