The Chalice of Death Read Online Free PDF

of Kausirn’s, no doubt—had slipped a sleep drug into one of his drinks. He should have been on guard. By hereditary right and by his own wits he had always chosen the cases to be heard, and in the space of a single hour the Lyrellan had done him out of that .
    Three: He had lied too well. This was something he should have foreseen; he had aroused weak Joroiran’s desire to such a pitch that Kausirn was easily able to plant the suggestion that the Overlord send the faithful Earthman out to find the Chalice.
    Three mistakes. Now, he was on the outside and Kausirn in control.
    Navarre tipped his glass and drained it. “You’re a disgrace to your genes,” he told the oddly distorted reflection on the wall of the glass. “A hundred thousand years of Earth-man labor to produce what? You ? Fumblewit!”
    Still, there was nothing to be done for it now. Joroiran had given the word, and here he was, assigned to chase a phantom, to pursue a will-o’-the-wisp. The Chalice! Chalice, indeed! There was no such thing.
    He tossed his empty glass aside and reached for the communicator. He punched the stud, quickly fed in four numbers and a letter.
    A blank radiance filled the screen, and an impersonal dry voice said, “Citizen Carso is not at home. Citizen Carso is not at home. Citizen Car—”
    Navarre cut the contact and dialed again. This time the screen lit, glowed, and revealed a tired-looking man in a stained white smock.
    â€œJublain Street Bar,” the man said. “You want to see the manager?”
    â€œNo. Is there a man named Domrik Carso there? A heavy-set fellow, with a thick beard?”
    â€œI’ll look around,” the barkeep grunted. A few moments later, Carso came to the screen; as Navarre had suspected, he was indulging in a few last swills of Joran beer before taking off for the outworlds.
    â€œNavarre? What do you want?”
    Navarre ignored the belligerent greeting. “Have you bought your ticket for Kariad yet?”
    Carso blinked. “Not yet. What’s it to you?”
    â€œIf you haven’t bought the ticket yet, don’t . How soon can you get over here?”
    â€œCouple of centuries, maybe. What’s going on, Navarre?”
    â€œYou’ve been pardoned.”
    â€œ What ? I’m not banished?”
    â€œNot exactly,” Navarre said. “Look, I don’t want to talk about it at long range. How soon can you get yourself over here?”
    â€œI’m due at the spaceport at twenty-one to pick up my tick—”
    â€œ Damn your ticket,” Navarre snapped. “You don’t have to leave yet. Come over, will you?”
    Navarre peered across the table at Domrik Carso’s heavy-shouldered figure. “That’s the whole story,” the Earthman said. “Joroiran wants the Chalice—and he wants it real hard.”
    Carso shook his head and exhaled a beery breath. “Your damnable glib tongue has ruined us both, Hallam. With but half an Earthman’s mind I could have done better.”
    â€œIt’s done, and Kausirn has me in a cleft stick. If nothing else, I’ve saved you from banishment.”
    â€œOnly under condition that I help you find this nonexistent Chalice,” Carso grunted. “Some improvement that is. Well, at least Joroiran will foot the bill. We can both see the universe at his expense, and when we come back—”
    â€œWe come back when we’ve found the Chalice,” said Navarre. “This isn’t going to be any pleasure jaunt.”
    Carso glared at him sourly. “Hallam, are you mad? There is no Chalice!”
    â€œHow do you know? Joroiran says there is. The least we can do is look for it.”
    â€œWe’ll wander space forever,” Carso said, scowling. “As no doubt the Lyrellan intends for you to do. Well, there’s nothing to do but accept. I’m no poorer for it than if I were banished. Chalice! Pah