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."
"Aye aye, Deckmaster," Thorby answered and added something under his breath. He hurried into clothes, stuck his head into his bunkie, gave the sad word to Fritz and rushed to the Cabin, hoping that the Deckmaster had told the Captain that Thorby had been showering.
The door was open. Thorby started to report formally when the Captain looked up. "Hello, Son. Come in."
Thorby shifted gears from Ship to Family. "Yes, Father."
"I'm about to hit dirt. Want to come along?"
"Sir? I mean, 'Yes, Father!' that 'ud be swell!"
"Good. I see you're ready. Let's go." He reached in a drawer and handed Thorby some twisted bits of wire. "Here's pocket money; you may want a souvenir."
Thorby examined it. "What's this stuff worth. Father?"
"Nothing -- once we're off Losian. So give me back what you have left so I can turn it in for credit. They pay us off in thorium and goods."
"Yes, but how will I know how much to pay for a thing?"
"Take their word for it. They won't cheat and won't bargain. Odd ones. Not like Lotarf . . . on Lotarf, if you buy a beer without an hour's dickering you're ahead."
Thorby felt that he understood Lotarfi better than he did Losians. There was something indecent about a purchase without a polite amount of dickering. But fraki had barbaric customs; you had to cater to them -- Sisu prided herself on never having trouble with fraki
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