Ofana

by Clay Moore

  A thought crossed her mind about Brian. She wondered if that big strapping man would like to make a few extra scrips. Then her plans came to a crash. Brian showed her his badge.

  In the steering committee for the Secret Service, the idea came for a very powerful operative trained in all the killing arts, as well as the use of explosives, and more than first aid training. This agent would know how to disappear, sneak up on the enemy, and gather intelligence as a component. One of the symbols said operative would possess was a badge with a computer code etched on the surface.

  The reason the committee wanted such a symbol was so that a lot of problems could be avoided. Brian found that to one person, one badge was much like another. Brian traded on it shamelessly.

  The Madame for Yellow Girls halted before she made a proposition. She kept her momentum and stopped in front of big, dark, and legal.

  “What can Mama Soonus do for you, officer?”

  “Special Agent Brian Butler, at your service. It’s the Ofana that has an appointment with you.” Brian pointed to the Ofana.

  Mama Soonus turned to see Ofana. Her eye for the woman her customers wanted telling her that this woman was too highborn to do the down and dirty things her customers wanted. Then her mind reminded her of a visit from a high born woman. The notice that she received told her the high born woman would be traveling in a gaggle of guard types. She looked at their weapons. They were carrying high tech weapons which said her off-worlders possibly Eridani were the people looking at her.

  “Are you called, Ofana?”

  Ofana smiled and offered her hand. “Yes, I am Ofana.”

  “He called you the Ofana? Why?”

  “Ofana is a title that means Princess. The correct mode of Address is to call me the Ofana. He was just being correct.”

  Mama Soon looked at Brian. “And he is the type that wants to be correct at all times.”

  “Only for meetings or negotiations. You can’t be correct in lovemaking,” Baton said.

  Mama Soonus opened her eye wide in surprise. “You’re quoting Anne Dreyfus.”

  “I had a phase where I was reading some of the new philosophers. Anne Dreyfus was one.”

  “Why read her of all people. She was a misanthrope.”

  “Sun Tzu said that we have to know our enemy as a way to defeating him, or in this case her. She had some interesting thing to say about sex, but she never knew me, so her criticisms have no weight against me.”

  Mama Soonus looked at Ofana. “This one is full of himself.”

  “I have read Anne Dreyfus myself. He can back up his claims.”

  “Really? What is your motto in making love, Special Agent?”

  “The woman comes first.”

  Mama Soonus looked at him for the longest time. Then she started rumbling. The rumbling turned into laughter. You are most correct, little brother. In here it is volume. You have to bring off as many men as you can to take home the chinks.”

  Mama Soonus turned to face Ofana. She held out an arthritic finger pointing at Ofana. “At first when you discovered what this place was you had distaste on your face.”

  Here was the crucial moment. Something that Brian said came back to her. He always advised her to tell the truth. “It was not distasted, but surprise. An establishment like this was someplace we did not tour, nor were we informed about its existence. If anything, I am narrow-minded.”

  “You did not think it possible for a man to pay a woman to make love?”

  “Yes.”

  “When you went out with a man did you not request a gift. If he bought dinner, did you not order the most expensive item on the menu?”

  “I have done that.”

  “Did you give value for value spent.”

  Ofana looked perplexed at the question. Brian said to her: “Did you put out, as the Teens say it now.”

  “Yes.”

  “Then you worked as a prostitute. You worked for experiences and presents. We work for cold hard cash, sister. And you, brother, do you sometimes get paid when you make love to a woman.”

  “Sometimes, I get information.”

  “See,” said Mama Soonus. “He makes love to loosen the tongue of a woman. We are all prostitutes in one way or another.”

  “Only you are more honest about it,” said Ofana in a moment of clarity.

  Mama Soonus looked at Brian. “You have done well, Little Brother.

  “Indeed it is the prostitute that is the most honest about it. You wanna make love with me; it is one hundred fifty scrips for thirty minutes, no buying Presents, no information given.”

  “I see,” said Ofana. She turned to Brian. “I didn’t know that prostitution was in your job description.”

  “I believe the term is gigolo for men.”

  “How many of your missions have you used sex to get what you wanted?”

  “Knowledge of my previous mission is classified Ultra.”

  “He hides behind the restrictions of his office. What does that tell you?” Mama Soonus asked.

  “That he uses the techniques quite frequently,” said Ofana.

  “That is his reality,” said Mama Soonus. “You don’t think He loves you? That he wants to marry you, do you?”

  “I had given some thought that we might.”

  “You aren’t going to want him to continue being a special agent.”

  “Not, really.”

  “Look at the man with the eyes of a woman and not an immature schoolgirl. What do you see?”

  Ofana let go of the schoolgirl infatuation. What she saw was a man that does violence as quickly as breatheYellow Girls. Being a special agent was something that he was very good at. She wanted him in Eridani’s quiver of agents, but not in her intimate life.

  “I see what you’re getting at.”

  “Don’t get me wrong, if you need a bit of the serious look him up. A Husband, for you, I rather doubt that would be good for you.”

  Let’s go into my office. My best Girl can act for the house. Brian went to the men and gave them enough money if they wanted to make use of what was on display. He gave the same amount to the ladies so that they could go across the street and buy something.

  “A bonus for your people,” asked Mama Soonus?

  “For the men, this may be a chance to experience something at my expense.”

  “Money for the women?”

  “The women can’t be serviced here I would imagine. I feel that they need the same money. They might go across the street and spend it there.”

  “How long have you known that the curio shop is mine?”

  “You mentioned Anne Dreyfus. She owned a shop across from a legal bordello on Alphacent. It was from that perspective that she wrote about men and the sex trade. I thought you might work the same thing, except you work the curio racket and the Prostitution ring.”

  “So, I am an entrepreneur.”

  “And that is why you want this person on your committee,” Brian said to Ofana.

  Ofana looked at Brian, surprised. “You think so. If she wins a seat on the Hall, Giesling gets a member who has run a business and has No illusions about human nature. When you leave here, Victor or No, you want them to be left with the best leadership. It is going to be a particularly Giesling leadership. The Eridani Ambassador wants people that he can work with. That is your real mission.”

  Ofana looked at Mama Soonus. “Can you work with some of the leaders who called you?”

  This was time for Mama Soonus to put up or shut up. He walked to her spot behind her desk. As she lowered her massive set body on her chair, she watched the two young people with strident expressions on their face. They waited her out. She knew she had to say something.

  “If I win a seat, will they let me join the carousel leading the Planet.”

  “That is what it means to be a member of a coalition. Besides, they cannot prevent you from sitting the seat that you won. I hope that you win more than one seat.” Ofana had a wicked grin. “It might do to
have the establishment dealing with prostitutes and their Madam.”

  “Oh, Amelia, that’s playing to basest nature of the voter. Dress well, but let everyone know what you do. Don’t like someone sitting in the Hall, play up to them. What will the news flashes assume.”

  Mama Soonus gave a deep throaty laugh. “The news Flashes would assume he uses my Girl’s services. There is one thing you might want to do. Play it straight, and do for your constituents. Look like a very respectable business woman. Then when you cozy up to someone you want out of the Hall. The News Flashes will take the hint.”

  Mama Soonus looked from one to the other. “You both have not run for political office before?”

  “I am forbidden by law,” said Brian. “That doesn’t mean that I don’t keep up with things and express my opinion when people ask me for my opinion.”

  “I am not forbidden by law,” Ofana said. “I also keep up with the issues and express them from time to time. Politics is second only to Gold as a topic of discussion.”

  “What does Eridani get?”

  “A trading partner for one thing. We would like Giesling to help the alliance members if they are attacked.”

  Brian then surprised everyone. “One benefit is what happens when Giesling lets us travel between as part of the Intelligence co-op. We’ll be able to use all our authority to help the crime situation on Giesling.”

  “Further enhancing your rumor on other planets,” Mama soonus said.

  “Of course everything we do is designed to enhance the reputation of the Special Agent. If an Agent can bluff his way through a situation, we are all the winner. There are too many random things that can happen in a gunfight. So If I know, there is going to be a gunfight, I try to take out as many of the enemy as I can.”

  “He says that so nonchalantly,” said Mama Soonus.

  “I’ve seen him do it, Mama. Six people and he takes out two. My Guard used their weapons. In the end, we got him and his grav car. My Guard got a weapon like what he used.”

  “And you picked up a passionate man and used him to make yourself feel good. Aren’t you worried about getting pregnant.”

  “No, He uses ameurgen.” Brian showed the Madam His red dot on the fleshy part of the left forearm.”

  “Is this something that will be made available to us when we join the alliance.”

  “Yes, there is some cost associated with it,” said Brian. “Once a synthetic version is made, the price will come down.”

  “Is this where you get your fearlessness about making a baby?”

  “For me, yes, as long as I have ameurgen, I am safe from blackmail.”

  “And you child,” asked Mama Soonus of Ofana.

  “For me, the main reason is safety from procreation. Second is the pleasure of making love.”

  “Both of you are Hedonists. I’m sorry, but the rumors about Eridani is that they are all fundamentalists and don’t like sex.”

  “That is a misreading of certain laws. The government likes to place things like bordellos in a district together. We do have a very Vibrant Bordello industry.”

  “Okay, I like you, Ofana. What do you want me to do.”

  Ofana pulled out a sheaf of paper. She showed Mama Soonus how to cut them off the paper. She educated Mama about her reasoning.

  “What do I have to do.”

  “Put on the speeches. The next one is tomorrow. The name of the coalition is ‘Time for a Change.’”

  “If you need a transcript of her speeches, contact the Library. They’ll get them to you.”

  “I will. Now, how about you tall, dark, well endowed—”

  “What?”

  “Don’t make the assumption that I am an idiot, or blind. A man carries himself differently than one who has a wonky-dink when he has more between his legs than air. A slightly wider stance, more bias in the crotch of his pants. There is that swagger knowing that quite a few women will have a smile on their face after an encounter with you.”

  Brian blushed.

  “You better go back to your hotel. I’ll look after the men and send them back. If the women return here, I’ll send them to the hotel. Okay?”

  “Yes,” said Ofana. “Let’s go.”

  They walked out of the office into the showroom. There were more men there drinking and watching the strip part of the show. They didn’t see their men, so Brian figured they took the opportunity. He was surprised when they were outside the brothel waiting for them. The women returned empty-handed. Each person still had the money they were given. They all tried to return it.

  “No, It is yours. Sometimes your boss may want to give you some sort of gift. That money is yours to do with as you will.”

  The wads of cash disappeared into pockets. Brian smiled. He now knew what would motivate them.

  “Okay, Coffee and dessert on me,” said Brian.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  On a soap Box

  Anton Hecton was having trouble with his libido lately. It seemed that whenever he was working up a good erection, someone interrupted him. Nine times of Ten, it was Andrea. She must have eyes in residence, or there were video pickups.

  The women on this god-forsaken planet were either too old, too parched or too desiccated by the Desert. Yet Giesling City was where the men were. Where the men assembled, there would be the women working alongside until the women got pregnant. Then she was there to coax the man to make a family with her. If they did indeed have children and some were girls, they could at least sell the child to some of the sexual people like Anton.

  He sat on the edge of his bed, watching the fifteen-year-old girl putting on her clothes. Anton did not want to have children, so he paid for giving her ameurgen. Now he could let one of his men have a go at her without fear of a child.

  She now sat in a comfortable chair. Anton chained her up to a ring Anton had installed on his wall. The Chain had enough length for her to get to a small refrigerator and the bathroom.

  Things were going so well. He hoped it would continue until he needed a new sex Slave.

  Anton walked into his office to see the trid figure of Andrea Martin looming over his desk. Anton sat at his desk. He looked up at Andrea.

  “Hello, Andrea.”

  “What are you doing? Do you want to be picked up at the Starport.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You have an underage Sex Slave.”

  “There is not a thing they can do to interfere with it.”

  “Remember the girl found with the Fat Giesling?”

  “Dag, yes, I remember him.”

  “His death and the manner of the Girl Sex Slave’s Death had the minor council of plebs in an uproar.”

  “Still not thing one they can do about it. This is an article of confederation entry.”

  “The plebs have been agitating for some kind of action. They have stated that they will vote the articles down at the next installment. That will halt the Legislature for a good three years while they rewrite the Articles. Halting a planet of over a trillion and a half will hurt the economy.”

  She was being a little underwhelming. While the government sat idle as the elected representative rewrote the Articles, all contracts were in force. At this point, the government contracts were weird. If you contracted to supply left facing mannequins, you must meet your contractual obligations. You did not get paid until there were new Articles, written and ratified by a popular vote of all the people of Alphacent.

  Planetary Interests worked on the premise that the people will want their drink and nookie, and that was Anton’s side of the company. The government contracts were Andrea’s thing. She could talk a government functionary into ordering two or three times what they needed. That was wonderful as long as the government paid its bills.

  Having to support the whole weight of Planetary Interests, Anton was looking where he might economize or increase his personal income. He already knew what he was going to do for his own purse. If there were a government pause, there
would be corporations that would want their cash now. Anton would offer these marginal corporations a fraction of the contract's value. When they were paid off, Anton would collect and make a tidy sum. There would be some people in Planetary Interests that would want his collection brought into the corporation. Most of those people could be intimidated into silence. The others—well, he would have to conduct his own night of the long knives.

  “Was there anything you wanted me to look at?”

  “There was an incident outside the yellow girls. It had to do with bandits dressed as Giesling Constables.”

  “Yeah, I heard about it.”

  “Mama Soonus practically laid the blame on your doorstep.”

  “The only thing I am planning is my parting gift to Giesling and the Ofana.”

  “You aren’t planning to use something smaller so that you can keep the nuke.”

  “That thought ran through my head. I really don’t want an Alphacent nuke in my Starcutter.”

  “That makes sense. Anton, can you run your part of things from Angus?”

  “Yeah, I can.”

  “I made sure that there are a lot of girls for you.”

  “Then that Is where I am going regardless of the outcome on Giesling.”

  “I know you get annoyed with me calling you in my office. So you will work the black purse from Angus. I will work the white purse from Alphacent.”

  “How much Autonomy do I have?”

  “No consecutive losses.”

  ”Do I get a commission?”

  “Ten percent of profits after you pay back a loss.”

  “I accept. We’ll be leaving here during the final speeches. That’s going to be in three or four days.”

  “Hopefully, we will have success in Giesling.”

  Brian gathered his team and Ofana and walked them to the grav-car. Brian and Ofana returned to their ways whenever they get to a room, or someplace where they can be alone. Brian tried not to let emotions get in the way, But Ofana was so beautiful and had a bubbly personality, it was hard to keep the sex to just sex and not let it slip into the love category.