The Ethical Engineer by Harry Harrison Page B

whistling down. It was time for the
hard sell. "You had better hear me—because I know that
what comes
out first is best
. Yeow!" This last was involuntary as the whip
landed.
    Jason's words were without meaning to the slaves as well as the
overseer who was raising his whip for another blow, but their impact
on Edipon was as dramatic as if he had stepped on a hot coal. He
shuddered to a halt and wheeled about, and even at this distance Jason
could see that a sickly gray tone had replaced his normal browned
color of his skin.
    "
Stop the wheel!
" he shouted.
*
    This unexpected command drew the startled attention of everyone. The
gape-mouthed overseer lowered his whip while the slaves stumbled and
halted and the wheel groaned to a stop. In the sudden silence Edipon's
steps echoed loudly as he ran to Jason, halting a hand's breadth away,
his lips drawn back from his teeth with tension as if he were prepared
to bite.
    "What was that you said?" He hurled the words at Jason while his
fingers half-plucked a knife from his belt.
    Jason smiled, looking and acting calmer than he felt. His barb had
gone home, but unless he proceeded carefully so would Edipon's
knife—into his stomach. This was obviously a very sensitive topic.
    "You heard what I said—and I don't think you want me to repeat it in
front of all these strangers. I know what happens here because I come
from a place far away where we do this kind of thing all the time. I
can help you. I can show you how to get more of the best, and how to
make your
caroj
work better. Just try me. Only unchain me from this
bar first and let's get to some place private where we can have a nice
chat."
    Edipon's thoughts were obvious. He chewed his lip and looked hotly at
Jason, fingering the edge of his knife. Jason only returned a smile of
pure innocence and tapped his fingers happily on the bar, just marking
time while he waited to be released. Yet in spite of the cold there
was a rivulet of sweat trickling down his spine. He was gambling
everything on Edipon's intelligence, that the man's curiosity would
overcome the immediate desire to silence the slave who knew so much
about things so secret, hoping that he would remember that slaves
could always be killed, and that it wouldn't hurt to ask a few
questions first. Curiosity won and the knife dropped back into the
sheath while Jason let his breath out in a relieved sigh. It had been
entirely too close, even for a professional gambler; his own life on
the board was a little higher stakes than he enjoyed playing for.
    "Release him from the bar and bring him to me," Edipon ordered, then
strode agitatedly away. The other slaves watched wide-eyed as the
blacksmith was rushed out, and with much confusion and shouted orders
Jason's chain was cut from the bar where it joined the heavy staple.
    "What are you doing?" Mikah asked, and one of the guards backhanded
him to the ground. Jason just smiled and touched his finger to his
lips as his chain was released and they led him away. He was free from
bondage and he would stay that way if he could convince Edipon that he
would be better off in some capacity other than dumb labor.
*
    The room they led him to contained the first touches of decoration or
self-indulgence that he had seen on this planet. The furniture was
carefully constructed, with an occasional bit of carving to brighten
it, and there was a woven cover on the bed. Edipon stood by a table,
tapping his fingers nervously on the dark polished surface. "Lock him
up," he ordered the guards, and Jason was secured to a sturdy ringbolt
that projected from the wall. As soon as the guards were gone he stood
before Jason and drew his knife. "Tell me what you know or I will kill
you at once."
    "My past is an open book to you, Edipon. I come from a land where we
know all the secrets of nature—"
    "What is the name of this land? Are you a spy from Appsala?"
    "I couldn't very well be one since I have never heard of the place."
Jason pulled at his lower