your cargo. If so, we can claim that cargo is
yours. I will look into this,” Iwygin said thinking which students
could be assigned to that task.
Sarah turned back to the meeting and
explained what Iwygin had just told her and, “I disagree with
Mathew. Where are the People who invited us? Think about it. Would
you invite people to stay and then not meet and greet them when
they arrived? Would you leave the hotel with no one to bill? The
hotel Manager told me Paswalda booked us in but assured that we
would pay.”
There was great anger. Those who in good
faith had brought their children were the most upset. Paswalda had
encouraged them to bring children because he said it was a sign of
good faith and trust. This would help to negotiate Treaties,they
had been told. Paswalda had not told them that children were
popular as slaves. Iwygin had told Sarah but she decided not to
pass on that further worry. She called for silence then went
on.
“We assumed Aliens with a high level of
technology would be civilized. Most seem not to be. In the main,
they have turned out to be rude, unethical, immoral, arrogant,
extremely competitive and self centred. And we’ve only been here
three days. In the political league we Terrans are just not in
their league having just enough awareness to see that we are
missing most of the cues. We are 418 mis-matched Terrans, mostly
scientists and politicians, 34 being children under the age of 16.
It is up to us whether that is our strength or our weakness.” Sarah
looked around at them.
“Think of every way you can make money, save
money, earn something, do something.”
“What about music, busking?” a voice called
out.
“We need to catalogue what we brought with
us and what we can sell. Some of us brought trade goods, samples.
We did. We have a large data base.” Sarah looked over for the
speaker. He was one of the men that had come with Mathew.
Dan called out, “We have been recommended
another trader, a firm, to negotiate sales of goods.”
“This is on a commission basis,” called out
Helene, “and we have promised future sales commissions to this firm
in order for them to take minimal commissions now. They are
gambling on a future monopoly for trade for Terrans. Remember,
there is a potential novelty market for everything you bought with
you because it originated on Earth.”
“There are heaps of clothes thrown out,
mostly those cloak things, out of date due to style and colours. We
can wear them and sell our clothes,” called out one child.
“But they won’t fit most Races.” Called back
another child.
“They might fit their children or they could
buy them just as a novelty,” the young girl’s voice shot back. “Can
we sell to rival fashion houses?”
“Do they have fashion houses?” Asked another
girl.
“Find out,” said Sarah. “We’ll have to start
washing ourselves and our clothes in water, we can’t afford the
Cleaners.” There was a collective moan but the point was well
taken. Nothing here was washed in water which was thought of as
being dirty and primitive. Water was not drunk by itself except by
slaves who had nothing else. Sonic type Cleaners were built into
every accommodation place. This meant the housework and all washing
was done at the touch of a button. But the button was expensive. A
charge was levied every time it was used. Yet it was considered
essential, as a sign of civilization, that all people and their
clothes be scrupulously clean. Mainly so they could minimise smell
which was unacceptable.
Li and Stella looked at each other. Li
wondered if Stella was regretting her insistence on coming. Yet she
herself wasn’t.
“At least we’re together,” Stella said
softly. “I might never have known what had happened to Mum and that
would be worse.”
Li nodded wondering if Stella was a mind
reader or were they both idiots?
The meeting went on for hours. The response
was heartening. People were designated to sell, look
yours. I will look into this,” Iwygin said thinking which students
could be assigned to that task.
Sarah turned back to the meeting and
explained what Iwygin had just told her and, “I disagree with
Mathew. Where are the People who invited us? Think about it. Would
you invite people to stay and then not meet and greet them when
they arrived? Would you leave the hotel with no one to bill? The
hotel Manager told me Paswalda booked us in but assured that we
would pay.”
There was great anger. Those who in good
faith had brought their children were the most upset. Paswalda had
encouraged them to bring children because he said it was a sign of
good faith and trust. This would help to negotiate Treaties,they
had been told. Paswalda had not told them that children were
popular as slaves. Iwygin had told Sarah but she decided not to
pass on that further worry. She called for silence then went
on.
“We assumed Aliens with a high level of
technology would be civilized. Most seem not to be. In the main,
they have turned out to be rude, unethical, immoral, arrogant,
extremely competitive and self centred. And we’ve only been here
three days. In the political league we Terrans are just not in
their league having just enough awareness to see that we are
missing most of the cues. We are 418 mis-matched Terrans, mostly
scientists and politicians, 34 being children under the age of 16.
It is up to us whether that is our strength or our weakness.” Sarah
looked around at them.
“Think of every way you can make money, save
money, earn something, do something.”
“What about music, busking?” a voice called
out.
“We need to catalogue what we brought with
us and what we can sell. Some of us brought trade goods, samples.
We did. We have a large data base.” Sarah looked over for the
speaker. He was one of the men that had come with Mathew.
Dan called out, “We have been recommended
another trader, a firm, to negotiate sales of goods.”
“This is on a commission basis,” called out
Helene, “and we have promised future sales commissions to this firm
in order for them to take minimal commissions now. They are
gambling on a future monopoly for trade for Terrans. Remember,
there is a potential novelty market for everything you bought with
you because it originated on Earth.”
“There are heaps of clothes thrown out,
mostly those cloak things, out of date due to style and colours. We
can wear them and sell our clothes,” called out one child.
“But they won’t fit most Races.” Called back
another child.
“They might fit their children or they could
buy them just as a novelty,” the young girl’s voice shot back. “Can
we sell to rival fashion houses?”
“Do they have fashion houses?” Asked another
girl.
“Find out,” said Sarah. “We’ll have to start
washing ourselves and our clothes in water, we can’t afford the
Cleaners.” There was a collective moan but the point was well
taken. Nothing here was washed in water which was thought of as
being dirty and primitive. Water was not drunk by itself except by
slaves who had nothing else. Sonic type Cleaners were built into
every accommodation place. This meant the housework and all washing
was done at the touch of a button. But the button was expensive. A
charge was levied every time it was used. Yet it was considered
essential, as a sign of civilization, that all people and their
clothes be scrupulously clean. Mainly so they could minimise smell
which was unacceptable.
Li and Stella looked at each other. Li
wondered if Stella was regretting her insistence on coming. Yet she
herself wasn’t.
“At least we’re together,” Stella said
softly. “I might never have known what had happened to Mum and that
would be worse.”
Li nodded wondering if Stella was a mind
reader or were they both idiots?
The meeting went on for hours. The response
was heartening. People were designated to sell, look
Similar Books
