by John Bowers
“Let’s just see what they have.”
Like Kline Corners on Sirius 1, the buildings and sidewalks were constructed of wood; unlike Kline Corners, they weren’t prefabricated—everything showed the marks of hand tools, right down to nails driven crooked and boards sawn to different lengths. Again, Nick was reminded of children’s work. The sidewalk creaked and sagged a little as they stepped onto it, but it held. The nearest door appeared to be the diner and Nick pushed it open. The sign above the door stated:
GOLDIE’S GRASS AND GRILL
Nick wasn’t sure where the music came from. He saw no public player with coin slots and no speakers, but it didn’t matter; the music wasn’t overpowering and actually sounded rather nice, some kind of five-string instrument similar to a guitar. The room was dim and smoky and smelled of roasted meat and burning hemp. He relaxed a little as he found a table in a corner and pulled out a wooden chair. About half the tables were filled with nondescript working people.
“Have you ever seen anything like this?” Nathan asked as he gazed around with wide eyes.
“Once or twice.” Nick picked up a cardboard menu from the table and peered at it. “Nothing fancy here, but let’s hope it’s good.”
“I just hope it’s edible.”
Nick saw Nathan fingering his .45 and grinned.
“You can relax,” he said. “I don’t think we’re going to run into much trouble here.”
“Why’s that?”
“Smell the smoke in the air? That’s cannabis. Mellows people out. Pot smokers never cause trouble.”
Nathan didn’t look convinced. “You sure? That stuff is illegal on Sirius.”
“I know, and it’s too bad. If anybody needs to mellow out, it’s the Sirians. First rule of law enforcement…well, maybe the hundred and first—people smoking weed almost never cause trouble. People drinking alcohol are much more dangerous.”
He glanced at the menu again.
“What’re you gonna have?”
Before Nathan could answer, a waitress approached and stopped at their table. Her age was hard to tell, but she might have been twenty…or forty…or more. She had a youthful, athletic body but her face showed the ravages of life, much like the woman they’d seen at their last stop.
She gave Nathan a once-over, then looked again.
“Well, hello. I don’t remember your pretty face in here before.”
Nathan looked at her in consternation. Nick rescued him, after a fashion.
“He just graduated. Well, almost. He’ll graduate in another few months.”
“From what?” The woman looked disappointed, but still interested. “I didn’t think he was that young.”
“He’s had a hard life. What’s good here?”
“Everything is good. What happened to your eye? Looks like you made a southbound turn into a northbound fist.”
“Oh, it wasn’t her fault. I shouldn’t have snuck up on her like that…she’s very ticklish.”
She laughed. “Where did you boys come from? I haven’t seen a law badge since I got here.”
“We’re just passing through.”
“On the way to where?”
“We don’t know. Maybe, before we leave, you could help us with that.”
Her eyebrows lifted and she smiled. The light was too dim to tell if she had real teeth.
“Maybe I can help you with a lot of things. I’m Goldie, by the way. I own this place.”
She extended her hand and Nick shook it.
“I’m Nick, and this is Nathan.”
“Nick and Nathan. Sounds like a country band, or maybe a comedy team. Do you boys do standup?”
“Not on purpose. Sometimes by accident.”
Goldie laughed again and dropped a familiar hand on Nick’s shoulder. He made no effort to remove it.
“Maybe you should think about it,” she said. “Comedy, I mean. See, you’ve already got me laughing.”
“Naw, that’s just the smoke in the air. That stuff makes everybody giggle.” He held up a finger, as if he’d just thought of something. “That is brilliant, by the way!”
“What is?”
“Your business plan. Goldie’s Grass and Grill. You pass out a few joints, everybody gets the munchies, and then you sell them food.”
Goldie pretended to slap his face. “Shh! Don’t tell anybody! You figured me out.”
“Do you sell the grass, too?”
“The first hit is free, but after that you have to pay.”
Nick grinned. “Like I said, brilliant.”
“So, what will you boys have?”
“Well, no grass for us. We have to stay alert. But I’ll try your homemade beef stew. I haven’t had beef stew in ages.”
“You want salad or steamed vegetables?”
“Veggies.”
“Something to drink?”
“Ice water and coffee. You do have ice, don’t you?”
“Yes, we do. We may not be mainstream, but we do have electricity and refrigeration.” She looked at Nathan.
“Um…I think I’ll try the roasted chicken.”
“Everything on it?”
“I…don’t know. What do you mean by ‘everything’?”
“Garlic noodle soup and a fresh garden salad.”
“Yeah, that sounds good. Thanks.”
“And to drink?”
“Same as Nick.”
“Okay, I’ll be back. You sure you don’t need an appetizer?”
“Appetizer?”
She pinched her fingers together and mimed smoking a joint. Both men shook their heads.
“Another time,” Nick said. “But thanks.”
Goldie departed, returning a moment later with water and coffee. Nick swigged his water first, saturating his body with cold moisture, then sipped his coffee. Nathan seemed to relax a little, resting his elbows on the table. He wrinkled his nose.
“That smoke actually smells pretty good,” he said. “Can you get high from just breathing it?”
“I never have, but if you’ve never been exposed to it, then I suppose it’s possible.”
“What does it feel like? Getting high?”
“It depends on the strain. One is similar to getting a buzz from alcohol, except it relaxes you, makes you drowsy. And hungry. The other gives you energy and barely gets you high at all.”
“You said it doesn’t make people violent?”
Nick nodded. “Took the Federation more than a hundred years to figure that out. They used to throw people in prison simply for possessing it, and gave life sentences for selling it.”
“It’s still like that on Sirius. It’s classified as a dangerous narcotic.”
Nick laughed. “That’s ridiculous. It isn’t even a narcotic. You need to get your family off of Sirius.”
“My folks won’t leave. They say they’re too old to start over.”
“Hm. Well, I can see their point. What are conditions like now?”
“They’re not getting any better, from what Dad tells me. All kinds of new laws and taxes, and the racial situation is worse than ever.”
Nick shook his head sadly. “Well, you may not be able to convince your folks to leave, but whatever you do, don’t take Kristina back there.”
“Are you kidding? Not a chance.”
“How’s married life treating you? Is it what you expected?”
“Better.”
Nick stared at him a moment, but Nathan didn’t elaborate.
“That’s it? Better?”
Nathan laughed. “You want me to tell you what we do in the bedroom? Forget it! I don’t ask what you and Suzanne do.”
“Who said Suzanne and I do anything? We’re just friends.”
“Oh, yeah, right! You’re engaged to a Vegan beauty, living in the same house with her, sleeping in the same bed, and nothing ever happens. Is that your story?”
Nick nodded. “Yeah, that’s pretty much it.”
Nathan grinned and sipped his coffee. The Indica
smoke was getting thicker. He imagined his fingers were starting to tingle.
“When is that food coming? I’m starved.”
“You gonna have kids?” Nick asked.
“Yeah, eventually. What about you?”
“We never talked about that. I’m not sure I’m cut out for parenthood, and Suzanne already has a daughter.” He grinned. “Maybe I’ll just adopt you and call it quits.”
Nathan laughed. “I expect you’ll do whatever Suzanne wants you to do.”
Nick had no option but to agree. “I think you’re probably right.”
Goldie appeared then with their dinner and the small talk went on hold as they dug in. Both Nick and Nathan were amazed at the quality of the food, and Nathan forgot all about health department inspections. Goldie set down a bowl of hot cornbread and butter for them and kept the coffee cups filled. Twenty minutes later both men were stuffed. Goldie brought the coffee pot around one more time.
“Anything else I can get you fellows?”
“I’m good,” Nick sighed. “That stew was excellent.”
“So was the chicken,” Nathan added.
Goldie set the coffee pot down and pulled out her order pad, scribbling on it for a moment. She ripped off the receipt and laid it on the table.
“This one is on the house,” she said.
Nick frowned. “Thank you, but why?”
“You’re the first lawmen I’ve ever had in here. Call it a historic moment.”
Nick didn’t know what to say. He pulled out his wallet and laid six terros on the table.
“At least let me leave you a tip.”
She picked up the cash and dropped it into her pocket.
“Now…you said you needed my help with something?”
“We could sure use it.”
She picked up the coffee pot again and took a step back.
“Then why don’t you come into my office. We can talk privately there.”
***
Goldie’s office was cramped and cluttered, but the light was much better. She pointed them to a faux-leather loveseat that had seen better days and settled on the edge of her wooden desk. She eyed them with curiosity, a little smile playing across her lips. She wasn’t as old as Nick had first thought, probably in her late thirties. She still looked tired and worn, however.
When she spoke, the playful banter was gone and she sounded more businesslike.
“Why are two Federation Marshals eating dinner at Goldie’s Grass and Grill?” she asked pointedly.
“Because we were hungry?” Nick saw her eyes narrow and realized the charm was no longer going to work—if it ever had.
“Try again,” she said. “The law never comes down here, so why did you?”
“Before I answer that, maybe I can ask a couple of questions,” he suggested. “It might save us both a lot of time.”
“Ask away.”
“What the hell is this place? It’s not on any map and, as you said, the law apparently never comes here. But it’s more than just a village, so you must have some form of law and order, some form of government.”
“We do.”
“Can you explain it to me?”
“Not until you answer my question. I answered yours.”
Nick resisted the temptation to glance at Nathan. The woman’s eyes were like lasers and she wouldn’t miss the body language.
“I’m not going to tell you everything about our business,” he said, “but the short version is that we’re working a case and it led us in this direction.”
“What kind of case?”
“A murder case.”
That was sort of true; even though Vanov was dead, he had killed a man right in front of Nick. Goldie didn’t need to know that Nick wasn’t chasing a particular suspect, or that he really didn’t know who he was looking for.
“You’re looking for a killer down here?”
“Not necessarily in your town, but the trail led in this direction. Could be south of here.”
“Do you have a name?”
“No… Just a description.”
“A lot of people in this region won’t take kindly to a couple of Federation stars nosing around. You might be well advised just to head on back where you came from.”
“I’ve already been advised to do that, but I’m a little stubborn that way…I don’t take orders from very many people.”
Goldie’s cheek creased in a half smile.
“If that’s the case, then it’s too bad you’re a lawman. You’d fit in real nice around here.”
“So I take it you have a lot of unsavory citizens here?”
“Savory, unsavory—how do you define that? We have a lot of people want to be left alone, for a lot of reasons. Some of them might be on the run, others might not be. We don’t ask too many questions here.”
“And what if some of them pose a threat to their neighbors?” Nathan asked.
Goldie smiled. “Wondered when you were gonna speak up. Like I told your father here—”
“He’s not my father.”
“—we do have law and order, after a fashion. We don’t hold people to a lot of rules, but the ones we do hold are not negotiable. Our brand of justice is swift and sure, and there ain’t no appeals.”
“Lynch law?” Nick asked.
“Call it whatever you want, but it works. So what kind of fellow are you lookin’ for?”
Nick puffed his cheeks, as if debating how much to tell her.
“I don’t have a holograph or a name, and he may have changed his appearance since anyone last saw him, but…he probably has a shaved head, tattoos all over his upper body, walks around in wife-beater shirts, and has a thick Rukranian accent. Have you seen anyone like that?”
Goldie was silent a moment, then walked around behind her desk and took a seat.
“There was a man who looked like that,” she said slowly, “but I haven’t seen him in at least a week.”
“Is he still in town?”
“I dunno. Like I said, I haven’t seen him. We got ten thousand people here and more than one eating joint, so he could be anywhere.”
“Do you know his name?”
“He called himself Roman. I never asked more than that and he never told me.”
Nick felt his blood surge, but didn’t let it show. Nathan couldn’t resist a glance in his direction.
“This Roman guy, did he ever talk about what business he was in?”
She shook her head in thought.
“I think he said something about import-export, but he was kind of vague. I got the impression he might not exactly be a choir boy, but in this town we don’t pry.”
“Did you ever see him with anybody else? Associates, maybe?”
“I don’t think so. He only showed up about a month ago.”
“Do you have any idea where he came from? Somewhere on Alpha 2 maybe, or off-planet?”
“No idea.” She sat forward and placed her elbows on the desk. “That’s really all I know. Do you have what you need?”
Nick dipped his head. “It all helps.”
“Then you’ll be heading back?”
“Not tonight. Maybe you could recommend an au’tel for the night.”
She waved a hand. “There’s about a dozen around town. Take your pick.”
He nodded. “We heard this place has a governor. Is that true?”
“Why do you want to know?”
“To tell you the truth, I’m curious as hell about how this place can exist the way it does and not show up anywhere. Up north I heard people talking about ‘settlements’ down this way, but nobody ever mentioned a town. Then I hear you have a governor…that suggests some kind of structure, hopefully a democratic one.”
“Look, Marshal, we’ve been here for a couple of decades now and we get along just fine. We don’t want any ties to the colonial government that runs this planet and so far they haven’t tried to force us to join them. So what are you going to do with the information if I answer yo
ur question?”
“Nothing. I’m here on other business, and until I’m sent here to roust you out, it’s for my curiosity only.”
“Maybe, if I satisfy your curiosity, you’ll take it back up north and report it, then someone will send you back to roust us out.”
“Not a chance. The only way that could happen would be if someone asked me specifically about what I found here.”
“And what would you tell them?”
“So far, all I could tell them is that I didn’t see anything worth reporting.”
Goldie stared at him a moment, then stared at Nathan. “What about you?”
Nathan shrugged. “I’m still in training. Even if I said something, nobody would pay any attention.”
Her lip curled again—Nathan seemed to amuse her.
“Okay, then, here it is—we’re a frontier town and we’re not attached to any established government on any world. We’re not Colonial and we’re not Federation. We are one hundred percent independent and we make our own rules as we go along. Like I said before, we don’t have very many rules, but the rules we do have are rigid as steel and not negotiable. If people come here and want to stay, they can do that as long as they agree to the program; if they don’t agree, they have to move along, and we have a few men who will make sure they do.” She spread her hands. “That’s about it.”
“Are you democratic?”
“Absolutely. Everybody votes, male or female, if they’re twenty-five or older.”
“Why twenty-five?” Nathan asked. “The Federation lets you vote at eighteen.”
“I know they do, but that’s just plain stupid. Medical research has shown that the human brain doesn’t reach physical maturity until about age twenty-four, and any fool who didn’t already know that only has to ask the parents of an eighteen year-old. Most people are idiots until they hit their twenties, and a lot of them even after that.” She winked at Nathan. “No offense to you.”
Nathan pinked and glanced at Nick.
“So who is this governor?” Nick asked. “And what’s the name of this place? It does have a name, doesn’t it?”
Goldie nodded.
“The town is called Binary Flats, because here on the isthmus you get the best view on the planet of the binary suns as they rise and set.”
“And the governor?”
Goldie grinned. “You’re looking at her.”