There was a man by the name of Marsh out in the Coonskin system who wanted no more than the latest music tapes from Earth for the material that he sent along. And the valiant priest at the missionary station on barren Agustron who wanted old tobacco tins and empty bottles which, for a most peculiar reason, had high value on that topsy-turvy world. And among the many others, Earthmen and aliens alike, there was always PugAlNash.
Packer rolled the wad of leaf across his tongue, sucking out the last faded dregs of its tantalizing flavor.
If a man could make a deal for a good-sized shipment of the leaf, he thought, he could make a fortune on it. Packaged in small units, like packs of gum, it would go like hot cakes here on Earth. He had tried to bring up the subject with Pug, but had done no more than confuse and perplex the good Unukian who, for some unfathomable reason, could not conceive of any commerce that went beyond the confines of simple barter to meet the personal needs of the bargaining individuals.
The doorbell chimed and Packer went to answer it.
It was Tony Camper.
"Hi, Uncle Clyde," said Tony breezily.
Packer held the door open grudgingly.
"Since you are here," he said, "you might as well come in."
Tony stepped in and tilted his hat back on his head. He looked the apartment over with an appraising eye.
"Some day, Unk," he said, "you should get this place shoveled out. I don't see how you stand it."
"I manage it quite well," Packer informed him tartly. "Some day I'll get around to straightening up a bit."
"I should hope you do," said Tony.
"My boy," said Packer, with a trace of pride, "I think that I can say, without fear of contradiction, that I have one of the finest collections of out-star stamps that anyone can boast. Some day, when I get them all in albums —»
"You'll never make it, Unk. It'll just keep piling up. It comes in faster than you can sort it out."
He reached out a foot and nudged the bag beside the desk.
"Like this," he said. "This is a new one, isn't it?"
"It just came in," admitted Packer. "Haven't gotten around as yet to figuring out exactly where it's from."
"Well, that is fine," said Tony. "Keep on having fun. You'll outlive us all."
"Sure I will," said Packer testily. "What is it that you want?"
"Not a thing, Unk. Just dropped in to say hello and to remind you you're coming up to Hudson's to spend the weekend with us. Ann insisted that I drop around and nudge you. The kids have been counting the days —»
"I would have remembered it," lied Packer, who had quite forgotten it.
"I could drop around and pick you up. Three this afternoon?"
"No, Tony, don't bother. I'll catch a stratocab. I couldn't leave that early. I have things to do."
"I bet you have," said Tony.
He moved toward the door.
"You won't forget," he cautioned.
"No, of course I won't," snapped Packer.
"Ann would be plenty sore if you did. She's fixing everything you like."
Packer grunted at him.
"Dinner at seven," said Tony cheerfully.
"Sure, Tony. I'll be there."
"See you, Unk," said Tony, and was gone. -Young whippersnapper-, Packer told himself. -Wonder what he's up to now. Always got a new deal cooking, never quite making out on it. Just keeps scraping along.-
He stumped back to the desk.
• Figures he'll be getting my money when I die-, he thought. -The little that I have. Well, I'll fool him. I'll spend every cent of it. I'll manage to live long enough for that.-
He sat down and picked up one of the letters, slit it open with his pocketknife and dumped out its contents on the one small bare spot on the desk in front of him,
He snapped on the desk lamp and pulled it close. He bent above the stamps.
Pretty fair lot, he thought. That one there from Rho Geminorum XII, or was it XVI, was a fine example of the modern classic — designed with delicacy and imagination, engraved with loving care and exactitude, laid on paper of the highest quality, printed with the highest technical precision.
He hunted for his stamp tongs and failed to find them. He opened the desk drawer and rummaged through the tangled rat's nest be found inside it. He got down on his hands and knees and searched beneath the desk.
He didn't find the tongs.
He got back, puffing, into his chair, and sat there angrily.
• Always losing tongs-, he thought. -I bet this is the twentieth pair I've lost. Just can't keep track of them, damn "em!-
The door chimed.
"Well, come on in!" Packer yelled in wrath.
A mouse-like little man came in and closed the door gently behind him. He stood timidly just inside, twirling his hat between his hands.
"You Mr. Packer, sir?"
"Yes, sure I am," yelled Packer. "Who did you expect to find here?"
"Well, sir," said the man, advancing a few careful steps into the room, "I am Jason Pickering. You may have heard of me."
"Pickering?" said Packer. "Pickering? Oh, sure, I've heard of you. You're the one who specializes in Polaris."
"That is right," admitted Pickering, mincing just a little. "I am gratified that you —»
"Not at all," said Packer, getting up to shake his hand. "I'm the one who's honored."
He bent and swept two albums and three shoe boxes off a chair. One of the shoe boxes tipped over and a mound of stamps poured out
"Please have a chair, Mr. Pickering," Packer said majestically.
Pickering, his eyes popping slightly, sat down gingerly on the edge of the swept-clean chair.
"My, my," he said, his eyes taking in the litter that filled the apartment, "you seem to have a lot of stuff here. Undoubtedly, however, you can lay your hands on anything you want."
"Not a chance," said Packer, sitting down again. "I have no idea whatsoever what I have."
Pickering tittered. "Then, sir, you may well be in for some wonderful surprises."
"I'm never surprised at anything," said Packer loftily.
"Well, on to business," said Pickering. "I do not mean to waste your time. I was wondering if it were possible you might have Polaris 17b on cover. It's quite an elusive number, even off cover, and I know of not a single instance of one that's tied to cover. But someone was telling me that perhaps you might have one tucked away."
"Let me see, now," said Packer. He leaned back in his chair and leafed catalogue pages rapidly through his mind. And suddenly he had it — Polaris 17b — a tiny stamp, almost a midget stamp, bright blue with a tiny crimson dot in the lower left-hand corner and its design a mass of lacy scrollwork.
"Yes," he said, opening his eyes, "I believe I may have one. I seem to remember, years ago…"
Pickering leaned forward, hardly breathing.
"You mean you actually…"
"I'm sure it's here somewhere," said Packer, waving his hand vaguely at the room.
"If you find it," offered Pickering, "I'll pay ten thousand for it."
"A strip of five," said Packer, "as I remember it. Out of Polaris VII to Betelgeuse XIII by way of — I don't seem to remember by way of where."
"A strip of five!"
"As I remember it. I might be mistaken."
"Fifty thousand," said Pickering, practically frothing at the mouth. "Fifty thousand, if you find it."