Another Word for Magic

by Mackey Chandler

  Gordon closed his eyes and rocked his head back and forth, thinking.

  “This is uncomfortable,” he eventually said. “I like to game everything out a hundred ways in my mind and arrange the responses in order of probability before I’m confronted with the reality and have to decide what to do. You had to dump a line of events on me I haven’t gamed out.

  “My preliminary thoughts are that you indeed are sovereign, but I am not. I haven’t been signing treaties. I hold lands but in plain ownership. I never asserted I own them by my own power. If I do not wish to become sovereign, I can declare I hold them subject to you, or divest myself of them entirely. You don’t have to make the case to me that sovereignty would be more of a burden than a prize.”

  When Lee didn’t say anything right away, he added.

  “Don’t get too full of yourself and think this means I’m through raising you. You still have lots of rough edges to smooth off and things I can teach you.”

  “I’ll try to stay properly humble,” Lee promised. “Any thought how you would divest yourself of your Providence claims?”

  “This is all a new idea,” Gordon said. “Offhand, I could give them to the Mothers. Red Tree would be safer on two planets if not in small areas on each. On the other hand, I’m not sure they would rise to the challenge of governing a vast area. Clans have always had limited boundaries. It might be a damaging gift. I suspect if the Mothers wanted more land, they would have brought the matter up when they encouraged you to reclaim Providence.

  “I could open my lands, a full third, not just my old claims with the commission, to Derf of all clans. Make them available like the ungoverned territories where trade towns and freeholders are allowed to organize. That would go a long way towards most of the goals we set to allow gifted young Derf out from under the Mother’s thumbs.”

  “A third of a planet is enough to keep some private holdings for a residence and do what you are describing too,” Lee suggested. “I might be persuaded to join you in setting aside areas for homesteading of sorts. The Mothers suggested their ship crews be recruited based on sharing the loot. That would be one way to pay them. It would take some planning and we need to act to reclaim Providence fairly quickly, or it will appear an act of piracy to many, unconnected to their breaking our contract.”

  “How about an agreement in principle and you accept I am only your agent?” Gordon asked. “Do you have any problem with me working for you and the Mothers?”

  “And Fargone,” Lee reminded him. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you end up a citizen of Badger governed Faraway and Home too before this is all over. Who knows? Maybe even a citizen of Central if their worlds are ever open to us. It could happen.”

  “But not a Caterpillar?” Gordon asked.

  Lee made a face. “Now you’re just being silly.”

  * * *

  “The Moon Queen needs to grow up and act like a decent sober statesperson, if she is going to fit in the governance of nations,” The Secretary of State fumed.

  “I see no evidence she aspires to be your peer at all,” the President said.

  “Exactly! She deems herself my superior!” Porter sneered.

  “Just because she can dump rocks on your head any time she pleases,” Wu said.

  “Politics isn’t just brute force,” Porter objected.

  “Well, not second, third, or fourth in order, no,” Wu agreed.

  This conversation was not going the way Porter intended.

  “You want me to go to the Moon,” he concluded.

  “Not necessarily. I’m not thrilled over it myself, but the Moon Queen wants to talk to the Secretary of State at a minimum. For some reason I can’t quite understand, she sees us as an extension of all the North American administrations behind us and feels we are still tainted by their repeatedly trying to kill her friends and allies. That still puts us ahead of the Chinese I believe, but not by much. I don’t intend to go myself, but I can send whoever is currently Secretary of State,” Wu said.

  That was plain enough even for Porter.

  “You do know this will be a propaganda bonanza for them?” he still objected. “We will be conferring unprecedented legitimacy on her regime.”

  “Oh Porter, keep the trigger words like regime for your press releases,” Wu said. “When have these amateurs ever effectively used propaganda? They are crude in issuing demands, but once they get their way, when have they ever crowed about it?”

  Porter thought about that a little. “I do see the pattern you imply. You think they might not even announce my visit?”

  “I think there’s a good chance of that if you don’t do it for them.”

  Porter looked surprised. “That’s exactly what I would have done. If I announce first then it looks like we took the initiative and are in control.”

  “Don’t,” Wu said. “I don’t think they really care how it looks. The Moon Queen isn’t worried about being reelected or how many seats her party holds onto next election.”

  “And you’re sure they didn’t organize the strike that wiped out our predecessors?”

  “They do have a critical shortage of submarines and I honestly don’t think they have an Earth ally that would do that for them,” Wu assured him. “Don’t fall into the error of believing your own press.”

  “What sort of agreement do you expect me to get?” Porter asked.

  “At this point, air travel, and to replace our satellites would be a win,” Wu said.

  “OK, I will make travel arrangements, quietly,” Porter agreed. The alternative implied seemed to be his resignation, and he’d just started the job. A resignation now would end any career in government service.

  He looked alarmed and distressed at a new thought.

  “Exactly how am I going to get to Central?” he asked.

  “There are still fields capable of handling biz jets. I’d suggest you take one to Cuba or Europe. I know Europe is in range of even small jets with a refueling stop,” Wu said. “I’m not sure if the military has one that can refuel in midair. I think going to Hawaii right now might complicate things with a wrong message.”

  * * *

  “Yes, that absolutely makes sense to use our stocks to stabilize the markets on Derfhome,” Heather agreed. “I hate to send you right back but I do want Eileen to get the message that is the correct response quickly before they moderate it or feel pressured to change it. I’d like to see Home stay there for some time. It simplifies supply problems for us to be by a living world. Is there any other way we can help keep the Homies from alienating the Derf? No pun intended.”

  Jeff spread his hands in frustration. “We have very little besides money to influence them and too much money is already the problem. I see no way to use it that doesn’t just make things worse.”

  “If you could induce some of them to move back to the Moon or even Gamma that would help,” April said. “We have no idea if there are any problems at Fargone or if they could absorb more people.”

  “Go back to Derfhome and commend the Foys,” Heather said. “Tell them to follow their excellent plan. Then go to Fargone and assess the situation there. No need to run back here again if nothing is happening of any urgency. In fact, you can mention to Gabriel that he may send an occasional status report by ship mail or commercial drone, such as: ‘Still alive. Having a wonderful time.’ Announce we will provide free transport very soon.”

  “Good. I need to help Lee safely test their version of our drive,” Jeff said. “They’ll probably be waiting for me when we get back. Are your techs making any progress with the new material here?”

  Heather nodded yes. “They followed instructions to make the glassy version exactly and it was functional the first time.”

  “I wonder how your step-mom is going to feel about that?” April wondered.

  “Your guess is as good as mine,” Jeff said. “Maybe she’ll feel the pressure is off her now that there is another source. Of course, I could have been the other source for ye
ars now. If she’d have let me. I don’t think she’s entirely rational about it. The Chinese would happily steal the process for this new material as quickly as the old. They snatch any IP not closely guarded. Will the Chinese stop regarding her as a criminal for stealing her education? With China so broken up now, I have no idea if any faction is still interested in punishing her.”

  “I never thought the Chinese especially rational about it either,” April said.

  “Which only makes it more confusing,” Jeff complained. “She does have reasons for being paranoid. Who is judging it better? Her or me?”

  “Who is smarter?” Heather asked him.

  “About people? Definitely, her, just like both of you are. She certainly has more direct experience with China being raised there. Probably more sheer intelligence than me too.”

  “Then I’d be reluctant to second guess her,” Heather said. “She is free and China is a fractured mess. If she has used you to that purpose, I can’t see she has harmed you by it, or us for that matter. Much the opposite.”

  “Makes more sense than anything I could figure out,” Jeff admitted.

  “Go back to Derfhome before I beg both of you to stay,” Heather said. “I miss you but I won’t be fit company until this situation with the North Americans is settled.”

  “I’d say stabilized. I’m scared what settled might take,” April said softly.

  “Oh, one result of removing North America’s space capabilities is that the Claims Commission suspended all extra-Solar payments. I think that news and you passed each other. Lee and Gordon probably will have heard when you return.”

  “Oh joy. I have no idea how she or her great hairy father will react,” April said.

  “Or Fargone, or New Japan,” Jeff said. “They both have citizens and corporations holding claims. They frankly worry me more. The jump ship Snoopy departed Derfhome for Fargone as soon as Home entered the system. We wondered if they might not be going there to arm up.”

  “There is nothing we can do about any of them. You two go back to Derfhome. I’ll try to stabilize them,” Heather said. “If somebody else settles them then we don’t have to worry about doing it ourselves. They seem bent on making enemies.”

  “I have a request,” April said.

  “Really? So formal. Must I go into sovereign mode and hear you officially?”

  “I don’t think so. I don’t really need Gunny right now and would feel much, much better if you accept the loan of him for a little bit. He’s bored and you are here near Earth without us. Now without Jan and Chen for the first time in ages. Would you do that for me, please?”

  Heather regarded Gunny. He’d been standing in the background attracting as much attention as a piece of furniture. He was very good at that if he wanted to be.

  “Are you agreeable with that?” Heather asked him.

  “It would be my pleasure,” he assured her.

  “You’ll likely still be bored,” Heather warned him.

  “I have several new books to read. You won’t even know I’m here,” he promised.

  “Yeah, sure. He’s kind of decorative anyway,” Heather said. “Go on, get out of here.”

  “That was scary,” April told Jeff on the way to the ship. “She sounded just like you.”

  * * *

  “This is interesting,” Dakota told Heather. “Martini, who does a bit of business with the Turnip, tells me to pass along that the French and the Indians both have a new vessel under construction. They are offering big bonuses for early completion. Rumor in the trade publications is that from the sorts of orders going out for components, both will be capable of orbit to orbit and lander operations.”

  “Earth landing?” Heather asked. “That takes a lot more performance.”

  “I don’t know about that. Martini went around trying to find out more and nobody would tell him any hard details about the design. But what they did say, like it was no secret at all, was both buyers are Gammans and expect delivery there.”

  “We can hardly complain about that,” Heather decided. “We did leave them isolated no matter where we parked them. I’m about to convert a bulk materials carrier to a transport temporarily by adding some scaffolding and seats in the cargo hold. They will move people from Derfhome and Fargone who want to be relocated first. However, send a message to Gamma, to their security again, informing them we’ll make transport available again in a couple of weeks to take people where they’d rather be.”

  “If I may suggest,” Dakota said with uncharacteristically polite diffidence, “There are going to be people who don’t just want to be returned somewhere. I predict there will be a steady trickle of people changing their minds and wanting to go back and forth between all three habitats and the several planets.”

  “I was trying to do people a favor and unravel this mess, not start a shuttle service.”

  “Why not?” Dakota asked. “Maybe send the ship on a circuit. Get on where you are and get off where you please. If you are charitable enough to do a circuit or two for free that’s nice. But after that, start charging. I’ve never seen you or April and Jeff shy to start a business if there was a demand. There was a steady flow of traffic between the habs when they were all close together. Why not now?”

  “We’re extremely security conscious with jump ships,” Heather protested.

  “Is that really an issue between the habs?” Dakota asked. “Put your own sworn security on them or mandate how they be guarded. The Obarzaneks must be going nuts with the habs gone because they had a nice trade in transportation. Move their ships up to jump status. Can you imagine what sort of security Grandpa Obarzanek would run on their own jump ships? Eventually, you are going to have to expand the privilege of running jump ships beyond peers.”

  “Yes, we know,” Heather admitted. Dakota heard that correctly as the small we that was the three of them.

  “If it makes you feel better make the Matriarch, Frymeta a peer. That way it’s at least run under her supervision.” Dakota suggested.

  “No,” Heather said, disappointing Dakota. “I’ll make her and her daughters Yetta and Laja all peers if she agrees, but I’ll make that offer before I propose anything about running jump ships. They’ve been very loyal and undemanding, although they’ve wanted jump ship status for years. I don’t want to tie the two things together as an offer.”

  “That would work,” Dakota said. She wasn’t prepared for Heather to take her suggestion and run with it like that. She never was.

  “I’ll still send an ore carrier around a couple of circuits,” Heather said. “It’s going to take that long to convert their ships. It’s a good thing we have this new material to fabricate new drives. With all the drones we’ve lost, we’d have to decide what to disassemble to equip the Obarzaneks’ ships.”

  “It’s a shame we didn’t know this to tell Jeff and April before they left,” Dakota thought out loud.

  “We’ll send the free transport to Home. They will still get the word it’s coming from you before the other stops. Then on to Fargone and Gamma before they return here. A day layover at each should be sufficient. I think this will all work OK,” Heather decided. “Assuming Frymeta accepts.”

  “You aren’t sure?” Dakota asked surprised.

  “With Frymeta you never know. It’s like dealing with the Derf. A different mindset.”

  “Could you elevate one or both of the sisters if she refused?”

  Heather's eyes got big in shock. “That would be like passing over the First Mother to deal with one of her juniors. I’d be directly suggesting they revolt and depose her.”

  Dakota just nodded, surprised again. Heather liked one of her two suggestions. That was better than her average score.

  * * *

  April called Eileen while they were still in orbit. “We’ll be down in a few hours but Heather wanted you to know as soon as possible that she approves of selling the food and hopes it helps. How are things going? Are the Homies getting along with the Derf
and not causing too many problems?”

  “None of them have killed each other,” Eileen said. “That’s an improvement on the first landing. We had a couple of the early landers get sick on tea and word got around pretty quickly about that. The Derf don’t always know what makes Humans sick. A couple of Humans tried Devil Horn peppers and thought they were poisoned.

  “There’s some friction, but less than I expected. One business got caught having different prices for Humans and Derf. I don’t think it helped their Derf business either. Most Derf found that unfair. A few Homies paid silly prices for small items, but when it comes to big things like buying a home, they seem to do their due diligence. It helps that contracts are all public so Homies can check what things cost before they arrived.

  “A few were upset they aren’t welcome in the clan territories without an invitation, and nobody seems in any hurry to issue them. Lee informs us that is a lingering attitude because some of the early researchers and scientists were jackasses who left a bad taste in their mouths.”

  “Hard to believe,” April said, insincerely.

  “Did word reach here yet that the Claims Commission cut off extra-Solar royalties?” Jeff inquired.

  “Yeah, it was on the news services, but I haven’t seen much interest in it,” Eileen said. “All the crew with the Little Fleet already knew that was a dead issue for them. We haven’t talked to anybody with payments from previous claims.”

  “You haven’t talked to Lee then?” April asked.

  “No. We haven’t had any business with her.”

  “This is going to be interesting,” April said. “She’s been getting royalties off a class A world and she gave significant property, an entire island there, to her clan Mothers as expansion territory. There was considerable discussion about it with the Mothers. It’s going to be complicated.”

  “And her dad Gordon was in on that world claim,” Vic reminded Eileen from the background.

  “Oh. Oh dear,” Eileen said imagining just how complicated.

  “Yeah,” April agreed. “Vic is right and we’ve been expecting this. It’s not going to play out in a day or two. Nothing else we’re doing will be affected by that. For example, we’re going to Fargone quickly. Jeff has some testing to do with Lee, but they may go to Fargone together. We’ll see. We may not even take the shuttle down if she’s ready to go. We’ll let you know when we return and if anything is happening with Beta at Fargone.”