Chewing Rocks

by Alan Black

  Allan Lee replied, “Thank you, Miss Cleasemount. However, we as a group have discussed this as a possible outcome and we have agreed we don’t want any part of the type of justice we have seen lately. None of us feel we could participate in a duel.”

  Cleasemount smiled, “Thank you, Gentlemen. I am very well aware too many have died in this mess. I am as uncomfortable with their deaths as anyone here, no matter what kind of men they were. However, as a solution, I am giving you the Queene Mining Ship Number 10123 that you brought back with you. It will be a replacement for the one you lost. Is that acceptable?”

  Lee sputtered as the other Earth miners looked stunned. “Miss Cleasemount, that is way too much. It is way more than we lost.”

  Queene interrupted, “It is not acceptable to me. That ship is worth ten times that dinky converted shuttle these fools lost.”

  Cleasemount shook her head sadly. “Sheriff Gutierrez, please gag Miss Queene.” She winced in sympathy. “And Bob, watch those nails…oh, that is going to hurt in the morning. Bob, use handcuffs; yeah, do her ankles too.”

  Cleasemount looked at the miners. “Mister Lee, the Queene Mining ship is the only compensation I can offer from Queene even remotely related to what you lost. I know you would refuse a duel and I refuse to offer you one. You can take the ship or take nothing.”

  Lee looked down at Joey who was tugging his sleeve. Joey was nodding vigorously. Lee looked back up. “Yeah, we will take it, with our thanks.”

  Cleasemount grinned, “There isn’t any superstition against renaming your new ship since Queene Mines only numbers their fleet. Is the Wooden Ship Mining Consortium going to use the Nod again?”

  Lee grinned, “Seems appropriate doesn’t it?”

  Sno said, “Okay, at the risk of getting gagged and handcuffed, I don’t get it. What kind of stupid name is Nod for a ship?”

  Lee looked at Cleasemount and said, “And that, Your Honor, is why we have to send her back to school for remedial training.”

  Sno blushed amid the crowd’s laughter, but she stood her ground. “So, I am missing something here. Come on, Lee. Tell me.”

  Lee looked at Cleasemount for approval and then recited:

  “Winkin’, Blinkin’ and Nod one night sailed off in a wooden shoe;

  Sailed off on a river of crystal light into a sea of dew.

  “Where are you going and what do you wish?” the old moon asked the three.

  “We’ve come to fish for the herring fish that live in this beautiful sea.

  Nets of silver and gold have we,” said Winkin’, Blinkin’, and Nod.

  The old moon laughed and sang a song as they rocked in the wooden shoe.

  And the wind that sped them all night long ruffled the waves of dew.

  Now the little stars are the herring fish that live in that beautiful sea;

  “Cast your net wherever you wish never afraid are we!”

  So cried the stars to the fishermen three – Winkin’, and Blinkin’ and Nod.

  So all night long their nets they threw to the stars in the twinkling foam.

  ‘Til down from the skies came the wood shoe bringing the fishermen home.

  ‘Twas all so pretty a sail it seemed as if it could not be.

  Some folks say ‘twas a dream they dreamed of sailing that misty sea.

  But I shall name you the fishermen three – Winkin’, Blinkin’ and Nod.

  Now Winkin’ and Blinkin’ are the two little eyes and Nod is a little head.

  And the wooden shoe that sailed the skies is a wee one’s trundle bed.

  So close your eyes while mother sings of the wonderful sights that be.

  And you shall see those beautiful things as you sail on the misty sea.

  Where the old shoe rocked the fishermen three – Winkin’, Blinkin’ and Nod.”

  Sno laughed, “Well, I’ll be darned. Poetry. No wonder I didn’t get it.”

  Cleasemount laughed with her, “It is an old Earth nursery rhyme, Miss Whyte. But, no one here even imagines your childhood was close to your typical Earth child.”

  Sno flared, “Dad raised me the best he could. I won’t stand for anyone-”

  “Whoa, Miss Whyte,” Cleasemount interrupted. “I like your Dad, remember? I would still go out with him if it wasn’t for the fact that I like Vittie too. I wasn’t taking issue with the way he raised you. I remember you as a child. I’ve got to say, I am a professional with second graders, but he did a better job with you than I ever could. Oops, no offense, Sno. It is just a little friendly kidding.”

  Lee said, “Yeah, she doesn’t really get the whole joking around bit, does she?”

  Sno blushed as the crowd laughed, “Yeah. Okay. I get it. Maybe I could lighten up a bit.”

  Mario’s voice shouted over the crowd, “Don’t lighten up too much, Sno. Half the people in AZ City only come in my place when you are in town, just for the entertainment factor.”

  Sno grunted, “Thanks, Mario. Maybe I should charge you when I come in.”

  Cleasemount let the laughter die a bit and then banged her impromptu gavel for silence. “Mister Hunter, stand please. You, sir, need a baby sitter. You have terrible judgment when it comes to employers and even worse judgment when it comes to choosing your friends.”

  Hunter started to speak, but Cleasemount waved him quiet. “No, keep it to yourself. I don’t want to hear from you. You take what I am giving you and you should be grateful you do not find yourself in the same place as Franklin or McNally. You did not actively participate in any criminal activity. You did work to stop Franklin, Cooper and McNally when the opportunity presented itself. I am giving you a choice of two options. Either go home to Earth on the next available transport, or give yourself to the oversight of a Ceres citizen, assuming someone will accept the responsibility for you.”

  Sno said, “Miss Cleasemount, what do you mean by ‘oversight’? Hunter saved my life back at the jail and I feel responsible for him, but I don’t want a slave. I don’t do so well at taking care of myself sometimes much less trying to watch out for someone else.”

  Cleasemount said, “It is Mister Hunter in this hearing if you please. And by my count it is three times that he has saved your life.”

  Sno stared back, “Three? How do you get that?”

  Cleasemount ticked off on her fingers, “One: at the jail. That one you recognized. Two: his actions on the old Nod put a kink in McNally and Franklin’s plans. Captain Chalmers wouldn’t have been able to sneak up on them if he hadn’t stopped Cooper when he did,. Three: have you already forgotten who jumped in front of you when Wallace tried to shoot you?”

  Sno shot a startled look at Hunter. “I didn’t, I mean, I wasn’t…thank you, Mister Hunter.” She looked back at Cleasemount, “I guess thank you isn’t going to do it, is it?”

  Cleasemount laughed. “No dear, not this time.”

  Sno said, “Okay, if Mister Hunter wants to stay, then I want him to stay. Not as a slave, I will accept him as an employee and yes, as my friend.”

  Hunter grinned, “Yes please, I’ll go with Miss Whyte.”

  Sno said with a grin, “Oh, heavens. I guess that means I have to start wearing clothes on Sedona if you’re going to be around.”

  Hunter grinned back. “Yes, please.”

  Cleasemount shook her head, “Miss Whyte, please control those comments. That is a mind picture my nephew Jimmy doesn’t need right now. We have judgments to hear and I have a stack of math papers to grade for a bunch of second graders. Those second graders have been on extended recess while we conduct this hearing so they are the only ones not anxious to finish this.

  “Most of the rest of these warrants are just plain B.S. and everyone knows it even those of you who signed them. It is paper fodder just to cloud the issue at hand. Plus with so many dead, they are moot, and I am in no mood for mooting.

  Cleasemount took a deep breath, “Miss Queene may stay seated, given she is trussed up like a landing day piglet. I have two judgments,
Miss Queene.

  “First, you have made an obvious attempt to subvert and take over the Whyte Mining Company using murder. I am not familiar with Earth business practices, but that is not the way we do business in Arizona City. For that action, your entire business holdings on or based out of Ceres are confiscated, as of now. I am awarding all holdings and assets including but not limited to offices, ships, warehouses, and their contents to the Whyte Mining Corporation.”

  The room was silent. It was obvious no one expected such a massive levee against Queene Mines.

  Cleasemount shook her head, “I realize some of the Queene ships will hear of this judgment against Queene Mines and not return here, but rather turn toward Earth or IO, in hopes of garnering a reward from their former employer. But, I urge everyone here, especially those of you who are former Queene Mine employees, to consider what you say in messages to those ships. Unless you are ready to leave for Earth, I suggest you do not attempt to stab me or Whyte Mines in the back during this transition.

  “I know this will not universally be a happily accepted position. I further know I am letting my political views color this judgment. Frankly, let this be a warning to all Earth based businesses. Do not continue operating on our planet, from our city, taking our resources, and stealing the profits to send them back to Earth, leaving us with the scraps.”

  When the applause died down she continued, “Please don’t misunderstand me. I am not calling for the nationalization of privately owned industries. Earth based companies have a right to a reasonable profit on their investments. But, reasonable doesn’t mean they can take all of the profits and leave us with nothing. This is our planet, such as it is.

  “I apologize to everyone here for the political rant, but from what I know of the current management and ownership of Queene Mines, my decision to strip their assets away will by no means be taken quietly. You can see by the look in Miss Queene’s eyes this is so.

  “Secondly, Miss Queene, the evidence supports the warrant that you personally acted in concert with your employees in an attempt to kill Miss Whyte. Testimony was given that you hand selected the software causing the Sedona’s system to crash. It was just a coincidence someone was close enough to save her before her air ran out. It goes against my personal feelings because enough people have been killed lately, but as arbiter I don’t have a choice. I find you personally culpable for trying to kill Miss Whyte. I am upholding her warrant and while I will refuse to watch, I am allowing a duel as Miss Whyte has specified in her warrant. Two hours from now, inside the fenced jail compound, the two of you will meet face-to-face. Miss Queene has the choice of weapons.”

  Chapter 30.0

  Sno shouted over the roar of the crowd, “No, wait! That is not what I want.”

  Cleasemount smiled sadly, “Then you shouldn’t have put that option in your warrant. Believe me when I say that I would rather not have either of you killed. If you kill Evelyn Queene, no matter how legal in Arizona City, her family will not just let it pass. There will be retribution. Wallace almost killed a lot of us and he said Miss Queene’s father employs many men better at killing than him. And if she kills you, well frankly, Miss Whyte, I don’t see how I will live with myself. However, I don’t see where I have an option.”

  Sno replied, “I was really angry when I signed the warrant. I don’t mean it now. Look, that was before I had actually ever killed anyone. I killed Franklin and I don’t like the way it made me feel. I don’t want to do it again.”

  Cleasemount said, “I have never killed anyone, Sno. I can only imagine how bad it made you feel, but the law-“

  Sno interrupted, “You don’t understand. Killing Franklin didn’t make me feel bad. It didn’t make me feel good. It was just nothing, empty, kind of hollow inside. I don’t want to feel that way again.”

  Cleasemount shook her head. “You cannot change the warrant against Miss Queene just because you don’t like the outcome.”

  Cleasemount looked over at Sheriff Bob. “Our bylaws require Miss Queene be given time to speak. As much as I regret this, please remove the gag.”

  As soon as the gag was free, Queene spat and snarled. “Thieves and killers is all you are, the lot of you.” Her eyes shot daggers at Sno. “You wanted a fight, I’ll give you one. You couldn’t have taken Wallace in a fair fight and I guarantee you can’t take me. My family spent a small fortune on enhancements to my neuromuscular system. I am probably twice as fast as your young reflexes and I was collegiate handgun champion. I can put a bullet where I want and when I want. You are a walking dead woman, Whyte.”

  Sonnie Abramsohn stood up. “I will stand in as Miss Whyte’s champion; my company currently has the contract as her bodyguards.”

  Queene screeched. “No! I get the little bi-“

  Sheriff Bob jammed the gag back in the woman’s mouth.

  Sno shook her head, “Thanks for the offer Sonnie but this is my mess. I will clean it up.”

  Cleasemount shook her head sadly, “I am sorry to hear that, Miss Whyte. It is a very mature attitude. I am sorry to see it finally coming from you. But it has nothing to do with this hearing. I consider all matters at hand to be closed. Everybody go home. And stack the chairs up in the back when you leave so Carl doesn’t have to put in any more overtime than he already has.”

  Chapter 30.1

  Sno looked at the group of men and women gathered in the Whyte Mining warehouse. It was the largest space they had that could hold this many people. She was surprised so many had shown up to give her their support. She only half listened as her dad asked Abramsohn to sort out everyone and only let in family and employees, keeping everyone else out because there was just not room to hold everyone who showed up.

  Of course, she had expected all of their ship’s crews to be there. This was the first time in her memory all of their ships were in dock at the same time. Willem had called them all in to double check the software once he had found out about the infected apps n’ core on the Sedona. She knew her dad had kept everyone in port just in case they needed help against Queene Mines.

  Five of the six men from the Wooden Shoe Consortium were there as well, since they were under contract. Sno looked and realized Daryl and Joey Graham that were not in the group of Earth miners. She nodded to herself. It was probably best Joey not be exposed to what was coming.

  Sno was surprised to see Ernie from United Mechanical slide into the room. She wondered how he got past Abramsohn’s guards. She nodded at him. She saw Ernie grin at Sonnie Abramsohn as he came up to Sno. She knew Sonnie had been at her back since Wallace had been killed but the woman was so quiet Sno had forgotten she was there.

  Sno said to the advancing man, “Hi, Ernie. Everything go okay with those pipe bombs?”

  Ernie replied, “Easy to dismantle. It would have made a mess but wouldn’t have cracked the dome. The man had them set to blast horizontal. Not to worry, boss.”

  Sno said, “What?”

  Ernie answered, “Which ‘what’?”

  Sno said, “Ernie, you have called me everything under the sun at one time or another but you never called me boss before.”

  Ernie smiled, “Well, if you prefer Miss Whyte that’s what I’ll say. You have never been my boss before so you have to tell me how you want me to handle it.”

  Sno snorted, “Ernie, I’m not your boss. Where did you get that idea?”

  Imitating Sno, Sonnie snorted. When Sno looked at the woman she was looking everywhere but at Sno.

  Sno said, “Okay, Ernie, what gives?”

  Ernie shook his head in surprise, “Sorry. I thought you knew, but I guess with your working on the Sedona out in the belt so much you didn’t know. Queene Mines bought United Mechanical about two years ago and now it seems that I work for you.”

  Sno looked surprised. She noticed there were half a dozen ex-Queene Mine employees standing around. “Huh, what do you know? Well, maybe I’ll get some decent service from now on, at least for the next ninety minutes or so anyway.�
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  Her dad was close enough to hear. He shouted, “You stop that talk, Princess. There are enough of us here to figure a way out of this mess. Abramsohn, where are you? There! Was Queene bragging about her marksmanship or is she really that good?”

  Abramsohn shook his head. “I don’t know. Sonnie was handling gathering data on Queene. What about it, Sis?”

  Sonnie shook her head, “She was not bragging. It was plain fact. I have seen some vids on the data-nets. The woman is fast. Sorry, Sno. Queene is spooky fast and more accurate than all of us in this room put together.”

  Willem snapped, “That does it. Sno is not going out there. I’ll go.”

  Sonnie replied, “No. It is my job. I’ll do it.”

  Sno was very shocked to hear half a dozen people offer to take her place as her champion. She held up her hand to stop the offers. “Sonnie, is anyone fast enough to take Queene? No. Then this is my job, no one else’s.”

  Vittie said, “What about if we give all of her stuff back and let her go back to Earth?”

  Sno said, “Come on Vittie, you should know I can’t allow that. She tried to kill me. And because of her and what she did there are three, no, four men dead. They may have all deserved what they got, they were even her willing accomplices, but they are dead because of her.”

  Vittie spat back, “She tried once to kill you and failed so are you just going to walk up to her and let her kill you now? That doesn’t make sense.”

  Ernie said, “I think taking the Queene Mines assets hurt her worse than anything anyone else could do. Maybe she will just quit and go away.”

  Abramsohn shook his head. “Sorry, but Willem already had us make that offer in Sno’s name. She turned us down flat. She was all alone in the women’s tent at the compound. She told us that if we didn’t get out we would be next in line. She was writing a list of everyone she believes has crossed her.”

  Sno said, “Well, I don’t know what else to do, but do it. However, if anyone comes up with a good way for me to get out of this mess, don’t be shy, just speak right up.”