Freelance On The Galactic Tunnel Network, E. Foner [the unexpected everything txt] 📗

place will be filled by Semmi’s John, and Phil’s seat as the council’s head has been successfully passed to his son, Larry, who will say a few words.”

The tent really started emptying out in earnest as Larry took the stage, and he began speaking the moment he reached the lectern. “I’ll skip the formalities and just say that the older council members have appointed me to be our representative to the Conference of Sovereign Human Communities because none of them wanted the job and John is too busy with his EarthCent Intelligence work. But I want to take the opportunity in front of those of you who are still here to ask, Georgia? Will you be my apprentice?”

“He just proposed in trader terms,” Ellen said, jabbing the younger journalist with her elbow. “Say something.”

“Yes,” Larry’s mother called out, and then turned to Georgia. “This way it’s not legally binding and you can always change your mind after taking him out for a test drive.”

The next morning, Larry and Georgia met Ellen and John at the latter’s ship. The two reporters went to work on a wrap-up piece about Rendezvous, while the men tried to get the better of each other trading merchandise from their stock that hadn’t moved for years.

“You’ll make a killing with these socks next time you visit Verlock space,” Larry promised the older man. “The only reason I’m letting them go is that I want to do a circuit of the CoSHC worlds I haven’t visited yet in preparation for the convention.”

“There are at least a half-dozen Verlock open worlds with academies in the Conference of Sovereign Human communities,” John pointed out skeptically.

“I’ve been to them already trying to buy used magnetic monopoles.” Larry pulled one of the socks onto his arm and spread his fingers in a ‘V’ with the thumb stretched to the side. “Three toes, you can’t miss.”

“It’s not that I don’t want the socks,” John said, and changed over to a honeyed tone. “It’s that I follow a strict rule about apportioning my cargo and I’m full up on clothing and accessories. Now, if you’d take a gross of Grenouthian hats in exchange…”

“I’ve never seen a Grenouthian in a hat,” Larry said suspiciously. “What makes them special?”

“The ear holes. But you could always patch those and then they’d be good for any species with big heads.”

“Do they stack?”

Semmi got tired of listening to the men who were all talk and no action and decided to get in some exercise before the ship took off. She gave a loud “Caw,” to get everybody’s attention, and scratched out a perfect circle with her right front paw. Next, she used her beak to add two lines of different lengths, and then took to the sky.

“What was that about?” Georgia asked.

“It’s one of the ways Semmi communicates,” John said, going around and standing where the gryphon had been when she scribed the lines. “The big hand is straight up and the little hand is ninety degrees down, so I’d say she’ll be back at three this afternoon.”

“Is she really that smart?” Larry asked.

“Smart enough to cheat at poker,” Ellen said. “The Farling doctor told me that she’s smarter than most humans he’s met, but Flower claimed he says that about everybody’s pets. Why don’t the two of you take a break from trying to out-trade each other and make us lunch?”

“Are you almost finished?” John asked.

“Georgia is just adding a bit about the new foods she discovered at this Rendezvous, and I’m going to write a few words about Marshall’s win and the results of the fundraiser. It feels a little weird to be reporting on a charity for myself, but it’s part of the story, and the Galactic Free Press already offered to make good any losses that the collection didn’t cover.”

“Come on, Larry,” John said. “I’ll show you my stock of freeze-dried rations and break a few open for lunch so you can get a sample before you buy.”

“Who says I’m buying?”

“Put them on my tab,” Georgia said. “Ellen told me about those rations, so get us two of each, and I’ll have something to write about.”

“I hope you’re not giving up on investigative journalism,” Larry said. “I know you got off to a rough start with the Colony One thing, but your editor has to take you seriously after all the stories you’ve had published the last week.”

“Ellen says it’s always a good idea to have some anytime stories in the bank, and food is my go-to fallback.”

 The introduction of freeze-dried meals to the trading forced Larry to start offering merchandise that he wouldn’t have just as soon given away to make space. By the time the men concluded the deal and actually rehydrated a few packets, the women had finished their stories and everybody ate lunch.

“Where does Semmi go when she flies off like that?” Georgia asked.

“I just hope she’s not hunting,” John said. “Aarden is pretty built-up, and I’m sure that the farmers wouldn’t take kindly to a gryphon raiding their flocks.”

“They’ve probably never seen one before,” Larry said. “Where are you headed next?”

“I’ve got to return to the Borten system to follow up on some EarthCent Intelligence business, and Ellen should get a story out of it as well. By the time that wraps up, we’ll probably have to head for the Sol system so she can do her Earth Syndication Coordinator thing.”

“So the two of you are partnering up?” Georgia asked.

“I’m too good for him, but with my ship destroyed and the pre-owned market being in a mess, I’m kind of stuck,” Ellen said.

 “Well, it’s been a fun week, but if I don’t spend some time with my parents before they leave, my mom will kill me so dead that even a Farling doctor won’t be able to bring