April 8: It's Always Something (33 page)

"They heard me ask him to deal with them as a second job, so everybody understood where they were in relation to everybody else as far as obligations, with no secrets, no hidden agendas to worry about. It was a three way conversation by then, though they've never had to deal with the speed of light lag. They thought I was over thinking everything and indecisive until Billy explained why I hesitated so long at everything they said.

"I pretty much
had
to hire him on the spot and promise to pay him for doing the second job. Li wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole and Captain Havilland said driving one boat is as much as he needs on his plate, and I don't know or trust any of the new crew there. Who was I going to send down and how would I get them there?"

"The North Americans may decide to destroy it rather than let you see its secrets," April warned. "That's what
you
did," she reminded him.

"Ah, well yeah, except they seem to be very busy with something else," Jeff said.

April just looked a question at him.

"That's the other big thing. It appears Hawaii has declared its independence once again."

"Ah,
finally
the other shoe drops...that doesn't surprise me at all. It's probably what Adzusa was being so coy about. I knew my house boy was conspiring to bring that about years ago. And my neighbor, Diana, recently gave me enough hints that things were about to come to a head, she just wasn't free to say anything on com. It's been an on and off, hot and cold issue for a
long
time," April said.

"Your house boy? Did
you
have anything to
do
with this?" Jeff asked suspiciously.

April started to object, and then remembered how her good friend Jelly had said, "Indeed, by the most amazing coincidence, there does seem to be a history of expensive damage, death and destruction, strewn closely behind when you get rolling." The trouble was she couldn't argue it wasn't factually true. It just wasn't what she
intended
. Her friend Jelly, indeed most of her friends, were willing to concede that. She really didn't want to be at odds with Jeff. What he thought about her was important, very important. She'd been worried she might drift apart from him or Heather with them apart and so busy with different things. So she answered very carefully.

"Not directly. I did not fund him, or encourage him, other than give him a job. It was just at normal wages too, not a ploy to channel him funds. I didn't encourage him, but I didn't turn him in, why should I? He just wanted what we did. I find that a pretty good reason. I knew of a smuggler and an unlicensed jitney and other activities in Hawaii, but never thought to make any of it my concern.
I
broke the law in Hawaii, but it's North America. You can break the law three times before lunch, having breakfast in and staying home all morning!"

Jeff looked to be examining her words carefully. Deciding if anything was disingenuous. Then he surprised her by simply asking, "Do you think they will
succeed
?"

"It depends on how they treat the haoles. There aren't enough pure blooded natives left to win a revolution. If they try to exclude fourth and fifth generation residents who have never known anywhere else just because of where their great-grandfather was from...no, that's not gonna work. Do they think they are going to depopulate the islands? The islands depopulated themselves about as far is it's going to go voluntarily when the economy went in the crapper after the flu. I have no idea what their goals are. They may even seize my house as an evil absent landowner. But I'm actually surprised the North Americans haven't stolen it already. If it's gone it's gone," April decided. "It's not worth inciting a war over a house. They..." April stopped and looked surprised.

"They who?" Jeff asked, a little irritated.

"Answering your question opened up a whole new set of ideas," April admitted. "Hawaii has a big population of North Americans. They
are
a factor. But they also have a significant population of people of Japanese descent."

"Are they a factor too?" Jeff asked.

"They might be, if Japan decides to recognize the new government. I'd bet that will depend on how they intend to treat their minorities, including those Japanese," April guessed.

"You really think they'd have the guts to make such a clean break with their former ally?"

"Possibly," April allowed. "Nothing lasts forever, and their long time friend appears to have gone schizophrenic on them. From what Adzusa said, they don't have much confidence in them being rational and dependable allies anymore."

"Then we'll have to see if they grant non-natives property rights and a franchise. If they want
my
support I'd have to ask them up front what they intend to do. I'd want some assurances they aren't going to try some revolutionary excesses like others have, and seize property and kick people out."

"Realistically, I don't think I have enough influence to do much about it," April said

"You could just kind of accidentally lose a rod down the chimney," Jeff said, with a dropping gesture. "Just to deny them the pleasure of stealing it."

"I'd be scared of hurting Diana's place next door," April said. Then had a different thought. "Unless they take her property too. Then I might not worry about damage. They'd
still
get the land."

"Anyway, are you suddenly opposed to revolution?" April teased him. "Are you
the man
now?"

"No, no...it's just, it gets complicated if you start dabbling in other people's revolutions. I wouldn't endanger what we have trying to export revolution. It always seems to go badly and get corrupted. If they want to revolt let them do it themselves, and at most recognize them after," he counseled.

April nodded at the sensibleness of it. "Heather has kept Central out of the chaos at Armstrong," she said with obvious approval.

Jeff also just nodded his agreement that such a course had been wisdom. "I
am
the man at Camelot," Jeff admitted. "If anybody else wants the job I'll sell the whole thing off cheap," he vowed. "May I remind you we're both peers of the Sovereign of Central? I've just been too...busy to oppress the peasants properly."

"I know. And I've been thinking we need to spend more time at Central, and with Heather," not equating the two of them. "You scared me badly this morning," April finally said. It might seem a non sequitur, but Jeff had been waiting for her to say it all day. It made perfect sense if you knew the unspoken statement was, "Get yourself killed and you won't be spending
any
time with us..."

"What else could I do?" Jeff asked. "I'd have destroyed my reputation to do anything else."

"It was a thinly veiled attempt at assassination. I should have burned him down where he stood," April said. "The duel is supposed to be for matters the law doesn't address, or matters of heart and honor, not filthy politics."

"Maybe his politics were that important to him," Jeff said with a shrug. "He did die for it. Home is certainly that important to me. I'd like to think our politics aren't filthy. Is that possible? The thing is, I can't see living in a world run by God's Warriors. It would be a horrible narrow life. I have to wonder if he could really envision what it would be like?"

"You are making me think too much. And I don't like some of the things I'm thinking," April said.

"Out with it," Jeff said, prodding her with a finger.

"OK, how about this?...You reject the world Patrick wanted. But, could all the people on Earth live
like we are
? If you forced them to, would they be
happy
with it?"

"Not a chance," Jeff agreed without hesitation.

They sat and said nothing for awhile.

"But a lot of them can't seem to find
any
way to live that pleases them," he complained.

"Yeah. That's kind of sad. But what I'm saying is...it's not our problem."

"That's exactly what I was saying about exporting revolution," Jeff said. "It doesn't work."

"Then we're in agreement. We just got there from different ends," April said, making her forefingers touch from each side.

"Good. I like us like that," Jeff said, and pulled her closer.

* * *

"These people aren't part of our western civilization," Garry Morgan objected. "They are of deplorable moral character and not worthy of any recognition, much less an exchange of favors with our great nation of Australia." The faces around him were hard and impatient. Their minds were made up and he was just an irritant, wasting their time.

"Did you not see the video? They still duel! The Prosperity Party objects strenuously to any accord with them." He ran out of time and sat down, thoroughly put out at the larger parties. He wasn't even privy to the committee that discussed the details of the secret deal they were getting to recognize Home and grant them landing rights. Even the military was firmly in the camp to approve it. Why? What possible interest could they have in a bunch of radicals and weirdos out beyond the moon? Finally he got up and walked out, rather than watch the final vote to align with these savages.

* * *

In Japan, the vote in the Diet was much quicker than Australia, with no debate.

"As our interests are increasingly intertwined with Home, there is no advantage to receiving Home goods through third parties, such as Australia and Tonga, at higher cost. To offset such needless waste, we see no barrier to receiving vessels from Home directly, with certain controls and limits. The legal ownership of the habitat has recently returned to full Japanese control, under Mitsubishi corporation. Also, we have a history of good cooperation with the present political governance. Therefore, please see that we are attaching a rider to the commerce bill which describes the spaceports authorized for such entry of Home celestial vessels to Japan. Our procedures for Japanese exclusive control of their admission to our airspace, the short term limited admittance of crew in lay-over, and customs classifications for the entry of such goods is spelled out in the rider."

* * *

"Mon Dieu! I don't approve of the legal aspects of returning to the duel," the Prime Minister of France said, in reaction to the leaked video, "but the Homies do have some
style
."

Msr. Broutin smiled. The PM knew he favored Home. He made a point of razzing Broutin about it. The previous PM had been much more the romantic and inclined to favor Home too, but their attempt to get Home recognized by the whole European Union had been badly received and never implemented. Joel had been President of France then, not Prime Minister, back when that had been attempted. They weren't fast friends quite yet, but they had a better relationship now than before.

"You realize the lovely young woman in the gown and jewels is the same one I showed you a few years ago in a sinister black outfit like a commando, festooned with weapons?" Broutin asked.

"Really? The pirate? She has matured. She's still quite young, but so poised," Joel admitted.

"She's gene mod, so I doubt she has changed appearance all that much, but the dress does show her off to some advantage," Broutin agreed. "Undoubtedly she has matured...mentally. The young gentleman has some style too, doesn't he? The outfit was rather modern, but it did have a certain flair without seeming to be so casual like so many of the young people wear now. You'd think they were headed to the beach or race track when you see them in a decent restaurant."

"I know just what you mean," Joel said. "There are still a few places that have standards to be admitted. But it's a losing battle. I suppose the majority of them would have no custom at all, and have to close their doors if they didn't admit the casual hordes, and Americans in
t-shirts
," he said distastefully. "I suppose after we're dead and gone they'll be dining in their pajamas and wonder what we old fossils were raising such a fuss about."

"Say what you want about Home, they've matured as a nation too. They've been supportive of our moon base and their ally at Central hasn't interfered in Marseilles' transition to independence. They are not pressuring us or others to repudiate the North Americans who have been acting like asses. The idiots said that they now don't recognize the treaty they made with the Homies and implied they are still in a state of war with them. A lesser nation might have lacked the confidence to ignore that foolishness and bombarded them to rubble," Broutin suggested.

"Their internal stupidity is impeding the international recovery from the flu and the attendant economic chaos," Joel complained. "I also don't understand China and their continued lack of order, but then I've never understood their thought processes. I've expected
better
of the North Americans when it comes to economic practicality."

"Home, on the other hand, has the fastest growing economy in the Earth-Moon system," Broutin pointed out. "Australia has recognized them and given them landing rights, and Japan, as xenophobic as they are, did the same just yesterday." Broutin said.