[Kelvin 03] - Chimaera's Copper (with Robert E. Margroff) by Piers Anthony

repeated use of "huh" or his grating laugh were the most irritating qualities he couldn't have said.

    "Well, I'll tell you, Calvin. Unlike your roundear trash, some of us travel freely to any world not proscribed."

    "Proscribed?" Ignore the messed-up name and the insult, he told himself. Go for the information. Keep the oaf talking.

    "By the green dwarves. You've heard of them?"

    "No. Unless Mouvar is one."

    "Mouvar is. He visits the Minors. My world is Major."

    Kelvin's head whirled. Major, Minor. Minor, Major. How little he knew about things Stapular took for granted.

    "The Major worlds--they have more magic?"

    Again that irritating laugh, indicating no humor. "Magic! Does this," he tapped his transparent armor so that it gave out a crystalline ring, "look like magic?"

    "To us it does. But then we're ignorant."

    "Yours must be a science world, then," John Knight said. "Like Earth."

    "You claim to be from a science world?"

    "More science than magic. As a matter of fact, magic isn't supposed to exist, though some in my frame do believe in it," John said.

    "Huh, then you are science."

    "Sort of. We were just getting around to discovering frame worlds, perhaps, and--"

    "Horseless carriages, flying machines, moving and talking pictures, boxes with little living people imaged inside," Kian offered. It was as though he were intent on reporting all the wonders of his father's birthworld in one breath.

    "That's primitive science," Stapular said. "You say you were discovering frame worlds?"

    "Not me personally," John said. "My people."

    "Then you went from a primitive Major to an even more primitive Minor?"

    "If that means science world and magic world, yes. It was all an accident with us. Can't you tell us how you came here?"

    Stapular nodded. "It wasn't froogears. It was the squarears. They live here but separate from froogears. They're brighter than froogears, but Minors. They tried to keep us hunters out. When we ignored their ludicrous laws they used magic. They're protecting this last of the chimaera, even bringing it copper. Damn fools! If they realized what that sting is worth on other worlds--"

    Stapular broke off. It was as though his flow of speech had been silenced with a switch.

    "You're merchants! Traders!" John exclaimed. "Not only hunters but dealers. In fact, from what you say, you're poachers!"

    "Hah, you think we'd risk chimaera for the fun of it?"

    "No," John said grimly. "I doubt that you'd risk chimaera except for some great profit."

    "The squarears don't know the sting's value. No way they can use the transporter and find out. Only roundears and those like us can use the transporter here. The dwarves have the transporters booby-trapped to keep Minors from mixing too much with Majors and vice versa."

    "These squarears who live here," Kelvin broke in. "How'd they stop you?"

    "Magic, of course. Huh, they used a spell before we could act. We didn't know they were around, and then we were paralyzed, our weapons useless. One of those timelock spells you probably know about."

    John interrupted the pregnant silence that developed. "Paralysis we understand, but timelock?"

    "Time stoppage in a small area. Gives 'em time. Very unscientific."

    "Magic, then," Kelvin said.

    "Magic."

    "These squarears," John prodded, "they just left you for the chimaera?"

    "They left us for the froogears. The froogears delivered us and all our equipment."

    "Then it was just the same as for us. Only we didn't encounter squarears."

    "Right."

    "And the others in your party?"

    "Eaten one by one."

    "By the chimaera. That doesn't seem possible."

    "Huh, a lot you know about it."

    "I didn't say it didn't happen. Only it does seem strange. On any world I've ever been on eating something as intelligent as your species is unheard of."

    "You're not as intelligent, stupid. Not even I am."

    "I, ah, see." John mentally shrugged as he realized that Stapular regarded the chimaera as more intelligent than all of them.