Authors: Alan Black
Tasso said, “Wait. What do you mean that Grandpa gave you money?”
Kemyss said, “No. It wasn’t like that. Your grandfather always came over and helped me harvest. He hauled our crop in with yours. He brought us back what credits we earned and enough seeds to re-plant.”
Tasso shook his head. “I didn’t know Grandpa did that.”
Lilly said, “We know. He wanted to keep it that way. We really hate to mention it, but he was planning on a trip into Landing City. And um …”
Kemyss said, “You brought it up, woman. I told you to forget about it.”
Lilly smiled, “Forgive me, but we gave your grandfather all the credits we had. He was going to buy some medicine I needed for my night cough. It wasn’t much, it was just two credits, but it was all we had. I’ve been able to get by without my medicine—”
Kemyss snorted. “The hell you say. You get by because you sleep sitting up to keep your lungs clear. It ain’t much but it would help.”
Tasso was stricken. These people were suffering from the lack of two credits worth of cheap medicine. He started to reach into his pocket.
Kemyss stopped him. “Not now, boy. I appreciate the gesture, but please don’t make me out to be a beggar in front of all these people. Now, I do enjoy a good jaw with folks, and I do have to say that food smells better than it has a right to.”
Lilly laughed, “Do you suppose you could show us where to go? We aren’t begging food, mind you. We’re just trying to be neighborly and not offend you by not partaking of your hospitality.”
Tasso offered his arm to Mrs. Kemyss and they started walking to the food tent. “Señor Rojo, why don’t you join us for a little breakfast? You did want to talk to these folks.”
Kemyss snorted. “He insults me by insinuating it’s so late in the day I haven’t had breakfast, yet. Son, it’s almost seven o’clock already. Breakfast, he says! Still, I’m a might peckish, might as well nibble on a few morsels, if you insist.”
Lilly laughed. “You say what you will, Jeffy Kemyss. I’ve been saving up my hunger for three days. I’m going to put such a dent in this boy’s table that the late comers can just lick the pans, for all I care.” She squeezed Tasso’s arm. “I’m more glad than you know to see you, Tasso.”
Tasso nodded, “I’ve been through my grandparent’s dataports. They loved you both. Mother did as well. I suppose it’s genetic, because I like you, too.”
Jeff Kemyss was only a few steps behind, walking with the purser. “You hear that, Bill? The boy keeps one pretty girl running up and down the hill and still has the gall to try and sweet talk my woman. You don’t be listening to him on an empty stomach, Lilly.”
Lilly said, “It’s you who gets an empty head when you get an empty stomach. I hope this boy’s got enough food to feed both us …” Her voice faded as they stepped into the food tent. She stopped and pulled Tasso to a halt.
There were some crew around, grabbing a few quick bites before it got busy. The place was already bustling with restaurant and galley workers making sure everything was perfect. They already had steaming stacks of hot food on tables, they had piles of cold food in refrigerators, and there were small mountains of breads, buns, and bagels surrounded by cakes, cookies, and croissants. There was a vast spread of donuts, danish, and dosa, separated by empanadas, flautas, and gorditas.
Mr. Kemyss halted right behind them. “Hey! There’re the McLeans. Wouldn’t you know it that if any one beat us to the food it … would … dang, Tasso! I haven’t seen a spread like this since we spent our honeymoon on Risa.”
A young girl Tasso didn’t know skipped up to them. She was about thirteen and dressed like the rest of the crew, wearing jeans, a colorful shirt, and a cowboy hat. Tasso was pleased to see her hatband was one he’d made. She wore a bola tie with a fancy, wood-carved, longhorn cow’s head. Tasso recognized Ndubuka’s work.
“Good morning, y’all.
Buenos días
, Señor Rojo y Señor Menzies. I’m Elenora and I’m your assistant host this morning. Please let me guide you through our little food court or, if you wish, you may be seated and I will serve you.”
Lilly turned to her husband. “Jeffy, you know my feet hurt and we haven’t sat in a restaurant where they brought our food to us in longer than I can remember. Can we sit?”
“Lilly, my love, I’d like nothing better,” Kemyss replied. “But, Elenora, what do you charge for this? Is it extra?”
Tasso started to speak, but Elenora giggled. “Well, I should charge you, but you’re so blessed handsome I wouldn’t think of it. You’re guests of Tasso Menzies, Captain Lilianna Rojo, and the crew of the Escorpión Rojo. Let’s get you sat down over here out of the sun.”
Elenora handed a reader to Bill Rojo. Quick as a flash, the girl had drinks before them. Without asking, she sat a basket of pastries in the middle of the table. Bill read the menu on the reader. He commented on a dozen different items and shook his head. “It’s a good thing I skipped breakfast. If you folks haven’t ever had Chef Enrique’s Mexican quiche, I recommend it for breakfast. Or if you really want lunch, I can see Juan and Juanita’s grill is fired up for streaks and chops.” He handed the reader to Jeff and Lilly Kemyss. “And I don’t need to read this to know that Garcia has his smoker fired up, I can smell it from here.”
The couple looked shell shocked at the quantity and variety of food.
Lilly asked, “Do you folks always eat this much?”
Tasso shook his head, “No ma’am. I would be so roly-poly I couldn’t fit through a freight hatch if I didn’t watch myself. Let me help you here. Elenora, bring the Kemyss a piece of quiche, not Chef Enrique’s Mexican quiche. That has so many peppers it still burns the roof of my mouth. Then, some fruit salad, a small plate of gnocchi, a couple steaks, a baked potato, and finish up with a flan. How does that sound?”
Bill laughed. “That sounds like an appetizer. Elenora, please bring me a pile of anything that comes out of Garcia’s smoker. I have business to discuss with the Kemyss and business makes me hungry.”
Tasso called on his communications unit. “Doctora Valenzuela?”
Valenzuela answered quickly. “Tasso? How is my least favorite customer?”
Tasso smiled, “Are you on Saronno, Doctora?”
“Yes, and I’m bored to tears. Why? Did you break someone else?”
“Not yet, Doctora, but the day is still young. I was wondering if you would join me, Bill Rojo, and some friends of mine in the food tent.”
“Business?”
“Yes, please,” Tasso replied. Before anything else happened, he pulled a handful of credits from his pocket. He slid two across the table to Mr. Kemyss. “I’m sorry this is so late in coming. I’d have paid you back sooner if I’d known.”
“Don’t you worry, son. You have no gripe from us.” Mr. Kemyss slid the coins to his wife. “I promised Lilly we could get her a good pair of socks to keep her feet warm at night. Do you think one of these places might have that? And if we had enough left over, maybe we could get her a red scarf?”
Tasso said. “Sight unseen, I’m going to buy your two acres of chiamra plants right now. No haggling, just a straight price.”
Mr. Kemyss nodded. “You offered ten times the going price. The going price has been holding at a credit and a quarter since the last harvest your grandfather sold off. That would be twenty-five credits. I could get Lilly a whole new red dress for that, but are you sure you want to pay so much?”
Tasso frowned. “I suspect I’ll be doing a lot of haggling today, so keep this under your hat. I kind of offered a low price on the broadcast.” He pulled a small credit reader out of his pocket. He punched in the numbers, sealing it with his thumbprint. “This is what we’re going to pay you, not a credit more or less.”
Mr. Kemyss stuttered. The credit reader showed a balance of 610 credits. He dropped the reader as if it was a rabid stobor. “I … Lilly?”
Elenora stacked food on the table, spreading it out family style. She skipped off to help other Saronno guests.
Tasso said. “You access these credits with your thumb prints here. Both of you. Good. Now if you want anything from any shop up and down this way, you show them this reader. They’ll deduct what you owe from this amount. The last tent down by the parking lot is Purser Rojo’s tent.”
Bill said, “You can’t miss it. It’s the tent with a cohort of armed guards. When you get ready to leave, you stop in and the balance on this can be transferred to your bank, or we’ll give you the difference in cash.”
Doctor Valenzuela interrupted them. “What?”
Tasso gestured toward Lilly Kemyss. “Doctora, these are some long time family friends. Lilly has been having trouble sleeping at night.”
Lilly shook her head, “It isn’t anything for you to worry about, just a little spell of night cough.”
Valenzuela snorted. “Why did I spend all of those years in medical school if I start taking my patients’ word about whether I should worry or not?” She scanned Lilly and Jeff. “Do you have religious or moral objections to nanite injections?”
Lilly laughed and said, “No, Doctor, just financial ones.”
Valenzuela said, “What would this galaxy come to if its trained medical staff made all of their decisions based on money? You don’t worry about that. I’m going to put this house call on Señor Menzies tab.” She injected Lilly in the upper arm. Without asking, she shot a load of nanites into Jeff. “These should help for a while. I recommend you get a check up from your regular doctor. You two are as healthy as can be expected under these wretched conditions.”
She looked at Tasso, “You don’t need to worry. This isn’t the same nanite treatment I put you through; this is a gentle, one time shot.” She turned and was gone.
Lilly said, “My goodness. Is she always that—?”
Tasso interrupted, “Abrupt? To the point?”
Bill laughed, “Downright rude is what she is, and yes, she has always been that way, ever since she lost out on being homecoming queen on our training cruise.”
Kemyss looked at the credit reader. “I do believe we could afford a trip into Landing City to see a doctor, if the old flitter will get us there.”
Bill was suddenly serious. “That’s why I’m here. We’ve done a deep geo-scan of the Menzies property. There was some overlap onto your land as it butts up against the Menzies place. We’ve discovered what looks like a fairly large deposit of hope’s crystals.”
“Señor Menzies to the chiamra tent, please.” Tasso’s comm-unit blared.
He said, “Excuse me. Please come and see me before you go home today, okay?” Tasso left the couple in a daze as the purser tried to explain that not only could they afford to pay for a doctor’s appointment, they could build and staff a hospital in their backyard and still have enough left over to buy another half dozen hospitals and their own moon, if they wanted one.
Tasso was pleased with the way the day was starting. The parking lot had quite a number of flitters and shuttles parked in it. A smattering of people wandered around peering into the shops. He hadn’t realized anyone planned it, but a band from the ship was warming up near an open space.
He stopped cold. There at the chiamra tent was the Lamont family. Mister Lamont’s face was flushed from shouting and he clenched his fists tightly. All three of his sons were mirror images of his stance.
Lamont saw Tasso and shouted at him. “You won’t get away with this, Menzies.”
TASSO SIGHED. He hadn’t forgotten the Lamont family. He still owed the three sons a thrashing. He just wasn’t in the mood to do it now. He walked up to them.
Mr. Lamont was close to Tasso, but he shouted so others would hear him. “You’re trying to cheat us, you bastard! I’d teach you better manners if you weren’t still a child.”
Dougall and his brothers snickered, but remained ready to attack Tasso at the word from their father.
“Mister Lamont, I’m eighteen as of today. And although you may be twice my size, I can assure you the medical tent will attend to your wounds as carefully as if you were a pleasant man.”
Dougall shouted, “You talk big for a bastard and a cheat.”
Tasso felt heat at his back. He looked over his shoulder. Ivan, Eber, and Flacco stood behind him. Tasso knew he was in trouble. He was sure he could fight and win against Mister Lamont. He could fight and win against all three of the Lamont boys, no matter how much they’d grown since he’d seen them last. He could fight and win against the three Texicans. However, he was dead meat against all of them at the same time.
Ivan spoke. “I do believe that even on Saronno guests should behave themselves better.”
Lamont said, “Yeah? Who are you? This ain’t none of your business!”
Eber said, “I don’t much like Tasso Menzies and I don’t care who knows it. He’s a greenhorn brush popper. But he’s our greenhorn brush popper. You got a problem with him, you got a problem with us.”
Tasso said, “What’s the problem, Mister Lamont? Perhaps I can resolve it.”
Lamont pivoted and jammed a finger toward Ndubuka in the spice tent. “This … this … this man says we can’t take our share of this crop. He says this crop is yours.”
Tasso looked surprised. He realized he shouldn’t have been. Someone pinched the chiamra plant buds. Someone besides himself had a stake in the field. He nodded and gestured for Lamont to continue.
“Your uncle called us. He said if we checked on your field and made sure it was ready for harvest, he said he would give us half the going rate. You owe us half the going rate on that field or half of the crop.”
Ndubuka said, “Yes, Mister Lamont. And I agreed that if such an agreement exists, we will gladly give you what you are owed.”
Lamont almost shot through the roof. “What do you mean ‘if’? Are you calling me a liar, lad? Are you in league with this cheater?”
Tasso said, “I believe we can take Mister Lamont’s word that the agreement exists. He may be a lot of things, but I’ve never heard him called a liar.” He looked at Ndubuka. “Oh, I bought an entire chiamra crop from Jeff and Lilly Kemyss. Last I saw they were in the food tent with Bill Rojo. Why don’t you send someone over to get the coordinates of the field and send a team over to harvest it?”
Lamont frowned. “You’re buying crops in the field and doing the harvest, to boot?”
Tasso shook his head. “They’re elderly and friends of my grandparents. He only has a couple of acres, so we’ll provide him with some labor as a gift. We’ll buy your crop in your field if you want at our stated rates, we’ll pay for the plant sludge as we’ve an off-world contract for nitrogen rich fertilizer, plus we’ll give you back your seeds, all of your seeds, at no extra charge. However, we’ll expect you and your healthy children to help harvest. After all, you do have more than a couple of acres, right?” Before the man could answer, he continued. “However, first things first, Bruce Menzies offered you a fifty percent cut if you kept this field ready for harvest. That was fifty percent when the going rate at the time was 1.25 credits per acre. Correct?”
Lamont said, “Yes, that’s fifty credits, but you promised ten times that amount in your broadcast. You owe us five hundred credits.”
Tasso shook his head, “You made your deal with Bruce Menzies. It’s unfortunate for you that he didn’t and doesn’t own this field. It is mine. I prepared the land. I paid for the seed. I planted it. I’m here to harvest it. Bruce Menzies will earn nothing from this field. You will get nothing if you press your claim based on a deal with Bruce Menzies.” He could see Lamont’s face tighten as his jaw clamped shut and he ground his teeth in anger.
Tasso wanted to laugh, he’d deliberately pushed the man as far as he could go. “Sir, I’ll agree your claim has merit. You and your sons did save the plants by your attention to them. I did offer to pay ten times the amount Bruce Menzies was going to pay. I’ll pay you ten times what you were going to get. Answer me this, who is really trying to cheat you?”
“All of you Menzies are the same. I’m not here to negotiate with you. I want five hundred credits now. No haggling.”
Tasso nodded. “No haggling, if that’s your wish. We don’t have cash here, but we can provide you—”
“Here, Tasso,” Ndubuka interrupted. “Here is a credit reader with five hundred credits on it. It’s ready for their thumbprints. I can walk them down to the purser’s tent to convert it to cash if they want.”
Lamont deflated. “Just like that? Five hundred credits?”
Tasso pointed. “Put your thumbprint there. Now it’s five hundred credits. We can cash it any time you want and even after the ship leaves orbit, you can get anything left on the reader cashed from the Rojo’s port agent at any time.”
“Oh,” Lamont said.
Tasso nodded. “I suggest these young men,” he hooked a thumb over his shoulder at Ivan, Eber, and Flacco, “escort your sons, and this lovely young lady I assume is your daughter, over to the food tent. Food will be available all day long, but I imagine your boys are hard to fill up. I bet my three crewmates can out eat your boys though.”
In a flash, five of the boys streaked away to the tent. Eber offered his arm to the Lamont girl. He leaned over and whispered in her ear. She giggled as they walked away.
Mrs. Lamont spoke for the first time. “Is she safe with that boy?”
Tasso shook his head. “I doubt it. You know how spacemen are. They get local girls pregnant and run off all the time. Don’t leave them alone too long. Trust me, I wouldn’t wish my mother’s life on anyone, not even a Lamont.”
Lamont’s face started to tighten up again.
“Relax,” Tasso snorted. “We have a medical staff in the tent over there. They can work miracles, but if you explode, even they won’t be able to put you back together.”
Mrs. Lamont laughed, but the man looked skeptical.
“Now, sir,” Tasso continued. “If I remember correctly, you have a large field of chiamra.”
“I have two fields of about fifty acres each, but only one field is ready for harvest. I split them, so the other field won’t be ready for another six months. Now, I won’t take less than you paid me to work your field. I didn’t come to haggle. I came to force your price from you.”
“Really?” Tasso laughed.
He saw two men dressed in casual western style business wear standing off to the side, waiting to talk to him. No matter how they were dressed, they looked more like cowboys than businessmen. He nodded at them to acknowledge their desire to speak with him, but he didn’t recognize either man.
He turned back to the Lamonts. “I have other people waiting to talk to me, so let’s cut to the chase. You say you won’t take less. Okay, I won’t negotiate for less, but would you take more?”
“What? I don’t understand,” Lamont said. He looked at his wife in confusion. She looked back, just as confused. “Look, just because you feed my children and pay me what I got rightfully coming doesn’t mean you have the right to try and make a fool of me.”
Tasso shook his head. “I’m serious, Mister Lamont. The problem is that we don’t have an honest base price for your crop at this point. The Saronno Produce Lobby Associates and Bruce Menzies have been cheating the growers for years. Spice is worth much more than we’re paid for it here.”
Lamont nodded, “Yes, of course. I do understand business young man. There are processing costs, transportation costs and middlemen costs.” He pointed skyward. “Shipping spice off planet by spaceship is not cheap.”
“True,” Tasso agreed, “But it’s still not as expensive as they say and the spice gets a higher price off planet than they’ll admit. I’m going to offer you two hundred credits per acre for one of your fifty-acre harvests. That’s 10,000 credits, and we’ll process in your field so you don’t have to haul your product to market. We’ll give you, not sell you, but give you the seeds back. And I’ll buy the plant sludge from you for another five hundred credits.”
Lamont looked stunned. He tried to speak but nothing came out.
Mrs. Lamont said, “10,500 credits is a deal, Mister Menzies.”
Tasso shook his head, “Are you sure? Okay, you’re driving a hard bargain. Three hundred credits per acre and not a credit more or a credit less. That’d be 15,500 credits. We can contract now for the other fifty-acre crop if you want. Of course, payment for that’ll be at harvest, but we’d like to get it on the schedule.”
Mrs. Lamont said, “I think we have an agreement.”
Tasso nodded and handed the credit-reader back to Ndubuka. In a flash, he handed it back to the Lamonts. It now read 16,000 credits. Okay?”
Mister Lamont was still silent. His wife smiled.
Tasso said, “Good, there are still two things left. First, please work with this young man to schedule your harvest. We can start as early as tomorrow if your field is ready. I believe they’re starting on my field first thing in the morning. Second, please know this. I’m still cheating you on the price, but I’m an honest cheat and will tell you that I’m paying you less than your chiamra is worth. I do have a whole spaceship full of people that I’m responsible for getting the best price for them I can.”
Mr. Lamont grabbed his hand and shook it hard. “You can cheat me like this every year.”
Tasso said, “Good. Keep this price to yourself. We may pay some people less and we may pay some people more. We don’t want anyone to feel we really did cheat them. Maybe we’ll be able to establish a base price for the farmers by your next crop. Please enjoy the hospitality of the Red Scorpion spaceship and crew.”
Ndubuka touched Tasso on the arm. “Mary and I want to stay here on your world. It is so beautiful here. Would you hire me to help you in your fields when the ship leaves?”
Tasso said, “Are you sure? It can be dangerous and it can be hard work. It may not be a good place to raise your son.”
Ndubuka said, “You grew up here and you are a good man. I want my son to be more like you than like my father.”
Tasso said, “You’d be welcome, but I only have the one small house here. We’d have to build another for you and Mary. Talk to the Saronno people today. Learn what you can of the land and chiamra farming. We can talk more later.”
He turned toward the two businessmen and came to a stop before he was halfway to them. A large pair of men stood between him and his destination. These two men were of the goon variety. He peeked around the two men, caught the eyes of one of the businessmen and shrugged.
The man nodded back and continued to stand patiently.
“This way, junior,” one of the big men said. They led him back to the food tent and into a corner that was still isolated. Seated alone was Planetary Governor Aric Moffatt.
“Well, Tasso Menzies,” Moffatt said, “I didn’t expect to see you so soon and exactly on your birthday as well.”
“Governor Moffatt, excuse me for a moment, please.” Tasso stepped away from the governor and walked back to the two businessmen dressed in cowboy wear. He sighed and collected his thoughts. Finally, he addressed the two men. “Gentlemen, I apologize. It seems there is a demand for my attention.”
One of the large men was back.
“Look junior, I don’t like to have to fetch you more than once. You’ll go along quietly or you’ll go along quietly, got me?”
Tasso looked at the two men still waiting patiently for his attention. “Please accept the hospitality of the Escorpión Rojo and crew. There is plenty of food and drink in the tent.” He handed them his dataport. “There’s something I have to do now, but if you tag your locator or dataport to my unit, I promise to come and find you as soon as I can.”
One of the men nodded, pulled a ship locator out and tagged it to Tasso’s dataport. The locator wasn’t a Red Scorpion tag. He was about to comment on it when a hand grabbed his shoulder and spun him around.
“I said now, junior.”
Tasso said, “Look at me. I don’t want anyone to say this wasn’t a fair fight or that I hit you when you weren’t looking.”
“Fair fight? Your gonna—”
Tasso hit the man six times in the face. He left him bleeding on the rocky ground. The other large man stepped out of the food tent.
Tasso pointed at the man on the ground. “Drag your friend down to the medical tent at the end. Tell them he is compliments of Tasso Menzies.” He walked past the man and sat down next to Moffatt. He said nothing and politely waved Elenora away when she started to approach.
Moffatt sat quietly for a time. Finally he said, “I don’t have any option but to cede your land back to you.”
Tasso sat quietly.
“Your uncle and I have a lucrative operation going on here. You and I can—”
Tasso shook his head no.
“Your uncle has become wealthy and he’s made me rich as well. If it’s money—”