by Alan Black
“Mister Okpara, may I keep this brick?” Tasso asked.
The man looked surprised. “It is just dried mud. We have more of it than we need. Please take it, and I will get you another so you may have a matched set.”
Tasso laughed, “One will do for now.” He stopped at a storefront. It had a small glass window set in the adobe brick. In the window was a wooden carving of a bird with its wings spread and its beak open in a screech. Tasso didn’t recognize the wood; the grain was deep, catching the light, as if the creature was in flight.
“What is the bird, sir?” Tasso asked.
“It is a tai, Mister Menzies,” Okpara said. “It is a bird on Kaduna that bears a striking resemblance to an earth eagle.”
“I don’t know about an earth eagle. I do know what I like. May we visit this shop?” Tasso asked.
Gordo called from the vehicle. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea, Tasso. We do have a party to get to.”
Tasso looked at Gordo, Cherry, and Kendra in the vehicle. Anisa was standing with him, but she was obviously nervous about being in the open. He wondered how space travelers could be so uninterested in visiting a new, strange world. Their spaceship was almost a world unto itself. They moved from one ship to another with barely a thought for the people and cultures they were passing through. Maybe there was some danger here he couldn’t see. He knew these people could take him captive and not release him without ransom. He didn’t have enough money to pay for a ransom. He’d put ten one-credit pieces in his pocket, hoping he could buy Anisa a cold beverage, an ice cream, or both. He didn’t imagine he would be worth much of a ransom, but he hoped he would be worth more than ten credits. He supposed the captain would pay for her crew. Anisa was the captain’s niece. Surely, being a relative of the boss guaranteed her ransom. Ain would ransom her friend Cherry, and Cherry would pay for Gordo’s release.
He didn’t know anything about Nigeria where these Kaduna originally came from. Maybe they were cannibals. Maybe they’d kill and eat them. Maybe the Kadunian were slavers who’d kill Gordo and him, selling the girls for sex slaves. Maybe they’d kill the girls and sell Gordo and him for sex slaves. Maybe they’d toss them all in a pit to fight stobor to the death. Maybe, maybe, maybe. Maybe he would really slip in the shower and break his neck! What sense was there in going to different worlds if you didn’t visit them! “Anisa, you may wait in the vehicle, if you wish. You may all go to your party, if you wish. I can walk from here back to the ship. I may never have been to a barbeque before, but I’ve eaten before. I do know I’ve never seen such beautiful artwork and I’d like to see more.”
Gordo sighed and mumbled something about being in for a penny and in for a pound.
Tasso laughed. “Someday, someone is going to have to explain that expression to me.”
Gordo climbed out of the vehicle; Cherry and Kendra followed him to the storefront. Cherry looked at the tai carving. She gave a low whistle and looked at Tasso. He smiled as if to say ‘I told you the look would be worthwhile’.
Tasso asked, “Mister Okpara, may I ask who the artist is?”
The tall man gestured toward the door. “Please come in. This is my wife’s dress shop. She likes to display the art crafted by our children. The tai was carved by my son, Ndubuka.”
Tasso entered the shop. He was used to going into Cherry’s store for women, but this place was a different class of dress shop. There were only four dresses hanging on display, with a few bolts of cloth and a smattering of scarves. Three seated women were sewing by hand. They stood when Tasso and his friends entered, but kept their eyes to the floor. Okpara gestured with an open hand at the women. “This is my wife, my daughter, and the wife of my only son. They are excellent seamstresses, are they not?” The man was obviously proud of their skills, yet he didn’t offer their names.
Cherry fingered one dress, checking the seams. “This is well sewn.” She turned to the women. “You’re very good.” The full-length dresses were made of a bright patterned cloth.
Okpara’s wife smiled, but still didn’t look up. “We are but poor seamstresses,” she said. “The cloth is poor and the thread weak. You are most gracious to compliment us on our simple dresses.”
Tasso looked closely at the small tai statue. The intricate carving didn’t stop even on the backside. The muscles on the back of the bird almost rippled in the light. Scattered about the shop were dozens of other carvings, a row of Ankole-Watusi cattle in various sizes, a short row of Texican longhorn cattle, and even a few carved horses.
Okpara said, “My son carved these Texas longhorn cattle from pictures. I hope the dimensions are good?”
Gordo shook his head in amazement. “Good? Sir, they’re excellent. Your son has an amazing talent for perspective.”
Tasso saw Anisa and Kendra each grab a scarf. They chattered happily to be shopping. In a pile on the floor was a stack of wooden bracelets. They were the same type of wood as the tai. At each turn of the light and shadows, the bracelets sparkled. Some of the wooden bracelets were simple single band and some were intertwining braids carved from single blocks of wood.
A young man hobbled into the room on a seriously mangled leg that had healed poorly. He held a carving of a spaceship. Gordo stared at the spaceship closely. “I’ll be hornswoggled. That is the Araña Rojo. I’d recognize her anywhere.”
Tasso smiled at the artist, “You’re talented, sir.”
The young man shrugged and said, “It is a hobby, nothing more.”
“What’s the wood?” Tasso asked.
The young man shrugged again and replied, “It is just the root of the ojimbe bush. It is as common as dirt on Kaduna.” The man kept his eyes on the floor.
Tasso nodded. “Do you sell your art?” He grabbed a braided bracelet off the floor and waved at Anisa to come over. He slid the bracelet onto her wrist. It glittered against her olive skin. Kendra had followed, so he grabbed a second braided bracelet of a lighter color and slid it onto her wrist. It sparkled more than glittered. “Perfect,” he said. “Beauty belongs with beauty, not in a pile on the floor.”
Okpara frowned, “This is just a child’s hobby, Mister Menzies. Ndubuka is a useless cripple, please do not tease him.”
Tasso replied, “Tease him, sir? Never! How much for these bracelets and the scarves the girls have chosen?”
Okpara’s wife said, “Good sir, those scarves were but scraps from dresses, made by our poor hands so we do not waste the cloth. I would not take more than one tenth of a credit for both, but I could not take less.”
Ndubuka said, “You buy the scarves and you may have the bracelets as a gift.”
Tasso laughed and said, “Deal. But you’re going to regret giving those to me instead of naming a price.”
Cherry was talking to one of the women about a dress. Though they talked in hushed tones, Cherry was animated. The more she gestured, the more the woman shook her head, steadfastly looking at the floor.
Tasso called to her. “Cherry, can you come here a moment, please?” The two young women followed her, but no one looked them in the eyes except Okpara. Tasso grabbed another bracelet and handed it to Cherry. “What could you sell that for in your shop?”
Okpara looked at Cherry in surprise. “You own a shop selling such trinkets?”
Cherry laughed, “I’ll sell anything I can make a profit at.” She glanced back at the tai in the window. “This is the same wood?”
Tasso nodded.
Cherry said, “I could get ten credits easy.”
Anisa snorted. “Twelve or fifteen more like it.” In fact, I’m going to buy this one now. She and Kendra began pawing in pockets Tasso would have sworn didn’t exist in their cheerleader uniforms, and if pockets did exist, they couldn’t hold much more than air, and a microscopic amount of air at that.
“No,” Tasso said. “Those two bracelets were gifts from me. I gave them to you as presents. Mr. Okpara, if Miss Chisholm can sell these bracelets for ten credits, she can’t buy them fo
r the same price. She must pay less to make a profit. Isn’t that correct, sir?”
The man nodded in agreement, “It is the way of business. I do not see how such trinkets would bring such a price, but if you believe you can sell them for such a price, you can pay us five credits each.
Tasso laughed, “And this, too, is the way of business. I’ll give you three for each of the bracelets and not a credit more. I’ll give you two for each of the Kaduna cattle, three for each of the Texas longhorns, four for each of the horses and nine for the tai.”
Okpara laughed. “There are almost forty bracelets in this pile. Surely, you wouldn’t offer over a hundred credits for a child’s trinkets. They are the hobby of a cripple, nothing more.”
Tasso stopped laughing. “Sir, I don’t wish to insult you as our host. Where I come from it’s a man’s job to provide for his family! If he can do so by growing crops, digging rocks, or raising cattle, it doesn’t matter if he has one good leg or three.”
Okpara nodded. “I wish it were so, but on Kaduna there is nothing but raising cattle.”
Tasso smiled at Okpara’s son. “I see there are those here who can profit from sewing dresses and scarves. And now I see Ndubuka is an artist with a talent for working in wood.”
Ndubuka looked up and smiled. “You are wrong in one thing, good sir. I do not regret giving you the bracelets as a gift.”
Cherry said, “Tasso, you’re wrong about something, too. I’m buying these bracelets, because it’s my shop and I’m going to sell them.” She turned to Okpara and looked him in the eye. “I’ll only buy them if I can take the rest of your wife’s stock, all of it. Do you deliver?”
CHAPTER 24
TASSO WAS AMAZED at the Texican barbeque. He hadn’t realized they would be roasting entire sides of beef and whole hogs on open flames. There were huge pots of pit beans, coleslaw, potato salad, and something called french fries. He recognized fried potatoes at the first bite, but they were crispy, soft, and hot all at the same time. He didn’t know who the French were, but he’d be sure to thank them for their fries if he ever met one. He was about to bite into something called a hatch chili when Anisa snatched it away from him. “No way, greenhorn,” she laughed. “I had to call the doctor on you once for eating a taco. I’m sure not going to let you eat this.”
“Is it hotter than a taco?” he asked.
Kendra and a host of other trainees laughed.
Anisa said, “Hotter? Tasso, no one here even considers tacos hot. Only a couple of us would eat this and they’re football players who’ve been hit in the head one too many times. This would burn your mouth and everything else all the way through until it came out the other end.”
Everyone laughed again and Tasso joined in.
Gordo towered over Tasso. “I’ve been looking for you, Menzies. If y’all would excuse us, I’ll bring him back shortly.” He had a cloth wrapped bundle in his hands.
Tasso grabbed his bag from under the table and followed Gordo as the man wound his way through the crowd. Tasso would’ve asked where they were going, but Gordo didn’t slow down except to keep checking behind him to ensure Tasso was following.
They came to a pair of doors. One security officer from each ship stood guard at the door. The officer from the Red Scorpion gestured with his chin for the two men to enter the room. Gordo sighed and steadied himself. He barged through the doors as if they were an offensive line in a football game. Tasso hadn’t really wondered where they were going, but if who was on the other side of the door made Gordo nervous, maybe Tasso should be concerned, too. He took a deep breath and followed the large man.
He stepped into a small dining room. It had wood paneled walls and wood planks for a floor. There was a long bar along one side of the room. It looked like a saloon in a dozen paintings scattered about the Escorpión Rojo. Both ship’s captains were seated at a green felt covered table. FO Graham was sitting next to Captain Lilianna Rojo. An elderly woman sat next to Captain Delgado Rojo. Tasso assumed she was the first officer of the Araña Rojo.
The Escorpión Rojo’s captain said, “This is the boy, Del.”
Delgado Rojo stood up and offered his hands to Tasso. “Good to meet you, Señor Menzies. Welcome aboard the Araña Rojo. I do hope everyone is treating you well?”
Tasso said, “Sir, I hope we lose every football game to your ship if this barbeque is the prize for losing.”
“Hey!” Gordo said. “I resent that. We’re going to win tomorrow night.”
Delgado Rojo shook hands with Gordo. “Stephano, right? I hear our offensive line is going to have to double-team you to keep you off the blitz. Here, have another beer? Have six?”
Gordo laughed and said, “Beer? I never touch the stuff before a game. I can play with a hangover, but it slows me down and if you ever had to go pee when wearing a protective cup, you wouldn’t drink before a game, either.”
Everyone laughed. Tasso joined in, but the exchange baffled him. Too many words didn’t make sense. He wasn’t even sure they were still talking about football.
Lilianna Rojo said, “Tasso, we have some private things to discuss.”
Tasso nodded, “Yes, Captain.” He turned to leave.
“No,” she said. “I mean we have private things to discuss about you and with you. Do you trust us or would you like Gordo to stay?”
Tasso said, “Captain, I do trust you and First Officer Graham. I’ll trust these others if you say so, but I’d like Gordo to stay anyway, if that’s okay?”
She nodded, “I think that’s wise. Please be seated.”
Gordo pulled up a chair and dropped into it, setting his parcel on the table before him. “I’m not used to such high-ranking company. Forgive me if I use the wrong finger bowl or something. Really though, I don’t know what’s going on.”
Tasso sat next to Gordo and put his bag on the table next to the other package. “I don’t know either, but I guess it has something to do with who I really am.”
Gordo looked at Tasso. “And who are you that you get called into the presence of two spaceship captains?”
Tasso shrugged, “I don’t really know. That’s been my problem for years, and as it turns out, of some interest to spaceship captains.”
Captain Delgado Rojo said “First things first. What’re you two jackrabbits carrying around in those bags that are cluttering up my new poker table?”
Tasso looked at the table. It looked like regular table, except green felt covered the round top. How could a table be a poker? Wasn’t a poker something used to stir a fire?
Gordo unwrapped his package. Everyone around the table became quiet as they stared at the ojimbe woodcarving of the Araña Rojo. It looked polished in the light of the room. The burls and whirls of the wood grain stood out clearly. The sheen of twinkles looked like the heat of a takeoff shimmering along the sides. Gordo pushed it over to Delgado Rojo and nodded.
Delgado Rojo said, “This is amazing.”
Gordo replied, “I think so too, El Capitan. Please accept it as a gift, not just from me, but from all of the crew of the Escorpión Rojo as a way of apology.”
“Apology?”
Gordo laughed. “For how badly we’re going to kick your ass in football tomorrow.”
“It is muy linda, amigo.” Delgado said.
“I think so too, El Capitan,” Gordo replied. “I’d keep it myself, but it’s your ship. It’s not mine. Comprende?”
“Si, gracias.”
Lilianna Rojo said, “And you, Tasso, have a carving of my ship for me in your bag?”
Tasso looked embarrassed and blushed. “Forgive me, Captain. I didn’t know we were meeting, so I didn’t bring you a gift.”
She laughed. “Gifts aren’t required here, cowboy. So, what’re you wrangling around?”
Tasso opened his bag and dumped it on the table. “Actually, Captain, I got this for Purser Rojo, but I haven’t found him at the barbeque yet.”
She said with a laugh, “You got my brother a mud bri
ck. How nice! I’m sure it’s something he has always wanted.”
Tasso smiled at the captain’s sarcasm, but he wasn’t offended. “Yes, Captain, that’s what I thought. Gordo and I took a drive through town on our way over here and I picked this up. Everything is built using this stuff.” He pushed the brick with one flick of a finger and it skittered across the felt with ease.
She picked the brick up and a look of shock crossed her face. It rang solid when she tapped it with her knuckles. The brick sailed through the air from one ship’s captain to the other. “Del, how strong does this feel to you?”
Delgado Rojo leaned over and tapped the brick against the deck. He slammed it hard, deliberately trying to break it, with no luck.
Tasso nodded. “That’s what I found out. It’s extremely light. It’s actually much harder than the native rocks on Saronno. I know it’s not my place to bring up things like this, but Grandpa always bought our necessities in town when he took our chiamra plants to market. He would have had a fit if he had to make two trips instead of one. I thought since we’re dropping cargo off on Kaduna, it’d be a waste of time not to pick something up. I thought maybe if Purser Rojo knew of a market for strong, light building blocks, we could make more use of—”
He stopped talking. Everyone was staring at him.
Captain Delgado Rojo looked at his cousin. “This would convince me he is an Ortiz even before we get a chance to see any DNA results. This boy is a natural born trader.”
CHAPTER 25
TASSO DROPPED Anisa and Kendra off at their cabin after the barbeque. He received a kiss on the cheek from each girl and as much as he enjoyed that, he was still fuming inside. He knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep. The captain of the Araña had called him an Ortiz. He didn’t like being an Ortiz. He was a Menzies. No space-going lothario would or could change that. He was a Scot, not a Texican. They kept trying to change him, but he wasn’t going to change. He knew who he was. He may not have met this Ortiz man who’d gotten his mother pregnant, but having sex with his mother didn’t make the man his father.
