The Free Trader of Planet Vii

by Craig Martelle

  “I’m Free Trader Braden. This is my partner Micah. We’re here to talk about trade with Village McCullough and any other village willing to trade.”

  “You’re not from Village McCullough,” he said, finally lowering his voice to a reasonable level. “Where are you from?” The two hunters who arrived with the brother starting moving to the sides. Here we go, Micah thought.

  “Micah, if you would be so kind, that man needs his spear cut in half.” Micah angled to Braden’s right, the villagers giving way. The man hefted his spear and tightened his grip. She continued to move toward him, rushing the last few feet. He jabbed quickly, but was off balance. Micah swung and lopped off the spear tip. She continued spinning in a complete circle, bringing more power into her follow-through. She hacked through the spear, just above the man’s hand.

  His eyes went wide as she continued with a side kick to his groin. He went down like a sack of potatoes.

  The man to their left raised his spear as if to throw it. Braden let fly his arrow at the man’s arm, breaking the bone in half as the arrow drove through it. The spear fell from nerveless fingers.

  “Would you be willing to talk to us, or do we have to kill you, like we had to kill your brothers?”

  “They’re dead? All of them?” The man looked at his two companions, so easily felled by the strangers.

  “All your filthy brothers!” Old Tom yelled from the crowd.

  “Well now, that changes things, doesn’t it? I had to act this way otherwise my brothers would beat me senseless.” The man threw his spear down and wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Why do you people think I was the one to go hunting? I always left in search of one thing or another. I couldn’t stand those three. They gave the family a bad name.” He leaned his head back and gave a full belly laugh. He held up his hands, palms forward to the villagers.

  “I’m not your enemy,” he continued. “They were.” He looked around. “I like what you’ve done to the village. How can I help?”

  Old Tom rushed forward, stopping in front of the last brother. He pointed his finger, almost touching the man’s face. “Don’t believe him! Don’t believe him! Kill him now!” he shouted hysterically.

  “Let it go, Tom,” Micah said as she moved next to him.

  “Yeah, Tom. Let it go,” the man said sarcastically. Braden didn’t like the way he changed from big and loud to just another hard-working member of the village in the space of a few heartbeats. The brother angled closed to Micah. In a quick movement, he had his arm around her neck, the other on the hilt of her sword.

  But she was lower to the ground and ready for the move. She pulled her head under his arm and pushed him forward, pulling back on his arm at the same time. He flipped onto his back, landing hard. Micah pulled his arm and twisted it viciously, ripping the muscles and tendons in his shoulder. He howled in pain.

  “Micah!” Braden yelled when she raised her foot to stomp on his throat. She looked angry, but calmed at the pleading look in Braden’s eyes. She put her foot on his throat and held it there to control him, not kill him.

  “You!” Braden yelled to a villager near the man who had been kicked in the groin. “Bring him here.” Three of the villagers responded by grabbing the man’s arms and dragging him across the ground. They threw him in a heap at Braden’s feet. The man surged forward.

  Right into Braden’s knee as he drove it forward, breaking the man’s nose. “So this is how you want it, huh?” Braden asked in a normal voice, but he was seething mad. “Is this what you want?” he screamed as he kicked the man in the side of the head.

  Braden got down so he could get close to the brother’s face. He wrapped an arm around Micah’s leg, for his support, and hers.

  “Say the word and we’ll kill all three of you, right now. Can’t you see you’ve lost? Your way of leading this village is done. You’re done, unless you agree to our way.” He paused for effect. “I told these people I didn’t want to kill you. That was true then, but not now. If I don’t kill you, I’ll have to watch my back, won’t I?” Braden pinched the brother’s mouth and nose closed. “Won’t I?” The man started to panic, his eyes shooting wide as he tried to shake Braden off so he could breathe.

  Braden let go. The man gasped for breath. Braden reared back and punched the brother in the middle of his forehead, smacking his head into the ground. His eyes crossed as he tried to stay conscious.

  Braden waved at Micah to let him go. His arm dropped to the ground, causing fresh anguished cries. The three men were down, incapacitated in one way or another. The question was, what to do with them?

  ‘G, Master Aadi, any ideas?’ Micah nodded at him. G could look into the men’s minds. Their lives depended on what the ‘cat saw.

  ‘Master Human. I fear they have sealed their own fate.’ Master Aadi was the first to respond.

  ‘Yes. Even now, as they are, they plot the demise of our humans,’ G-War provided.

  ‘Our humans? So unlike you, G. You must still be swimming through a cloud of dog breath.’

  “Old Tom. These men are plotting their revenge, even as they lie here in their own blood. Fools. How do you deliver justice in Village Dwyer?”

  “We kill them!” Old Tom screamed. Maybe he wasn’t the best one to ask, Braden thought. He looked for someone else.

  “You, what’s your name?” he asked an older lady. He always trusted older ladies as they reminded him of his mother, not afraid to speak their mind and wisdom, brought by a life of listening and watching men do stupid things.

  “I’m Betty Dwyer,” she said softly. The crowd moved away from her.

  “What’s your relation to that?” Braden said a little more caustically than he meant as he pointed to the last brother.

  “He’s my son. My last son.” The breeze could be heard rustling the leaves. Skirill ruffled his wings to balance on the branch. A dog barked in the distance. Someone shuffled their feet. A child sniffled.

  “What do you recommend we do with him and these other two?” Braden asked as he moved closer to her.

  “They aren’t bad boys. They’ve only lost their way. They only need a firm hand, but they can be good members of the village again if we give them a chance.”

  “How do we do that without them turning on us? We can’t watch them every heartbeat. I know a way we can be sure they don’t hurt anyone ever again.” The crowd started to grumble, calling for the men’s heads. But Betty stood firm.

  “I’ll be responsible! I’ll keep them under control!” she cried above the calls for their heads.

  “Should you fail, your life is forfeit along with theirs.” Braden said, pointing at the men.

  ‘G-War! What are they thinking now?’ Braden asked over the mindlink.

  ‘They are in a great deal of pain. They seem to be receptive to anything that spares their lives,’ the ‘cat answered.

  Braden moved close to the last brother, leaning close so he could speak only to him. “If you ruin this deal, I will let her cut you up into little pieces. The last thing you’ll remember is your head falling off your body. If you betray your mother, great pain will come to you all. Now nod to let me know you understand.” The man nodded obediently.

  “Everyone listen to me!” Braden stood tall to address the crowd. “Betty Dwyer is responsible for these men. She will personally ensure you are safe from them. Then she will put them to work, beside you in the fields, in the woods, on the river. The trade is made!” Braden smacked his fist into his open hand. That was the sign of a completed deal.

  “I need three people to lead Village Dwyer, to help set us up for trade, to help us grow…” He continued his speech on leadership, on turning excess into items for trade, on defending themselves while still welcoming strangers, on everything it took to be a civilized society.

  Braden and Micah walked hand in hand to a hut with the three people selected to lead the village. They had many details to discuss. There was much work to do. Betty Dwyer gathered her three charges and ushered
them to her hut. She believed that the odd strangers would kill them all, but that these very strangers wanted Village Dwyer to be a better place. They didn’t want the power for themselves.

  She started to see the wisdom. She'd had no control over the boys as they grew. Once they were old enough, they killed their father. Only now did she have the authority over them she had needed all along. She gripped her son’s injured shoulder until he winced in pain. “You’ll do as your told or I’ll kill you myself,” she growled. He recoiled, and for the first time in his life, he was afraid of his mother.

  29 – Masters of the World

  Two turns of the sun later found Micah and Braden on the horses with Master Aadi, G-War, and Skirill in their usual places. They were pleased with the progress they made. Once the villagers learned they could take pride in their home and themselves, they embraced what Braden and Micah tried to teach them.

  For trade, they would start with vegetables, but they had no way to move large quantities over long distances. They wanted Pack’s help, but Braden would never give up the horses. They needed to find a work animal, like the water buffalo he’d used in the north.

  “How do you think that all went, Master Aadi?” Micah asked.

  ‘You two are getting better at finding ways to not kill people. I feel the pain it causes you both.’

  “How did we get to this point, Master Aadi? Humans once relied on the power of their minds; they now rely on physical strength. Where have we gone wrong?” She had been born into this world, but refused to accept that the way things always were was the way things had to be.

  ‘You saw Sanctuary. They used the power of their minds to overwhelm their enemies. The goal remains unchanged, to have the most power. Only the methods have changed. Until the power of the mind returns, physical strength will matter. You will fight this everywhere you go, Master Humans.’ Master Aadi spoke with passion.

  ‘I have to add that you two are different. You were the first humans I met. I see now that you are not the norm. You use your strength to help others. Your hearts are pure. Please do not call me master anymore. I don’t deserve it, compared to all you’ve done in such a short time. You are the masters of a new world.’

  “Master Aadi, you’re kind, but...” Braden began, but was interrupted.

  ‘No! I am just Aadi, Master Braden, Master Micah. Please. You have shown me a new world where I want to live.’ Aadi’s thought voice had a begging tone to it.

  “As you wish, Aadi. How about A-Dog? Everyone gets a nickname here,” Braden joked.

  ‘I’m not sure I like that,’ the Tortoid responded. G-War snickered in the back of their minds. Skirill screeched in delight from a distant tree.

  “We’ll work on it. What about pack animals and carts? Anyone have any ideas? Trade is not going to go well if people have to travel two turns one way with only what they can carry on their backs.”

  “I heard stories of large creatures, south of Cornwall, but I never saw one for myself. Maybe we can take a look,” Micah offered reservedly. Braden knew it was difficult for Micah to suggest going near her home village.

  “Maybe we can find something closer to here. Skirill, how big were the biggest boars you saw?”

  ‘Big. Their backs were higher than the horse’s belly.’

  “Hmmm. And they are close, too. I think boars of burden could be the future of Village Dwyer trades. We only have to find a few people who believe and then turn them loose.” Braden looked around. Max and Pack were guiding themselves and they seemed to be going in the right direction. “Next time we go back, we can float the idea. They have good woodworkers there. We’ll take the cart and show it to them. I expect they’ll be churning out carts and trained boars before too long.

  “Until then, we’ll help them. Mushrooms for vegetables. It looked like more men than women at Dwyer. We’ll see if that goes anywhere.” He looked at Micah. She was smiling at him.

  “How did we get so busy?” he asked.

  “If we weren’t busy, then we wouldn’t be making a difference. It’s an incredible feeling having a purpose that’s bigger than just us.” She reined Pack in close to him. Her competence in handling the horse had vastly improved. “We don’t have to make it back today, do we?” She looked at him, a sparkle in her eye.

  No. They didn’t need to get back today. A little time to themselves would do them both good. They stopped by a stream where soon, their clothes were abandoned on the bank, while the rest of the companions watched over them, patiently waiting.

  30 – Building Trust

  “We have been able to double the amount of material we can weave!” Mel-Ash said proudly. “Since we have to hunt less, we’re able to put more manpower, ha ha, womanpower into our trade items.” She was pleased and her joy was infectious. Everyone around her smiled broadly.

  Braden pulled the Elder into a bear hug. He could not have been more pleased. They already grasped the significance of trade and how it helped them get better at what they did. They were accelerating toward their place in the bigger trading world.

  On the next turn, they would take their wares to the meeting spot with the Lizard Men and trade. The ladies of Village McCullough looked forward to it. No children could come. The woman injured on the last trip would not be coming either. They weren’t sure when Mel-Ash would stop being angry with her, although Braden and Micah said that her actions, although unintentional, vaulted the groups together.

  After sunrise, they loaded the tunics, leggings, and forearm covers into the cart and they headed out. The trip seemed to get shorter each time they made it. They rolled into the clearing without hesitation. Braden and Micah dismounted and they waited for the Lizard Men to appear.

  Which they did, not by materializing from the trees, but by approaching as a group from within the rainforest. They traveled in the open, without using their chameleon powers to hide. Zalastar’s village-woven coverings were unique, and he stood out as he approached. Maybe they were trading stealth for the safety that the tunic material provided. The Lizard Men couldn’t have both.

  Before Zalastar and his people entered the open area, they stacked their spears against a tree. They then walked independently toward the humans. As each met a human, they put out their hands. Everyone paired off, hands on chests.

  This gesture put them at ease and each side showed what they had. The Lizard Men had great sacks of mushrooms, in addition to braided vines that looked like a thin rope. They hoped the humans would accept it in trade.

  Braden checked out the vines. They were strong and lighter than what he carried. Through Aadi, he asked what they wanted for them. For one deer, they would give him that and as much more as he could carry.

  Always the trader, Braden asked if they would be willing to wait, while he, G-War, and Skirill went hunting. When they agreed, he jumped on Max’s back and bolted for the edge of the rainforest. With the ‘cat’s guidance and the Hawkoid’s incredible vision, they tracked down their prey in short order. He downed it with one shot. Knowing what the Lizard Men liked, he didn’t clean it but hurriedly threw it on Max’s back, turning the horse back to where the Lizard Men waited.

  Braden had a hard time telling the mood of the Lizard Men. Aadi assured him that they were pleased with the speed of the kill. They took the deer and handed over a great quantity of rope.

  Braden would have gotten a deer for the Lizard Men even if they had nothing to trade. He was always happy to hunt with his friends. They made hunting almost too easy. Maybe he’d come up with some kind of contest to keep them all sharp, including Micah. Aadi seemed disinterested in the hunt, but always happy to enjoy the fruits of their success. Then again, no one else in the caravan could knock down six people in one heartbeat like Aadi could.

  Braden asked Aadi if the Lizard Men could tell them about any other human villages they knew of or any animals that could work, like the horses. In this, the Lizard Men turned out to be a wealth of knowledge. Braden felt like giving their rope back, but he
promised himself that he would bring them a fresh-killed deer next time to thank them for the information.

  A number of small villages followed the edge of the rainforest to the west. In the far west, there were strange creatures, bigger than the horses. Braden looked at Micah and she nodded. She preferred going west into the unknown rather than anywhere near Trent. Braden also preferred the Lizard Men’s facts to fishermen stories.

  Without further conversation, they parted with the Lizard Men, as friends, having traded to the benefit of both parties. Braden was pleased with the trust that the villagers and the Lizard Men shared. It was simple, but too many people found it difficult. Say what you are going to do, then do it. That’s what trust was all about.

  31 – Going West, No, East

  The group returned to Village McCullough, where Braden and Micah prepared to go west. They needed those animals to pull carts, wagons even. They needed more villages on the trade circuit.

  Traders driving big animals pulling magnificent wagons overflowing with both exotic and routine trade goods. People filling the square, traders shouting. Braden found it intoxicating.

  Braden still had his saffrimander. He still had platinum, gold, and silver. He wondered what kind of value saffrimander had here. He suspected none, as no one knew what it was. Plus, he had yet to run into anyone he would consider wealthy. As he thought about it, he and Micah could be the wealthiest couple in the entire south.

  That wasn’t what he had expected when he set out from the north. He figured he’d find some Old Tech trinkets and take them back for a big profit, then retire comfortably.

  Instead, he was here, with a partner, teaching the people about the basics of trade. In other words, he was saving the world.

  He stopped unloading the rope from the cart. “I think we need to make a quick run back to Dwyer and check up on them. We can take some mushrooms and rope. I’m pretty sure they aren’t ready to stand on their own feet yet.”