The Helavite War by Theresa Snyder Page B

this solar
system?" Tim asked, as he sat the over flowing plate in front of
Arr.
    "We broke a landing prod on the pod at the
last job. Jake attached it, but he couldn't get it to retract. We
came here for parts." Arr looked at the plate of food with disgust.
He wasn't the least bit hungry.
    Tim picked up a carrot and thrust it at the
young Henu testily. "Eat!"
    Arr obediently gnawed at the veggies.
    Tim picked up his cup and stood frowning
into its depths. "Why didn't he just go on to a Refitting Station
instead of stoppin' here?"
    "It was on the way to the next job he had
lined up. The Refitting Station was out of the way," Arr said, in
an irritated tone. The problem was to get them out of here, not how
they got here.
    "Of all the stupid," Tim muttered under his
breath, as he collapsed back into his chair. "All for a landing
prod. The idiot!"
    "What are you talking about?" Arr's voice
rose in angry stress.
    "Jake knows he's dead meat in this solar
system, kid." Tim paused and then asked, "Did he ever tell you how
his dad was killed?"
    "No!" Arr answered in blunt exasperation. He
wished just once Tim could get from here to there quickly. "What
happened?"
    "Well, it's a long story," Tim started.
    Arr could see his desire for a swift answer
was not to be.
    Tim procured a carrot from Arr's plate and
leaned back in his chair. As he crunched away he told the Harcourt
family saga.
    "Jake's dad, Taylor, was my best friend. I
would have been with him when he was killed, maybe even died with
him like Jake almost did, except that I'd gotten laid up on
Alturous III with a pretty good wound of my own from a tangle with
a Slugg Rat. Nasty beasts!
    "Taylor had a younger brother, Jake's Uncle
Charlie. The Harcourt's had been mercenaries for generations, but
Charlie was different. He was the black sheep of the family. He
wanted a wife and kids. He wanted to come home every night, put up
his feet and read the newspaper. He wanted to help the kids with
their homework and listen to what the missus had done all day. So
with Taylor's blessing, but not his full understanding, Charlie
went to work in the everyday world." Tim rocked his chair back on
its two hind legs as he warmed to his story.
    "Charlie wasn't much older than you at the
time. He hired on as a clerk in the shippin' room of an
import/export business. The company lost shipments on a regular
basis due to high-jackers and poor routing through areas that were
in turmoil due to wars or skirmishes between planets. We
mercenaries knew where all the trouble was. Charlie's connections
with us proved useful. We kept him on the QT. He started routing
the merchandise around the problem areas. He proved himself
invaluable to the company. He got the wagons through. It wasn't
long before the big guys at the top noticed him." Tim finished his
carrot and leaned forward for another.
    "Charlie rose rapidly in the company. When
he'd learned all the ropes, he started his own import/export. He
hadn't had time for a family, but he went home to the same place
every night. He put his feet up and read the paper. I guess you
should consider yourself pretty lucky if half your dreams come
true, huh?" He pointed the stub of his rabbit food at Arr for
emphasis.
    "Well, Charlie's company was doing real
well. I guess it must have been about fifteen years ago, he hired a
man named Hughes to help with the business. Mostly the bookkeeping
as I understood it. What Charlie didn't see was this Hughes guy was
crooked as a snake. Charlie never was a very good judge of
character. He would have made a lousy mercenary.
    "Well anyway, after about a year Charlie
caught Hughes dippin' his hand in the till. He was not only
skimmin' the books, but he had a scam set up with a guy named Bola
Terga. Bola was in the black market. Pretty high up. He'd bring
stolen goods to Hughes. Hughes would sell them through Charlie's
company usually at an inflated rate. Clear profit. The guy was
makin' money hand over fist." Tim leaned forward once