Family Law
Page 53
"I notice, when you're not baiting me about being a heathen abomination, you forget to throw in all the thees and thous," Gordon observed.
"Oh, all that stuff is just stupid. It's a dialect of English frozen in the King James Bible and has nothing to do with the origins of our faith. If we wanted to be more accurate to our origins we'd all speak German. English is an accommodation just as much as phones. English is the language of trade and space flight, science and finance. Why fight it? Most of the German speakers here were first generation and didn't teach it to their kids."
"I'm not a very religious person by local standards, but New Troy is a good place to live. I've been to Bountiful and Earth and Mars and you can have them. The pace is reasonable. Nobody runs any sweat shops. We don't do stuff like strip mining, unless the cost of closing the hole and replanting it are figured in. If you throw in a few thees and thous it helps you blend in, but really, nobody forces you to go to church and what you do at home is your own business if you don't blow the walls out. The young folks sort themselves out and the hell-raisers go off where there is more action for their taste. Those that don't figure out on their own they should leave, are often given a ticket as part of a court decision. Shunning here means expulsion."
"Would they accept a Derf immigrant?" Gordon wondered.
"Got me. I suppose the horses could get used to you," he guessed. They had been very leery.
"You'd look funny in a black felt hat. Perhaps if we cut ear holes?" he speculated, grinning.
"Hmm, seems like I had a conversation like this with my daughter about lederhosen."
That got a disbelieving look from the driver and shut him up.
They arrived at the gate to the space port. The fence was chest high and more intended to keep livestock off the field than any human security consideration. The control/ radio room was a single story building about the size of a suburban home. When they stopped to close the gate behind them a fellow jogged out with a flimsy in his hand.
"Mr. Gordon?" the teenage boy asked.
"That's me," Gordon admitted.
"A message from your mother," he said, only slightly mistaken. "Your ship said you were not answering your phone and asked to leave a message."
"Thank you for your service," Gordon said and flipped him a tiny gold coin, only a twentieth ounce, but it was a day's wages here. The boy snatched it out of the air and gave him an elaborate bow that practically doubled him over.
"Bad news?" the driver asked, suspicious of special messages. He pulled away from the gate, eyebrows scrunched in worry. The shuttle was in sight, sitting on concrete.
"No, very good news actually," he read aloud. "To our son Gordon, on the seventeenth day of the fall season, in the second year of your four hundred seventy fourth First Mother. By drone, to all our agreed message postings: We have signed a new Treaty of Man, supplemented with penalties for failure to perform lacking in the first version. This is a new thing for our nation to speak with an enemy with who we are at war. Time will tell if it was wisdom or folly, but the price of destroying our enemy might have been our own passing. It is therefore the will of your Mothers to cease war with the United States of North America and instruct you to act with hostility only to protect yourself. If you find agents of the USNA unaware of the end of war, attempt to inform them. We await the ratification of the Treaty required by their law. Be aware if they reject this Treaty you can be expected to return to hostilities and conduct a war with the goal of the complete destruction of the North American Continent and all their space based forces. With thanks for your service and confidence in your abilities, we are your grateful Mothers." (graphic chop file attached)
"Holy cow! They paid to send that big a message on a drone? That had to cost more ounces than I want to imagine. They could have just said – "War over, come home."
"No indeed," Gordon corrected him. "They paid to send a number of special drone flights, to a number of message dumps, knowing one would find us. This undoubtedly was tacked on the daily drone from Bountiful, where one was sent. When you buy the flight, they don't charge you by the word, or for relays either."
"Well good for you. Fighting is bad for everybody. I'm glad to hear that."
"Celebrate on us," Gordon suggested and tipped him like the boy. He walked back to the crew trailer and got their attention. Some stopped dealing with their bags and looked up.
"We have a cease fire and likely end to the war. A new Treaty of Man has been signed and I will scan and post this notice to the ship net when we board."
For such a little crowd they made a lot of noise.
* * *
The squadron returned to Fargone, dropped the two explorers for refitting and a few crew who wanted leave there and the Sharp Claws and Retribution returned to Derfhome. They just beat a drone insystem carrying the news that the USNA Congress affirmed the Treaty. The news reached them before they docked and a drone passed them going out-system carrying the word to Luna, to broadcast a code to the Ruddy Rustic, with instructions to stand down and leave the Earth system for Derfhome, as stealthily as possible.
"It seems like we should have a parade or something." Lee complained.
"Better to quietly accept it with dignity," Gordon counseled. "People died. It was no cause for celebration."
"I know. I never wanted anybody to die for me. William, the lady Wendi at the gas station. The guys on the Retribution. I cried when Thor told me you lost people. I should feel bad about the Earth people too, but I find it hard to value them like our own."
"It just happened to be you. If it hadn't been you there would have been some other trigger. They had contempt for us and something would have broken in time."
"Well at least the Hinth got sorted out from it. That was another problem waiting to happen. A whole world of it."
"The Hinth are far from sorted out, but they are making a good start. I'd very much like to get a Hinth or three to crew on our ships. You don't know anybody with standing to ask them do you?" he asked slyly, face forward, looking out of the corner of his eye.
"Let's go down to that horrible bar on Derfhome station and see if Ha-bob-bob-brie is still sitting feeling sorry for himself. If he's tired of moping maybe he'll be ready to ship out."
"Ship out where?" Gordon asked.
"Have you forgotten? I still want to take a really deep voyage of exploration."
"We have to deal with a whole lot first," Gordon reminded her. "You have to ask the Mothers about buying The Champion William. You have to see if they will sell the warships as escorts, or lease them for shares. You need crews and supplies. Say about ten thousand peanut butter and jelly sandwiches," he teased, "a zillion rounds of ammunition, an extra pair of socks or two and a few tons of water, whatever the Devil Hinth eat in bulk. It will be a big list and could easily take a year to buy and load up and be ready."
"I know. Let's get started," she said impatient. "I mean, by the time we can go I'll probably be fourteen!"
END
The Last Part - Other Kindle Books and Links by Mackey Chandler
April (first in series)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0077EOE2C
April is an exceptional young lady and something of a snoop. She finds herself involved with intrigues that stretch her abilities after a chance run in with a spy. There is a terrible danger she and her friends and family will lose the only home she has ever known in orbit and be forced to live on the slum ball below. It's more than a teen should have to deal with. Fortunately she has a lot of smart friends and allies. It's a good thing because things get very rough and dicey.
Down to Earth(sequel to April)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007RGBIVK
April seems to make a habit of rescues. Now two lieutenants from the recent war appeal to her for help to reach Home. The secret they hold makes their escape doubtful. North America, the United States of North America, has been cheating on their treaty obligations and a public figure like April taking a very visible vacation there would be
a good way to remind them of their obligations. Wouldn't it? Her family and business associates all think it is a great idea. She can serve a public purpose and do her rescue on the sly too. But things get difficult enough just getting back Home alive is going to be a challenge. It's a good thing she has some help. Why does everything have to be so complicated?
The Middle of Nowhere (third in April series)
http://www.amazon.com/The-Middle-Nowhere-April-ebook/dp/B00B1JJ7RQ
April returns home from her trip down to Earth unhappy with what she accomplished. Papa-san Santos is finishing her rescue of the Lieutenants, Her traitorous brother is dead and so many things are uncertain. The Chinese and North Americans both continue to give her and Home a hard time. But April, Jeff and Heather are gathering allies and power. China, trying to steal Singh technology, gets its hand slapped badly by Jeff and the Patriot Party in America is damaged, but not gone. Their project on the moon is not so easy for North America to shut down, especially with the Russians helping. Heather proves able to defend it forcefully. They really didn't know she owns a cannon. The three have their own bank now, Home is growing and April is quickly growing up into a formidable young woman, worthy of her partners.
Paper or Plastic?
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004RCLW68
Roger was medically discharged after his service in the Pan Arabic Protectorate, cutting off his chosen career path early. He is living in rural Sitra Falls, Oregon trying to deal with hypervigilance and ease back into civilian life.
When an unusual looking young woman enters his favorite breakfast place he befriends her. Little does he know he'll kill for her before lunch and start an adventure that will take him around the world and off planet.
When you have every sort of alphabet agency human and alien hunting for you survival is the hard part. But you might as well get rich too.
Common Ground and Other Stories
A book size collection of seven short stories by Mackey Chandler.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0050YYVHY
Link to full list of current releases on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B004RZUOS2
Mac's Writing Blog: http://www.mackeychandler.com
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
The Last Part - Other Kindle Books and Links by Mackey Chandler