Lurulu by Jack Vance Page A

now?”
    Lady Maloof looked toward the hall which led to the after-cabins. Maloof followed her gaze, to find Cavke standing in the doorway. He was naked to the waist and barefoot.
    “Here I am,” said Cavke. He peered at Maloof, then at Myron. “What do you want of me?”
    “I have come for my mother. I am taking her home to Traven.”
    Cavke took note of the hand-gun which Maloof held at the ready. “Not a good idea,” said Cavke easily, apparently relaxed in the doorway. Then, with two sudden long strides, Cavke stood behind Lady Maloof. With one hand he seized her scrawny neck; with the other he took up a knife from the galley counter and thrust the point against the corded gray neck. To Maloof he said: “You are a fine and noble son, but why should I be inconvenienced on that account? In short, she will not go with you, or anyone else!”
    Maloof studied the dark aquiline face, noticing again that the eyes were set too closely together. Remembering the Krenke photographs, Maloof saw that Cavke’s face had become indefinably coarse. The lips had thickened; there was a puffiness under the eyes; the slack rotundity at the abdomen marked the beginnings of a paunch. His black trousers were almost indecently tight around the hips, flaring at the knees. His naked chest was hairless and glistened as if oiled. A gold ring hung from his left ear; the sunburst tattoo was visible under his jaw. He asked suddenly: “How did you know where to find your mother?”
    “It was simple enough. You gave out the information yourself.”
    “Oh? How so?”
    “At my aunt’s house on Traven you said that you intended to return to Fluter, the most beautiful world in the Reach. I took you at your word. At Coro-Coro the IPCC agent suggested that you would rent a houseboat. Zangwill Transit told us where to find the Maijaro , and here we are.”
    Cavke grinned wolfishly, and said: “You are not welcome; to be frank, I am not quite sure how to deal with you.”
    “I have a suggestion,” said Maloof. “Leave the houseboat, return to Coro-Coro, but do not try to interfere with my plans.”
    “A very good idea if a trifle droll,” said Cavke. “But I have an even better idea. In a month or so I will drop this old woman off at the O-Shar-Shan in Coro-Coro, and you can do what you like with her.”
    “No!” squeaked Lady Maloof. “He wants to cash my annuity! To this I say ‘No’! Not another dinket for this brute!”
    Maloof said to Cavke: “That seems definite enough.”
    Lady Maloof continued: “I cannot tell you how he has abused me! His insults have been beyond belief!”
    Cavke gave her a half-amused jostle. “Quiet, you old mudlark! Have you no dignity? These men are not interested in your complaints!”
    Lady Maloof only raised her voice. “His insults were cruel! He called me a bony old sandpiper with the molt! He said that I smelled like pickled herring, and that I must bathe! And he suggested that I use the river, since the glass-fish would give me one look, then rush off to find something edible!”
    “Not at all nice,” said Maloof.
    “Just a bit of jocularity,” said Cavke, grinning.
    “He has slandered me in a hundred ways!” wailed Lady Maloof. “I want to go home!”
    “Not so fast,” said Cavke. “Come along, old lady; find my clean clothes.” He started for the hallway, dragging Lady Maloof along in front of him.
    Myron instantly bounded across the room and stationed himself in the opening, holding his gun at the ready. He grinned at Cavke. “You have a gun in your room. You don’t need it at the moment.”
    Cavke saw that if he moved toward the hall, he would be putting himself between Myron and Maloof, which would not be to his advantage, since either one could then shoot him. With a sulky expression, dragging Lady Maloof stumbling and hopping, he backed into a corner, where no one could get behind him. He spoke in a sibilant voice: “This is a stalemate which must be resolved. If you behave