COMPANY OF ADVENTURERS

As they approached Quattro, Mamie comm’d ahead to the names provided by the Brightside flower farmers cooperative.

They learned they had brought the crates of bulbs just in time for planting season. When Rand and Dita delivered them to the flower market other dealers were anxiously outbidding their initial contact.

“There’s information worth passing on to other independent traders,” Rand noted. Passing information along on good trades and bad ones was to everyone’s benefit.

“Even the delay on Kerry worked in our favour,” Rand told the crew. ’Our contact had a chance to tell his customers we was coming and got them all het up. We should pass the word back to the flower cooperative that the bulbs have a big demand here.”

“Or keep schtum and let the Trader ships make some hard coin.” Dita said.

A tall man with an upright bearing that said ‘soldier’ was particularly aggressive, and he did not seem o care how much he paid when he was bidding, although he did not bid on everything. He had been eying Dita throughout the unloading of the bulbs and the subsequent auction. Both she and Rand were startled by the heavy bidding on the boxes of tubers.

After a very successful auction, Rand pulled out several bottles of Mamie’s homebrew and poured drinks for all the bidders, winning or losing. But when Rand asked the auctioneer, he was told that Gregorio was new on Quattro and didn’t talk about his past.

“Knows his plants though.” Their first contact said. “Nothing is too exotic for him. He’s got all the fancy decorators and landscapers buying from him. His workers don’t last long though.”

“Any reason?′

“A couple of my men went to him— better pay mostly— and asked to come back a few months later. They couldn’t really say why. They just don’t like him.”

“Did you take them back?”

“Yep. And they learned a lot from him too. He really does know his stuff. So no harm done.”

Rand watched Gregorio trying to talk to Dita. She was being terse with him, and he could see her tension rising.

When Gregorio put his hand on Dita’s arm, Rand was quickly by her side, before she shot him, or worse.

“Gotta call from the ship, you’re needed,” he lied. Dita nodded brusquely to both men and strode off.

Dita Gets Arrested/1

“Beautiful woman,” said Gregorio. “Tough. Was she ever a soldier?”

“Takes one to know one,” replied Rand obliquely. “What was your outfit?”

“ I was more paramilitary. Your name is Hudson, ain’t it?” The auction had specified that the bulbs had been brought in by Bluebell, captain R. Hudson. Rand nodded. Gregorio’s accent was hard to place. Home World but nothing of Dr. Chen’s crispness. Perhaps another world, or a less elevated status.

Gregorio grinned. “Something about that one.”

Rand thought he understood why Gregorio had trouble keeping staff. He had a hungry look.

Dita and Mamie headed over to a tea shop across the road from the dockyard, passing through the busy front to a quiet garden patio, sheltered from the noise of the commercial area. A young girl in a low backed kimono took their order, casting a flirtatious glance at Dita, which was ignored.

The server brought their rooiboos tea and dim sum platter, then disappeared further back in the garden with a pitcher of ice tea.

They sat in companionable silence, sipping their tea and breathing the moist green air. Mamie, brought up on a homestead, headed for parks and gardens whenever possible, and even shipborn Dita had learned to enjoy the smell of greenery since her daughter had taken up hydroponic gardening in a former passenger cabin. From their table they could see through the tea shop to the bright busy street, but little noise penetrated.

From farther back in the tea garden, they heard a frightened squeak Their server appeared abruptly, flushed. Dita rose. A man follow at the girl, laughing.

Dita stepped between them.

It was Gregorio, the plantsman, his hands muddy. Mamie noticed a dirty streak of the girl’s back. He shrugged and turned back to his work. The girl hurried into the front of the shop.

Dita sat down and picked up her tea cup.

The police arrested Dita before they got back to the ship.

“They called her Aphrodite Aglukak. Not the name on our papers.” gasped Mamie, explaining the situation to Rand and Marco. Michael and David were still at the spaceport clinic attending a seminar on a new outbreak of bovine related leprosy and collecting the vaccine to control it.

“She served her time same as me. And we’ve been strictly legal for yonks. Mostly. Nothin we’ve been charged with anyways.” said Rand.

“They didn’t say,” Mamie was weeping. Derry patted her back while Beege looked terrified that their mother was anything less than cheerful. Mamie looked terrified, hugging all three children to her.

“So we gotta get her back. More cause we gotta get our names outta the police files.”

“Could change the name of the boat,” suggested Marco.

“Not gonna happen,” said Rand.

’ “If I can get to the software, I can probably mess with a lot of memory. Make any charges disappear. But finding the right code would be a bugger,” said Mamie doubtfully. “I can probably get into the police system.”

“From Bluebell?” asked Rand.

“Too easy to trace. Somewhere public, the more active the better.”

“Like the library? Or the Post Office?’” asked Derry.

“Both good suggestions, boy, but we gotta show ID for access. Some with the ansible cafes.”

“I gotta extra chip,” said Marco. He held out his left arm. Under a tattooed ‘MOMMA’ the sliver of an identity chip glittered.

“When did that…” said Rand. “Never mind, not my business.”

“Doc has a stash. You didn’t know?” Marco grinned. “You can be anyone you like. This says I’m

Dita Gets Arrested/2

Dajit Patel, a cowpuncher from Harper’s Moon with a doctorate in Classic Litrrachur. I’m one metre five, in a polyamorous marriage with six kids. Only the picture matches.”

“When I say I don’t know you, I really don’t,” said Rand. “Still hard to pass the girls as Ranjit.”

“Nah, we all go together to the liberry. Pay cash for access and if Mamie is as fast as she thinks…”

’ “I am.”

“We’re in and clean. Come home and Ranjit goes in the crapper for pickup. Doc’ll spot me a new chip.”

“Which makes the hard part getting Dita back.” said Rand. “Let’s find out about bail first. Should Captain Urquhart look into that?”

Michael and David arrived then and the problem was explained to them.

“Would you like a chip for this Urquhart?” asked Simon.

“He’s out there somewhere, prolly. He owned Bluebell before me. Sold her on to Alcibides Aglukak, who sold her to me,” said Rand. “No reason to get him in the Fed’s eye. I just use his paper sometimes.”

Derry and Hope looked very interested. “You ain’t heard that,” said the Captain.

“Yessir,” they chorussed.

One Captain Urquhart, accompanied by a slender younger man of high status, enquired about bail for Dita Aglukak. No bail had been set he was told, but there would be hearing the next morning.

Urquhart’s companion, whose sharp Home Planet accent was stiffer than his starched linen shirt, asked if the case could be moved to Night Court. “The lady in question has family responsibilities.” he told the police clerk, staring her down through rose coloured lenses.

“And you are?” asked the clerk, rattled.

“Amica curiae.”

“Well. M. Curiae, that might take some doing . Night Court is mostly for drunks and other useless types. Not escaped slaves.”

Rand and Michael exchanged glances. At least they had confirmed what Dita had been arrested for.

“I cannot imagine that to be any more than a false accusation,” Michael’s accent became sharper. Captain Urquhart waved his upper class companion aside. He leaned into over the clerk’s high desk, his charm turned on and his blue eyes wandering to the plump clerk’s ample bosom.

“Our friend needn’t be way from her child overnight. Is there any way you could move her to the Night Court?”

The clerk looked doubtful. “If she’s nursing, we can arrange for the baby to be brought in by Children’s Services. Or a pump.”

“That’s very thoughtful , but her daughter is weaned,” said Rand.

“Would it be possible to see the charge Ms Agukak was taken in for?” Michael’s words were a polite question, his tone a command. Rand kept smiling at her bosom.

Flustered, she called up a screen. “She was arrested as a runner, bond had two more years to go. But the bondholder has already been in. They’re releasing her to him now.”

“Dita’s not bound!” exclaimed Rand, “She’s been on my crew nigh on fifteen year.!”

“No. This sez she bound herself to Gregorio Fantome, five years ago and run off some two years back.” She swing the screen to the men.

“Where was Bluebell five years ago, Captain Urquhart?” asked Michael, his accent as clipped as ever.

“We move around, that’s our business...” Rand thought. “Gregorio... that must be the florist guy.

Dita Gets Arrested/3

he was askin if Dita was ever a soldier, lookin like he knew her from somewheres. She s’s she don’t know him though.”

“ M. Fantome is a respectable local businessman with many well-connected clients.”

“So I heard. But he ain’t been here long, has he? Where did he come from? Who is he?”

“Sorry Captain, we don’t keep those records.”

“Ms. Wenuk, excuse me, Sargeant Wenuk, you know that is not entirely true,” Michael said, his tone changing from command to cajole. “Do you have entry records for Fantome?”

The clerk considered her situation. Two handsome, polite men, one obviously of very high status. She hadn’t met Fantome, or Aglukak, but the two in front of her showed great concern for their friend.

“She might not be sprung yet, especially if she’s demanding court time.” she conceded. “If she were bonded, she’d be smart to go with Fantome, serve out her bond, end of. A judge would add time to the bond, double the time,prolly, “

“But if she proves she is not a bondsman, she had every reason to demand court time,” Michael agreed. “We could talk to the lady, perhaps?′

The clerk looked at him levelly, then shrugged .She beckoned Rand and Michael to follow her. Punching codes into locks, she took them through two heavy metal doors. She stopped and fastened her uniform over her ample breasts. Rand let her see his look of disappointment. She grinned angrily.

“Drunk tank next. Don’t feed the animals.”

As they entered an officer jumped to his feet. The sargeant waved him back, “Passin through, constable. Any problems?”

“No, m’am,” he gulped.

She stared in at the drunks, focussing on a corner where one prisoner was spreadeagled on her back, her pants on only one leg, and others standing around her. “Everything consensual?” she said, indicating the half-dressed group.

“She ain’t complaining, m’am,” the guard said.

The sargeant grunted . Michael looked ready to speak, but Rand pulled his sleeve, They moved on.

There was an argument going on in the next room. Dita was on the floor of the cell, leaning against the wire mesh wall, with her arms folded and a stubborn expression.

An officer was looking at some documents.

Gregorio, the florist who had trouble keeping staff, was glaring at him.

“She’s mine! Hand her over! You know I can make your life hell!” he shouted over the catcalls of the other prisoners in Dita’s cell.

“What seems to be the problem, constable,” the sargeant asked.

“The prisoner is insisting on her court, but M. Fantome has words from the Prime Attorney handing her over.”

“Prime Attorney?” said Michael. ”Seems high up the food chain for reclaiming a bondswoman.”

“He’s a client. He’s very pleased with my work on his daughter’s engagement.... who are you?”

“This is M. Curiae,” the sargeant said. “He’s her to bail Ms. Aglukak.”

Michael was examining the document which he had taken from the constable’s unresisting hands.

“The Prime Attorney’s documents are fine-- but M. Fantome’s documents are, to be quite frank, counterfeit.” He pulled a magnifier from his pocket, one he usually used to examine skin lesions. Under the lens what appeared to be a holograph seal became silvery ink and the required ‘wet signature’ showed as printed.

“I would suggest that in view of these....anomalies... we take the prisoner to Night Court and ask the judge to decide.”

Gregorio started shouting again. The prisoners, all except Dita, who remained on the floor

Dita Gets Arrested/4

slumped in passive resistance, shouted him down. One prisoner in particular, banged on the wire crying out that Fantome had stiffed him on his pay. “He’s as twisty as a macrame hanger. Put him in here, not the girl!”

“Silence!” roared the sargeant, reducing the clamour to muttering. I’m moving Aglukak v. Fantome to Night Court. Which starts in fifteen. Agulkak clean yourself up. M. Fantome, get over to the court. And remember, the judge is likely to know the PA’s signature by sight. They’re sibs.”

Fantome opened his mouth but the sargeant lifted a finger. “No,” she said. Fantome swung on his heel and left through the door the constable unlocked.

“Stand back,” the sargeant told the prisoners. They did. “Get up Aglukak,” and Dita rose gracefully.

“May I wash?” she asked, indicating the open toilet.

“They’s a cubicle on the way to the court, Ms. Agukak,” said the sargeant. Dita put out her hands for cuffs. “I don’t think that will be necessary.”

Neither Gregorio Fantome nor the Prime Attorney turned up in the court room.

“Not surprised,“ said the sargeant who had stayed to observe proceedings. “I didn’t know his name, but my daughter pointed him out as the gardener at the teahouse where she works. The girls there don’t care for him much.”

“So any idea why he was after you, Dita?′ Mamie asked when they were drinking tea home on Bluebell.

“When I was in prison, you know I met Rand on Hoosegow? I think that guy was a guard. Or maybe a prisoner. Long time ago. I just minded my own business. Mebbee he thought I would be easy to grab. But some people treat other people as things. Bad sorts. “