The tech-man  was short,  and his skin glistened  with well-kept plumpness.
His hair was a  fringe and his skull shone through pinkly. The rings on hisfingers  were thick  and heavy, his  clothes were  scented, and he  was thefirst  man  Mallow  had  met  on  the  planet  who  hadn't  looked  hungry.
The tech-man's lips pursed  peevishly, "Now, my man, quickly. I have thingsof  great importance  waiting for me.  You seem  a stranger? He  seemed toevaluate  Mallow's definitely  un-Siwennese  costume and  his eyelids  wereheavy with suspicion.
"I am  not of  the neighborhood," said  Mallow, calmly, "but  the matter isirrelevant.  I have  had the honor  to send  you a little  gift yesterday?
The tech-man's  nose lifted, "I  received it. An interesting  gewgaw. I mayhave use for it on occasion.""I have  other and more interesting gifts. Quite  out of the gewgaw stage.""Oh-h?" The  tech-man's voice lingered thoughtfully  over the monosyllable.
"I think I already see the course of the interview; it has happened before.
You are  going to  give me some trifle  or other. A few  credits, perhaps acloak, second-rate jewelry; anything  your little soul may think sufficientto corrupt a tech-man." His lower lip puffed out belligerently, "And I knowwhat you  wish in  exchange. There have  been others and to  spare with thesame bright  idea. You  wish to be  adopted into our  clan. You  wish to betaught the  mysteries of nucleics and  the care of the  machines. You thinkbecause you dogs of Siwenna ?and probably your strangerhood is assumed forsafety's sake  ?are being daily  punished for your rebellion  that you canescape  what you  deserve by  throwing over  yourselves the  privileges andprotections of the tech-man's guild."Mallow would  have spoken,  but the tech-man  raised himself into  a suddenroar.  "And now leave  before I report  your name  to the Protector  of theCity. Do  you think that I  would betray the trust?  The Siwennese traitorsthat preceded me would  have ?perhaps! But you deal with a different breednow. Why,  Galaxy, I  marvel that I do  not kill you myself  at this momentwith my bare hands."Mallow smiled to himself. The entire speech was patently artificial in toneand  content,  so  that  all  the dignified  indignation  degenerated  intouninspired farce.
The trader  glanced humorously at the two flabby  hands that had been namedas his  possible executioners then  and there, and said,  "Your Wisdom, youare wrong  on three counts. First, I am not a  creature of the viceroy cometo test  your loyalty. Second, my gift is  something the Emperor himself inall his  splendor does  not and will  never possess. Third, what  I wish inreturn is very little; a nothing; a mere breath.""So you say!" He descended into heavy sarcasm. "Come, what is this imperialdonation that  your godlike power  wishes to bestow upon  me? Something theEmperor  doesn't have,  eh?"  He broke  into  a sharp  squawk of  derision.
Mallow rose  and pushed the chair  aside, "I have waited  three days to seeyou, Your Wisdom, but the display will take only three seconds. If you willjust  draw   that  blaster  whose   butt  I  see  ver............