"Do you have enough for the plastic industries?" "We have four freighters surplus every season." Blahrog was evidently banking heavily on the coal. Andy wondered if coal were the only surplus on Felix II. "What are you doing with your surplus at present?" he inquired tactfully, hoping that Blahrog would realize, without being told, the impossibility of supporting the population of Felix II on four freighters of soft coal. "We store it up," was the crafty answer, "and sell it to the synthetics plants on Darius IV when the Ionian miners go on strike." "How long since the Ionians struck?" If this economic event occurred regularly, the coal surplus could assist in meeting the Federation's requirements. "Twenty seasons or so." Blahrog's tone was off-handed, but his eyes slid guiltily toward Andy and away again. Andy sighed. "Any other resources?" They went quickly through minerals, agricultural products and animal skins; established that Felicians could not teleport, levitate or read minds. They were technologically uneducated, and had no industry on the factory-system level. "It is coal or nothing, Mr. Stephens," Blahrog said with finality. "Isn't there some way to make the Federation believe that our coal is superior to other coal, and worth more?" "Do you, perchance, own a sizable proportion of Felician coal reserves?" Blahrog nodded, guilty looking again. "Well, forget it. There isn't enough." The Everking, who had been holding Andy's translator to his ear in silence, burst into speech. "His Foreverness says," Blahrog remarked cannily, "that it appears impossible for Felix II to join the Federation." "We aren't through yet," Andy said quickly. "What about the tourist industry? If you'd allow visitors and advertise a little...." "No," the Everking shouted, in Galactic. "We tried that during the last reign," Blahrog said. "It didn't work." "You're pretty far off the shipping lanes, I'll admit," Andy said, "but surely you could attract enough tourists from somewhere to show a profit."
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