* * * * * * * * *
Little Fuzzy was trying to understand how Pappy Jack could eat while he was asleep. Even more confusing was that he was being fed through a tube in his arm.
“The food is made very small and put in…water that is run through this tube that goes into Pappy Jack’s arm and into his blood,” John Morgan explained.
“How make food small?” Little Fuzzy demanded.
Now, how does one explain about hyper alimentation, vitamin supplements, saline solution and glucose to a Fuzzy? “To be honest, Little Fuzzy, I really don’t know. Four hundred and fifty years ago it would have seemed like black magic on my world.” That started Little Fuzzy on what black magic was. Morgan was in the process of trying to explain it when he was interrupted.
“Who do I have to shoot to get some quiet, around here? Can’t an old man sleep in piece?”
“Pappy Jack! Pappy Jack!” The Fuzzies swarmed around Jack’s bed, all trying to get his attention at the same time. Little Fuzzy yelled something hypersonic and they settled down.
“How do you feel, fa…Jack?”
“Like somebody shot me,” Jack grumbled. “Oh, wait, that was you. I’m surprised Little Fuzzy hasn’t killed you, yet.”
Morgan laughed. “Not for lack of trying. We’ve managed to come to an understanding.”
“What did you do? Take a Blood Oath?” Jack looked down at his chest and saw the bandages, then looked at Morgan’s shoulder. “Looks like we got each other pretty good. How long have I been out?”
“A week.” Morgan explained about the damage to Jack’s heart and lung. “Victor says you’ll have a replacement for the heart in a few days. The lung will take another month or so.”
Jack grimaced. “I had hoped to die with all my original equipment. Ah, well, I guess I can pickle the leftovers in jars and have them cremated with me.”
“That’s very Freyan of you, John Morgan Holloway the Greater.”
“Gus came through, I see. Little Fuzzy, could you take the family out while John and I talk?”
“Hokay,” said the Fuzzy. He then called everybody’s name and told them, “Leh’s go.” The Fuzzies filed out and closed the door behind them.
“The letter explained everything, father,” said Morgan. “The fault was Orphtheor’s, not yours.”
“Oh, not that. I’m glad you read the letter, though. And the mircodisc?”
“No need. The word of a man of honor is beyond reproach. So, what do you wish to talk about?”
“I’ve missed out on your entire life, John….”
“Morgan. I’ll use my middle name…now that it is my middle name.”
“Morgan, then. Are you planning to stay on Zarathustra for a while? I’ve missed a whole lot of your life and would like the chance to get to know you better.”
Morgan smiled. “Well, I was planning on visiting the outer colonies. You see, I was looking for my deadbeat dad. But, as things turned out, my schedule is suddenly free for a while.”
“Great! Maybe after I’m patched up we could visit Freya. I have a few things to settle, there.”
“Not anymore.” Morgan explained about Orphtheor’s death.
“Hmph. Just like him to cheat me out of the pleasure of sending him to Lo’thur’s seventh circle, personally.”
The two men spoke for a while, catching Jack up on the events of the past week and of Morgan’s life in general. Morgan was just getting all the latest in on the rocket discovered in northeast Beta when the door slid open.“Gus, welcome to the party.”
“Jack, good to see you awake. You haven’t seen the newscast on B.I.N., have you?”
“No, just woke up about an hour ago. What’s up?”
Gus said something under his breath and flipped on the viewer suspended in the corner of the room. “Hell’s come to breakfast, Jack.”
On the screen was a vapid redhead talking about Darla Cross and her latest nose-job. Jack was about to inquire what Gus was all worried about when he caught the text-line at the bottom of the screen.
…FUZZY ROCKETSHIP FOUND ON BETA. MILITARY AND NPF INVOLVED IN COVER-UP. NATIVE AFFAIRS COMMISSIONER UNAVAILABLE FOR COMMENT…
Jack swore in Sheshan, and then said, “Morgan, I’m starting to wish your aim had been a bit better.”
THE END
FUZZY ERGO SUM is the first new book continuing the series of novels begun by H. Beam Piper in twenty-seven years. H. Beam Piper’s most beloved characters return in this new sequel based on his original novel, Little Fuzzy. Not only is Little Fuzzy Piper’s bestselling novel, it was nominated for a Hugo award in 1963. The book’s popularity has not diminished since it was initially published and has been reprinted in numerous editions.
WOLFGANG DIEHR is a former US Army sergeant and Wayne State University alumnus. He has worked numerous jobs from ice cream truck sales to private security, assisted in the creation of the Devil Whiskey computer game and acted in several student films. He was bit by the writing bug while attending college. Wolfgang also moderates the Piper Worlds discussion group on Yahoo where fans of H. Beam Piper share ideas and discuss his body of work. He lives in the Thumb of Michigan with his dog, Curtys and two feral cats, Ares and Hermes. This is Wolfgang’s first published novel.
ALAN GUTIERREZ is one of science fiction’s finest artists. For more information, visit his website at www.alansstudio.dragonsanime.com
This book is published by Pequod Press. For more information on H. Beam Piper-and/or Piper related Pequod titles, visit www.H-BeamPiper.com
Pequod Press
ISBN - 978-0-937912-17-1
Fuzzy Ergo Sum Page 28