Owner's Share (Trader's Tales from the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper) by Nathan Lowell Page B
Authors: Nathan Lowell
Ads: Link
front of her. Eventually, I gave in and asked, “What?”
She grimaced and shook her head. “There’s more going on here than meets the eye.”
I nodded. “Yeah, there is.”
She looked up at me in surprise. “You know what it is?”
I shook my head. “Not entirely, and I’m not sure I should say.” I eyed the people walking past us, most giving us a wide berth in passing. I couldn’t blame them.
She frowned and poked me in the short ribs. “Come on, ya meanie. Give.”
“Why, Chief Gerheart, is that any way to speak to your captain?”
“Don’t give me that.” Her voice carried an undertone of something that sounded like real anger. She took a deep breath and let it out before saying, “You’re not going to be my captain too much longer, so stop being a jerk. Tell me.”
I looked down at her but she wouldn’t meet my gaze. “DST has a job for me after the Agamemnon .”
She screwed up her face but still wouldn’t look at me. “Okay, but that’s gonna be hard for them to do if they fire you.”
“Well, they want me to go indie.” I nodded my head back in the direction we’d just come from. “That ship is one that they’re retiring from service. It’s something that started before Mr. Maloney died, but they’re taking advantage of it.”
She glanced up at me, the angry frown obvious. “You’re not making a lot of sense there, Captain.”
I stepped to the side of the promenade and stopped, getting out of the flow of traffic and letting it move on. She stopped with me, anger giving way to curiosity.
“DST has a management problem that they’d just as soon not get spread around.” I looked at her until she nodded her understanding. “Historically, the CEO is also the majority stockholder. It’s a private company and that stockholder has been a Maloney for three generations now.”
“Yup, I know that. What’s the prob—” She stopped. “Who’s the new majority stockholder?”
“Mr. Maloney’s daughter.”
I could see the confusion in her eyes. “So? What’s the problem?”
“She’s not in the business.”
“What do you mean she’s not in the business? How can you be the heir to DST, and not be in the business?”
I shrugged. It took me a couple of ticks to explain the will and the stipulations it contained.
When I finished, she looked at me with disbelief. “You’re kidding. They think you’re gonna go into business for yourself so you can turn around and train their new CEO?”
“That’s what they’re telling me.”
“If she doesn’t stick it out, then these people, Jarvis and the Board of Directors, have to take the company public, and Little Miss Maloney gets a reduced inheritance instead of controlling interest in her family business?”
“That’s what I’ve been lead to believe.”
“That stinks!”
“So do I.”
She giggled then. “Me, too. Let’s get cleaned up. I need to think about this.” She struck off down the promenade without looking to see if I were still with her.
I chuckled to myself and stretched my legs to catch up.
Chapter Nine
Diurnia Orbital:
2372-December-19
Mr. Wyatt pulled out all the stops for the dinner mess, serving up a five course meal complete with wine and beer. Mr. Hill and I refrained from imbibing but the general air of celebration was infectious and I, for one, didn’t mind.
Ms. Thomas was the guest of honor for having survived her third attempt at a Master’s Interview. She seemed as dazed as I remembered being after my own trials, but pleased by the attention and support. Mr. Wyatt, always sensitive, even had a special candle bedecked cupcake for Mr. Hill to honor his passing his Spec One Cargo exam.
As the meal progressed, I became more and more aware of the reality that faced us all. With the remains of dessert littering the table, I lifted my mug in salute to Ms. Thomas.
“To the newest captain in the fleet.” My voice cut through the fading conversational threads and everybody raised glass,
She grimaced and shook her head. “There’s more going on here than meets the eye.”
I nodded. “Yeah, there is.”
She looked up at me in surprise. “You know what it is?”
I shook my head. “Not entirely, and I’m not sure I should say.” I eyed the people walking past us, most giving us a wide berth in passing. I couldn’t blame them.
She frowned and poked me in the short ribs. “Come on, ya meanie. Give.”
“Why, Chief Gerheart, is that any way to speak to your captain?”
“Don’t give me that.” Her voice carried an undertone of something that sounded like real anger. She took a deep breath and let it out before saying, “You’re not going to be my captain too much longer, so stop being a jerk. Tell me.”
I looked down at her but she wouldn’t meet my gaze. “DST has a job for me after the Agamemnon .”
She screwed up her face but still wouldn’t look at me. “Okay, but that’s gonna be hard for them to do if they fire you.”
“Well, they want me to go indie.” I nodded my head back in the direction we’d just come from. “That ship is one that they’re retiring from service. It’s something that started before Mr. Maloney died, but they’re taking advantage of it.”
She glanced up at me, the angry frown obvious. “You’re not making a lot of sense there, Captain.”
I stepped to the side of the promenade and stopped, getting out of the flow of traffic and letting it move on. She stopped with me, anger giving way to curiosity.
“DST has a management problem that they’d just as soon not get spread around.” I looked at her until she nodded her understanding. “Historically, the CEO is also the majority stockholder. It’s a private company and that stockholder has been a Maloney for three generations now.”
“Yup, I know that. What’s the prob—” She stopped. “Who’s the new majority stockholder?”
“Mr. Maloney’s daughter.”
I could see the confusion in her eyes. “So? What’s the problem?”
“She’s not in the business.”
“What do you mean she’s not in the business? How can you be the heir to DST, and not be in the business?”
I shrugged. It took me a couple of ticks to explain the will and the stipulations it contained.
When I finished, she looked at me with disbelief. “You’re kidding. They think you’re gonna go into business for yourself so you can turn around and train their new CEO?”
“That’s what they’re telling me.”
“If she doesn’t stick it out, then these people, Jarvis and the Board of Directors, have to take the company public, and Little Miss Maloney gets a reduced inheritance instead of controlling interest in her family business?”
“That’s what I’ve been lead to believe.”
“That stinks!”
“So do I.”
She giggled then. “Me, too. Let’s get cleaned up. I need to think about this.” She struck off down the promenade without looking to see if I were still with her.
I chuckled to myself and stretched my legs to catch up.
Chapter Nine
Diurnia Orbital:
2372-December-19
Mr. Wyatt pulled out all the stops for the dinner mess, serving up a five course meal complete with wine and beer. Mr. Hill and I refrained from imbibing but the general air of celebration was infectious and I, for one, didn’t mind.
Ms. Thomas was the guest of honor for having survived her third attempt at a Master’s Interview. She seemed as dazed as I remembered being after my own trials, but pleased by the attention and support. Mr. Wyatt, always sensitive, even had a special candle bedecked cupcake for Mr. Hill to honor his passing his Spec One Cargo exam.
As the meal progressed, I became more and more aware of the reality that faced us all. With the remains of dessert littering the table, I lifted my mug in salute to Ms. Thomas.
“To the newest captain in the fleet.” My voice cut through the fading conversational threads and everybody raised glass,
Similar Books
