The Space Merchants

by Wendie Nordgren

  "Will you help me place a bet on my brother?" I asked.

  "Sure." She waved the man over and helped me place my bet. The man scanned five hundred credits from my account, placed on Hiroshi to win. "If Hiroshi wins, you get your five hundred back plus an additional five hundred credits," Annette explained. I nodded.

  The match began. Hiroshi kicked his opponent in the stomach and punched him in the head. They pushed away with each other with their fists. My palms began to sweat. Hiroshi hit the man in his side with his knee, and they moved apart. The opponent, wearing bright blue shorts, kicked Hiroshi in the hip twice. Both kept their fists raised with their elbows even with their chests. Hiroshi kicked out at the man's shin. Their feet never stopped moving, heals up and then down. The men in the crowd yelled so loudly that I felt the platform vibrating. The man lifted his leg high and fast, connecting high on Hiroshi's ribs. Hiroshi returned with a shin kick and then let loose a flurry of punches to the man's head, one after another, trapping him against the ropes. The man raised a knee and hit Hiroshi twice in his side. He returned Hiroshi's punches, until Hiroshi trapped the man's head with his arms. A referee separated them.

  Then, Hiroshi lifted his leg in a kick that traveled over the man's head when he ducked in time. I wiped my palms on my pants. The man struck Hiroshi in the side with his knee. They unleashed more punches before head locking again and backing off. Hiroshi landed a knee to the man's side. The man kicked him in the side with one leg while sweeping Hiroshi off of his feet with the other. He backed off while Hiroshi stood. Hiroshi kicked out with his knee. The man lifted up on Hiroshi's raised knee with his hands while sweeping his other leg behind the one bearing Hiroshi's weight. Hiroshi went down again. The referee stepped between them while Hiroshi got back up. I dried my palms on my pants again. The man kicked Hiroshi first with one foot and then the other in his stomach. They moved apart. His knee shot forward into Hiroshi's ribs. Then, he straightened his leg and swung it at Hiroshi's head. Hiroshi landed a kick to the man's side that made him fall to the mat. Quickly, he returned to his feet. Then, Hiroshi hit the man with his fists several times. The man's back was against the ropes. The man returned with a punch to Hiroshi's face and a knee to his ribs.

  "Oh, Hiroshi!" They head locked again, but this time Hiroshi rammed the top of his head into the man's face before the referee separated them. Their feet constantly lifted, and their fists were held high. They punched and kicked each other repeatedly. Hiroshi tried to land a kick to the man's side, but fell prey to the same trick of a hand lifting up on his knee while the man swept his other leg out from other him. Hiroshi fell, but rolled up to his feet, fists up and feet moving. They seemed to take turns kicking each other on the sides of their calves. Hiroshi kneed the man in the face, and then they each took turns kicking each other in the face.

  "When will this end?" Annette patted my knee again. Hiroshi punched him with his left, right, and left again. Then, he head-butted him. The referee pulled them apart. The man's head bled, and he wobbled on his feet. The referee walked him over to the corner where Phillip checked him out and wiped at the blood. The man held the ropes. The miners went wild as the man held the cloth to his head and was walked out of the ring by two men. It was over. I sighed in relief. Hiroshi had won the match. I was just relieved it had ended. Phillip and the two other men took Hiroshi's opponent away. Hiroshi raised his arms to the cheers of the miners. The man who had taken our bets returned and placed a thousand credits back into my account. Thunderdrop danced on my head.

  "There will be a few minutes until the next match begins. Let's go use the restroom," Annette suggested. Fern and Terra joined us. A miner put his hand on my hip, trying to pull me against him as we passed by. A loud hiss and lunging of legs from on top of my head had the man jumping several feet back with the whites showing all the way around his eyes.

  Frowning, I placed my hand on my blaster and said, "No, thank you." The men around him gave us plenty of distance.

  Once we were in the restroom together, Fran said, "I didn't realize Thunderdrop had such big fangs."

  "Does he? I've never seen them." I ran my hand up his leg segments. "You are such a good boy! Yes, you are!"

  "Chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp!" After using the waste disposal unit, I gave my hands a thorough wash and dry. We went back to the platform. The miners gave us a wide berth and gave me cautious glances.

  I raised my left hand and said, "I'm Yukihyo Lee's wife." The one who had touched me nodded and tipped his head to me.

  We sat on the couches on the platform. People placed bets on the next match. Thankfully, I didn't know the combatants. Annette poured glasses of cold tea for each of us which I drank down greedily. The match began, and the two men pounded away at each other. I tried not to watch them, looking instead through the doors Hiroshi and Phillip had gone through. I hoped Hiroshi was okay. They didn't come back out while I watched. Thunderdrop had calmed down, but his claws dug in a bit too much on my scalp. The fight ended, and Annette, Fran, and Kahra collected their winnings.

  The next combatants entered the ring. I observed the first one to enter. He wore gloves like those Hiroshi and his opponent had worn. The man was huge with corded muscles in his stomach, arms, and back. He had black hair and a serious expression. The miners roared. "That is Gideon. He is magnificent in so many ways," Annette said.

  "Gideon has won all of his recent matches," Kahra added.

  "Gideon knows how to put all of his muscles to good use," Silvie laughed. All of the ladies agreed, laughing along with her. Gideon looked brutal. I felt sorry for his opponent.

  "Oh, shit. No way! He must be out of his mind." I stood up. Annette pulled me back down.

  "What do you think you're doing?"

  "I'm gonna go down there and pull him out of that ring!"

  "You can't do that! He would become a joke to all of them, and he would resent you for it," Kahra said. Pissed, I crossed my arms.

  "Chirp!" The man came by to take bets. I stopped him. If Yukihyo wanted to be an idiot, then fine. I could take risks, too.

  "I want to bet two thousand credits on Yukihyo to win." He scanned my chip. Bianca's eyes widened at me. "If he loses, he'll be in even more trouble. If he gets hurt, he'll never hear the end of it."

  "Chirp! Chirp!" I cringed and clutched my pants with my hands. Didn't he release enough tension with me in bed?

  The match began. Yukihyo and Gideon both raised their legs kicking out and connecting. They punched each other. Gideon kicked Yukihyo, who moved and punched. Gideon punched him back, and Yukihyo raised his leg landing a kick to Gideon's side above his hip. They exchanged more punches. Yukihyo kicked Gideon in the stomach, first with one foot and then with the other. They backed away from each other. Yukihyo threw a punch that Gideon ducked. Then, Gideon's knee came up, hitting my husband hard in his side. My breathing was fast, and Thunderdrop's legs moved in a mimic of the men's. They kicked each other’s legs, punched, and moved away. Yukihyo delivered a knee to Gideon's side that made a noise I could hear from where I sat on the platform. They threw more punches. Gideon hit Yukihyo with a knee to his side. Yukihyo's other leg shot up with blurring speed and made a loud "Slap!" when his foot connected with Gideon's head. They backed away. Their feet were always moving. Gideon hit Yukihyo under his jaw. Yukihyo kicked out hard enough to move the big man back a few feet, before Gideon struck back. They ended up in a head lock that the referee parted. Yukihyo kicked him hard four times in the sides. Then, Gideon landed a hard punch to the side of Yukihyo's face.

  "Yukihyo!" They punched and pulled away. Then, they kicked and punched each other again. Then, Yukihyo delivered an audible "Whack!" with his foot to Gideon's leg. The force of the kick had been much greater than any of his prior ones, and I jumped in my seat. They returned more punches. Gideon's foot came up, kicking Yukihyo in the stomach. Gideon punched Yukihyo in the face. Yukihyo waited for the next punch to land, twisting to the side and pushing Gideon's head down. Then, Yukihyo lifted his
knee ramming it repeatedly into Gideon's face. The crowd gasped. My fingers dug into my legs. Then, Yukihyo let Gideon's head go and punched him in the face. Gideon hit the ropes and bounced back. They circled each other, feet always in motion. Yukihyo sprang. His foot connected with a loud "Smack!" right under Gideon's raised arm. They rained blows down on each other and parted. They kneed each other above their hips while in a head lock with Yukihyo’s back against the ropes. The referee parted them. Yukihyo kicked him high in the side. Their arms and fists seemed to grapple. Yukihyo broke free, landed another hard kick to Gideon's side, and Gideon dropped to his knees. Yukihyo stood near the ropes, waiting. The referee stood between them, waiting for Gideon to stand. They both punched, kicked, and blocked. Yukihyo aimed a kick at the side of Gideon's head, but he shifted away just in time to avoid the blow. Yukihyo's foot sailed over where Gideon's head had been seconds ago. Gideon punched him and hit him with his knee in the side. Yukihyo delivered a fierce strike to Gideon's leg that sounded like a clap of lightening. Yukihyo swung, but Gideon moved out of the way. A bell sounded, and they parted from each other for a moment.

  Then, the bell rang, and they were at each other again. Yukihyo knocked Gideon hard in first one thigh and then the other, fast. Gideon lashed out hitting Yukihyo's inner ankle. Yukihyo stumbled, and I gasped, hands going to my mouth, as he almost fell. Yukihyo regained his balance. They locked their arms together following a series of fast and hard punches. Then, they twisted and fell. Yukihyo jumped to his feet and waited for the referee to move. Yukihyo kicked out hard, and I heard a thud when his foot connected with Gideon's face.

  The crowd let out a combined, "Oh!" Yukihyo let loose his other leg and glanced a blow against Gideon's jaw. My husband's kicks were brutal. Loud "Snap" sounds accompanied each of his kicks, as though he had been playing with his opponent during the first half of the match. Yukihyo's facial expression was that of a predator, ready to take down dangerous prey. The two of them engaged in another series of fierce and fast punches. Sweat glistened on both of their bodies. Yukihyo's knee came up smacking loudly into Gideon's ribs. They struck each other in their faces, neither one backing away from the other. Then, Yukihyo's leg shot out and connected with Gideon's temple. Then, he punched and kneed Gideon in the side again. Gideon punched Yukihyo in the face, and Yukihyo's knee came up striking him in his other side. Gideon dropped to his knees with his head down. The referee stood between them. Yukihyo paced back and forth waiting for him to rise. The referee helped Gideon to rise. Then, the referee moved his arms, and the miners went wild with their cheering.

  "Is it over?" Miners whistled and yelled. Yukihyo raised his gloves high in the air. His dove grey hair was now black from sweat. The referee held his hand up with Yukihyo's, while the crowd cheered. Gideon walked off with Phillip. The man who had taken my bet returned and put four thousand credits into my account.

  "Ladies, I'm going to get back to Tora before they realize I even left," I said. The man who had taken my bets insisted on escorting me to my transport with the assistance of the two waiters. Safely inside our transport, Thunderdrop and I sped home to Tora. I had showered, dried off, slipped into a gown, and crawled into bed, laying there for an hour before falling asleep alone.

  Chirping woke me up. I silenced it, so that it wouldn't wake my husband, who slept soundly beside me. I couldn't find evidence of the terrible fight on the parts of him that I could see. I dressed in the bathroom and took Thunderdrop to the laundry room for his breakfast. While he had his spider food, I had coffee and a bowl of oatmeal. I cleaned both of our dishes and put them away before making myself a second cup. Thunderdrop crawled up to his corner web, and I began watching a cheesecake baking demonstration on the vid-screen.

  Phillip came into the kitchen. "Good morning. Would you like coffee?"

  "Sure, thanks." He opened the cold storage. "Morning, Thunderdrop."

  "Chirp!" I made Phillip coffee, while he heated up pancakes and sausage. Yukihyo and Hiroshi entered together.

  "Coffee?" I asked.

  "Yes, please." Yukihyo kissed my cheek while I made two more cups. He said, "I didn't hear you wake."

  "You got in so late that I thought I should be quiet and let you sleep." I smiled at him and kissed his cheek. I placed their cups in front of them on the table.

  "Yes, thank you. I'll have what he's having, but with the addition of eggs and hash browns." I opened the cold storage.

  "What about you, brother?"

  "That sounds good, thank you." I heated their breakfasts, and placed all of their food in front of them, along with napkins, forks, and syrup. I continued watching the cheesecake video. After they finished I cleaned their dishes.

  "Thank you for not being angry about last night." I looked at Yukihyo.

  "Why would I be angry?"

  "Well, we were out late and left you alone."

  "I wasn't alone."

  "Well, yes. Thunderdrop is a good companion."

  "Yes, but that isn't what I mean." Yukihyo turned his head to look at me.

  "Well, what do you mean? Was someone here?"

  "No."

  "Did you go somewhere?"

  "Yes, Thunderdrop and I went out to the Cavanaugh Mine with Silvie, Bianca, Annette, Fran, and Kahra." The three of them turned pale. I got up and turned off the vid-screen. "Yukihyo, you should probably thank Kahra. She talked me out of walking down there and hauling you out of that ring." Hiroshi looked like he was about to try and sneak out. I pointed my finger at him. "You, too, brother. I thought my heart would stop, when that man swept your leg out from under you, and all of that blood was just gross. Sparring? That's what you told me," I said turning back to Yukihyo. "It didn't look like it when that Gideon kicked you in your ankle, and you almost fell. How many bruises do you both have? Are your feet purple with them? After all of those punches to your faces, why don't I see any evidence of them? Phillip, you aren't in trouble because you were helping the stupid bleeding men." Hiroshi didn't know what to say, so he just sipped his coffee.

  "Lady wife, please forgive me. I was untruthful about the sparring. We know fighting distresses you in the exercise room. I only wished to protect your feelings." I felt shame coming from him. I held his head in my hands and gave him kisses where I remembered him being punched.

  "I forgive you. At least you both won." Hiroshi raised both of his brows at me, and Yukihyo felt relieved. "It did end up being a profitable night for me. Did any of you know that Thunderdrop has fangs?"

  "Chitter chitter chitter chitter."

  "Why did he show his fangs?" Hiroshi asked.

  "He got mad at a miner for touching me, but after I told them who my husband is, they left me alone." I stared at Yukihyo, daring him to say anything.

  Phillip saved him by asking, "How was it profitable, Cupcake?" I smiled.

  "I made two thousand and five hundred credits betting on these two."

  "You bet on us?" Hiroshi asked in a shocked voice.

  "Of course, I thought for sure you would both win, but if you didn't, I could tease you about making me lose my credits." Yukihyo put his elbows on the table and dropped his head into his hands. Hiroshi grunted, and Phillip chuckled at their expense. I turned to Phillip. "How badly are they both hurt?" Phillip looked me in the eyes.

  "They both have bruising and muscle soreness. In a few days, they will be as good as new." I gave Phillip what I hoped to be a helpless and sad look.

  "Phillip, will you help me?" He bought it.

  "What is it, Cupcake? What do you need?"

  Pushing my bottom lip out just a tiny bit, I said, "I just can't take worrying about them today, not after last night. Please help me keep them on the ship today. Make them rest. After the short fight I got into on Arachne, I was in bed for days. I can't imagine how hurt they must feel after all of those kicks and punches." Hiroshi looked shocked.

  "That is not even close in comparison. You were shot twice, and you're a tiny helpless female and..." He realized I was manipul
ating them back.

  "You can both rest better in bed. You can get up for lunch, dinner, and a movie. If you behave you may both go about your business with my blessing tomorrow. Okay?"

  "Fine," Hiroshi grumbled. Phillip snickered at Yukihyo, as I followed him out. He walked past my door.

  "Where do you think you're going?" I asked.

  "I can stay in your bed today?" I nodded.

  "Yes, and I'll keep you company, unless you're too tired." Once we were inside, I opened a drawer and handed him some pajama bottoms. I put my shoes away and changed into a gown. I joined my husband in bed and cuddled against him. Then, worried, I pulled away from him. "Am I hurting you?"

  "A little," he said.

  "I'm sorry. Where?" I worried about his ribs. He flipped me over onto my back and pressed himself against me.

  "Here," he said before he kissed me. At least I got him to take a nap afterwards. After lunch I made him return to his pajamas and bed. I ordered him to lie down on his stomach, and I did my best to try and give him a massage. I ended up giving him something else and ended up in the same situation as I had been after breakfast.

  With my plan backfiring, the next morning I was the one too tired to get out of bed. Yukihyo chuckled mischievously and went to the kitchen to get me a cup of coffee. Hiroshi, Phillip, and Yukihyo spent the day making deliveries to the mines. I slept until lunch, had a long hot shower, and got dressed. Thunderdrop blinked up at me.

  "Did someone feed you breakfast?"

  "Chirp."

  "Okay, good." We went to the kitchen, and I shared two pieces of my orange chicken with my spider. Next, we cleaned all of the laundry and returned Phillip and Hiroshi's baskets just inside of their quarters. Yukihyo got special treatment. I put all of his laundry away for him. "Well, boy. All of our chores for the day are done. Do you want to watch a movie?"

  "Chitter."

  "No? Well, what do you want to do?" Thunderdrop hopped up onto my vanity stool. Then, he hopped down and walked around me. "You want me to sit there?"