Page 14 - The Perpetrations of Captain Kaga

Unloading the Warehouse of Nim

if he’d help me. So we went. It took much longer to get there, of
course, than travelling by hovercar, but at last we arrived.”
“As I got down from the wagon, the bag tore and the Cultivator
saw what I was carrying. He recognized it immediately as a collected
Appliance from his childhood. I ignored his questions and went
quickly into the warehouse and replaced the jukebox where I had
found it. Then I came out and we left. I made no further comment to
the Nworg; my main concern was getting back here before
daybreak.”

“…he was pedaling a sort of cycle-wagon down the road…”

“It looks like you didn’t have to say anything,” said Kaga. “He
obviously figured it out all by himself.”
“Hmm, yes, I guess he did. I went out to talk to him a few days
later and bring him his reward. He wasn’t working in his fields so I
walked over to his house. As soon as I got within sight I received a
great shock: Nworg were going in and out of his home in a steady
stream; the ones coming out were carrying old Appliances. It looked
like the VidLit we saw of the potlatch rituals on Orbax.”
“Very funny,” said Kaga, but didn’t laugh.

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