No Man's World

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Her world’s intrigues were child’s play in a tangled universe.

Hsien Koanga A little man who played with the life of a planet.

The Moguls

They gobbled up star clusters until their world caved in.

Directly he dumped his single case on the customs bench, Dave Caradine began telling the old familiar lies. This far into the Galactic Hub, with stars and planets thicker than pips in a pomegranate, they took their customs inspections seriously. He wasn’t telling his elaborately calculated lies to cover up smuggling—that was strictly for the small time.

He opened his case helpfully. The planet’s name was Camma-Horakah and Caradine hadn’t wanted to make planetfall here at all. Out on the field a tractor with an off-key motor was hauling the starship off the pad. Other passengers were lining up, brightly dressed men and women from a hundred planets. Each individual person, Caradine knew with a sour little smile of amusement, figured that his or her own planet was the Golden Peak of civilization and culture-after Ragnar and the good ol’ PLW, of course.

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