Ragnarok: Colonization, intrigue and betrayal. Andrew Claymore (primary phonics books .txt) 📖

he’s the one whorecruited me in the first place.” The words were out of Frank’smouth before he realized it.

Sushil frowned. “McAdam… You’re JohnMcAdam’s brother? The one who welcomed us aboard yesterday?”

Damn!“Yeah, we’re brothers but that doesn’t mean anything beyond megetting the invite. I’m a farmer like you, Sushil. My nameshouldn’t carry any weight with the colonial administration.”

“Shouldn’t,”Sushil grinned, “but probably will,I think. Nothing wrong with that. If theadministrators are getting in the way of honest farmers like us, wecan use your connections to straighten them out.”

“Really, Mr. Kawle?” Terry asked, eyes wide.“You think Mr. McAdam could have that kind of pull?”

Sushil raised an eyebrow. “Pull a man by theears and his head will follow. His brother is their boss. They can’tafford to ignore him.”

“Sure they can,” Frank said but without awhole lot of conviction. He looked across to where a cargo transportwas still in the process of assembling itself from a block ofnanites.

He forgot all about his family connections.

A woman was peering in at the working parts of thevehicle as the pieces coalesced. Almost everyone down in the holdwere men so she stood out.

He’d noticed her when several men talking nextto a mineral collector suddenly turned and stared in her direction.She looked to be in her thirties and she was talking to a muchyounger man aboutsomething she’d noticed inside the vehicle, completely ignoring thestares.

Probably used to it, I suppose,Frank thought. He turned tolook out the loading portal where there was only empty space visible,not a single beautiful woman with lustrous dark hair in sight.

Be a bad start to this colony if I’m oglingsomebody’s wife before we even leave orbit, hethought, congratulating himself on his restraint.

“Whooah!” Terryexclaimed softly. “She definitely gets a huzzah!”

Sushil grunted.“Yes, Terry. Many huzzahs but she’s noteligible.”

“Not eligible?”Frank looked at him.

Sushil shrugged. “She’sa widow.”

A widow? Franklooked back at her with renewed interest but he quickly looked awaybefore it could be called staring. Ineligible,he reminded himself. Probably means she’d never considera man from outside her faith, I suppose.

He sighed. “That’sa shame.”

Sushil nodded.“Perhaps, but that’s just the way of things, I’m afraid.”

Neither man noticed thesly look of understanding creep across Terry’s face as he glancedat his boss. Sushil probably wouldn’t have caught it anyway, sincehe didn’t know Terry, and Frank was almost in the same boat.

It was so rare forTerry, after all.

“How are youfinding your accommodations?” Sushil asked, apparently eager tochange the subject.

“Not bad,” Franksaid. “I’m surprised at how much room they have on these ships. Iwould have thought we’d be sharing rooms for the ride out butthere’s plenty of privacy to go around.”

“I’d be happier ifmy toilet worked,” Terry said.

“Your toilet?”Sushil asked before Frank could.

“Yeah, the one in myroom doesn’t flush right. Kind of stinks up the place.”

Frank sighed.

“Ah.” Sushilnodded. “Well, I’m sure that kind of thing is easily fixed.Still, you should still count yourself fortunate. The room where myfamily sleeps has no toilet. We have only a receptacle thatfeeds down into the ship’s laundry service. It’s… just insidethe door, on the left.”

Terry nodded thenanother look of understanding began to dawn. His eyes darted to Frankwho looked nonchalantly away, back at the widow, as it turned out.

“I’ll, uh…”Terry muttered. “I’ve got some things I need to…” Hegrimaced, hoppeddown from the boarding-step and walked aft where a lift led to thepassenger quarters.

“I hope hehasn’t complained about his toilet to anyone else,” Sushil saidquietly. “If word got out in a small group like this,he’d never live it down.” Helooked at Frank. “You know, having his own toilet when the restdon't.” He held out the flask.

Frank smiled. “Yeah.Folks would get upset, I suppose.” He took the flask, holding it upin salute. “You’re a good egg, Mr. Kawle.”

Sushil chuckled. “Whatan odd thing to say...”

In the Lion’s Den

Lincoln Park, San Diego

Luna parked in thedriveway. “Dad’s in the garage,” she said a littleunnecessarily. The large overhead door was open so Gleb could clearlysee the man working on his outboard.

“Yeah, and so areyour brothers,” he said, scratching at his arm, “which makes thisso much easier.”

“Just remember,”she warned, “he likes directness. He also likes asking questions,lots of questions.”

“Great!” Glebmuttered.

“Hey, it’s a bigpart of why he’s raised four successful kids. It was hard as hellto get away with shenanigans. He’d almost always catch me out.”

He smiled. “Almost?”

She looked at him,seemingly on the verge of saying something… for about ten seconds.“I’ll go inside and say ‘hi’ to Mom.”

He sighed loudenough for her to hear as she scrambled out her door. Thelonger I sit here, the dumber I look.He got out the passenger side.

The boat was onhis right. He had no idea what its specs were but it looked prettynice. Focus on the mission. He’dmet Eric Morales twice sofar.

Both times had beenfrightening and he was just the boyfriend, at the time. Now he washere to ask for Luna’s hand.

Combat wasn’teven fractionally asscary as this.

“Gentlemen,” hegreeted them, knowing how Eric liked to make him speak first.

“Gleb,” he gruntedin acknowledgment. “Hand me that ten-mil socket, will ya?”

Gleb turned to the tooltray, wondering what the hells a ten-mil socket was but Noah, Luna’solder brother, was holding it out to him with a wicked grin.

Gleb had beensurprised to hear similar names here on Irth but he wasn’t thinkingabout that now. Noah’s grin seemed a pretty certain indicator thatthey’d figured out why he was showing up on a Saturday afternoon.Thebrothers here to watchthe show.

Luca, theyounger brother, was sitting on the workbench, legs dangling andteeth showing.

“Thanks.”Eric took the socket from Gleb and snapped it on a ratchet handle.“So what’s up?”

It was probablysupposed to catch him off guard, bring things to a head before he’dworked up his nerve. Gleb was relieved, though, because his brain hadresponded to the stress by slipping into tactical mode. He was readyto pull the trigger and take his lumps.

“I’m here to askfor your blessing,” he said calmly, surprising himself.

And Eric. “Just likethat?” he asked, half laughing. “I was planning on dragging thisout as long as I could and you go and spoil it by just… saying it?”He nodded in guarded approval.

“Seems a little fast,don’t you think, son?”

“Sometimes youjust know,” Gleb replied