Kiper asked: "In that case, how is it that you are not rich?"
"You've heard enough for now," said Shugart with dignity.
"I
suggest that you lean back in your chair, drink wine and dream of pit-a-pat while your betters discuss serious matters."
Jardine said: "There's Namour! He knows all about such things ... Boy, Namour! Over here! Join the Bold Lions for a change!"
Namour turned his head and appraised the table. Tonight, fixed into his silver hair on the right side of his head, he wore a small but elegant confection of black iron, polished jet cabochons, with a single carbuncle glowing with the sultry fury of a red star: presumably the present of an admirer. With a languid step he approached the table.
"Hard at your lucubrations, so I see."
Cloyd blinked.
"Quite right, or so I suppose. We're also doing some deep thinking. Draw up a chair! Jardine, pour Namour a mug of that good Sancery! Namour, drink up!"
"Thank you." Namour seated himself. A black twill jacket with a high-collared black shirt set off his aquiline features to perfection. He tasted the wine, and his eyebrows vaulted high. He looked askance into the mug.
"Sancery, did you say? Good Sancery? What are they serving you? Waiter, if you please! What is this dark-colored liquid? I've been told it's Sancery, but that is hard to believe."
"It's from the keg we call Bold Lion Reserve, sir."
"I see. Bring me something from a keg less confused as to its antecedents: some of that Laverty Delasso will do nicely."
Uther Offaw looked ruefully into his own mug.
"Well, at least it's cheap."
"Never mind the wine," said Shugart.
"Our problem is that we want to buy a space yacht."
"That's a fairly common ambition," said Namour.
"I'm in the market myself."
"Really? What do you have in mind?"
"Oh I don't know. Maybe a Merlin or an Interstar Majestic."
Kiper asked innocently: "How do you plan to pay for it?"
Namour laughed and shook his head.
"Now you are probing too deeply!"
Shugart turned to the other Bold Lions.
"Perhaps we should take Namour into our syndicate! It might expedite things for all of us!"
Aries looked toward Namour.
"What do you say to that?"
Namour pursed his lips thoughtfully.
"My favorite philosopher declares: "Not only does he travel fastest who travels alone, he travels twice as fast as two people, three times as fast as three people and four times as fast as four."" "Ha-hah!" cried Uther Offaw.
"And what is the name of this misanthropic philosopher?"
"He is Ronsel de Roust, of The Galcidine. Still, I'm willing to listen to anything, if it's to my advantage, and if it's definite! I can't waste tune on a lot of wild talk."
"Naturally not," said Shugart.
"We're all in earnest, and we don't propose to be thwarted!"
"What exactly do you have in mind?"
"Well we have several ideas, such as a big new tourist resort on Sunrise Strand. We're short of capital, but if you guaranteed cheap labor to the project, we might get a bank loan for the balance. We envision everything first-class, with a gambling casino, a cosmopolitan restaurant, and naturally a corps of Yip girls to jolly up the patrons."
Cloyd asked anxiously: "What do you think? Could it be arranged?"
"You'd never get past the Conservator."
Jardine pounded the table.
"We're suffering financial problems and this is a great solution! He's got to see it our way!"
