There were others in Taun to be cured. When Yon the Fisher awoke later in the day, he was still a little weak, but his pains were gone, and he declared that he was much better. As soon as word got around, the other seven men who had been stricken begged him to come. Hale came, but he explained that--naturally--the medicine cost money. Crystals would do. Had Yon the Fisher paid? Yon the Fisher had paid a very great price, indeed, Hale assured them. But, of course, Yon was a very wealthy man. Those who had less would be charged less. It would balance out. Hale charged just a fraction less than the traffic would bear. When Yon the Fisher heard of this, he was even more grateful to the "Islander." He knew perfectly well he hadn't given Hale a single Crystal. By the end of the second day, Hale's supply of drugs was running dangerously low, although his collection of diamonds was becoming pleasingly large. He decided to take the whole planet in hand. The grateful Yon was very happy to lend Hale a boat and crew to get him back to the Island whence he was presumed to have come. "I'll have to get more medicine," Hale explained. "I'll come back, never fear." "But will your people let one of my boats land? How will they know you're aboard?" Yon propped himself up on his pallet. "Several boats which have tried to land--peacefully, of course--have been blown out of the water." "Don't worry, Yon, old friend. All that is over, now that we have come to terms." Yon lay back again, a smile beneath his beard. "Good. Take the boat, then." Hale strode out. Caryl held the door open for him. She kept her head bowed and didn't look at him, but there was the faintest trace of a smile on her lips. Hale ignored her. * * * * * The trip across the channel, even with a good breeze, took nearly half a day because of the adverse currents. Hale spent the time thinking. The IHC ship evidently still had plenty of power, even after twelve years, if they could blow a fishing smack out of the water. It took power to use a space gun in an atmosphere. But why did they want to keep the people of Cardigan's Green away? Surely they weren't afraid of a raid--or were they? There must be some way to contact them, or Yon the Fisher could not have made the offer that Hale had so cavalierly accepted. Two of the crew developed the sniffles on the trip, and Hale, with great magnanimity, dosed them for free. At last, the Island loomed out of the sea. It was a continuation of the mainland mountains, and looked it. The Peniyan Range, half a million or so years ago, was a solid chain, connecting the offshore island with the mainland. Indeed, what is now the Island was once merely the tip of the old Peniyan Peninsula. But, between earthquake and sea action, a lower section vanished beneath the sea, leaving the jagged cliffs of the Island.