"Our friend King Karel now has the largest domain on Jumbo, and King Rajo doesn't seem to resent it. The two of them seem to be getting along famously, though relations were strained for a long time over Valhalla's reluctance to share their technology. Now, though, Karel has the colony, with its library and a school, and I think they'll be cooperating in the development of Jumbo. They've both signed treaties with the colony, and I understand Perez is heading to Whitan soon to talk to King Gralen.
"Yes," Dee asked, "What about the Greeners? Will they be all right?"
Cale shrugged. "I think so. They're finally managing to settle down to farming, without worrying about megalomaniac generals and world domination."
"Actually," he continued, "I think the one who will have the most immediate and far-reaching effect on Jumbo will be Tonio. Farming doesn't really interest him, but he's been on primitive planets before, and he knew what to expect, so he came prepared. He's going to stay in Valhalla and partner with King Rajo and Hiraf. I think Tonio is going to be Jumbo's first modern magnate, and Rajo and Hiraf are going to be his partners. He's buying out the River Port installation, and hiring all sorts of craftsmen to start on developing a factory to make arrows, bolts, and that black powder explosive of theirs for rifle ammunition. He's even started minting coins to pay his workers in silver, steel and copper."
"Then there are the powersats. Tonio took Zant's advice, and brought two of them, though he's only planning to use one for now. We'll position it before we leave, focused on River Port. He and Hiraf have been working on drawing copper into wire, so they can run a power feed to Valhalla Town so Hiraf can work on his airship.
"In the meantime, they're talking to Perez about leasing the Greeners' fusactor. Since Zant sold them the powersat, the Greeners have considered the fusactor a spare, and left it stored on the space station. Tonio and Hiraf want to lease it and set it up at Valhalla Town until they can get a power grid built between River Port and Valhalla Town."
Dee smiled and nodded. "And with the nomads gone, Tonio will be able to use the river for deliveries. So, I guess we don't have to worry about our poor ivory-tower professor's future!"
Cale shook his head, grinning broadly. "I'm wondering if he's the one that will end up taking over Jumbo! So," he continued, "That's what's new on Jumbo. But you've been in King's Town for weeks. What do you have to tell me?"
She smiled. "Well, I suspect Donord is now the richest innkeeper in King's Town, and the Sergeant's Privy is the unofficial hangout of all of King Karel's guardsmen. He's started complaining about his competitors spying on him, trying to learn the secret of distillation. They've even sicced some wizards on him; but he's been able to afford to buy them off. Oh! And Blue-eye!"
"Blue-eye? The girl that was raped?"
Dee nodded. "She learned that she made a lot more ounces after she returned from the colony. She even had men telling her how 'good' she smelled. She started using my bathtub once a week. She's been making more ounces, and so has Donord. When she learned I'd be leaving, she asked me for the bath tub. I'll bet she's got Donord bathing within a month. And married within a year."
Cale looked at her curiously. "I've been meaning to ask about your opinion of prostitutes, now."
She nodded seriously, frowning. "Well, I was taught that prostitutes were either poor girls forced into a life of disgusting degradation and shame, or a lower life-form, hard, disgusting creatures catering to the basest instincts in men.
"But I've known four of them, talked with them daily for over two months. And I've learned that there is a lot more to them than simple stereotypes. Well, at least in a culture like this one. Prostitution on Jumbo carries no stigma. Aside from servant girl, it's just one of very few occupations open to women. And here, even 'servant girl' often has a sexual component. One of the girls is openly hunting for a husband. Another is just a young girl who likes the excitement of the night life at the inn, and is having herself a fling before settling down into marriage. The third was running away from an abusive husband, and found she liked sex, when it didn't involve a beating. The other one, believe it or not, just really likes sex. She's having the time of her life, and says she's learning a lot about men. The only thing that really scares all of them is pregnancy. On Jumbo, pregnancy can be dangerous."
Cale grinned. "Not to mention inconvenient, if you're husband-hunting."
Dee shook her head. "Nope. It seems inn girls are most likely to get marriage proposals when they're pregnant. Apparently, it's proof they're fertile; and that's more important to Jumbo men than beauty."
"Did you learn anything else interesting, besides how to make whiskey?"
She sniffed. "If you mean did I pick up any hints or new techniques, well, you're just going to have to wait and see. But I have even more evidence that no matter their culture, men are still pigs!" A blinding grin took the sting from her words.
"So," she continued, "you think all of Jumbo's problems are over?"
He chuckled. "Hardly. Jumbo still has a long way to go, and getting there won't be easy. For one thing, all these star weapons and star men are causing a lot of hate and discontent among the wizards, mages, sages, and all the rest of those charlatans. If we're lucky, though, we'll be gone before that problem comes to a head."
Her eyes lit. "Then we'll be leaving soon?
He nodded. "Almost certainly. I don't know where we'll be going, though. At least we won't be broke anymore. Tonio and King Rajo have been scouring the north end of the inhabited belt for metals, furs, and handicrafts to fill Tor-Jen's Din-class. They're buying our entire stock of weapons. "
She frowned. "Okay, so we'll have a ship full of exquisite furs and beautiful handicrafts. What are we going to do, sell them and split the money?" Her face abruptly lit with a wide grin. "Well, except for the rainbow cat furs, of course. I'll be buying every one of those I can afford!"
Cale's answering grin was wide. "Well . . . " he said, "You might want to talk to Zant about that. He has plans for Colonies, Inc."
"No!" Dee said firmly. "Whatever he wants to do, the answer is 'no', at least until I get a long vacation on a civilized world, with supermalls and spas. Especially spas. A long vacation!
"Besides," she continued in a more reasonable tone. "Colonies Inc. is gone. Defunct. We spent every credit it had and declared it bankrupt, didn't we?"
Cale shrugged. "Well, actually, we just shut down operations. We've still got Explorer and Colonizer, not to mention a Din-class. Zant's already studying the Stellar Index, trying to find our next headquarters."
Dee started to cloud up. "Uh," Cale said hurriedly, "I guess he could do that and try to find some new customers while we take a long, luxury vacation."
Abruptly she grinned. She ruffled his hair. "See? You're not untrainable. My next project is to get you to go on the paper."
Want more?
For the exciting tale of how John Smith escaped pirates, became Cale Rankin, bought a junkyard, Met Tess, Dee and Zant, and how they won a war and saved a planet, pick up The Privateer.
And to learn more about Val Kedron, Sander Cord, and the birth of the Alliance, check out The Emperor's Conspiracy.
Both books by William Zellmann are available on Amazon.com. Just click on the links below!
If you enjoyed this book, be sure to discover these other fine e-book titles by William Zellmann at Amazon.com:
The Privateer
The Emperor's Conspiracy