He turned at the call, though, and was surprised to see Mike and Courtney Boehlke, all dressed up in their festival best.
“Mike,” he said, taking his friend’s hand. “What in the hell are you doing in Sodom on Poma?”
“Business,” Mike said, grumpily. The farmer was browned by the sun, short and stocky with a shock of hair that was blond on the near edge of white from bleaching. “Talking to damned bureaucrats.”
“A common problem in this town,” Herzer said. “Courtney, you’re looking entirely edible,” he added, hugging the short, buxom redhead. Despite having a houseful of children, she had still retained her pre-Fall figure, which was set off very nicely by a scoop-neck dress, and was one of his favorite people.
“We’re trying to get some of the land they’re opening up in the Sippa delta,” Courtney said. “It’s not going well. By the way, congratulations! We heard you’re engaged to the Councilwoman! When’s the wedding?”
“You’ll be among the first to know,” Herzer said, looking around. “If you’re not doing anything, let’s get a drink. Simak’s isn’t bad,” he added, pointing at a nearby tavern.
When they were seated with mugs in front of them, beer for Herzer and Mike and wine for Courtney, Herzer raised an eyebrow.
“So you’re deserting my farm?” he asked jokingly. He had purchased a piece of land in the first days after the Fall, using just about his last available capital and a lucky lottery. Since he knew he was for the legions, he had turned the management over to Mike, and the joint farms, which were side by side, had been steadily improving over the year and recently had started to produce a nice profit.
“I’m not deserting you, Herzer,” Mike said gruffly. The farmer was short and prickly to a fault but he and Herzer were good enough friends that the major recognized it for just his normal tone. “There’s a good manager for both farms and the rotation schedule is working like a clock. It’s just—”
“He’s bored,” Courtney interjected, somewhat sourly. “He needs more of a challenge. So he wants to drag me and the kids back into the wilderness.”
“Sippa delta is excellent farm land,” Mike protested. “It’ll grow shoestrings! And with the river right there transportation costs will be nothing. Getting it back to the markets on the coast is a problem, but they’re bound to get the ports running at Nawlins sooner or later.”
“So what’s the problem?” Herzer asked, frowning.
“The damned bureaucrats,” Mike snarled. “They’re locking up all the land for the ag corps. The legislation had a hundred loopholes in it and the bureaus that are in charge of distribution are spreading it out using a scale based on ‘proven property.’ Now, between us, we’ve got six thousand hectares and I can point to all of it as ‘proven’ in my name. But Koberda-Yoon has over ninety thousand. So they use this scale. With six thousand they only want to open up a hundred and sixty hectares to me, but they’re opening over a hundred thousand to Koberda-Yoon. And the payback period is based on total grant, so I’ve got two years to prove out and Koberda has thirty.”
“Crap,” Herzer said, shaking his head. “No wonder you’re pissed.”
“Furious,” Courtney said, nodding. “It was all I could do to drag him out of there before he started cracking heads.”
“I’ve often been tempted in this damned town,” Herzer admitted, thinking of a certain duke. “But it only gives you more grief. No, you need somebody with connections to find the loophole in the loophole. There are always ‘waivers’ or ‘exceptions’ in something like this.” He frowned and shook his head. “I don’t do politics, but… Megan does. Damnit, though…”
“You don’t want to ask her?” Courtney said, suddenly focused.
“No, I don’t,” Herzer said, shrugging. “But I will. It just goes against my grain that you have to have a ‘friend at court’ to get your rights. That’s not how it’s supposed to happen.”
“We tried to get in to see Commons Member Bouseh,” Mike said, shrugging. “But he was ‘busy.’ ”
“I’m not sure what Megan can do, if she can do anything,” Herzer said, standing up. “But there’s only one way to find out.”
“You don’t want us to go, do you?” Courtney asked, shaking her head.
“Yes,” Herzer answered, simply. “She’s my fiancée. You’re two of my best friends. It’s time you met.”
“I wish it was under better circumstances, though,” Courtney argued. “Maybe we shouldn’t do this.”
“This is Washan.” Herzer sighed. “Unfortunately, it’s not so much what you know or what you can do but who you know. You coming?”
“Yeah,” Mike said, standing up. “Come on, Courtney.”
“I like Raven’s Mill,” Courtney said, but she stood up and followed the men out of the tavern.
“Great,” Mike said gruffly. “We can retire there.”
“Megan,” Herzer said happily when he came in the apartment and discovered that she was actually there. “This is Courtney and Mike Boehlke, two of my oldest and best friends.”
“Miss… Count…” Courtney said, nervously, trying to curtsey.
“Courtney,” Megan said, quickly getting up from the couch where she had been poring over notes and walking over to take the woman’s hand. “Give me a break,” she said, grinning and pointing at Herzer. “I’m marrying him. You don’t have to curtsey, but you could keep me in your prayers.”
Courtney laughed at that and grinned, showing a deep dimple on one side. “Well, I haven’t heard many complaints and most of the ones I have heard boil down to ‘no more!’ ”
Megan smiled and offered her hand to Mike as Meredith floated into the room.
“Mike, it’s good to meet you at last,” Megan said. “Herzer’s told me so much about you.”
“Well, we had to hear about you in the newspapers,” Mike said, shaking her hand sharply and then looking away. He met Meredith’s eyes for a moment, then looked away from them as well.
“The best friends are always the last to know,” Megan said, leading them over to the couch. “Meredith, I think I’m done with this for a bit. If you could ask Shanea to round up some drinks? Tea or is it late enough for something stronger?” she added, looking at the visitors.
“Herzer dragged us away when I was halfway through a glass of wine,” Courtney said. “But it’s up to you.”
“Wine for Courtney,” Megan said. “And for me as well, the Raven’s Mill chablis perhaps? Mike? Wine?”
“Beer if you don’t mind,” Mike said tersely, looking around at the well-decorated apartment. “I’d have thought that a council member would have a house or something.”
“Houses are at a premium in Washan,” Megan admitted, shrugging. “And this is closer to work.”
“The shorter distance she has to travel, the less chance of an assassin getting to her,” Herzer added sourly.
“Ick,” Courtney said, shaking her head.
“Megan,” Herzer said, “do you have a few minutes?”
“Actually, amazingly enough I have all night,” Megan said. “I was planning on spending the evening with you.”
“Ouch,” Mike said, standing up. “Maybe we should go.”
“Sit,” Herzer said. “This should hardly take all evening. The thing is, Mike and Courtney have a problem and I don’t know how to help them. I hope you do.” He paused as Shanea came in followed by Meredith. As Shanea handed out the glasses and set a chilled bottle on the table Meredith took an outlying seat.