David Falkyn-Star Trader

When You Trade Upon a Star!

Think self-congratulating Federation lackeys are going to be the ones to boldly go where no one has gone before? Think again!   Now second-son of nobility David Falkayn, hot to prove his worth, leads a team of alien capitalists through deadly threat and gnarly interplanetary dilemma.  The mission:  to keep intergalactic trade forever free—and always profitable!  

The second of three volumes of the complete cycle of “Polesotechnic League” books and stories by transcendently-gifted science fiction master (how does seven Hugos and three Nebula Awards strike you?) Poul Anderson!

"One of science fiction's authentic geniuses."— Chicago Sun-Times

Cover Art by David Seeley

Hardcover
This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.

First printing, January 2009

Distributed by Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN-13: 978-1-4165-5520-9
ISBN-10: 1-4165-5520-X

"Introduction" copyright © by Hank Davis; "A Chronology of Technic Civilization" by Sandra Miesel, copyright 2008 by Sandra Miesel.
Copyright© 2009 by Poul Anderson

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form.

A Baen Books Original
Baen publishing Enterprises
P.O. Box 1403
Riverdale, NY 10471
https://www.baen.com

Electronic version by Baen Books
https://www.baen.com

Acknowledgements

"A Historical Reflection" (excerpt from "Margin of Profit") first appeared in this form in Trader to the Stars, Doubleday, 1966. Copyright 1956 by Street & Smith Publications, Inc.

"Territory," first published in Analog, June 1963, copyright 1963 by Condé Nast Publications Incorporated.

"Plus Ca Change, Plus C'est la Mene Chose," first published in The Trouble Twisters, Doubleday, 1966. Copyright 1966 by Poul Anderson.

"The Trouble Twisters," first published in Analog, July and August 1965, copyright 1965 by Condé Nast Publications Incorporated.

Introduction to "Day of Burning," first published in The Earth Book of Stormgate, Berkley Putnam, 1978. Copyright 1978 by Poul Anderson.

"Day of Burning," first published as "Supernova" in Analog, January 1967, copyright 1967 by Condé Nast Publications Incorporated.

"The Master Key," first published in Analog, July, 1964, copyright 1964 by Condé Nast Publications Incorporated.

Satan's World, first published in Analog, May, June, July and August 1968, copyright 1968 by Condé Nast Publications Incorporated.

Introduction to "A Little Knowledge," first published in The Earth Book of Stormgate, Berkley Putnam, 1978. Copyright 1978 by Poul Anderson.

"A Little Knowledge," first published in Analog, August 1971, copyright 1971 by Condé Nast Publications Incorporated.

Introduction to "Lodestar," first published in The Earth Book of Stormgate, Berkley Putnam, 1978. Copyright 1978 by Poul Anderson.

"Lodestar," first published in Astounding: John W. Campbell Memorial Anthology, ed. Harry Harrison, Random House, 1973. Copyright 1973 by Random House, Inc.

"Afterword," first published in Astounding: John W. Campbell Memorial Anthology, ed. Harry Harrison, Random House, 1973. Copyright 1973 by Random House, Inc.

"Chronology of Technic Civilization" by Sandra Miesel, copyright 2008 by Sandra Miesel.