The Rise of Earth by Jason Fry Page A

me yer question agin.”
    Tycho swallowed.
    â€œDid the Securitat have something to do with 624 Hektor?” he asked, forcing himself to say the forbidden name.
    â€œArrr, of course they did.”
    Tycho drew back, surprised. But he said nothing, fearful of breaking whatever spell had unbound his grandfather’s tongue.
    â€œThe freighters in the Martian convoy we ambushed was carryin’ United Collective hardware to the warehouses of Ganymede Quint-X. Never found out exactly what, but it was sophisticated stuff, worth a fortune. Part of some sweetheart corporate deal. Our commerce ministry didn’t like an Earth corporation gettin’ that much control over one of our own, but a Jovian court had said the deal could go ahead. So the Union leadership decided ’twas best for the shipment to go missin’, on account of pirates. It had to be a secret, of course. That’s where the Securitat came in. We didn’t know that Earth was behind it all—that they were pullin’ strings, plannin’ to destroy us an’ embarrass the Securitat by trickin’ ’em into helpin’.”
    â€œI understand the Securitat was involved,” Tycho said. “But who sabotaged the program? Was it Earth? Or was it the Securitat, and they just blamed it on Earth?”
    â€œArrrr, that’s just a grog-shop yarn, boy,” Huffmuttered. “An’ ’fore yeh say it, I heard what that old witch Oshima tole yeh, back on Io. It ain’t true, Tyke. It was Earth, an’ it was Oshima.”
    â€œBut she said you and Mox were the ones who distributed the program. She said she wasn’t involved.”
    â€œShe didn’t distribute it. But that ain’t the same as not bein’ involved.”
    â€œWhat do you mean?”
    â€œOshima didn’t like to get her hands dirty—she’d rather work in the shadows, pulling strings. Most impossible person in the solar system, even ’fore she turned traitor. If she got a hint of a better deal she’d sell yeh out in a second. Her daddy, Blink, was a decent sort, but he never taught Oshima that we don’t swindle our own. The way I peg it, she used Mox for her plan ’cause she knew no other Jupiter pirate would listen to her.”
    Huff laughed, then grimaced as the laugh turned into a coughing fit that sent water sloshing in the tank. Tycho extended his hand, concerned, but Huff shook his head.
    â€œWe all did a lively business poachin’ crewers from Oshima, y’know. Good captain, but a right hard horse to her own people. She drove all the Yakata family retainers away within a few years, so after that she had to use hired hands. The time to get one of Oshima’s crewers was after his second cruise with her—if he didn’t have any brains she’d sack him after the first, an’ if he had any sense he’d be ready to sack himself after the second.”
    â€œWhy? What would she do?”
    â€œArr, what wouldn’t she do? Articles for each cruiselonger than a flight manual, an’ she’d use the fine print to chisel her crewers out of prizes. Even traveled with a pet lawyer to draw up the articles an’ settle disputes with other pirates—fella by the name of Satterwhite, what couldn’t practice no more cause he’d shot someone for bein’ slow to pay him.”
    â€œBut if Oshima was so bad, then why did Mox trust her?”
    â€œHe didn’t. But Thoadbone thought everybody was out to swindle him, so he didn’t take it personal when Oshima tried to do it. An’ he’d listen to any fool plan from somebody what had two livres to rub together.”
    â€œAnd . . . where did you come in, Grandfather?”
    Huff leaned forward, his living eye shut. The lines around his mouth deepened into furrows.
    â€œMox came to me,” he said quietly. “At the Hygiea roadstead. I figgered he was cross ’bout somethin’