Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Here and There (part 2)

“You’re joking, right Doctor?” Lloyd Dunn frowned and leaned back from the meeting table in New Baja city hall. There were a half-dozen people in the room. The doors were closed, the lights were slightly less bright than normal, as if the subject being discussed called for lower lighting levels, and there was no stenographer.

“No your Honour, I am not,” came at last Dr Chambers' response, as he looked around the room. Lenny Green, now chief of police was the only one not scowling at the report. He had a quiet, bemused expression on his face.

“I think the Doctor’s onto something here,” Green said.

“Len, are you mad? This is Delacroix. The man’s a menace,” Mayor Dunn sighed, “yes, I know what he did for this town. And I’m grateful, really I am. If it weren’t for Delacroix and Tarmalin’s initiative, we wouldn’t be here today. I wouldn’t be here today. I know that. But we’re here now. And at least I’ve realized that we have to do what’s best for New Baja first. And that means making sure that Kain Delacroix isn’t involved.”

“Who else would you suggest we ask to build this network?” Dr Chambers ask rhetorically in a calm an even voice, trying to diffuse the situation, “Delacroix knows how the SRID operate, he knows how to conduct intelligence operations, and he’s already out in the Badlands.”

“Yeah, so its just a matter of finding a fruit fly in a tempest,” Mayor Dunn chuckled, “by the time we contact him, we’ll be up to our necks in SRID men and their MILICIA goons.”

“Well, actually Mayor, by my reckoning he’s only a week or so out of Massada,” Chambers said quietly.

Lenny chuckled a little too loudly. The other counsellors shifted uncomfortably.

“I see,” Dunn was barely keeping his temper, “and when you find him, what are you going to ask him?”

“Just that New Baja still needs his help. That our new settlement is in danger without Intelligence and connections. That he can help us get those connections and furnish us with intelligence. I’m going to appeal to his sense of duty and responsibility.”

Dr Chambers paused and let the words sink in. Then he swallowed, “and New Baja shall appeal to his bottom line.”

Someone gasped. The Mayor was turning a bright shade of red.

“Excuse me?”“Yes mayor, I was suggesting that we offer him payment for his services. After all, he is now first and foremost a businessman.”

“Fine,” Mayor Dunn replied quietly, “but you’re going to meet him in Massada and stay with him.”

Now it was the Doctor’s turn to be surprised. This was somewhat unexpected.

“That’s right Dr Chambers, I’m not going to pay Kain Delacroix to be our roving diplomatic corps without someone supervising him. And that someone is you. You’ll take a maglev to Peace River, and from there you’ll get to Massada. You’ll find Kain, you’ll make your pitch, and if he signs on, you’ll stay with him and his crew. I suggest you get packing.”

Dr Tomohiro Chambers stood, nodded to everyone in the room and walked out in silence. This was going to take some explaining to Julie.

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