I said, "yes it's a very nice pipe, let's see how it smokes."
So I filled it up and lit it. Then sat back feeling like some kind of a king, smoking a jewel encrusted pipe. At that moment, I could not imagine life getting much better.
I then said, "would you like to hear another poem?"
Owsee, "I'm always ready to learn another poem."
I said, "I have a short one for you."
"When Dragon's breath hath touch my soul, experienced I the metaphysical. And when I seek poetic pause, shadows write upon the walls. That dark secrets float on the brightest days, so the faint of heart will not dismay. When within their minds the true dose fall, what the shadows wrote upon the walls."
Owsee, "yes, I think this one has deep meaning my friend. You never disappoint me. I hope I can remember all your stories until I can write them down."
I said, "you told me you need to put chips in protective storage on your planet. Could you build a room to work in, for them?"
Owsee, "only if it is underwater. Small chips are all right, but you cannot put much data on one. That's why we must memorize all our stories, and that is why they are so valuable to us."
I said, "so I take it the electronic store will not be going with us."
Owsee, "no, most of his things would have no use on my world."
I said, "he has a lot of things in his shop. Can he moved in two days?"
Owsee, "his shop is really just two large storage modules. He can have a carryall pick him up at any time. I don't know where he will go."
I asked, "what about the diner you told me about?"
Owsee, "she will probably go back to the fourth planet. That's where she is from. The diner is owned by me anyway, and it is on my ship's side of the station. There will not be much left to it after we take off. It was never much of a place anyway. Just food for the miners and those that stop here. Goo da wa makes a better meat sandwich I think."
I said, "what about the other places?"
Owsee, "there will be no one to sell to when the repair work closes down. The administration building, and the guards quarter's, are on the other side of the station. They made us build them just so they could tax us. I wish they were on the ship's side so I could see them burn when we take off."
I said, "I never much cared for guards myself. But without them, who would drag the bodies away?"
Owsee, "that's right! That's all they are good for."
I told Owsee I would like to get kitty a ring, a symbol of my pledge to be her mate.
He said, "well if you are going to get it here, you should do it soon. Before they start to pack up. Word gets around fast here. As soon as I tell my men not to start anything that will take more than two days, the word will be all over the station. But I do not think she likes rings. It has something to do with keeping her hands clean. A necklace with a pendant maybe. After she has the children, she will ask for a collar to show others she is your mate; and you will need a symbol of your house on it."
I said, "does the jewelry shop just sell, or can they make something for me?"
Owsee, "they can make things as well, but it could take a day or two. You have something in mind?"
"Yes," I said, "something special."
Owsee, "well then, you should go now, get them started on it right away."
I said, "what about the guards?"
Owsee, "as long as we are leaving anyway, I will tell you the secret of this place, Goo da wa has a backdoor. No one else knows about it, and I must tell you that your cloak does not make you invisible. When you are walking people can see a slight change in the background. So I think you go out the back. I will show you."
So we went into the waste disposal room and he said, "wave the back of your hand over this part of the wall."
I did it, and the wall opened to the back hallway.
Owsee, "come back the same way, we don't want to tip our hand to the guards."
So I stepped out and the wall closed behind me. After slipping down the hall to the odds and ends store, I described what I wanted made and asked how long it would take for them to do the job. They said less than a day, maybe just a few hours. I showed them the com-link and asked them to call me when it was ready. She flashed it with a scanner, to get the code, and said she would just beep me. I saw a nice chain that was just the right length to hang my pipe on, around my neck, and asked her about it. She picked it up and said that I had a good eye. It started to pulse with light, then stopped. She said it was made out of a composite of gold and a crystal that picks up static electricity, and would repel sand flies. It felt light for its size. I asked how much, and she said that since I had made such a special order, the chain with free. I thanked her, and went back to the bar through the secret door.
There was something moving around the sides of the wall, cleaning as it went, and another one on the floor that bounced off my boot as I came in. Someone had turned on the cleaning robots. They were no bigger than my hand, but could get the job done, given time.
I went out to our table and sat down.
Owsee seemed to be enjoying something that sounded like two rocks being hit together, and a rainstorm in the background.
He said, "do you like this?"
I said, "it's better than some things I have heard."
He said, "it is the thanks giving ritual for rain, practice only in the remote desert areas of my planet, but it's not for everyone. How did things go at the store?"
I said, "I got this chain, and put my order in for the collar. She said less than a day, and that she would beep me."
Owsee, "not bad, they do good work there. And this chain, that's a good one. It keeps away sand flies, and looks nice at the same time. You have a good eye for the best of things. With that kind of taste, it is good you will be rich soon. I spend my time and credits on stories no one has heard before. This will make me rich back home. I have been collecting stories for 35 years. I think I have enough to last the rest of my life now. But don't get me wrong, I like nice things as well, like spice dew."
He then asked Goo da wa to bring us some.
I said, "how would you like to hear another poem?"
Owsee, "yes, yes another poem, I would love to hear one."
So I said,
"Dimensions, of cosmic forces, drift like clouds, stampede like horses.
Over my imagination, with sinister expectations.
Visions of transformed prime, invade the dreams of conscious mind.
Specters that were yet unknown, challenge authority of my throne.
Cloud like shadows as the wind, seek a dwelling place within.
But like storms passing by, leaving remnants of the sky;
their memories still with me, pass them on I do with thee.
Embraced the voids that you find, to set free intrepid mines."
I asked if he liked it.
Owsee, "it is very deep, and could be a reflection of some of the things you have gone through. And I do like it, I also respect it. It's a reminder of what we go through in life. If there are many more like you on your planet it must be a rich place to live."
I said, "there are so many like me that their books could be stacked higher than your mountains. Your whole race could not read them all in a lifetime, and we keep writing more every day!"
Owsee, "a rich world indeed, it is a shame it is so far away."
I said, "yes, it took me over 30 years just to get this far out."
Owsee, "you have been traveling for that long?"
I said, "well, I stopped to work from time to time. Mostly on ships, that we're going somewhere new. You could probably make the trip in five years with your ship."
Owsee, "you must have a lot of stories about your travels."
I said, "every day has its story, and every hour it's adventure. How about another poem?"
Owsee, "yes, please. Teach me another, my teacher of poems."
I said, "this one is called, "intrepid souls."
“Faces
of time, a clocks reflection. Spectrums of light aid our perception. Metaphysic dissertations, may not justify relations, between quantum physics and forgotten lore. Darkness clouds the state of mind, swung from what comes behind. Until light of dawn has come, within the consciousness of one. Disperse the shadows of your mind, truth uncovered left behind. Logic fights the insurrection, battling our own reflection. For tomorrow if we see, life is but a memory. All we know is all we are, intrepid souls can take you far."
Owsee, "yes intrepid souls, that is us I think, very good. I do not completely understand all of it but I like it. And now we drink spice dew."
We both took a drink and whoosh, I was off. I tried to concentrate and see what those at the end of the bar were doing. But I was back in a flash. I took a gulp of it this time and direct my mind to kitty's shop. She was packing up odds and ends, mostly small things. Then she picked up a belt, and put it around her neck while looking in the mirror. I could see a smile on her face. Then I was pulled back again, and there were a lot of pretty colors. I was going to take my third drink, but started thinking about how Kitty was over there packing by herself. I told Owsee how I felt and he said, "it's better to leave her alone for a while, she has a lot to think about."
So I took my third drink and flew around the moon to the dark side, and watched the lasers cut into the mountain of ice. I stayed there and watched the light show until I returned to my body. Everything around me seemed to be in slow motion for a short time, then it was normal again.
I did not feel like doing any more of the spice dew just then. So I sipped on ale and listened to Owsee as he talked about the kind of place he would like. He had been saving seeds for a garden, and was sure some of what he would plant would catch on with his people. I'm not sure how many hours we sat there, just talking, but my com-link started to beep.
"That was fast," Owsee said, "I'll call them and have it brought here."
I just nodded my head, and before long a little girl came in and went up to Goo da wa. She asked for me and he pointed toward our table. She then came over, and handing it to me said, "here's your pretty necklace sir." I said thank you and she ran out.
Owsee said, "I'm surprised they sent the girl. It is not safe for children in a place like this."
He then asked if he could get a close look at what I had them make.
I handed it to him and he said, "I see it is adjustable in the back, that's good. Two white dragons, one on either side, and this one comes off to be a brooch. What are they made out of?"
I said, "pearl rock, it picks up all the colors."
Owsee, "and the rest of it is a gold and silk weave with gemstones all around. This must of cost you a lot."
I said, "only 700 credits."
Owsee, "only 700 he says, well the stones in it are probably worth at least that much. And the workmanship is very good. You got another great deal I think, Kitty is going to love it. And the white dragon, it is now your family crest?"
I said, "that's what I’m going to use."
Owsee, "well I can say one thing about you, you buy the best, no cheap stuff for you."
I said, "everything I bought I can sell for as much, or more, than I paid for it."
Owsee, "yes, I'm sure you can. You got a good deal each time."
I then said, "I have a poem I am going to give to kitty. Would you like to hear it?"
Owsee, "of course, I am always ready to listen."
I said, "I call this one, "know I not."
"Know I not what you may find, if gaze ye in upon my mind.
Be madness, lust or wisdom root, each has a part of the pursuit.
Clear, must each love oneself, and leaves not self praise on a shelf.
Yet, it is true that I do find some comfort from another's mind.
While flesh does touch, and breath is near, too easy love seems to appear.
Be what we’re taught, or how we feel, our soul to mind shall sure reveal.
If true, so words that I share here, passions soul does cling near.
This breath I give that you may take, some sweet poetic dream to make."
Owsee, "very good. If she was not already pledged to you, I think you could win her over with those words. You have a way of giving words feelings, or is it feelings words. Either way I hope you don't mind if I share this poem with a few thousand people. I know you said you were giving it to kitty, but once I hear something I just want to share it."
I said, "words are like birds. They look good just there, but they need to fly free."
Owsee, "nothing is free on my world, not even words."
“Goodbye tech guy”
Then the tall man from the electronics store came out of the back room, and placed what looked like two tuning forks on the table.
He said, "put the small one in the access port of your translator, and the big one is for a small ship, no larger than type 5. These work like white noise, they will protect against chip malfunctions. They are the only ones I have, or will make. Goodbye."
Then he went back out the way he came in.
I said to Owsee, "I thought we were the only ones that knew about the back door."
Owsee, "nothing stays a secret from him for long. But I have never seen him just give away something for nothing, before, and this is important. This means that your translator, with the extra chip in it, will still work on my world. And you can fly around in a small ship without taking the chips out in between flights."
We then heard a rumbling sound, and metal on metal, then the sound of a ship, a big one, leaving.
Owsee said, "I don't believe it. That’s the sound of a carry -off. He didn't even wait for the base to close down."
I said, "you mean he moved the shop that fast?"
Owsee, "I mean there is a big hole in the station, just down the hall, and his shop is in outer space by now. Where he will go, I do not know."
“The offer”
Then Goo da wa came over and told Owsee there was an incoming transmission for him. Owsee said to put it thru to the table, and he moved a few things so he could see. Moments later there was the face of an android, looking up to us, saying, "corporate mining has an offer for you."
Owsee said, "what number are you?"
The Corporate Mining Android said, "I am 401."
Owsee said, "I remember when you were 203."
The C.M.A. said, "some are hard to deal with."
Owsee, "if you keep losing androids that way they are going to cut your pay. From whom did you hear I was selling?"
C.M.A. "our sources are confidential."
Owsee, "confidential? He just blasted off from here leaving a big hole in the station."
The C.M.A. "we are not concerned with the station, what about the contract?"
Owsee, "what are you offering?"
C.M.A. "the same as last year."
Owsee, "last year's offer was a joke, I will never settle for that!"
C.M.A. "what do you suggest?"
Owsee, "last year's prize and half again. No monthly percentage, but I do get star gate jump rights free of charge, for myself and my friend, to any gate you have a contract to for the next 20 years. And the credits must be up front."
C.M.A. "I'll need to get back to you on that."
Owsee, "take your time, I'm not going anywhere."
Then the picture went off and Owsee poured us mugs of rum, and said, "now we have fun."
We both drank deep from the mugs and he laid out four lines of fire power on the table where the C.M. android’s face was. We each did a line before the C.M.A. called back.
He said, "we can agree on the use of the star gates, with some conditions, but only half of the credits upfront. And what is that on our screen?"
Owsee, "I'm doing lines of fire powder on your face."
And with that he snorted up his second line and said, "call me back when you are ready to deal." And Owsee turned him off.
Then Owsee said, "open your cloak so he can see your Elvin ware, and yo
ur pipe. Then when I turn the screen back on you lean over and do a line as he is trying to talk."
A light came on requesting picture. Owsee turned it on and the android said, "we can only," and he was cut short as I leaned over and snorted the line, then sat back.
He then said, "I thought that powder was illegal."
Owsee said, "nothing is illegal here. That is why you don't even dare to send your droid here, I would make it 402. Now you tell me what I want to hear, or a very large piece of ice will be floating toward your spaceship!"
The screen went off from the CMA’s side.
Owsee, "that's why those corporate types don't go out into space, too many accidents, they just send their androids. Right now he is either talked it over with his boss, or moving his ship farther away from the moon. Hey, do you want to take a look?" And he pointed toward the spice dew. Then said, "I need to be here if they called back soon, but you can go. It has not been that long ago that you did some, I bet you can make it in just one shot".
I said, "what am I looking for?"
Owsee, "a cylinder with a spire on it."
So I took a good gulp of the spice dew, and set my mind on looking around in space, near the moon, for the ship. I could not see it at first, then I spotted it hiding behind a large ship, that was waiting to go down for water. The cylinder then drop down, heading for the moon. My mind went with it almost all the way to the station, then I was pulled back to my body again. It took a few moments before I could get the words out, "he’s coming here."
"Here?" Owsee said, "they only send one in person when they think it is time to sign a contract."
Moments later the android walked in the door. He looked at everybody, then walked over to us and sat a small bag on the table. Then he slipped a chip into a slot on the side of the table, and said, "just as you requested."
Symbols came on the screen but Owsee did not look at them.
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