The mbretersha smiled. "You will come, Mattern," she said. "You will come when you see how rewarding it is to deal with us. And you will come because--" "Because of what?" he demanded, more sharply than one should address a queen. "Because your kqyres will make sure that you do." The tall, splendidly illuminated being who stood close to her throne bowed as she introduced him: "This is Lord Njeri, who served as kqyres with the previous captain. He will serve with you." "Kqyres? What's that?" Apprehension quickened inside Mattern. "And what right have you to--" "Your partner is dead," the mbretersha told him. "Lord Njeri is your new partner." * * * * * Mattern stood staring at her. No point protesting further, he knew; he was on her world, in her power. For the time being, he would have to obey her. "Come, Captain Mattern," said the kqyres. "It is fitting that we superintend the loading of the ship." So they went back to the port and Mattern watched the xhindi fill the _Valkyrie's_ hold with some queer, spongy-looking substance that couldn't possibly be of value anywhere. And beside him stood the kqyres, as he was to be beside him for the next fifteen years. "If you are disturbed about my effect upon your people when they catch sight of me," the kqyres assured the young man, "you may ease your mind. I shall make myself so that I am barely visible in your universe. Only those who look for me can see me. You need have no fear," he added with a sigh. "I have been through all this before." "Yeah, that's what she told me," said Mattern grimly. "It is disloyal of me, I know," the xhind murmured, "but I had hoped the mbretersha would not find a human representative before I died. I am aware of my obligation to my world--but it is not a pleasant prospect to spend one's last years in exile, however honorable." "Don't worry, as soon as we get to normspace, I'll send you back. I'm not going on with this." The kqyres seemed to shrug sadly. "You cannot send me back, for I am permanently attached to you. Wherever you go, I go--until the mbretersha chooses to free us, one from the other." Mattern couldn't believe that. Once he got out of this alien universe, none of its laws could apply to him. "Secondly," the kqyres informed him, "you will _want_ to come back here. When you look at the cargo and see what it is, you will want to come back." He sighed again. "I know your species so well. And I do not fancy they have changed." VI When the _Valkyrie_ reached normspace, her cargo proved to be the traditional reward--gold. Not the most precious metal in the universe any more, certainly, but still valuable. What there was in her hold would come to perhaps as much money as Mattern might, if his luck had held, have amassed in several decades of operating with Schiemann in normspace. "Well," said the kqyres as Mattern stood goggling at the glowing bullion, "is the payment just?"