Starquake.pdf

"Who is the Taker?" Otis-Elevator asked. "And what is a dothbute?"
"Each 72 turns the Taker for the Emperor comes from Bright Center and commands us to gather the
clan herd. We
then give them a dothbute for the Emperor and they leave with the animals. They give us 144 more food
Slink eggs of the type that they want for the next harvest, and we tend them until the next taking."
"They take a dozeth of your herd and don't even pay you?" Otis-Elevator was incredulous.
"No," Letter-Reader replied. "We get to keep a dozeth of their herd if we have taken care of them
properly."
"Why don't you raise your own herd?" asked Otis-Elevator.
"We have no Slink eggs," said Letter-Reader. "The Emperor does not allow us to have animals that
might eat his groundnuts. We ourselves must only harvest groundnuts in the hilly areas where the food
Slinks are not allowed. I am afraid the clan will go hungry this great of turns. We lost six Zebu Slinks to
wild Swifts, then your machine killed two, and six were scattered and lost. The meat you have belongs to
the Emperor. The Taker for the Emperor will be angry that it is not fresh."
'Tell the Taker that we will pay for the food Slink," said Otis Elevator. "Right now we need food, but by
the next dozen turns we will have plenty of food. The Taker and all your clan can come and have as
much as you want."
"You do not tell the truth. You cannot grow food in a dozen turns."
"We make the food," Otis-Elevator said. "We use a machine. It makes foods with many different flavors.
Come in a dozen turns and taste them."
He reached into a pouch, pulled out a glow-jewel eye-ring, placed it on the ground, and moved back
away. "That is a present for you. We are sorry that our flying machine scared you and your herd Tell
your clan leader we will not let the clan go hungry."
Letter-Reader was not looking at the glow-ring. Instead four of his eyes were looking at the silvery metal
scroll that Len-McCoy was still holding.
"Is that a scroll?" asked Letter-Reader.
"Yes," said Len-McCoy.
"With letters and words on it?"
"Yes, and some pictures, too."
"The ring is very pretty, but I would like something new to read," said Letter-Reader. "I would trade you
my scroll for your scroll." He reached into a pouch and pulled out a soiled and wrinkled scroll. "It is old,
and not shiny like your scroll, but you can still read the words on it." He held it out eagerly.
"I'll give it to him," said Len-McCoy. "I can have the computer print out a new list when we get back to
base."