“The NTA won’t. At least not directly. But they will sell it to someone else and have them do it for them. I’ve actually got my first mate looking for signs of it being shopped around down here already. Deeqa knows people—hell, she’s related to people—who would do it in a heartbeat. Trust me; if there’s anything these people are good at, it’s making money. They ain’t the Northern
Trade
Alliance for nothing. They already brought down one world order for cash; don’t think they can’t get you guys too.”
“Well, I think you sell Her Majesty short, but I do understand your concern, and your reason for haste in getting your next load. It’s been a long time in coming for you, and you deserve your rewards. Do you really think your people can possibly make an imitation variety of Goblin Tea that will taste as good and have all the same effects? There are creatures of Prosperion involved with growing it, you know. Pollination and that sort of thing.”
“Oh, they’ll make something close enough. I get all that ‘right air, right soil, right bugs’ thing, but there’s nobody down here that’s had it before. If someone beats me to establishing
the
brand, I’ll be the knockoff trying to capture some gourmet niche or something. They’ll have set the palate, and worse, they can afford to run nonstop net ads convincing everyone that drinking anything else makes you a total loser. People believe that crap. You can’t out-info-war the super rich. They’ll get all the everyday sales if I don’t execute this perfectly. You of all people should understand that I don’t want to lose.”
Altin nodded. “I do understand.”
They exchanged grim nods. “Good. And that is why I need you with me in Murdoc Bay. Something is up down there, and the last two times we went, we’ve had people trying to sneak onto the ship, like, right there at the plantation. One of them even tried to do one of those icicle things you guys do, tried to hit one of my girls when she caught him. Deeqa had to shoot his ass.”
Altin’s lips drew taut and curled in on themselves as he considered that. “Have you told Her Majesty?”
“I have no way to tell her. I sent a message through the TGS depot, just like everyone else trying to communicate with your government does. It’s all bureaucratted up now. The TGS might as well be the NTA now, at least when it comes to procedures, forms, and delays.”
“Well, I can get word to her for you. She can send a contingent of mages to accompany you.”
“She won’t. That was my first request four months ago when the two dipshits tried to sneak on board the first time. They thought they could turn invisible and just walk right in, but we can see that crap on sensors. You guys might be able to scramble our brains or whatever with your illusions, but they don’t do crap to surveillance feeds.”
“Hmm,” Altin hummed. “Then you do have a problem, and I can certainly see why having me along would help.”
“I’m telling you, man, I don’t want to cause an interplanetary incident or anything, but if those assholes keep trying to screw with my people or my ship, I’ll burn them down in piles until I get some respect. I know how it goes with blanks down there, especially in Murdoc Bay. And I have Her Majesty’s permission to do it, too, although she made me promise to use some restraint, which is why I’m calling you. I guess that bony old hag the marchioness is already pissed off about me being there as it is, so I’m not supposed to become a ‘diplomatic problem.’”
“Yes, you’re walking more than one fine line in that particular town, to be sure.”
“Yeah, so I need you to keep it peaceful. I don’t want Her Majesty to think I can’t handle it, and I don’t have time to wait to hear back from her anyway. The way I see it, if they know you’re there, they won’t even try anything. Who’s going to screw with you?”
“Well, you might be surprised, but again, I see your point. Let me talk to Orli about getting out of that promise.”
“I’ll talk to her,” Roberto offered as his masseuse was working her way down his spine. He seemed to think about what he’d volunteered to do for a second, then said to the woman working on him, “Go back to my neck and shoulders. Orli’s attitude is already making me tense, and she’s not even on screen yet.”
Altin hummed a second time, though this one sounded a different note as he watched the captain of the
Glistening Lady
being rubbed down by a member of his crew. “I should think it might be better if I spoke to her just now,” he said.
The look on his face seemed to convey his meaning, and Roberto laughed. “That’s true. I think living with you people is turning her into more of a prude than she already was.” He winked before going on, though. “Fine, so tell her. But don’t mess around. If you guys want me to go back to Earth and pick up the science team for the Yellow Fire meld next week, then I have to pick up my next Goblin Tea shipment tomorrow. If I don’t, then I won’t have time to get it through customs and security. In a way, it’s your schedule I’m trying to work with here more than mine, so I could really use your help in Murdoc Bay. It is technically the Queen’s business, and, I mean, not to be a dick or anything, but you kind of owe me. I need you, and I don’t think we can keep throwing bodies out the hatch every time we leave, you know? At some point, someone is going to get pissed.”
“Well, murder is fairly common down there, but I take your meaning perfectly. Let me talk to Orli, and we’ll get right back to you.”
“Hey, it wasn’t murder. That dude tried to shoot a magic ice arrow through one of my girls. He’s lucky he was dead, because it might have gone worse if I got my hands on him.”
Altin nodded. “Yes, I understand. That’s not what I meant. I’m confident Miss Daar acted in the right.”
Roberto nodded. “Damn right, she did,” he said. “And my crew depend on me to keep them safe, not just from thugs, but from the authorities. Which I will, but I’m not giving up my Goblin Tea gig just because it’s getting a little rough. I’ll wait for your call.” He reached forward to cut the feed.
Altin shook his head as he stared into the monitor mounted on the tower wall. He still counted it a strange object to be found there, an alien object in his second-floor study, the place where he’d once more begun to assemble his own personal collection of magic books. Although the technology itself was strange, here, amongst those wooden shelves, mounted between a pair of ancient tapestries that Kettle had brought up and hung there to decorate—hide—the brushed steel walls, it seemed especially so. But times changed, and this was an exciting time. His tower, which even he had begun thinking of as “the boot” after having seen it settled upon both Red Fire and Yellow Fire so often in recent weeks, was the nexus of two worlds. He was still getting used to the crosspollination of the two planets even after so much time. It thrilled him, but it also vexed him some. He could see in the aesthetic asymmetry a cultural metaphor, one suggesting that there were some things that would never fit together well, never mix properly. Some things that would want hiding. Roberto’s problems were evidence of that as well.
He headed downstairs to find Orli and discuss those problems, figuring she’d be in her garden tending to a very late crop of squash and a pumpkin patch she’d had going since summer began. Sure enough, she was there, crawling about in the dirt with a spade, old Nipper nearby, the two of them working somewhat head to head as they tried to counter an invasion of weeds.
“And a fine thing ta see ya settlin’ in, young miss,” Nipper was saying as Altin approached. “There weren’t enough in one world for some, but most o’ us folk find life right fine near enough ta home. As if the mountains ain’t high enough ta explore or the forest been all seen as yet.” He saw Altin approaching and raised his voice in a way clearly meant for Altin to hear. “Sooner ya both plant roots, the better. With all the dyin’ ’round this place these last few years, ’tis about time fer the patter a’ little feet again. I actually thought I might like the silence what come from little Pernie bein’ gone, off with them elves, but I dunna care fer it no more.” He looked up from his work, his tired old eyes rheumy and ringed with lines, lines of age, mainly, but he was tired too. Everyone at Calico Castle was. For those who lived and worked here full time, who had done so for decades and decades, there was little excitement in the discovery of new planets and new people. Only change. Only loss of everything they’d known for all those years, just over two centuries for Nipper, if Altin made his guess, which was pretty astonishing for a blank.
“Well, if that damn woman in Crown ever stops lording over my wedding,” Orli replied, unaware that Altin had come up from behind, his movements made silent by his habitually bare feet, “I might be able to get working on that. Hell, I could have had one by now if the stupid elves hadn’t shown up when they did.”
“Well, missy,” Nipper said, “way Kettle tells it, if’n they hadn’t come when they did, well, you’d be laid out in the ground feedin’ the weeds from underneath. Weren’t no baby makin’ from there.”
Orli nodded, yanking out a clump of wiry vegetation as she did. “Yes, that’s true. But you know what I mean.”
“She never meant ta do it, ya know.”
Orli looked up. “Who? The Queen? Yes she did. She is a stubborn old … harpy, just like you always say.”
“No, not her. I mean wee Pernie. She’s a strange one, weren’t no lie, an’ I’ll grant ya that, but she dinna mean that shot. I just know it.”
Orli made a face at that, but went back to work. “I don’t know. I keep telling myself that too. Kettle insists it’s true. But there was sure something scary in her eyes. Like she really meant it. Like she hated me.”
“A wee child like her don’t know nothin’ ’bout hate,” he said, glancing up at Altin as he did. Altin could tell the old man didn’t approve of him standing there unannounced so long.
“Ahem,” Altin said in response. As usual, the old man was right enough on the moral compass side.
Orli turned back, beaming a beautiful smile up at him over her shoulder. “Come to help, Sir Bookworm? Working in the dirt would be good for you, help prepare you for the meld on Red Fire next month. Get you in tune with nature and growing things.”
“Well, as much as I’d love to join you two, I’ve actually just gotten off the com with Roberto.”
“Roberto?” She straightened, upright on her knees and rubbing her back absently. “From where?”
“From orbit. He’s here to pick up another shipment of Goblin Tea. He wants me to go with him. I guess some of the magicians down there are giving him some trouble.”
“Well, he can just get his business partner in Crown City to kick down a wizard to help him out. He can’t have mine.”
Altin smiled, but pressed the point anyway. “She won’t send anyone. She’s got problems with the marchioness as it is. Sending a bunch of Crown City magicians is not a good idea—assuming she’s got any to spare given all the reconstruction in the city and the TGS depots going up. She’s already flatly refused his request.”
“Tell him to ask again. Have him try being polite this time.”
“He already has. Several times. He can’t get through to her, and he’s running out of time.”
“So he called you.”
“Yes. He did.”
She made a huffy face and blew out an audible breath through her nose. She looked to Nipper to confirm the exasperation that she felt, and she found by his sardonic countenance and sad, resigning nod that he clearly understood.
“God damn it, Altin,” she said. “God damn both of you. You and Roberto. What is wrong with you two? Can’t you just …
live
? Does everything have to be a life-and-death adventure all the time?”
He put his hands up defensively. “Hey, it’s hardly life and death.” He winced the moment that came out of his mouth. “Well, all right, it has been actually, but that is why he needs my help. To ensure peace.”
“And how are you going to do that?”
“My presence will dissuade the locals from attempting to prey on what they obviously think of as a ship full of blanks. The fact that I was there the first time but not subsequently seems to have given them nerve.”
She narrowed her eyes at him, glancing once more to Nipper, who shook his head, indicating that he thought Altin’s story was as full of holes as was the ancient burlap sack in which the old man had been stuffing the weeds he pulled. “That’s all? Just you standing there, and suddenly a whole town full of kidnappers, cutthroats, and slave traders is going to behave itself?”
Altin frowned, a little agitated at her tone, and he too put his hands on his hips. “He’s your friend too, Orli. If you prefer I tell him he’s on his own down there, so be it. I gave you my promise not to go, and I will keep it if that’s what you wish. But I hope you will consider releasing me from it, because I do believe that I will make a difference by simply being there. There is little enough of use that has come with this infernal rank and title the Queen thrust on me, but I should like to think bringing it to bear for a friend who has risked his life for me on numerous occasions would be one of them.”
Orli looked from Altin back to Nipper, but this time Nipper suddenly found a weed that needed to be pulled. She glared at the age spots on his bald head, one eye narrow and twitching a little at his sudden abandonment of her cause, but she sighed and shook her head. He was right. They both were.
“Fine,” she said. “But I’m not going this time. I’m not going to watch it if it all goes wrong.”