Owsee, "I have both red and black, and your feathers."
The ink came in a large bottle, maybe a gallon, and the feathers look like they may have been pulled from a bird as big as a turkey.
I said, "good, let's get this stuff up to Goo da wa."
When we got to the cave and called out to him a reply came from above, "up here."
He was on the hover plate, high above us, looking for any more loose rocks.
I said, "we have paper."
Owsee, "and ink."
Goo da wa came down and the three of us went over to the bar. I asked for a shot glass and we put some ink in it. I then cut the tip of my feather off, dipped it in ink and began to write the alphabet on a sheet of paper. I said they should try it, and they each made their quill then started to do the same. I watched as they wrote the whole alphabet down and said, "not bad for a first try."
I then told Goo da wa about my idea of giving all his customers a download of my language, as well as a sheet of paper with the other alphabet on it and how to pronounce it.
Owsee, "and maybe a copy of a poem on the back."
I said, "we should also put the name of the bar on it."
Goo da wa, "so people will know where to get a drink and another poem."
I said, "you never know how far a sheet of paper can go."
Goo da wa, "yes, it will be good advertisement."
Owsee, "how many do you think you will need for tonight?"
Goo da wa, "let's see, last night I had 30 people, I don't think I'll do much better tonight."
I asked if he needed any help with the writing, but he said he had plenty of time and could use the practice. I then asked how the thermal generator was doing.
Goo da wa, "it's working just fine, but I would like to keep the other one for a short time to be sure."
Owsee, "no problem, keep it as long as you like, I have no need for it at the moment. Right now I would like to take Nibor across the mountain to show him a few things."
Goo da wa, "have a safe trip, see you later."
“Cristal clear”
Owsee and I went to my ship and headed over the mountain.
He said, "look close, this is not just one mountain, it's more like five in the same place. And in the center is a lake from the runoff. It's at least 100 feet deep, I'm sure of it, as I took a reading once. Remember I told you that there is a layer of crystal just underneath the surface? Land over by my ship, I want to show you something."
So we landed, and leaving my ship he said, "blast that side of the mountain, if you can."
So I looked at my hand and thought about using the power of the enhancer, the light came on. Then I looked at the side of the mountain while raising my hand, and bam! It was like a sonic wave hit the mountain.
We waited for the dust to clear as Owsee started saying, "wait for it, wait for it, there! Look at that."
The whole side of the mountain was covered with crystals shining like a fortune in the sun.
Owsee, "if I brought a crew in here to mine and sell it on the open market the CM would send a killer after me for sure. But if someone was to just run a load to sell to the Pirates past station E3, now and then, they may go unnoticed. There is a loader on my ship you can use to fill the cargo containers with. And I can show you how to fill up on water from the lake. It's always good to have some water to sell. What do you think? Does it look like a part-time job you would like to do?"
I said, "what is my cut?"
Owsee, "let's see, your cut, how about 100%. If you can help the stations, and screw the CM at the same time, you're welcome to the use of my ship; as well as all the water and crystals you can sell. But I still want you to teach my world to read, once you have done that you can have my big ship."
I said, "that's going to take some time, I'm not sure I can do it in one lifetime, but I would be happy to give it a try. With your help we may be able to reach most of the world at least."
Owsee, "well when you're not teaching or writing you may as well be making a few credits. I'm thinking you could make one or two trips a month and go a different way each time. You sell water to the station and crystals to the smugglers, which take them someplace else to cut them. The water will keep the station on your side while you deal with the smuggler's."
I said, "I'll need a cover story, I can't tell people I'm going off each day to do some mining."
Owsee, "we will tell them you go off to be by yourself to write stories, they will buy that. But for now let's go back to the house, I missed my mid-day meal."
So we went back to the ship and flew over the mountains to the green by the lake. On the way home Owsee told me about his grandfather, and how he died in the service of the, "Planet Protection Corps." He told me how the P.P.C. drove the CM off the planet and back into space, but it cost a lot of lives. We both talked about how bad it is on some of the space stations, because the CM will not let them have enough water, we had both seen a lot of that.
When we got to the house Owsee said, "I think you will join me in a drink to what you have seen on the other side of the mountain."
I said I would and he poured me half a mug of the orange rum with a big pinch of fire powder in it.
I said, "aren’t we hitting it a bit hard for so early in the day?"
He said, "yes we are, let's be bad. I have two cases of detection water if we need one, so I don't care. I want to celebrate what you found on the other side of the mountain and I'm not talking about crystals, you know what I'm talking about."
I said, "screwing the CM."
Owsee, "that's what I'm talking about, but we got to keep it all a secret."
I said, "here's to the secret."
"To the secret," he said, and we drank our rum.
Owsee, "you know, before you I never drank rum. It was always spice dew or nothing. I wanted to get off that rock and into space where I felt free, even if it was just for a short while."
I said, "but it was not just space that made you feel free."
Owsee, "no, it was killing that C.M.A. and selling that water. They made me feel like I was doing something to help others. Then there was starting the new clinic, helping Goo da wa get the bar going, kitty her shop, and given you something more to do. It all felt good."
I said, "I'll drink to that."
Owsee, "to what?"
"To feeling good," I said.
Owsee, "oh, you want to drink to feel good do you. Well I have a bottle right here with some feel good juice in it."
I said, "not the bud liqueur."
Owsee, "yes, the bud liqueur. Do you think you can handle it?"
I said, "if I drink it slowly this time."
Owsee poured me a double in a small glass. We drank as we smoked and talked about what else we could do to promote reading and writing.
I said, "the children are always the best place to start. But that will take some help from the Mayor if we are talking about a school program. How to sell it to him is the question."
Owsee, "we give them something."
I said, "yes, but what? It must not be too big or all the schools will not be able to follow, we want to start a trend."
Owsee, "new computers for the school and a day trip to the Crystal caves by the seashore."
I said, "now that sounds good. But there should be some kind of test. Like knowing the alphabet and the sound of each letter."
Owsee, "that's too easy, they can do that in less than an hour, make them write something."
I said, "like what?"
Owsee, "I don't know, anything they want as long as they are not copying each other."
I said, "that sounds good, but no one fails no matter what they write."
Owsee, "no matter what they write, sure, as long as they can read it back."
I said, "okay you sell it to the Mayor."
Owsee, "why do I have to sell it? Why not you?"
I said, "because you are a community leader and a storyteller, I’m just a newcomer with st
range powers."
Owsee, "I see your point, and I'll pay for the trip and the new computers for the school. I’m glad to be able to give back to the town."
I said, "that's fine with me. By the way, do all the children have wrist translators?"
Owsee, "I don't think so. Most of the time they only leave the town with their parents, so there is no need."
I said, "there is now. All the children get new translators at the first lesson and let them be from me."
Owsee, "you don't have two spend your credits, I'll buy them."
I said, "are you, or are you not, trying to make me is so rich that I will not be able to spend it all?"
Owsee, "I would hope to make you as rich as me someday."
I said, "well then let me do this small thing. I think it will go a long way toward letting them know I am a part of the community now. My children will be going to that school as well, you know."
Owsee, "you're right, I should have seen it right off, you need to bond with the town. After all it's only money, and you are just a day away from a water run that will put another 200,000 in your hands, plus 10 times that for the crystals."
I said, "so let's spread the wealth around a bit, but not so heavy that others resent it."
I finished my shot them said, "that's enough of this stuff, I'm switching the beer for a while."
We sat on the porch eating some bread and cheese as the afternoon wore on. Then we saw a large truck towing half a house up to the clinic. They were half a mile away, mind you, but we could still make out what they were doing.
I said to Owsee, "should we go down there?"
He said, "no, let's watch them from here, they know what they are doing."
A few moments later the doc was standing outside as they backed the half of a house right up to the side of the clinic. As soon as the first truck pulled away another one drove up, and backed up with the other side of the house. They parked it so close you could not tell it was ever in two. The crew of men started working inside and out to join the halves together. Soon one more truck pulled up with a front porch and slipped it into place. Before long, the men were gone and the house was ready for the doctor.
Then Owsee said, "now we go see our new neighbor."
As we were walking over the doctor came out of the house with a chair. He put it on the porch and sat down as we were walking up.
Owsee said, "well doc, what do you think of your new house?"
Doctor, "I didn’t think they would have it built so fast, let alone be able to put it together and hook it up to the power and water; I thought another day for that at least."
Owsee, "well they know what they are doing, that's for sure. And you’re near the town’s water and power supply, so that always helps."
Dr., "well they sure are fast, and they do a good job."
Owsee, "that they do. I see you got yourself a porch, was that the extra you needed to talk to the Mayor about?"
Dr., "yes, I thought it was in good standing with the community view and a way of life here."
Owsee, "yes, but you need more chairs, and a shade tree I think. Still you are off to a good start for your first week here."
Dr., "having a house in less than a week is a very good start."
Owsee, "yes it is. Now we need to throw a house warming party, so you can meet more of the townspeople and their children. This is something that is best left for the Mayor to do."
Dr., "that sounds like a good idea, I need to get to know more of the town and as soon as I can."
Owsee, "yes, well if you need something or would like to come to supper one day, feel free to stop by."
Owsee and I then headed back to the farm as the doctor yelled out, "thanks for stopping by."
I started to think about how the doctor's house was tapped into the power from the clinic, which was tapped into the town's power supply, and wondered where it all came from.
I asked Owsee who said, "we have wind generators on the hill and most of the houses have solar power cells on their roofs. However, when the wind don’t blow on a cloudy day the power is not study. The med lab may not have the power it needs when it needs it. That is why I want to drill a Geo thermal well for more power."
I said, "can we tapped into Goo da wa’s?"
Owsee, "his is not big enough, but I have someone coming to drill a well. It's just a matter of when he can get here. He is doing one just three hours away, and as soon as he is done, he will come by to get started on our. When it comes to this kind of work you want someone that knows what they are doing."
I said, "do you know where it will be?"
Owsee, "we had a survey done when I was a young boy, they were talking about putting it next to the barn. But it never got done, too many credits I think."
I said, "Will we be able to tap into it to recharge the power cells on my ship?"
Owsee, "you read my mind. I plan to have two generators so I can tap into the power without disrupting the flow to the town. Plus it's good to have a backup in case we need to work on one of the generators."
I said, "I'll drink to that."
Owsee said, "I hoped you would," and we went inside.
He pored each of us a small mug of rum with a big pinch of fire powder in it.
I said, "woo there, I don't need that much."
Owsee, "I'm just trying to counter the effects of the rum a bit, like a good bartender."
I said, "I just think you like the way the powder makes you feel."
Owsee, "you're right I do like it, maybe too much. But we have it, it don't cost us anything and we still get things done, so I don't see the harm."
I said, "I'm just saying that one of these days you are going to run out of it and your body will not know what to do."
Owsee, "that's why I have a doctor less than half a mile away. Besides, I think I have six more 30 pound bags left. It’s going to be a long time before I run out. I may even get bored with the stuff by that time, and there is always the detox water."
I said, "okay, but if I start staying up all night and sleeping in the day you back me down a bit."
Owsee, "when was the last time we did that?"
I said, "the night before we went fishing."
Owsee, "and how many fish did we catch while we were sleeping?"
I said, "more than we could use, a boat load."
Owsee, "so you're playing with a man that can make money in his sleep. I wonder how much they would pay for a fish dinner on a space station?"
I said, "I wonder how much they would appreciate a free fish?"
Owsee, "that's a lot of fish to be just given away."
I said, "not for everybody, just the dockworkers. Most of them are starving because they spend all their credits on overpriced water. A lot of them rats don't even have a room, they live on the docks. And who you ask if you want to find someone to buy a load of crystals?"
Owsee, "dockworkers know everybody."
I said, "and who do you pay to keep their mouth shut?"
Owsee, "and what is better than putting a fish in that mouth to keep it from talking. I see where you are going with this. I forgot you spent 30 years in and out of docks, I don't need to tell you what it's like."
I said, "and I know what it's like in the mines too. I also know what it's like to be all alone in the blackness of space."
Owsee, "and now you know what it's like to live on a green planet again."
I said, "well here's to a green planet with blue water and no C.M.A’s."
Owsee, "I'll drink to that."
I said, "I thought you would."
And we drink our rum with a little beer to wash it down.
I said, "when are you planning to build that room of yours in the upper part of the barn?"
Owsee, "before your children are born, why, are you trying to get me out of the house?"
I said, "no, I'm just looking for things to put on my to-do list. I figured I would be helping you with the new place. How's your writing comin
g along?"
Owsee, "I’m doing very well, thank you. I can read any poem that Goo da wa puts up on the wall."
I said, "before long I will need to sit down and write some real stories, not just poems. I spent 10 years of my brothers farm, that should give me something to write about that the people around here can relate to."
TheTraveler - book 1 Page 17