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Message: <blockquote data-quote="jasper" data-source="post: 1485395" data-attributes="member: 277">Chapter 7 Dinner is Served    The Coin Cricket tumbled loosely into the partially dug grave. Then the boom of the shot rolled over the natives.Rami grinned, “Got him!"Jack grinned even wider, “Don’t got him!" He spoke as all the Coiners bailed out of partially dug up grave. One was rubbing his skull as all the natives felt into the woods. Rami started to take another shot but his point was proven the graves alone. The rest of daylight pass into darkness slowly as Rami made a mental game of counting the sweat drops which fell of the belter's nose.    The next morning the report from port was not encouraging the Qbert still had not made contact but the responder was still working. As the monthly pick up run was around the seventh of each month rescue of the Qbert would be long in coming. As requested by the administrator who Rami pointed out to the others Baker did say “Don’t tell me you shot a Coiner.” so they didn’t. But did find out if they had killed a Coiner they would have been charged with murder and the Emperor would not be pleased.    The only excitement in the morning was when Jesse was going to see on the generator a huge green jungle worm called the Silk worm by the native which is over ten meters in length swallow the generator and tried to have Jesse for desert. After a few blast from various shotguns, rifles and laser pistols the Silk Worm collapsed."You killed bro, you clean it." yelled down Frank."No I didn't. Squish killed it," remarked Jesse as he wipe goop off himself and let himself be bandaged by the Aslan.     Squish with the aid of the belter and Rami hauled the worm to the middle of tarmac. Then clean up is a nearby spring while others took guard duty.    Just after midday a band of twenty Coiners came out of jungle on the far side of tarmac. They were scatter with their compound bows holding an arrow notch but not drawn. When they spied the carcass of the worm, all thoughts of  adventurers were forgotten. They circled the body and examined the bullet holes. A quick powwow took and all but three retreated into the woods. One proceed to strip himself of his weapons and slowly walked toward the shack with all arms extend out. The watch called for the colonel and he, Squish, and two others went outside to talk with the native.    The following conversation was long frustrating and difficult. None of landing party spoke Cricket and none of translators had in their database. The Coiner spoke very little Galactic. No the party were not miners. No Squish was not a pet, an animal, for sale, and mean.  Yes the castaways did kill the worm. No they did not want the carcass but would accept three hundred liters of green inkume (a perfume base) for it in trade. Yes they would be here tomorrow. The natives retreated and later in the day a cleaning crew with one lizard and huge cart hauled the carcass away.    Just before dawn of the next day the sleepers were serenaded awake by band of one hundred crickets playing what could be kindly described as Kiss’s arrangement of Hank Williams Senior “Your Cheating Heart” done in three part harmony with feeling. Rami was not sure this was a sneak assault and kept checking his ears to see if they were bleeding.  The band got halfway went with a final flourish the music stop. Frank had been moved to tears. Tears of pain. The band broke apart and when what could be generously called  parade rest and out walked their spokesman.    The Coin Cricket was a deep shade of jungle green. On his head with holes for his antenna was a pink belter’s cap. He wore six pistols on three separated bandoliers. One bandolier was encrusted with cheap rhinestones. The second was encrusted with emeralds of various sizes. The final bandolier was encrusted with diamonds of various sizes.  His waist belt was full of most empty cartilage casting from various millimeter weapons but a few rounds of nine millimeter  were present.  He was wearing a purple ascot made out of three towels sewn together and on closer examination had various Imperium military patches. Of his six pistols, three were carved from wood, one was a laser pistol with the power cord cut off which flap wiggled and bounce in the breeze and two real and well maintained nine millimeter pistols.    Introductions were made and the adventurers discover they were in the present of Able only one of three  Crickets removed from Coin before the plague of 973. He spoke good if broken Galactic. It seem the Hive Mother, which according to the database was only a rumor, want to have the adventurers to dinner. That was to dinner not as dinner.  Other business would be discussed at dinner.     The discussion which followed was loud,  well discussed and sloppy. The group would split into two. With most the Travellers going to the dinner and the rest of passengers staying behind. Prince Andrew Sullivan Smith argued as a noble he was the rankest sophant he should lead the party. Squish took exception to the uppity sixteen year old and try to gently knock some sense into the boy. The boy collapse into a limp bundle and Corpsman Alice Rascon was shoving a shot up his nose while speaking ,”If he is dying so are you.” Fortunately the kid was just knock out. He would recover and the Aslan took time to doze him with a tranquilizer to keep him out of everyone hair. The prince had been an excellence example of nobility was. So he thought. Except for Alice and Frank who were under orders to keep him alive the rest of group would cheerfully swap him for two stale beers and a half smoke cigar.  So Frank left Alice in charge of shed and personnel and with orders to get twelve hours sack time, the rest followed Able into the woods.    After about a four hour march the party were taken into an underground cavern. Then dinner was served except for the music which the Coiners insisting on playing the Cheating Heart anthem a couple of times, the dinner was pleasant. One high point was when the crickets played Beethoven  thirty sixth violin concerto using only their bodies.  The hive mother arrived and great her guest through Able. The Hive Mother dropped a bombshell into the after dinner mints by asking if the party would take a message scroll to the Emperor. The Coiners wanted a full alliance with the Imperium. The remove of Gateway Metals contract of sole ownership of the mine or the power to tax Gateway. More free range teachers which after some discussion was found out to be for an university be built on planet or Coiners be able to attend universities on other worlds. A star port of B class or better. And various other sundries to be discuss later. To sweeten the pot or bribe the Imperium the Coiners would allow the underdeveloped lands be open for farming. Improved inkume would be offered to the market. The gold in the chaff was access to Ancient technology.  The group was given a meter by meter sized scroll which show a line drawing of cricket with a surveyor staff stand in front of what appeared to be a piece of Ancient technology. However no one on the planet must know of this secret mission. The party agree to do their best but wanted to be able to return to Coin as they wish even if the mission wasn’t a success and other minor favors.    The party was return to the landing field a few hours before local midnight. Two days later around midmorning the ill-fated passengers hear the sounds of two air rafts.</blockquote>

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