I suddenly had a revelation." If they are that busy with this they won't take any challenges?"
"You did it! You made a connection between two events. The Girls killing Bendixen threw this planet in a political chaos so to speak and the worst thing there is still no one representing us at Pluribus."
"I thought Elder Heinstin…"
"Only your Grandfather's old seat here…"
"You are not expecting me to replace my Grandfather?"
"While it would not be a bad thing, I don't think we need you to mess up things there. I will go myself to do that until the person that is perfect for that jobn is ready to take over."
"Who?"
"Sif of course!"
My chin dropped. "Sif? You mean a girl to be the representative of Nilfeheim?"
"For a guy who likes to be a girl you should not be such a chauvinist!"
"I don't know what that is, but I think I understood you anyway. I meant a female would never be appointed to such a post or be able to speak for us!"
"No not now , but in time she will! I will teach her and I will endorse her! You said I could change things. I had this in mind with your mother before you were born and now I think got another candidate. However that is my plan. Let us go back to your plans."
"I am pretty much screwed, without Uncle Hogun I must return to the Burg."
"I still don't like you much but you can stay here till the basement is clean and I don't care how long it is going to take you."
"Did you not want to travel and all that?"
"As a matter of fact I do and I am going to Pluribus after I went to Saresii Prime. I used your advice and would you believe it they do want to see me and think they might be able to help. "
"And when are you leaving?"
"Again you are not thinking! I said you can stay here .I did not say I was going to be here, but there is still lots of time in your summer break and lots to clean , not to mention your training!"
Interlude: Brunar Bendixen
Brunar Bendixen was even less satisfied with the lack of results in the investigation as the rest of the planet. His father had just been elected into the Inner circle of the Elders and now he was murdered. He did not for one second believe it was a woman or several women or even girls. Of course, it was one of the Bendixen Clan rivals. Brunar was of course as traditional as any of the other Clan Chiefs, at least when it came to all things that gave chiefs unlimited power in their own clans. But Brunar had seen the subtle changes, the businesses clans started to get into, other than fishing and hunting that is. Who would have thought only a hundred years ago, that kelp and sea weed farming could be as profitable as fishing. Back then Kelp and weed was collected by the poorest Freemen families and sold to the Clans. Now a young new Clan, with a pitiful little rock made huge profits and the Lofdahl Clan now expanded its rock with floating hollow durocrete prefab pieces, delivered by Space Freighter. No one could really interfere, not the Elders, as Lofdahl was however new its clan might be, a Clan leader and what he was doing in and round his rock was his business alone. That it wasn't traditional could be argued but there was simply nothing written in the book of Traditions that prevented or forbade Kelp farming or expanding your rock with Off world things.
Ever since Nilfeheim was settled , the ocean was considered free territory and only the rock islands could be claimed by a Clan or a family. Now for about ten years now, the Bendixen Clan was no longer fishing or hunting at all. They did not operate Fish farms or harvested Kelps and other underwater plants.
It happened by accident as his uncle sold a net load of fish at the exchange and a few tiny round things fell out of his pocket, fell to the exchange floor and the trading assistant robot offered almost as much money for these two pearls as for the load of fish. His grandfather knew for years that a certain species of immobile crabs produced these spheres. Most had a whitish hue, but there where yellow, blue, green and red spheres as well and occasionally black ones could be found. Since his family always fished at the same area, not far from their rocks, (since they could not afford hunting subs or bigger long range surface ships back then) it was called the Bendixen grounds.
Brunar had challenged his own father and won the fight. Then he took over the family business and was on the helm now for ten years. He read books about business and even attended a GalNet class on how to run a successful business. He now had an exclusive and very lucrative contract with a Gem Dealer on Para-Para and the secret that the crab pearls were valuable was a tightly guarded secret of the Clan, officially they were in the Crab fishing business and by now it was making a tidy profit as well.
Brunar was very progressive in these things. Instead of selling raw or life crab at the Exchange he invested in a little factory that produced traditional Nilfeheim Viking Crab soup, Crab cakes and Crab meat and Seaweed Noodles. All packed in blue and red packages (the Bendixen Colors) with Brunar dressed in a ridiculous horned Helmet and holding a trident smiling right on the label. Until recently he sold it at the Exchange, but Wuerg und Kotz Delicatessen a inter galactic chain of fine food retail outlets and GalNet presence was buying it all directly and demand was steadily increasing and he was the first on all Nilfeheim who had hired and employed an Off World Marine Biologist and even more controversial, it was a woman. He listened to her advice however and put her in charge of the Seeding and quality control and with her knowledge, he was able to triple the Crab harvest last season.
Brunar wanted the Elders to declare the Bendixen Grounds exclusive real estate of the Bendixen Clan. The sudden rise in wealth and influence of the Bendixen clan had not gone unnoticed by other clans of course and the boats of his rivals snooped around the Bendixen grounds to find out what it actually was that made the Red and Blues so successful in only ten years time.
Especially the White on Red boats of the Lindberg's fished closer and closer.
Brunar complained to the Lindberg clan chief and expected them to respect the Bendixen Grounds, but he was laughed at and the Lindberg Chief pointed out that the Oceans were free for all.
Then Lindberg had the nerve and pointed out that he had a very tight relationship with the Olafson Clan and their allies and that it would be unhealthy for the Bendixen and their allies to do something else about that.
Brunar depended on his Father who was an Elder now to do something about that and the very day after his father was elevated into the inner ring he was assassinated on the open street, just before the Net and tackle store the Lindbergs operated and only a few doors down from Hogun's Inn, Hogun being an Olafson making this much less of a coincidence and the work of some fictitious girl killers but more likely the work of arrogant Adolph Lindberg or his vile companion Isegrim Olafson.
He wondered what he could do to affect his revenge and protect his business. Then he opened the richly carved traditional clan chest, once used to hold the Clan Chief Insignia and activated the GalNet terminal hidden inside. Traditions were a good thing! They prevented his simple minded brother to have any say in the Clan Business and kept the strange appetites his father had secret while he was alive, but there was a limit. Union Credits certainly improved things on Bendixen rock. He dialed the Climate Control just a little higher, it was short summer and he did like it nice and cool. He then leaned back in his finest English leather upholstered, Bentley Executive series CEO Hover chair, that had replaced the high backed unwieldy stone carved Clan chief throne behind his desk and lit himself a real Terran cigar while he waited till the Connection to his business partner at Para-Para was established and Aaron Simonson appeared on the field screen." Oh Brunar what a pleasant surprise. I was actually just inspecting your latest shipment and I must say the large black pear you added as a gift is perhaps the nicest gift I ever got and I must say quite generous. A very good customer of mine saw it and she wants it set in a collier. So I am glad you called, since I wanted to express my gratitude."
Brunar took the cigar between his fingers and carefully rolled the ash cone off
into a marble ashtray "Well you may be able to advice me how you Off Worlders would handle my situation?"
"GalNet is very secure, old friend but lets take steps and make it more so, before you continue and establish High Sec Mode."
Brunar explained his situation to his friend after they had switched to a highly encrypted and scrambled Virtual private Network connection. Aaron said."Why don't you equip your boats and subs that tend your Crab farms with Tech stop cannons? They are perfectly legal and considered a purely defensive weapon. The Effects of the weapon are invisible and on your primitive planet completely unexplainable. I bet a few subs that suddenly loose power and cause a nasty accident or two might deter future visits."
"I like that a lot! How do I get them?"
"I send you two units and a man to install them. As for your other problem. I suggest you could hire a Private Detective, Head Hunter, Single Force Merc Unit or a Subtil Neutralisator. I give you the contact info of a good Connector I know and he can get you in contact with any of these specialists and they can take care of your problems, guaranteed."
Chapter 33: HEL
I brushed the last crumbs of dirt onto the dust pan and got up to look around. The basement area was clean! The stone floor patched with Duro-crete were the rot was so bad it actually had crumbled stone. The walls scrubbed with disinfectant and the few small windows now glazed and clean. The big Recycler was turned off and pushed to one wall. The small Nanite Unit was more than adequate to take care of the Old man's trash every day. By now I was well equipped. I had shovels and brooms and wheelbarrows. Even a small aluminum framed Conveyor belt system that could be placed in segments nearly everywhere.
"You should forget about your idea becoming a Starship Captain and start a Cleaning business." The Old man croaked as he came down the stair and saw me standing there. "I think you did it too fast. You're done cleaning and I am still here. "
"Well maybe you can start training me now? I am going to be Fifteen soon and by this time next year. Elders having time for me or not, I am going to be Sixteen and challenge that Monster in my burg."
"I am already training you, if you do not like my methods then find another Old Geezer."
"I had about enough of Old Geezers in my life. I would prefer a strong younger man or perhaps even a nice looking woman as a teacher for a while." I only was that bold because he was talking that way all the time to me and I sort of started to do the same. Since he could read my mind I was certain he knew I wasn't trying to be disrespectful.
"No you haven't been disrespectful, but you are not thinking again! What could a young man teach you? If raw knowledge you seek. Go upload a book into your brain, no teacher needed. Age is what gives you a different prospective on things and it allows you to gather experience. Now that is what a teacher is trying to pass on to a student. When it comes to experienced teachers, Eric, you have been very fortunate and lucky."
I wanted to tell him something about my rotten luck and that the word fortunate did not go along with my life, but I stopped. I did have great teachers. The Ancient One at Hasvik, Siigfrieda, Carl and Richard, not to forget Uncle Hogun. They all went out of their way to teach me and try to help me in their own way.
I think it was the first time I ever seen him smile." Very good, Eric! You learned one important lesson I tried to make you see. I don't need to teach you how to fight. You are far beyond any 16 year old that ever stepped before the Elders already and knowing you, you pick a few more fights and experience on the way until you are sixteen yourself."
He made a gesture around the now empty basement." As you have seen yourself I don't have all that many weapons and I could not teach you the things Richard or Carl has shown you or even improve on it. Yes I want you to continue and train and hone your skills, but that is not what I am teaching you."
"It's the Poems, right?"
"That's part of the test and I made you learn them the old way. You could have uploaded the entire Book of Edda and all the other Poem books in one sitting a day before the challenge like many others do."
"That would be cheating though, wouldn't it? I think it would be dishonorable for someone to be tested as a warrior and confirmed in the ancient ways to use Off World tricks. Now you know how I think about traditions in the first place, but I like hypocrites even less and I would not want to be one."
"That speaks for you and I fail those who learned the poems the modern way, but I am usually outvoted by the others."
"Would they not follow your lead?"
"The elders vote in secret if all Challenges were done in a satisfactory manner. There are almost 500 clans now and there are lots of sons every year turning sixteen and wanting to do the challenge. It is a ritual nowadays and everyone passes. The Elders don't even really vote anymore they simply put their approval mark under the parchment."
He then said. "It is a little different when the first born son of one of the Old Clans takes the challenge and I guarantee you everyone will be there and looking when you take yours!"
I sighed. "I was afraid you say that."
"Who knows what will happen till then, maybe your girlfriends killed all the old men by then and there won't be another Challenge and you simply have to murder your father without the official approval of the elders you don't like and the traditions you don't want. Talk about being a Hypocrite. Look into the mirror before you accuse others!"
"I am not…"
He interrupted me almost yelling. "You are not? Yes you are! You want to take the Ancient Challenge, which is about as traditional and old fashioned as it gets, in order to challenge and then kill your father. Granted under our laws and the old traditions you dismiss so broad handed otherwise, you have the right for revenge and you have the right to kill. But these are not the Union Laws. Union law does not acknowledge Revenge or abuse or anything as an excuse for murder. Yet you want him to be arrested under the Off World Laws. You are as guilty as him! If you dismiss all our laws and traditions then you are guilty of killing the Steiner boy, never mind you didn't really plan to do it. It doesn't matter if a bunch of old men endorse and condone your deeds if you dismiss these old men as fools and self-serving. It however makes you a hypocrite by your own moral standards."
His words felt like a blow to the stomach. His logic was inescapable, he was right! I applied two standards myself!
He was not done with me." You are barley 15 now and you judged your own grandfather. In your mind he is already a greedy man who takes bribes and judge's young men who want to open their own business unfairly. You accuse him of being guilty not to follow up on his own word and have Isegrim arrested. Compared to your grandfather you have barley left the womb of your mother and you judge him?"
His words hit me hard. He was right, as I looked inside myself. "But he could have kept his word?" I said meekly, somehow knowing that I made my judgment without knowing the entire story.
He calmed down and spoke less angry." Exactly you do not know the entire story."
"Do you know what would have happened if your Grandfather sent Union Police to Tyson Planet to arrest your Father for murder?"
"They would have arrested him and hung him!"
"Back and forth Eric, back and forth! One minute you actually use your brain and then you fall back in this stubborn child routine! You did not even think a second to answer that question."
"I don't know what would have happened."
"Much better! Union Police doesn't just arrest someone on the accusation of another person, and when it comes to the law, unlike our own system the Union takes it very, very serious. For example everyone is equal before the law. This was not always so, but ever since the Union was founded it is. That means your grandfather being Representative and all that important stuff has the same rights as your father and vice versa. You are assumed innocent until otherwise proven before a judge and jury. That means your father would not be hanged until the Union Police investigated and collected all evidence and listened to all witnesses. "
/>
I listened and said. "I really like the idea of everyone being equal before the law."
"That is what the Union is really about Eric. Not big space ships or humongous cities, but giving everyone the same chance and the same rights. That includes guaranteeing individuals freedoms and personal liberties.
So the Union Police comes and investigates and they find that almost everyone on Nilfeheim has broken Union Laws and not just petty ones, but slavery, human rights violations, murder, rape to name a few of the top. So they have two options. Arrest every one, as we are all guilty of many violations or kick us out of the Union and Isolate Nilfeheim from the rest."
"I didn't think about all that. How would the Police find out?"
"Do you think your father would have gone quiet? He would have said that what he done was perfectly alright under Nilfeheim law! By doing that kicking loose an avalanche of accusations."
I didn't feel very good realizing how I had damned my Grandfather and I thought maybe I didn't really know the entire story about the business man either. I promised myself to see things from more than one side before coming to a final judgment.
"It is a good resolution but I doubt it you will keep to it for long, but it is not entirely your fault. You are a teenager and there wasn't a teenager alive since teenagers exist who didn't think he was so much smarter than his elders and that everything old is automatically bad."
"I wonder if I can do something right in your opinion."
"Probably not much, but at least you realized it and that's good. But back to your Elders. Before your Grandfather became representative. Did you ever ask who was there before him?"
"No I did not, but we are Union Members for almost 2000 years now, there had to be someone"
Eric Olafson Series Boxed Set: Books 1 - 6 (The Galactic Chronicles Series) Page 195
