From: Jason Self Date: Sun, 10 Jul 2022 17:00:38 +0000 (-0700) Subject: Publish new installment X-Git-Url: https://jxself.org/git/?a=commitdiff_plain;h=113ad1dc78e59a1c160da512b8d6e93b18c29187;p=universe.git Publish new installment --- diff --git a/agalder.txt b/agalder.txt index d8b45cc..43ee100 100644 --- a/agalder.txt +++ b/agalder.txt @@ -2943,4 +2943,158 @@ Harlan remembered. Timmy Moreno. His father's friend. A man of honor and strength. Harlan had looked up to him. And he had played with Timmy's son. Ned. -"Ned." he said. "I thought you died with your dad." \ No newline at end of file +"Ned." he said. "I thought you died with your dad." + +==== Santorini: Boss of the Resistance ==== + +Santorini chose Harlan to come with him. While Harlan was surprised, +no one else was. Harlan was the best second story (or third or fourth) +man in Crater City and, therefore, the best guard the Boss could have. + +They set out the next night two hours early in an AirSedan, black as +the darkness around them. It was roomy and comfortable inside and +well-equipped with weapons. They flew to the meeting point and waited +a kilometer away, scans probing the area to give warning when anyone +approached. The car was well hidden in some ruins. + +Harlan slipped away into the rocks and disappeared. + +The Boss was surprised when Cassidy and his assistant showed up and +pulled in next to them. Cassidy raised his windscreen and grinned at +him. + +"Good evening, Santorini. You can tell your young assistant to come +back in from the wilds." + +The Boss raised their car top and glared at the Syndicate head. "I +thought the meeting was later and over there." He waved vaguely in the +direction of the proposed meeting place. Turning his head, he yelled +"Come on in, Harlan." + +Cassidy laughed, a real laugh, full of humor and good feeling. "You +seemed to have gotten lost. And out here, one place is as good as +another." He climbed out of the Sedan and sat on the front and +signaling his associate to join him, effectively eliminated any threat +from the vehicle's armament. The associate was wearing a helmet, +obscuring the identity. + +Looking at the Syndicate chief, Santorini grunted. "Gutsy, aren't +you?" + +He climbed out of his vehicle and walked over to Cassidy and the +other. He already knew who the helmeted other was. He had known as +soon as she moved. + +Positioning himself between the Syndicate representatives, he leaned +against their car and looked up at the stars. "Nice night." he +commented. + +They were all looking at the spot where they expected Harlan to +appear. Cassidy jumped and even Santorini gasped when Harlan touched +them on the shoulders from behind. + +Cassidy and his associate looked at the thief and at the Boss, then at +each other. Santorini reached out and hugged the helmeted associate. +The helmet came off. + +"Daddy." said Emerald. "You're such a spoilsport." + +The four sat down and talked. Emerald had ordered sandwiches and +salads from the kitchen and a couple of bottles of wine. It took two +hours, but they hammered out an agreement that would allow for amnesty +for freedom fighters and their families. + +They also discussed a land agreement. Everyone who fought for the +Resistance would be eligible to buy land on the planet. Good land at a +good price. The world had been devastated by the Iron Wars, The +population outside of Crater City consisted largely of roving gangs of +bandits. There were no other towns. Not anymore. + +Santorini wanted to rebuild not just the city but the whole world. + +Cassidy had his hopes set on New Dessel. He wanted to free the +indentured servants and provide them with a living wage. He wanted to +build a middle class that did not yet exist on that planet. + +Santorini wished him luck. The Syndicate chief would run into a lot of +opposition from the factory owners on New Dessel. They liked the +status quo. + +They were packing up to go home when Emerald spoke softly to her +father. "I'll be going with him when he leaves for New Dessel, Daddy." + +Santorini went very still for a moment. Then he looked at her. "I +know. But relations should improve between the planets, both +communication and commerce. We'll see each other often." + +He grinned at her. "By the way, your mother's pregnant again." + +Leaving her with a shocked expression on her face, he hopped into the +sedan and took off. + +==== Cassidy: Newly promoted head of the Syndicate ==== + +Cassidy and his crew were pounding at the doors of the Green Palace at +dawn the next day. They were ready to do the upgrades on the armory. A +firefight almost broke out when Resistance members saw the Syndicate +people. + +Cassidy was at the head of the Syndicate group and had his hands up +high. "Hey! Hey! We're here to help you, not fight you. Where's +Santorini?" + +A gruff voice down the hall called "Right here. I'm having to fight my +way through." + +A path cleared and Santorini came trotting up to bring the delegation +inside. He pushed his way through to the lifts and they climbed +aboard, relieved to be away from the house guards. + +Cassidy looked at the Boss. "They didn't get the memo?" + +Santorini grinned. "I didn't expect you this early. I was just +starting to inform everyone. Sorry about that." + +Santorini took them to the armory and left them on their own, a show +of trust that Cassidy hadn't expected. + +Emerald showed up a few hours later. She walked up to him. Actually +she did something between swaying and gliding. And then she kissed +him. Thoroughly, The men cheered and Cassidy turned bright red. + +It took seven hours to install the new equipment and ammunition. By +the time they were finished, several friendships had been formed +between Syndicate guys and Resistance guys. After all they were in the +same business - getting rid of the pirates. A large group went out to +eat together that evening. + +Santorini and Cassidy watched from the third floor office as the young +men left, pushing and shoving and laughing. Cassidy said "That bodes +well for relations after we kick the pirate asses off the planet." + +The Boss laughed and agreed. "Who'd a thunk?" + +Harlan opened the office door and stuck his head in. "I can't find +Mellie. She's not responding to her communicator. I'm going to police +headquarters to find her." + +As he pulled his head back into the hall, Santorini yelled. "No! +Harlan. Get your ass back in here. NOW!" + +A moment later, the young thief slipped back into the office, starting +to argue. "Look, Boss, I know I'm not supposed to be over there. But I +can hide in stairwells and bathrooms. I won't get caught. I..." + +The Boss put his hands on Harlan's shoulders and guided him to a +chair. "Look. She's busy. She's not answering her com unless it's Lt. +Marks or higher. She's on her own at the moment. We're keeping an eye +on the situation and she seems to be doing well." He pushed Harlan +back down in the chair. "Now don't you get yourself involved over +there. She has her work and you have yours. Leave her alone." + +"Now you either get to share a bottle of supposedly real Scotch +whiskey with me and my new best buddy here" touching Cassidy's +shoulder "or get out and go foment riot and rebellion." + +Harlan couldn't help himself. He laughed and took a drink before he +left to do some fomenting. \ No newline at end of file