The Krakow Klub

by Philip C. Elrod

  Jim was still amazed at the island and all of the improvements that John had already completed. “I can’t begin to imagine how much this must have cost you. How did you ever come up with that kind of money?”

  “Jim, you’re the only person who will ever know how I got the money. Well, except for Julia, of course. It was a rather clever slight-of-hand trick on my part and probably only quasi-legal, too.

  “The answer is that I used my Mylean legacy. I had Maxxine send a mining craft to a rather ore-rich giant asteroid in far outer space. The gold ore was mined and brought back to the space station for processing into bars that I could sell.

  “I then made arrangements to sell them to a wealthy businessman in Hong Kong. Finally, I set up an account on Grand Cayman where I transferred a large part of the money from Hong Kong. From there, I bought the island and started making improvements. Maxxine is capable of producing anything I desire, and my cost of production is zero.”

  He concluded, “It was all rather simple; just another day in my boring existence.”

  Jim nodded in appreciation, “Brilliant! A secretive plan involving millions of dollars and a great deal of subterfuge. Sounds to me like a normal day in the life of a crooked politician. You would do well in Washington, John.”

  “Jim, the money is secondary to me. It’s nice to be able to afford nice things, but nothing can ever be as valuable as a close personal relationship. I have you and Julia, and even Mister T, and that, dear friend, is what I consider to be my real wealth.”

  Jim knew what he meant, and his admiration and respect for his enigmatic friend had increased enormously during this short little trip above the island.

  John went on, “I’ve spent my whole life carefully preserving my precious anonymity. I could never have close relationships since my life was totally controlled by outside forces. Now that I can reveal my true identity, I have no desire to do so. I am perfectly happy with the private world that I created here. And, as you can probably guess, I’ve taken elaborate steps to ensure that my island cannot and will not be accessed by anyone without my express permission.”

  John guided the craft deftly back over the island, and they flew directly over the villa. Julia was sitting on the veranda and gave them a cheerful wave. Just then, a large bird flew straight at them, and it seemed that it would crash into them at any second, leaving the craft bedecked with the unfortunate bird’s feathers and bloody remains. John was unfazed. At the last second, the bird banked to the right and avoided the fatal collision.

  Jim had ducked instinctively, but John only laughed at the incident. Then he pointed to the windscreen.

  “I anticipated that I’d probably encounter some very stupid, or very curious, birds from time to time, so I requested that Maxxine design something that would protect me, and the birds as well. She came up with an ingenious solution. There are sensors in the windscreen that will detect an incoming bird or object. Kind of like how our military can detect an incoming missile. When that happens, the screen reacts instantly and moves to an angle that avoids the impact. The bird would have just been pushed gently over our heads and lived to see another day. That fellow was probably just curious about something invading his territory. I can only imagine the wild tale it will have to tell when it gets back to the nest.”

  They rose to about one hundred feet in altitude and looked down at the entire island.

  “The original size of the island was only twenty-six acres. A nice size, but not large enough for all my needs. With Maxxine’s help, the size was increased by sixty acres.”

  Jim couldn’t restrain himself. “How could you do such a thing? The authorities will go nuts, and you’ve probably already broken enough laws to land you in prison for a very, very long time.”

  “Not to worry, old chap. All the records are in computers these days, including those of satellites orbiting Earth. Maxxine did a few little manipulations to all records related to this island, historic and current, so that the island appears to have always been the size that it is now. I don’t foresee any problems, but if anyone should get nosy, I’ll just refer the issue to Maxxine.”

  John guided the little craft to the edge of the golf course and set it down gently. They got out and began to stroll toward the beach.

  He leaned toward Jim conspiratorially. “All this is interesting, but I’m sure that you’re very curious as to the real reason that I brought you here. I alluded to it when I called you in Washington, DC to invite you down here. I’ve always thought that you were too good for that job of yours, and I’m going to give you an opportunity to walk away from it before it eats you alive. You’re just not the type of person who can be surrounded by inefficiency and corruption and not be bothered by it.”

  He placed his arm around Jim’s shoulder as they walked along the edge of the golf course where it met the beach. “I’ve grown very fond of you. You’re like the son that I always hoped to have. You accepted me and my wild stories without question. You put your faith in me, and you trusted me with your life and Mitch’s life as well. I owe you.

  “We only have a short history up until now, but I think that there’s a long and productive future ahead for us. I’d like for you to come to work for me. I’d like for you to be my second in command. The pay will be most generous, but you’ll earn it because there’ll be many challenges. You’ll have the opportunity to accomplish things that you’ve probably never dreamed about.”

  He continued, “Ask me anything you wish and I’ll answer you honestly and truthfully. It is very important that you trust me implicitly. There are some things possibly heading our way that might require us to use my substantial powers. Some of our decisions might involve life or death situations.”

  Jim Slater looked at John with a quizzical look on his face. He seemed deep in thought. Finally he said, “John, I know that you consider yourself to be, at least in part, a Mylean. There is one area that I would like to know how you feel and what you believe.

  “On Earth, most people, throughout recorded history, have worshiped some deity. That worship has served as the framework of nations and has been the source of both periods of peace and bloody wars. Many times, progress has been seen as dangerous or ungodly by one religion or another. Just think of where we could be today without that kind of influence.

  “I am a man of faith but not a man of dogma. Religion must have been an important factor in Mylea’s development. Since you’re half Mylean, I want to know how religion affects you. Do you believe in God? And if so, do you see him as a kind and forgiving father figure or a stern and angry deity?

  “How we believe, and what we believe, has a great impact on what we do, even in business matters. Therefore, if you could explain your belief, or disbelief, in God, I will have an idea how you would handle ethical problems and situations in our business and personal lives.

  “Our lives are already closely entwined, and you’re asking me to be your partner. I need to know you inside and out, so to speak, no pun intended.”

  John immediately replied, “What an odd question. I certainly never would have guessed that one. But, yes, I believe in God.”

  He continued, “I believe in God as a concept, but not as an entity. I believe that God is a universal idealism. I consider God to be the conceptual boundary between a savage and a civilized being.”

  Jim was silent for a long time. John simply waited until his friend could process what he had said. Finally, Jim looked at him with a sly smile and said, “Once again you have answered my questions and at the same time left me wondering about the rest of the story.”

  Turning to look directly into John’s eyes, Jim continued, “Like you, I was brought up in a Christian home, but I have also always had respect for other religions. Somehow, even as a child, I felt that, perhaps, God spoke to different peoples in different ways. Who knows?”

  John was pensive for a moment and then responded in a sincere voice, “You’re right. I did grow up in a religious family, but I now und
erstand that I’ve been influenced by my Mylean side in that area. If it makes you more comfortable, just accept the fact that I believe that Christian teachings are consistent with my concept of God as an ideal.”

  Jim replied, “I’m not sure that you answered my question. You’re the craftiest character that I’ve ever met. I’m always left with more questions than answers when we get onto some off-beat topic of conversation.”

  John just nodded. “Sometimes, there just isn’t a direct answer to every question. We’re complex entities of flesh and blood, as well as ideas and emotions. We usually don’t understand ourselves much less those around us. Life isn’t black and white. As far as I’m concerned, most things fall into a shade of gray.”

  John glanced quickly at his watch. “Enough of this for now. Let’s go. Hop in La Cucaracha; I will take us back to the house.”

  The little craft cruised silently a few inches above the ground and landed near the villa. Neither spoke a word on the short trip.

  Julia waited for them in the living area. She sat on the comfortable white sofa with her bare feet propped up on a large glass top coffee table.

  Mitch was on the couch beside her, having realized that Julia was important to her friend John. Poor little Akiro was on the floor looking forlorn. He dared not hop on the couch and risk the wrath of Mitch the Bitch.

  Julia hadn’t had a pet since she was much younger and had forgotten how much they could enrich your life. Since meeting Mitch, she had begun to study the little creature closely. She reminded Julia of an old-time Hollywood goddess, used to getting her way and not hesitant to let anyone know what she wanted.

  She could be temperamental and haughty, but Julia had quickly discerned that this was mostly an act. Beneath the surface, she was a loving and devoted little creature.

  Little Akiro was quite on the opposite end of the spectrum. He was like the eternal beach boy, just lounging around happily waiting for the next big wave. Not a care in the world until now, when he met Mitch.

  Just then, Mitch noticed a blur of motion through the stained glass of the front door that told her that her two men were coming home. She hopped off the couch and ran to the door in anticipation. Akiro followed at a respectable distance while Julia watched.

  The two men entered to the raucous welcome of the pups. Julia rose and stretched before greeting them. Jim noticed that her toenails were painted the same shade of blue-green as the ocean surrounding the island. He wasn’t sure he’d ever understand women.

  Jim was staring at her intently. “I know I’ve met you before. I’ve been racking my brain trying to remember. I had thought it would have been Washington, but I just now remembered that it was in New York a couple of years ago. I was attending a reception at, hmm, let’s see, Compton Financial. I believe that Mr. Compton introduced us. Back then, your hair was shorter. That’s what threw me off.”

  She laughed. “Why yes, I think that I do remember that evening. I’m the daughter. My brother was there, too, so you probably met him sometime during the evening. Father is always dragging us around for introductions at his parties. Sometimes, it gets to be embarrassing. There were so many people there that, unfortunately, I just can’t recall our introduction specifically.”

  Jim almost blushed. “Well, I think you’ll remember that someone bumped into me, and I accidentally spilled some champagne on your dress. I can’t tell you how humiliated I was. Here I am, at the party of the year, and I manage to ruin your dress.”

  Julia was delighted. “Jim, I can’t tell you what a favor you did for me! I was bored to tears. After that little accident, I was able to excuse myself on the pretext of trying to wash out the stain in the ladies’ room. Instead, I sneaked out and went home to finish a good novel that I had started. You did me a great favor. I am sorry that I didn’t remember you. But at least I remembered the favor!”

  “No need to apologize for not recognizing me. Back then, I was just some invisible junior flunky toiling away in my dungeon of an office. But it wasn’t all bad. There were a few perks that compensated for the low pay. The job title sounded much more impressive than it was, and I got invited to quite a few high-level parties and receptions. Deep down, I just believed that the real reason that I got invited was that there weren’t enough eligible men to go around.

  “I was in New York visiting an old Navy buddy that weekend. He had an invitation to the Compton party and asked me to tag along. He was in finance by then, so that’s how he knew your father.

  “I remember seeing you right off the bat. You had that party in the palm of your hand. It was rather funny to see all the guys hovering around trying to impress you.”

  “Jim, it’s far more likely that they were trying to impress my father. However, you could just see some of them mentally calculating my inheritance.”

  Jim continued, “Back then, in my callow youth, I thought of myself as rather sophisticated and urbane. I could move smoothly through the crowds and say just the right thing at the right time to the right people—a skill that I thought that I had perfectly honed.

  “I could balance a wine glass in one hand and a canapé in the other and buzz around without spilling a drop or a crumb. Yes, indeed, I was quite impressed with myself, at least for one brief shining moment.

  “I’ll never forget that night. I walked over to your little entourage and planned to impress you with some of my utterly brilliant small talk. Just as I reached you, it happened.

  “It was as if someone’s hand just pushed against my wrist and caused the flute to tip forward and splash the champagne all over the front of your dress. I was mortified and just wished that I could disappear. You were very gracious and wouldn’t accept my apology. I could hardly sleep for several days in fear that a bill would arrive for that dress. It probably cost more than my entire annual salary.”

  John had been listening quietly, and suddenly he had a very suspicious thought. No, it was more than suspicious. This little event had Maxx’s fingerprints all over it. Could he have been laying the groundwork for the three of us to meet? No! Never? He brushed the thought aside, for the moment.

  He changed the subject. “Let’s go to my office. I’d like to show you the plans for completing my little paradise.”

  As they entered the rather large room, John said, “This used to be a game room. I’ve converted it to be my office and planning center. I had Mister T bring in a solid cover for the pool table, so it is still usable. I’ll challenge you to a game later.”

  He gestured toward the pool table. “It was handmade from fine walnut. Look at the details in the carved wood and inlays. It’s a work of art. Can you imagine the skilled craftsmen who created this over a hundred years ago? It’s so beautiful that I’m hesitant to play a game on it.”

  He directed their attention to the large model sitting on the temporary cover of the pool table. “I’ve had Maxxine create a scale model of the island. I’m using the pool table to display it for the time being.”

  Jim leaned over and examined it. He had seen many architectural models in the past, but this one was incredible. Every detail was perfect.

  “I brought one of the three-dimensional printers from my space station to create this. I have it stored in another part of the house for now, but you can see it later. Might even let you play with it a bit. Fascinating stuff.”

  The model was of the entire island. It included the new golf course and the proposed swimming pool located just outside the house. “I used a computer program to design the pool. I had gone through quite a few iterations before I came up with the one that would blend most harmoniously with the architecture of the house and the geography of the island.”

  The pool appeared nestled into a garden area just beyond the lanai. At one end of the pool were an outdoor kitchen, bar, and dining area. At the other end, and along the sides, were arrangements of comfortable loungers for soaking up the hot sunshine.

  Jim was totally impressed. “That’s amazing. I’d like to have been here
to see all your different ideas before you came up with the final plan.”

  “Look at those chairs and lounges. They’ll be fabricated from a material that Maxxine suggested—totally impervious to weather damage yet extremely comfortable over the entire range of temperatures that we experience down here.

  “The pool itself will have some very special technology. It will be self-cleaning and temperature-regulated precisely to the exact degree that I desire. The water comes from the desalinization plant that you saw. With my technology, there is no need for chlorine or any other harsh chemicals.

  “There are sensors embedded in the walls that have been programmed to recognize a critical situation, such as if Akiro fell into the water. An alarm would sound inside the house, and we’d be alerted to come out and rescue him. As you can see, there are also a couple of sections of the side that slope gently upward. If Akiro fell in, he could manage to climb out without any difficulty. Maxxine came up with the technology, but I could only think of how many children’s lives could be saved every year if all pools were equipped with an alarm system like this one.

  “Jim, that’s just one of the things that I want us to address with our new business. I want to provide materials and services that will improve people’s lives and keep them safe.”

  He looked Jim straight in the eye and said, “I hope that you’ll accept my offer. You’re the only person I could trust with my Mylean legacy. You will have access to power and knowledge you never even dreamed about before. That’s why you’re perfect for the job. You will have substantial power at your disposal, but you have the brains and moral character not to abuse that power.”

  Julia stood behind the model, obviously marveling at the intricacy of the design. She leaned closer to examine the finer details and noticed that Akiro and Mitch had crept under the pool table across the room. Mitch led the way with Akiro obediently following. A most amusing sight.