April 8: It's Always Something (38 page)

April had the dishes laid out in the center of the table and they sat around it on the cloth chairs so common to Home. They folded up and hung on a hook when not needed. Jeff topped off their coffee and everybody was quiet for awhile while they were eating.

"I have a yellow light blinking on com," April said. "That's a second tier message or a news search that returned some solid results. Would it offend you to have me throw it on the big screen?" She said it to both of them, but was looking at Diana.

"Your place, your customs, if you don't mind me seeing it," Diana said, with a wave of her hand.

"
House, display yellow priority com on screen,
" April ordered by voice from her seat. She had oatmeal with raisins and no desire to get up.

"You change your voice when you talk to the house computer," Di told her.

"You do the same thing when you talk to your dog," April observed.

Diana thought that was hilarious.

Seven news retrievals with seventeen to three key words. Five North America, one European, and one undefined. The screen showed silently.

"Show first with highest key words," April said.

"Official news program, National release, Tues. 1800 local time each zone, from the Joint Committee of Temporary Governance. Timothy Borden spox."

The program captioned the release, highlighting key search words.

Tim spoke breathlessly, and revealed there was a thankless mob action in Hawaii of bandits and criminals. He recounted some of the previous movements to repudiate Hawaii's statehood, laid it on thick what a privilege it was to have been admitted as a state, and glossed over the fact Hawaii had been overthrown as a sovereign nation, basically for commercial interests.

When he commented on the heathen nature of the Hawaiian culture it twigged Jeff to what was going on. "Ah...OK, he's God's Warriors faction or he wouldn't be bringing this up."

"This movement is not new, but its modern expression has new life from outside influences," Tim asserted. "The Wiggen administration allowed a Home operative free reign to operate in Hawaii." A window opened to the side and showed a shot of April running along a beach.

"That's you!" Diana said, stating the obvious, incredulous.

"An agent of the Presidential protective detail was even dispatched to Hawaii, and they all met and colluded with a notorious spy, resident on the island, and foreign news agents."

Thankfully Tim offered no pix of Gunny or Papa-san.

"After killing a senior member of Homeland Security attempting to arrest her, these people were involved in an incident that involved a Chinese submarine in Hawaiian waters."

"All true, but entirely lacking in context," April said to Diana's shocked looks.

"The three principles managed to elude authorities and slip off the island, probably by boat."

"How many ways are there off an island?" April asked, amused.

"These people all now reside on Home, untouchable and not subject to extradition from that lawless habitat. An agent of North America recently went to Home and tried to bring one of the master minds of this operation to justice. Sadly Mr. Singh, personally responsible for several criminal bombardments of Earth after a supposed treaty, forced him into a duel. The results were tragic. Our agent was cut by a weapon tainted with a neurotoxin and died."

The screen with April, cut to an ugly video of the Earthie Patrick flopping on the floor in weakening seizures. Jeff was holding the knife he'd picked up off the floor aloft like a salute. Mr. Muños was standing in front of a crowd in the background, as was April. The killed bystander was cropped out.

"And that's Eduardo!" Diana said, amazed again, but didn't note April being there.

"Yes, and if Jeff hadn't killed the son-of-a-bitch Eduardo had promised to do so the next morning."

Diana was staring at her, mouth hanging open. What she noticed most, at the moment, was April was continuing to eat her oatmeal, visibly irritated, but not enough to spoil her appetite.

"What our investigators have uncovered, is that this goes back further than any of us realized," Tim continued. "The duelist in the video, Jeff Singh, is son of a man who made his fortune suing the Governor of Hawaii, and the Hawaiian State Police for allowing the wrongful death of Singh's mother in a tragic terrorist attack. They have a long standing grievance with both the North American governance of Hawaii and the police, stemming from an ancient land dispute."

"Absolutely true," Jeff said. "But they didn't
allow
it. The State Police
built
and deployed the bomb that killed my mom. The Governor should have died flopping around like a goldfish on the floor like Patrick in the video there, but the best my dad could do was break him financially. He made his fortune himself, but he did nick them for a pretty big hunk of change. Because they were
guilty
." He buttered another muffin and added jam, munching on it unconcerned at the continuing slander.

The video continued on, showing old clips of the Governor and Jeff's dad. And news reports of the bombing, but not the trial of the police or the Singh's suit against the Governor.

The program moved on to saying Home was implicated in the disappearance of a Coast Guard vessel and most recently a USNA submarine. All this was presented in sum as a pattern of continued hostility from Home, and the reason the USNA could not credit the previous government's willingness to accept a treaty with Home.

"It is therefore necessary to temporarily stop all trade and support of Hawaii from the mainland, until this is resolved, and local authority repudiates any separatist movements," Tim said with a sad face.

"Notice, he didn't say they would blockade them, just stop exporting to them," Jeff said. "But this makes official that they are still at war with us, not just one authority's statement."

"You don't seem all that worried," Diana noted.

"I'm far less concerned with what they say, than what they do," Jeff said. "They can bluster all they wish. If they actually move against us in any physical way I'm quite capable of destroying them. All that garbage," Jeff dismissed the program with a wave of his hand, "was for domestic consumption. They rally the simple minded by painting themselves as under attack. They use having an opposition to say their actions have the legitimacy of necessity. And they are skillful in lying. The best way to lie is to tell part of the truth."

"Then what's the other part I'm not hearing?" Diana asked.

"It might take awhile to show you. Do you really want to take a couple hours to see it?" April asked.

"Yes, I think I have to," Diana said.

"Well, I'm going to make another pot of coffee then," April said. "Jeff, show her Mr. Patrick standing up to speak to you in the assembly, then the full video of the duel."

"It was him that started it, and his weapons, and they never showed the poor clod that got killed for nothing," Diana said, after the show. "They turned it all upside down."

"Indeed," Jeff agreed, "You might appreciate the encounter with the USNA Coast Guard our friends who have a ketch recorded. Then I have an interview with the captain of the submarine they report missing. He defected rather than attack our ship when he knew it to be suicide."

"Run 'em, this is interesting," Diana allowed.

"I imagine the people on the cutter felt righteous to point a cannon at them," Diana said much later, "I don't see the necessity given they weren't running, but they only would do so if they were sure the other boat was helpless. They were wrong," Diana added unnecessarily.

"In international waters the reality is the guys with the biggest guns do what they wish," Jeff said. Would you like to see documents about my mother's death and the court cases?"

"Nah, I can see which way the wind is blowing with these," Diana allowed. "It's kind of depressing, and I suspect you can beat me over the head with more all day long, can't you? I have my appointment with Doc Ames tomorrow and don't want to spend my whole day watching this crap."

"Easily. A couple days if you want to read court transcripts. They do love to talk."

"You don't want to just let them get away with this, do you?" Diana asked.

"They control the communications with the majority," Jeff said. "People who are smart enough to bypass net controls already know it's false. People in other countries pretty much know. I don't think we can make any real headway on what the greater mob in North America believes. Neither do I speak for all of Home, although they make it look that way. I don't want to sound as if I believe I can speak for Home, nor do I want to sound strident and desperate. Let them rant, as long as they behave," Jeff said.

"Let's go out and do something fun then," Diana said.

"Tonight we'll take you to the Quiet Retreat," April promised.

"What's that?" Diana asked her.

"The competition for the Fox and Hare. It's the only other serious club on Home. Do you dance?"

"Oh yeah. Sounds good to me."

The next morning Diana went off early to start her treatments. She didn't get back until late.

"Ames says I won't even make it back here tonight," She warned April the next morning before leaving. "He says I need to have a slow drip in me that will last twenty hours. I'll be in a treatment bed."

The end of the third day she came home exhausted, ate like a starving wolf, and fell into bed. Her face was quite puffy and pink. It looked like she might peel a bit like one does with untreated sunburn. It alarmed April a little. She'd never had the accelerated treatments like this herself, or ever seen what they looked like in an older person.

The next morning April sent Diana off and then discovered the woman had raided the frig in the middle of the night. Anything that could be eaten without cooking was just gone. That included a stack of corn tortillas, a quarter kilo of butter and a half a chocolate creme pie. She hadn't said anything, and April wondered if she even remembered doing it.

When Diana came home that night she did remember, and tried to offer April payment for it. April declined and offered to order up anything she wanted. Diana was her house guest after all. She could get sandwiches and such from the cafeteria and have them on hand. It really wasn't any different than when Gunny was home. He had a habit of ignoring food for a day and then suddenly cleaning the frig out in an evening too.

The next morning Diana announced she'd be back mid-day, and the next day the same.

April had the door set to Diana's hand and voice, so she wasn't that aware when she returned, until she heard Diana say, "Damn...What does the other guy look like?"

April was sitting at the com console, running through her messages, but that apparently was directed at Gunny, now returned home, and enjoying a cup of coffee while standing chatting with April. He had on shorts and footies, hair wet from the shower, and he was a vision of layered muscle and scars.

April was so accustomed to him she forgot what a sight he could be. Diana apparently found him a vision, and in her usual forthright manner wasn't afraid to say so.

"The other guy, several actually, doesn't look like
anything
anymore," Gunny assured her. He flashed a predatory smile April rarely saw. It could be very intimidating if you weren't certain you were friends with him. Diana had apparently assumed that relationship already. She returned a similar grin.

"Ah, Diana...my bodyguard and friend, Gunny Mack Tindal," April introduced them.

"Earthie, on probationary status, here from Hawaii for gene mods," Diana described herself.

"Homie, former USNA Naval NCO, Presidential Detail, got a few minor mods myself," he said.

"Any of that coffee left?" Diana asked. "It's near as good as the single estate Kona, the sort the natives keep for themselves."

"April doesn't buy cheap coffee," Gunny confirmed. "Coming right up," he said, going to get Diana a mug, and top his off. That surprised April. Most folks he'd wave at the pot and let them serve themselves. April had an uneasy feeling there was an...affinity there. Most men she could tell if they found a lady attractive. They sucked their stomach in flat right away. The trouble with Gunny was he looked like an ad for a gym. He didn't have anything over that washboard to suck in...

"Listen here, Kiddo," Diana said. She wasn't really rude, just more assertive than most people April had to deal with. "I've been thinking about that crap the Norte Americans dumped on the news a couple days back. I can see what you are saying about them controlling their own media, but I thought of a good way to give them a little back if you are interested. Is that boyfriend of yours around?"

"He's at his office. He sent me some text a bit ago and declined lunch. Maybe if you ask him to come talk you can pry him out of his office when I couldn't. Why don't you sit on the couch there. I'll aim a camera at you and let you talk to him. Let me put him on the screen."

Diana parked herself on the sofa facing the big wall screen. Gunny followed her unasked, with his coffee, and sat at the other end. Jeff appeared with an intense look on his face Diana hadn't seen yet. There was a man in the background, and it struck her how small the room had to be.

"Diana," Jeff said, acknowledging her with nod. Something clicked and his face changed. He dropped out of work mode, but she didn't know him well enough to recognize that yet. "And Gunny," he added. "Welcome back." The camera angle was pretty wide apparently. April didn't show their window.

"I was laying back thinking while the doc was dripping God only knows what in my veins. I can't watch video or try to read while they fuss with stuff and come in and out. How would you like to poke a stick in North America's eye for that nasty propaganda you showed me?"

"Possibly," Jeff allowed. "If it's just a minor irritant to make
me
feel better, I'd rather not take much time or effort. It would take a lot to really make me feel much better about them. If it hurts them significantly without harming the innocent, even the stupid innocent, then it might be worth doing."

"You made a big deal the other night about getting landing rights in Australia and Japan, and it sounds like you have a couple more looking pretty solid. How about adding Hawaii? I'm not even sure what they are going to call it. Republic of Hawaii? Kingdom of Hawaii? But whatever it is, if you start landing there it lends them legitimacy. I have Nick's number, and you can call him up and ask if you can do a deal. No guarantees, I'm not sure he has the rank to negotiate it, but what can it hurt?"

"You know I can't recognize them as a country without putting it before the Assembly? And I'm loath to do that. I don't know enough about this rebellion to support it.  April and I discussed it at length, and agreed not to export rebellion," Jeff said. "I have no idea if I want to support them."

"That's fine. It gives your people deniability. But you can see from their own propaganda they can't separate Home and you in their little minds," Diana said, with a dismissive gesture. "You might as well take advantage of it. And it gives you another place to land. You aren't expected to support Australia or Japan because you are landing there are you? It's just
business
. You don't have to approve of their political theories to trade with them. However, if you start landing there and doing business with their little upstart nation, it will irritate the hell out of North America. Even with no formal recognition. I can just about guarantee it."

Jeff gave a snort of amusement and grinned. "Yeah, I think so too. After all, just about everything irritates them. Give me this Nick's number and I'll call him. That's April's house boy, right?"

"Yes, but if you call him a houseboy you might as well not call. That's classist and racist and a whole bunch of other 'ists...He's a caretaker or conservator," Diana instructed him.

"Right, until next month and those will be offensive too," Jeff said. "Thanks for the number. I'll call him right now and see what I can arrange," and he disconnected.

"Jeff is getting perceptive," Gunny said, surprised.

"I've been giving him people lessons, socializing him bit by bit," April admitted.

"That's fine," Gunny decided. "I don't think it will spoil him."

"How would you like to go to lunch?" Diana asked Gunny. "These treatments leave me ravenous."

"Sure. Just let me throw on something a little better for public," Gunny said, and went to his room.

April noticed she wasn't included...

Gunny returned with a grey silk shirt over black pants. He didn't usually dress that nice for a cafeteria 'lunch', but Diana seemed to appreciate it.

"Have fun," April called out, as they left. They at least waved goodbye.

Midafternoon Jeff called. "Is Diana there April? She doesn't answer her com."

She left for lunch with Gunny, several hours ago."

Jeff just raised his eyebrows. "Well..."

"You need her to deal with Nick?" April asked.

"No, that's a done deal. I just wanted to thank her."

"I tell you what. She
really
liked the Quiet Retreat because of the dancing. I'll get us a reservation for four, and text Gunny. I don't think he'll turn off his phone, not when his security guys have to be able to contact him. If they want to come along he'll text me back. If he says no I'll invite the Patsitsas'. They won't be offended by a last minute invitation. They've done it to us. It won't kill us to go there so soon. It was pretty nice, even the food."

"All right, I can do that," Jeff agreed. "We'll go even if nobody else wants too."

"Thank you. Just come on over when you want. I'll ask for 1900."

* * *

The reservations secretary for the maitre d' at the Quiet Retreat was surprised. She knew April had been there the evening before and that she was involved with their rival club.

"No Ms. Lewis, it isn't too late at all. We can have a banquette for four at 1900, and happy to have you," which she seemed to have added spontaneously. April made a note to do her some favor.

Gunny was much briefer. He returned her text with, "Yes."

Jeff had a delightful surprise for her when he came early. He'd replaced the jacket he'd lost in his duel, and was dressed in the full matching outfit again. Gunny and Diana didn't show until 1500, and he went to dress in something fresh and nicer for the club. He stuck his head out the door and let Diana know when the shower was open.

Gunny looked really nice when he came out. He had on grey trousers with side stripes and a short cropped jacket of the same color without a collar or buttons. It barely went below the waist and had big vents in the back and elastic gussets under the arms to allow freedom of movement. It had piping along the radiused hem and front opening to match the trousers. The shirt under it was a medium blue with tiny yellow diamonds that looked almost golden. It made his large shoulder look even bigger without any padding.

Diana when she came out had a dress on that was the essence of simplicity. A soft sheath of delicate fabric in a red like the brightest lipstick, which she wore to match, but little other makeup. April thought she looked really good, and some of it was the treatments showing already.

"I've never seen a jacket like that," Diana told Gunny. "Is it a style on Home?"

"It is now," Gunny quipped. "I was told to wear a jacket by my client for this last job. I had Frank make it for me and another in off white. I told him I wanted a short jacket like toreadors wear, but without all the silly bling and embroidery. It's thin and has a bonded satin lining. You can move like lightning in it. Since you said we'd dance I didn't think I should hobble myself."

"Well...I'll try to keep up," Diana said.

"April, I have to thank you for the loan of your drones," Gunny said. "They are tremendously intimidating. I felt uncomfortable returning to ISSII after they got the drop on me last time. I've started wearing spex with rear view cameras, but I'm still not comfortable using them. It feels weird looking forward and seeing everything on both edges going the other way, "He demonstrated with both hands fanning to the back on each side. "But I set them to do a little orbit, one side and then pause, and the other side a little further on. When they break away to make a little circle you can see the other guys security get all twitchy. They have no idea how autonomous they are, and don't want to find out."

"They were a little too intimidating to use every day on Home. But when I go visit other habs I'll take them along," April said. She thought Gunny was plenty intimidating all on his own. She'd have to show Diana the video of him exiting the North American's hospitality suite on ISSII...

"I have time to tell you before we leave," Jeff announced. "
Dionysus' Chariot
is going to land shortly after local sunrise at a small airfield on Maui called Hanna field. Nick assures me the landing area can be made much more secure than using a larger airport where North American sympathizers and agents may still be present. However he's going to have a TV news team to take video. They just aren't going to board an aircraft and fly there from Hawaii until a half hour before the
Chariot
arrives. And they will leave on a misleading heading. I've already posted to the public freight board that we will be loading cargo for delivery to the Hawaiian islands, specific landing site withheld for security reasons, but FedEx and UPS will have local agents. It's noted as return freight already sold out."

"Is that true, or is it a subterfuge to keep the site secret?" Gunny asked.

Jeff put a shocked, hurt face on and touched splayed fingers to his breast. "Do you think I'd falsify a public business document? We're contracted to lift three quarters of a metric ton of what I have been assured is excellent Hawaiian coffee to Home."

"You can get refueled at this airfield? I assume it's a little private field?" Gunny asked.

"It's actually public, and we'll set down on grass off to the side. I don't want to burn a hole in their pavement. We don't really need fuel of course, just reactive mass. They promise to have a tanker truck there with filtered water, and that will work just fine for that latitude and the cargo mass. It should be pumped up before we've done unloading and loading."