"I'm having trouble with this. There're more people here, so there's more places for people, right? If you can't hunt or do earthlife farming, you just try something else?"

Murphy nodded brightly. "Next question?"

Would we see each other if I joined up? May I call you Sectry? "Thank you, Bosun."

"Any time," she said, and Sprang away. She coasted parallel to the bark, toward Wheeler as he emerged from behind the Wart.

"It's big," Wheeler called. "Booce Serjent, you've made your fortune."

"Recouped it, anyway. The first thing I'll do is rebuild Logbearer."

"Yes.. . . Well, I've seen enough. Eight thousand tons or so. Those scars on the metal-"

"We used the saw to get the slabs that make up the firebox. It worked better than I'd hoped. It's a good substitute for sikenwire, and the saw's not damaged."

Wheeler nodded, satisfied. "Can we lift you back to your ship?"

"No, we need to cover this somehow before we reach the Market."

"I think you're worrying over nothing. How could anyone steal anything this big7"

"With saws. . . . Well, you may be right."

They watched Gyrfalcon steam toward the Clump interior. Something bright twinkled at the bow. "He's calling home," Booce said. "They use mirrors to bounce Voy-light where they want it."

"What happens now?" Clave asked.

"Wheeler thinks I sawed off more metal than just those plates for the firebox. He'll watch to see if I sell it on the black market. He could have bought the Wart on the spot, but he thinks I'll give him a better price if he waits. A few days after we dock I'll get an offer. It'll be too little, and I'll boost them a bit and then take it so I can stop guarding the metal-"

"What do we do now, Booce? Jeffer must be going crazy waiting for us to call in."

"We're still being watched."

Gyrfalcon was tiny now. Its steam trail was dissipating. Clave asked, "Can they still see? Have they got something like the CARM windows?"

"A box they hold to their eyes. Clave, we'd like some way to disguise this mucking great chunk of metal."

So Logbearer's five crew swarmed over the Wart, taking their time, just looking at it from all angles, as if there were some way to hide a conspicuous pucker in the honest wood of a tree. The sun crept from zenith to pass north of Voy. And presently Debby said, "Booce, you've seen more trees than any of us. What kind of a thing causes this kind of scar?"

"Something hits the tree . . . could be stony, it doesn't have to be metal. I've seen this kind of gap with nothing in it at all, just chewed wood healing over. I never did figure it out."

Debby wondered, "Ice?"

Booce's face went . . . stupid? Mouth agape, eyes drifting. He said, "Heh. Yes! A chunk of ice could smash a tree, then melt."