by Paul Brandis
She glanced down, not wanting to remember. "I guess so; when they first took me there."
"And you did sign something?"
"I don't know. They told me to write this," and she made a cross in the air.
"Terrific," he crowed. "She signed an X. Then what happened?"
The girl shivered. "I don't want to talk about it."
He laughed. "Baby, you don't have to ever again. You've done enough." He drew himself up. "All right, you apes, take your hands off me."
They looked to Aga Caan for confirmation.
"I said off!" and he tore his hands away. He took the tall girl in his arms. "Before things get too confused around here, would you marry me?"
With pain in her eyes, she shook her head. "Oh, no, I don't want to do that again."
He snuggled her closer. "Honey, you don't have to do anything you don't want to. You'll see. You'll like being married to me."
"I won't have to do any bad things anymore?"
"Believe me. What we do, you'll like."
"And I can always be with you? You won't sell me?"
He laughed. "Oh, Baby, we're going to be so happy." He glanced at Ramos. "She's the beneficiary of everything?"
The big man nodded. "Everything."
Phil's grin spread even wider, and he hugged Thea even tighter.
Triumphantly he turned to Aga Caan. "Well, Aga, shall we discus an extension on that loan? Just let me get my nuptial duties out of the way, and I'll see you get all that is coming to you."
Aga glanced away. "That's all right, Dyak. I think we can forget the loan."
"No, no," he said expansively. "I wouldn't hear of it. I wouldn't want to be known throughout the System as someone who is delinquent in paying his debts."
She glanced at him sarcastically. "Yeah, I noticed. No. Let's forget the whole thing. I'll just write it off."
He laughed. "The Aga Caan of loan sharks writes off a debt? That'll be the day. What about your hallowed reputation?"
She bit her lips in anger. "Well, I might as well tell you. You'll find out soon enough anyway."
He smiled benevolently. "Tell me what, Aga?"
"The man who got me started in the loan business, and was the principle owner, was Slen. If you marry this girl, I guess you'll be my boss".
Throughout the castle, people paused in wonder as Dyak's maniacal laughter echoed down the hollow halls.
Phil strolled with Sighter to his ship. "Will the Traders be leaving the System soon?"
The minister nodded to the small black ball above. "Just as soon as we store the last of the lysidium-three."
"We'll miss you."
"It won't be so bad. Some have chosen to remain."
"Yes, Golden is staying. Dante is happier than I've ever seen him."
"You did well to put him in charge of Dynamine Corporation. And you've been very generous about trying to get Slen's newly acquired companies back to their original owners."
"We're trying." Phil glanced sideways at him. "You said you try not to interfere in the cultures that you meet. I didn't believe you, but now it seems we'll be more or less as we were. You knew it'd be like that, didn't you?"
"Well, things aren't exactly the same. You own Dynamine now."
"Yes, and your cargo bays are full of ores and supplies."
"Seems like a fair exchange."
They walked in silence for a moment, when Sighter spoke up. "Now that you have the resources, are you going to continue to attack the Cult Corporation?"
Phil grinned happily. "For sure, but not with guns and rockets. I'm going to dismember them in business. Dante has his instructions."
"In observing your people's business practices, they can be just as devastating as combat weapons. Suppose you hadn't received Slen's inheritance, would you still continue attacking the Cult?"
Phil started to answer, then looked away. "I don't know. Now that I have Thea, maybe not."
"Never underestimate the power of a good woman. Is that it?"
Phil's eyebrows flicked evilly. "Or even a bad one."
From somewhere deep in his chest, Sighter's laugh erupted. "Phil Dyak, I'm going to miss you too. We'll be back in maybe another thirty thousand Terran years. I'll see you then."
"I'll be looking forward to it, Minister."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
PAUL BRANDIS has served tours in the U. S. Navy, and Marine Corps. He has degrees in Philosophy and Art History, and has taught Art History, and Drawing and Painting at a college in Washington State. He is a widower with two children and three beautiful granddaughters. He lives in a condo overlooking Puget Sound and drives a deep-red Jaguar coupe named RADIANT that is so hot it’s spooky.