
Transcriber's Note:
BY GEORGE O. SMITH
In the glittering crossroads of the galaxy, Xanabar stands as the ultimate market where rival worlds clash and bargains are sealed over clinking glasses and swirling smoke. Here, mercenaries act as impartial arbiters, stepping in before disputes turn to blood and demanding a price for their peace‑keeping services. When two strangers arrive with conflicting claims, a cold‑spoken enforcer forces them into a high‑stakes wager that could cost a life—or a fortune in crystal‑cut gems.
Amid the bustling streets, Peter Hawley wanders with his uncanny companion, a talking dog named Buregarde, whose keen senses sniff out hidden danger. Together they navigate the tangled alleys of this massive trading post, picking up whispers of a mysterious disappearance and the subtle currents of power that flow beneath Xanabar’s glittering surface. Their observations hint at deeper conspiracies, promising a tense dance of negotiation, loyalty, and survival in a city where every contract is a matter of life and death.
Language
en
Duration
~25 minutes (24K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Greg Weeks, Greg Bergquist, Bruce Albrecht and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net
Release date
Dec 17, 2007
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1911–1981
A Golden Age science fiction writer with an engineer’s eye for detail, he became known for brisk, idea-driven stories about communications, spaceflight, and problem-solving. His work helped give mid-century SF some of its most convincing technical texture.
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