April 2: Down to Earth

by Mackey Chandler

  "Why hasn't it sold?"

  "Of course I don't know for sure, but the heirs want more than has been offered so far. They seem to have the idea prices never go down and that's not true. They peaked about two years ago and it may be awhile before they get back to that level again. The economy is still rather bad due to the recent unpleasantness." That was a close as she'd get to saying war. She was given to using euphemisms for everything. Not just the houses themselves.

  "When the economy is doing this poorly, homes above about three or four million just sell very slowly, although the high end homes over thirty million always sell well."

  "What is the really top end of the private market?" April asked, curious.

  "Oh, a nice large ranch property here, or in an area with rainfall or riparian rights on the mainland can be a quarter billion. A full floor penthouse in Manhattan could be too. I'll certainly never know such a deal. You have to be in the same social circles as the owners, for them to even know you exist. They have different concerns though. People who don't have a dynasty, who don't have vast wealth have different concerns. A lot of people don't want to live on an unpaved road, or this far from town, or the water, no matter what the nature of the house. Some people wouldn't care to live on the hillside. What do you think about the house yourself? That's what really matters, not other people's needs."

  "I can see myself relaxing around the pool here, can't you Adzusa? What do you think would have to be done?"

  "You have security issues here," Adzusa advised her. "Maybe not those Trillionaire level concerns, but you still need to make it secure. You could fence the pool area. Maybe roof it entirely, or a pool house with a power roof and add security systems and strengthen the doors and windows. I would go down straight under the main house and add a safe room. More than a room really. I'd add a plain old bunker, that would be safe from anything that didn't take the whole ridge down and sleep there at night. And you need a housekeeper that will always be here, instead of leaving it empty for weeks or months at a time. If you put an aircar pad in I'd put it over the garage, so it's almost even with the ridge. Otherwise the wind shear dropping below the ridge could make taking off and landing really hard."

  "I need some active defenses too, not just passive. I'm getting a property on the Moon soon and the developer will provide defense, but down here I'll have to do something myself. I can't count on anybody else here for that."

  The Realtor Vi really perked up. "I'm not familiar with any Lunar property available. How did you become aware of it?"

  "A friend is developing a ranch community and she worked a complicated trade with me to supply transportation in exchange for a property. And support in a broader, well, political sense. I have an interest in space transport services."

  "How big are lots on the Moon? They must be substantial if you market them as ranches."

  "She is doing twenty-five kilometer square lots as a minimum size. I'm getting one four times that big as a start and may acquire more later. She's developing it as a community, setting aside land for a park, a village square, a university, a space port, public safety and everything you'd expect a community to need and want. Would you like to have her send you information about it? We have no licensing laws that would keep you from being an Earthside agent for her if you're interested and I don't think she has anyone yet."

  Vi was very interested.

  "Let's walk next door and see if we can meet the neighbors," she told Adzusa. Their agent trotted along too.

  The house to the East was similar in age but different in style. It was a traditional Japanese home with the exposed style frame, such as you'd find in the Northern isles. It was set on massive rocks as a foundation, not a man made concrete base. They rang the bell and after a delay a frail older Japanese couple came to the gate. They invited them inside the gate, but not the home. Adzusa's language skills and appearance were a great aid. She translated generalities about the neighborhood and a great deal about the weather that was experienced on the ridge.

  They expressed deep regret for the loss of the widow next door. They indicated she kindly sent her housekeeper over frequently to assist them and they sorely missed the help. April thought their grounds looked a bit ratty. Not as neat even as the Realtor kept the vacant home next door. They looked kind of worn too.

  She had Adzusa ask plainly, if they had any objection to the young woman they saw becoming the new owner. When they looked at her in surprise, she gave them her best, sincere bow. They were surprised to be asked, saying it was none of their concern, but they'd welcome anyone so polite, as to even think to ask.

  When they went to the house on the other side it was more a California house. It would have looked right at home perched on a Malibu hillside. A hand painted sign by the door proclaimed it was Diana's Dump. When the buzzer sounded a voice bellowed, "Coming! Hang on," and after a considerable delay a middle aged woman in a sarong came out with two big glasses of ice water. "You're new ones," she started right in talking to them. "I'm not interested, but I always offer you guys a drink after you've been marching around in the hot sun." She stopped and looked at them harder. "There's three of you and the kid has a gun. You're not Watchtower people are you?"

  "I'm Vi with Paradise Properties," the Realtor introduced herself. "I'm showing the home next door to Miss Lewis and she wanted to see what the neighbors were like and see if you had any stories about the area."

  "Hi, call me Di," she instructed. "There's not much to tell. Have a cold drink anyhow," she said shoving the glasses at them. "Come on in and I'll get a third." They were taken back inside where a huge Siamese cat looked cross eyed in alarm and fled. The house was furnished in a style April would have called contemporary expensive. She filled two more big glasses with ice and poured water on it from a special tap that was not on the sink. Adzusa got one and she kept one for herself. Instead of inviting them in to sit, she leaned on the island that filled the middle of the kitchen to talk to them. It might have been offensive from somebody else, but her manner made it impossible to take offense.

  She pointed out the window further to the West. "The next house is far enough away I never hear a peep from him. Old coot who far as I know has always lived alone. The couple who lived in the house you're looking at moved in after they raised all their kids. Never saw any of the kids. Don't think a one ever came to see their folks. They were quiet. Never saw them throw a party or anything. Then when he died she was even quieter. Hardly ever saw her out, even by the pool. Even when she died, I never saw the kids come to clean anything out. Did any of them come to your office to arrange selling it?" she asked Vi.

  "No, as a matter of fact, one is in New York and one of them lives in Australia and we have never met face to face. They seem not at all interested in taking any time, or traveling to see the place sold. They just want it handled from afar, which is fine with us. You'd be surprised how often that is true."

  "Well, I'm sure that is legal and proper, but it sure makes you wonder what happened and why they were not close enough to ever come see their own mother and father. Seems kind of sad. So everyone out here on the ridge has been old people. I've been the young one and it's been pretty dead up here. Never have anybody come do burglary or anything. Out on the end of a dead end road it makes for a hard get-away. And all down slope from us is nature preserve and no roads or people. Nice thing about that is it will never change or get built up now and spoil the view. This would have been preserve too, if it hadn't got grand-fathered in."

  "Would you have any problem with me as your new neighbor?" April asked her.

  "Not if you're old enough to buy it. Truth is you look barely old enough to leave at home without a sitter. How old are you Honey?"

  "Miss Lewis is fifteen," Vi said, "but she is from Home and a legal adult. You might consider her the equivalent of an emancipated minor here."

  "The girl at the airport," she said snapping her fingers and pointing an extended index finger right at April's face. "You'r
e the one that shot those creeps in the foot and chased them back when they crawled all over you like roaches on a garbage pile. You done good, but next time shoot them right through their filthy villainous little hearts," she urged her.

  "You don't care for the paparazzi either?" April inquired.

  "Truth is, I doubt if even their mothers can love them. I'd hate to actually work in the same office with them, where you'd have to share the bathroom. They're the carrion eaters of the news food chain. Come by if you buy the place and we'll chat about it. My ex was in the news business, but we divorced and I made sure he gave me the house and a few other things, so he wouldn't feel badly later about how he treated me, no matter how he foolishly felt at the time. It was the least I could do," she assured April. "None of my husbands had that cause for remorse after we parted."

  "I'll do that if I do buy it," April assured her. "I haven't made an offer yet."

  Something about how she phrased it made Vi look very happy.

  April turned to leave and froze. In the corner, right next to the door that was her exit, was the biggest dog she had ever seen. It made her hair stand up on her neck, to think this thing had been sitting there behind her all the time they were talking. She must have walked right past it coming in. It was entirely black and even seated its head came up past her waist. The only thing that kept her from reaching for a weapon, was the huge thing was as calm and unconcerned as could be. She was terrified of it.

  "Hey, loosen up girl," Di said gently, stepping up beside her and slipping an arm around her shoulders. "I've fed him today. He won't pull you down for a snack," she joked. It didn't seem very funny to April.

  "I'm sorry," she finally got composed enough to say. "I've seen a couple small dogs, but never anything like this. And it doesn't bark like the others. It's bigger than me."

  "Oh for sure," Di agreed. "He was a little under sixty-six kilo' the last time I weighed him. He'll bark too, but he isn't one to speak unless he has something to say. I can't abide yappy little dogs, that make a mess of themselves all the time over nothing. Don't be afraid. He wouldn't harm a hair of your head unless he saw you hurting me, or I told him. 'Ele-'ele here," she instructed and pointed at the floor in front of them. He rose and walked to his mistress and when no other instruction was forthcoming decided it might be awhile and sat watching her for commands.

  "What kind of dog is he?" April wanted to know. The huge head turned and regarded her with wet intelligent eyes. He had something the terrier at her grandfather's house hadn't, dignity.

  "Ele-'ele is a Newfoundland. Hawaii is a bit warm for him, but I keep the pool pretty cool and he jumps in anytime he wants. He loves to swim. He would fill out his undercoat if we lived in a cold climate and he could swim in water with ice floating in it and be as happy as can be. Offer your hand to give him your scent, if you aren't too scared. He'll make friends fine seeing us together like this."

  "What if you weren't here?" April asked; finally calm enough to offer her hand. He examined it with a barely audible snuffle.

  "Well, I think you can probably understand," Di allowed, "just like you didn't like the paparazzi pushing in your face at the airport, 'Ele-'ele here is very territorial. Somebody comes uninvited to the fenced in area out back, he is going to object."

  "Would it offend him to be petted or is that only for little dogs?" April wondered.

  "No, that's fine. Talk to him a bit and use his name too. If you become my neighbor, it's better if he knows you."

  April tentatively stroked across the top of the big head and quietly apologized to him for being afraid. He wasn't needy like the other dogs she had seen and just accepted her praise as his due. She was surprised to find she had to reexamine her opinions on dogs now.

  * * *

  When they left, April thought Di was much happier with her than had been the case at first sight. That was a plus if they were going to be neighbors. They went back to the offered house and walked through again. Vi had that alert quiet look that a fisherman has, after he has seen the bobber make one small dip and is waiting for the strike.

  "Twelve million something?" April said, as if she couldn't remember exactly what she had said. "I'm making an offer to your clients. Tell them ten even and see what they say."

  To her surprise Vi shook her head no and silently gave her a repeatedly down jabbed thumb, like a Roman emperor delivering a decision of doom.

  "I can't say anything as their agent," she explained her silence, "but your neighbor is very perceptive and I was trying to sell the house for the widow before she died. I have continued for the kids after she passed. And they are a couple selfish oafs, who were too busy to come see the old girl when she asked. They couldn't even come for the father's funeral. It tore me up to see the way it took the heart out of the old woman. They don't deserve anything, but for sure nothing extra. And you're offering to hook me up with your Lunar friend and didn't even mention a kickback first thing. So you seem to be a decent kid." But she didn't go so far as to name a different number.

  "Do you think eight-seven-hundred would not be taken as an insult?" she asked.

  "Let's find out," she told them. "They're willing to accept offers live, anytime of the day. One is in New York and one in Australia, so it's never a good time for both of them. But they are so happy having that much distance between them, I may be able to sell one a Lunar ranch, just to move ‘em a little further apart." She sat composing it as a text message, instead of voice and transmitted it. "Now we wait a minute, while they call each other and decide who will be blamed latter for accepting it," she predicted. "One will demand they ask for more and the other will say it'll be your fault if they won't take a counter. So the risk of blame will be even and they'll say OK. It's like a script. I know because I have a sister too."

  In just a moment her pad chimed. It was a heavy printing model and started scrolling out a document. But she read it off the screen first and said, "Congratulations. You are now a proud new home owner. Subject to taxes, cyclones and crabgrass. May God have mercy on you."

  * * *

  On the way back April asked Adzusa, "Do you think Papa-san could recommend someone to be a caretaker in the house? I'd like to get someone in there after the closing is filed with the county tomorrow and we get possession. I suspect there are a whole bunch of things I need to do that I'm not aware of. I'd like to have some furniture in there that is wood, because we have all metal and plastic in Home. I saw something called Mission style. I'd like that and some stained glass and my friend Sylvia has a big Oriental rug. I'd like one of those too."

  "Your instincts are right to have him ask. Li has a zillion cousins and we can get somebody reliable. I'll take you to something called a design center, that can help you pick the stuff for in the house. But first you need a good security system being installed there tomorrow and a contractor looking to upgrade the security aspects including designing a hidey hole basement."

  "If we go in town to the design center I need to go by and see what Frank has for me and OK it or nix it. When we get the housekeeper they should be Japanese and I want him to also go next door and do some yard work and clean up for the old couple. If they object he should tell them his mistress will be upset with him if he doesn't. I want him also to stop and give them a ten grand gift certificate for a local grocer that delivers and thank them profusely for their kindness in advising me. It should be in a fancy card and envelope and he should apologize for its inadequate nature. You know the drill don't you?"

  "Yeah, they did look a little thin and frayed around the edges. Think they're having a hard time making it in their long time home and would hate to leave?"

  "Nah, they're just dieting and haven't noticed he needs new trousers."

  Chapter 32

  By late afternoon they were back with Adzusa's parents at the table by the pool. They seemed to pretty much live out there, instead of in the house. Given the climate and the comfort level around their pool, she couldn't blame them. They had rel
ated their adventures and called Li, who admitted he had many worthy relatives, but the other young man Papa employed had a particularly good brother for the job, who was in need of employment which would leave him time for his university studies. The rest of the needs such as installing and upgrading systems Papa-san's own sources would take care of for her and there would be no copies of blueprints and schematics, laying around some contractor's office for prying eyes.

  "It's been a week since I got the airport footage out of you and you gave away that interview to CNN, instead of your gracious hosts. If you can't shoot someone, or destroy public property for a quick story, could you at least tell us what your mysterious agenda is you promised to reveal in time and have been avoiding?"

  "Well, part of it has been to create a fuss, so it is time to go stir things again. We demanded these concessions from North America and then didn't use them except at the other orbital territories like ISSII and New Las Vegas. To us that mattered, but I guess down here it was like - invisible. We'd like to make the point we did get a surrender and we do expect the terms to be met. We didn't set it up to be violated and ignore it. There will be a price if it's ignored."

  "And we started this whole thing over travel rights and we have information they are ignoring it. The fuss at New Las Vegas that National Geographic caught on video, was because they were getting ready to snatch a man traveling to Home, when they knew the terms of surrender call for free travel to Home. We left NLV with our weapons systems active and no flight plan filed, which is the first time we've done that since the incident where we shot up ISSII. So maybe that helped tell them we're serious."

  Adzusa spoke up, "I didn't want to worry you," she told her parents, "but when we came into the airport they evacuated the whole wing of the building where we got off the shuttle. As they were escorting us out through the empty building I expressed the fear to April, that they were going to snatch us right there. She told me she had tasked her defense system to bombard the area, if they cut her off from contact. I'm still not sure if we would have gotten out of there without that threat. That was about as afraid as I have ever been in my life. I thought if I was stuffed in a Homeland Security van, you'd never know what had happened to me."