“I disagree.” She leaned forward. “You say you’ve heard about me. You know what I did up in Pueblo.”
“Indeed. Nasty affair.” He frowned. “Murder cannot be condoned. We start taking our businesses to that level, we are all finished.”
“Then how do you know that I won’t get proof?”
“Because, young lady, I am not so foolish, or so careless, or so lacking in humor. You are starting to annoy me.”
“I’m sorry. I just wanted to let you know how I felt. I thought that once you knew, you might consider turning yourself in.”
He couldn’t help but howl with laughter. “Oh, Miss Herbert! You are the most amusing woman I’ve ever met. If I were twenty years younger, I should want to marry you.”
He calmed himself down. “It’s clear we are at an impasse. I don’t think we have anything more to say to each other. I don’t wish to lose my temper at you. I’m sorry that we couldn’t do business. Your visit has been most charming, but now I must say farewell.”
Lisa shrugged. “I’m sorry, too.” She stood up and left the bar.
Not much time had passed, at most several minutes, when a man entered the bar and approached him. The man was on the tall side of average, with dark hair and blue eyes. He appeared to be a strong young man. He had a determined expression on his face.
“Yes?”
“You spoke to Lisa Herbert a little while ago,” the young man said.
“Are you one of her friends?”
“I travel with her. I am not her friend.”
“Indeed? Sit down, and tell me more.”
The young man sat down. “I’m Dave Lawson. I’m part of a group that Lisa picked up on Lone Star.”
“One of the worlds she’s visited?”
“Yeah. We were led by my best friend, Wayne Shuman. Lisa talked Wayne into following her. Well, sir, she isn’t all that she appears.”
“Is that so?”
“It is. For a while now Wayne’s been complaining about how she makes deals. She gives up too much, and what she gets she doesn’t share enough with us.”
“I see.” He had suspected that Lisa’s reputation wasn’t all true. Some consideration on the question led him to a single conclusion: she was buying people’s goodwill. Generosity as a lure to gain praise.
“I guess she had enough of his complaints,” Lawson continued. “When we were part-way between Two Forks and here, she booted Wayne and his family out. Didn’t leave them with weapons, or horses, or even food and water. Just left them there.”
“Most unfortunate, Mister Lawson.”
Lawson leaned forward. “Did she pay you not to attack us?”
“Not only did she not deal with me, she vowed to put me out of business.”
“Don’t underestimate her. If she thinks you’ll get in her way, she’ll get rid of you.”
“Nothing violent, I trust.”
“Oh, no. She wouldn’t get her hands dirty. She never gets her hands dirty.” He glanced around the room. “If I paid you, would you attack us?”
He shook his head. “Not if you’re suggesting what I think you’re suggesting. I command all my associates to avoid violence. Violence creates hardened enemies. I prefer my rivals to be annoyed, rather than angry. I also prefer not to involve the authorities in my dealings.”
“She’s going to Highland. Don’t you have some interests there?”
“I do. I doubt if she will hinder me much.”
“If she does?”
He smiled to calm the young man. “I shall not be provoked into murder, Mister Lawson. I am a man of business.”
Not that he wouldn’t mind getting Lisa Herbert out of the way. Lawson did seem quite eager to act, he could see that. If he resorted to simple killing, his whole group might not be able to stay. They did have wagons, a reputation, and they had been where no one in Great Junction had. It would be better to have a new leader of that group; the only question was how to arrange it.
“I am also a man who can recognize an ally when he present himself,” he continued. “While I cannot condone murder, I would not hold an accident against you or your friends.”
“Accident?” Lawson thought about it for a moment. He then nodded and smiled. “An accident. Yeah, that wouldn’t be so bad.”
“Well, it would be tragic for Miss Herbert.”
“Yeah, I guess it would.”
He clasped his hands together and leaned forward. “Mister Lawson, allow me to be plain. “If an accident befalls Miss Herbert, and you take command, I expect you to do business with me. If it isn’t an accident, I cannot help you.”
“I understand.”
“Very well. When does your group leave?”
“Tomorrow morning.”
“Fair enough. Don’t tell anyone of our conversation. Make certain that your group doesn’t go to Highland, but returns here. When you get back into town, come here as soon as you can. Bring a list of what goods you’re carrying, and what you are looking for.”
“What for?”
“To see how we can help each other, Mister Lawson.”
“Alright.” Lawson stood up. “I’ll try to be back in the next day or two.”
***
He was eating dinner the following evening when Lawson returned. He had only to see Lawson’s face to know the man had kept his promise. The story was all over town: earlier in the afternoon Herbert’s group had come back without her. Lawson said there had been an accident with one of their wagons. Herbert’s savage friend called Lawson a liar in the street, and punched him in the nose. Before the savage could continue his assault, the local police carried him off. Plus, there was Lawson, sitting down in front of him, with a rough bandage on his nose.
“I hope your nose isn’t broken.”
“No.” Lawson’s voice didn’t sound too odd. “Lucky for me that the savage is a shorter than me, or he would have broken it.”
“Very lucky indeed, Mister Lawson.”
“Yeah. Look, is that little beast gonna cause me trouble?”
“What would you have me do? Simple assault merits a few weeks in jail.”
“What happens when he gets out?”
“Yes, that might be a problem. He might seek vengeance. Very bad for business.” He needed only a few moments to think of a solution. “Since he is a savage, and now is known to be violent, perhaps it would be best for him to return to his people. Unarmed, of course.”
Lawson smiled. “You’re a clever man.”
“Thank you. Now, to our business. You have the list?”
Lawson handed over the list. His group had fairly mundane goods. Vegetable and grain seeds dominated; those could prove valuable over the long term if Lawson could get more. There were plenty of tools, always profitable. Lawson’s group also had some of those stone figures he’d heard about. He’d have to look at them to appraise their worth. If they were as good as he’d heard, they’d be quite a desirable item. Perhaps he and Lawson could work out a transportation and sales deal to control the market.
That would be for the medium-term future. For now he marked what he wanted from the list as his share. He handed the paper back to Lawson. Lawson looked it over, then nodded.
“Seems reasonable,” the younger man said, “considering we should be able to travel safely now.”
“If you’re agreeable, my assistant Robert will complete the transaction before you leave.”
“We’ll go ahead and take off tomorrow morning. That way my people won’t have to worry about how we’re paying for things.”
“Business does have a way of taking the mind away from problems and concerns.” One of his concerns came into his mind. “Mister Lawson, I take it that the unfortunate accident that took Miss Herbert’s life did not damage her possessions?”
“No. Why do you ask?”
“I had heard that she had with her a book that allowed her to operate the portals. Is that true?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you have it?”
“Yeah.”
“Excellent. Mister Lawson, the one thing I had in common with the late Miss Herbert was an interest in commerce. I would like to expand my interests beyond this pretty planet.”
“Would you be looking for a partner, then? Someone who could help you expand your business to other worlds?”
“For now, an associate. Assuming, of course, that a person can control the portals.”
“I’ll do my best. I have to tell you, Lisa put some kind of code word into the controls of all the portals she’d been through.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning she was the only one who could operate them.”
“I see.”
“Now, if my friend Wayne is still alive, I think he’d know. I bet that savage knows too.”
“Well, then.” He turned to Robert. “Perhaps that young savage’s punishment could be eased in exchange for that information.”
“I’ll see what I can find out, boss,” Robert said.
He turned back to Lawson. “I believe that concludes our business for today. You should have some success in Highland. Ah, wait!” He reached into his shirt pocket and handed Lawson a piece of paper. “I have some goods that you could transport from there, if you have space. If they arrive here, I’ll pay you a large token and two mediums for the effort.”
“Wow. We’ll sure try to get them here.”
“Thank you. Farewell, and good luck.”
***
He hadn’t expected Lawson to return as soon as he did. True, the run to Highland could be made in two days. That only worked if one went to pick something up or to deliver something. He thought Lawson would need three days to do their business, four at the most.
Furthermore, Lawson’s clothes were drenched with sweat. It was warm, but it never got that warm. That sort of sweat came from very hard work. Riding wagons and making deals needed mental, not physical, exertion. Obviously something had gone terribly wrong.
“Mister Lawson, what the devil happened to you?”
“We were robbed!” Lawson seethed with anger. “They took everything. Even out wagons and horses!”
He glanced at Robert, who shook his head. He waved to the chair opposite his. “Sit down, and tell me everything.” He signaled to the bartender. “Allow me to buy you a drink.”
“No, thank you.” Lawson sat down. “We were, I don’t know, a few miles from Highland. Three men stopped us, told us to give up everything we had. I heard motions from both sides of the road. Since I had thought we had an agreement, I left our weapons here with our women and my daughter.”
He raised his hands. “Now, now, Mister Lawson. Don’t make accusations without proof. We did have an agreement, yes. I always keep to my agreements.”
“Then how do you explain this? We spent all day walking from Highland!”
Robert suddenly touched his arm. “Boss, there was word going around this morning.”
Count on him to have his ear on the street. “Your morning wanderings continue to reap rewards. What is the current rumor?”
“This real young guy and his friends came into town early with a couple wagons. Nobody recognized the kids.”
“I see.”
“What?” Lawson asked.
“Every so often, some young fool thinks he’ll get ahead by stealing from a wagon and making a few quick deals. Don’t worry, Mister Lawson. I’ll have Robert find this brat. Once we have him we can learn where your goods went. I’ll get everything returned, and this child will be punished severely.”
“I certainly hope so. My friends are already complaining.” Lawson nodded once, stood, and left the bar.
Robert left a moment later. It didn’t take him too long to find the young man in question. Robert knew his work. He’d done this a half-dozen times before. The kids never seemed to learn, or even to think about how to carry out their plans. It was a modest shame that their ambitions far outdistanced their intelligence. But only a modest shame.
Robert brought in the boy and sat him down in front of him. He stared at the young man. The boy wasn’t from Great Junction, nor from any of the towns that traded regularly with Great Junction. If he was, someone would have known his name. For some reason the boy’s face was vaguely familiar. Perhaps he was one of the upstarts from the west who barged in looking for work.
It doesn’t matter who he is. Time to stop this fool from ruining my businesses and my arrangements.
“I understand that you came into town this morning.”
“Yeah?” The boy looked terrified. Maybe he knows who he’s speaking to.
“I also understand that you’ve been trading some goods.”
“Yeah, so?”
“Did you come by your goods honestly, young man?”
The boy glanced around. “I don’t know what you’re...”
He snapped his fingers. His two bodyguards came over. He pointed to the boy. Each bodyguard grabbed an arm.
“I don’t wish to hurt you, young man, but if you don’t tell me the truth I shall have no choice. I ask you again, how did you come by those goods?”
“I... I just got them.”
He couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh, come now. Don’t tell me you found them lying on the side of some road somewhere.”
“No.”
He allowed his voice to drop to a whisper. “Then where did they come from?” he asked slowly.
“This guy, he gave them to us.”
“Gave?”
“Yeah. Told us not to ask where they came from.”
Either this boy is a very bad liar, or... “Why did he give them to you?”
“Didn’t say.”
“Did he tell you that you might attract attention?”
The boy glanced around again. “Yeah. He said not to worry. If we got into trouble, he’d help us.”
The young man’s story was hard to believe. And yet, here he was, clearly in danger, and he was saying these things. Something wasn’t right. Could someone be trying to harm my enterprises? Is one of my men up to something? Or is this boy simply trying to avoid punishment by stirring up trouble?
There’s one way to get closer to the truth. “Robert, get Mister Lawson and bring him here. Immediately.”
He allowed his bodyguards to ease their grip. He asked the young man, “This generous man who gave you these goods, did he have a name?”
“No, sir.”
“If you saw him again, would you recognize him?”
“I think so.”
He let the room grow silent. Silence would intimidate the boy. If he was lying, the silence would break him. If the boy didn’t break, then he wasn’t lying. Part of him hoped the boy wouldn’t break, at least not too easily. He had some courage. He could be useful.
If he wasn’t lying.
Robert returned with Lawson. He motioned for Robert to sit Lawson next to the boy. He clasped his hands together and smiled to Lawson. “I think we can resolve our problem.”
“How?” Lawson looked genuinely puzzled.
“Do you recognize this young man?”
Lawson looked at the boy. He shook his head. “Never seen him. Why?”
“Come, now. Isn’t he the one who made off with your goods?”
“I don’t think so. I suppose he could have been one of the ones out of sight.”
He turned to the young man. He gave him the darkest expression he could. “Is this the man who gave you those goods?”
The boy shook his head vigorously. “No, sir. That ain’t him.”
“I don’t know what game you’re playing,” Lawson said, “but I’ve had quite enough.”
“Wait!” He took a breath to steady himself. He smiled to both visitors. “It seems we all have a problem.” He looked at Lawson. “Your goods were stolen, despite our agreement.” He looked at the boy. “You came into town with goods a man gave you.” His smile faded. “It appears someone is trying to harm my businesses and my reputation.”
The first name to ent
er his mind was Shawn. Shawn and his friends would make the roads unsafe. Shawn would persuade others that they needed to be protected. If his reputation was harmed, Shawn stood to gain the most. After Robert, of course.
However, Robert didn’t have the opportunities Shawn did. He’d known ever since he hired Shawn that occasionally the man would hold back a little something. Whether he held back goods or tokens, the amount was always trivial. He knew the man wanted to be paid more. He knew the man didn’t like having to spend his time at the alcohol “factory.” Shawn wasn’t completely happy. Could he be unhappy enough to resort to this? Perhaps he’d had Shawn working for him for too long. Shawn’s duties offered many temptations; was he succumbing to them? Or did he have something else in his small mind? Was he now too “big” to be bossed around?
Part of him didn’t want to suspect Shawn, but there didn’t seem to be anyone else with access to armed men. There weren’t any rivals who would stoop to this level. Most of all, there wasn’t anyone else who was in a position to help the young man and his friends get away with trading stolen goods.
“Robert, bring Shawn and his friends here.”
“Here? Now? That’s awful risky.”
“I know the risks.”
“Yes, sir.” Robert rose and left.
“Gentlemen, if you would be patient?”
Lawson nodded. The boy simply looked at the floor. Robert wouldn’t be gone long. He kept his “factory” for making beer and whiskey close enough to the bar to keep it under close scrutiny. It was just far enough away that no one would happen by, see Shawn or his friends, and start putting things together.
True, bringing them here was a great risk. The situation required that he take the risk. He had to know if Shawn was subverting his businesses. If he was, then he’d have to go. There should be some way to dispose of the man without endangering what he’d built up. Perhaps if I say that Shawn had come demanding tokens for protection? That could work. He’d need time to figure out the details of whatever story he’d present. That shouldn’t be a problem; Shawn and his friends could easily be kept hidden until then. There were always young men looking for work who could take jobs at his “factory.” This young man, for starters.
Robert and two more bodyguards came in with Shawn and his friends between them. He had Shawn’s friends sit a few tables away where the other guards could watch them. He had Shawn sit at the table next to his; the bar bodyguards stood to either side of him.
He looked at the young man. He pointed to Shawn and asked, “Do you recognize him?”
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