Chapter 62

Being in charge…

“Megal, it is good to see you walking,” Francos said. He was sitting in a chair near the window, feeling better, but could not stand for long. Megal had been working to get his strength back. Both he and Sarita were surprised at how hungry they were and how much they could eat.

“I have work for you,” he told his son, “Since you were part of the negotiations. I need you to meet with Pedro Valentino from the south coast. I suspect he is angry about the trade agreement. The last time I talked to him, he suggested we burn the pirates out. He got support from Joachim Pesch, unfortunately,” Francos closed his eyes and did some deep breathing to calm himself. Controlling his temper was difficult since the attack. “I don’t think I could control myself.”

“Papi, he may not accept what Sarita and I have to say, but we will do our best.” Megal remembered the rigid Valentino from the services for his brother. “But I have not been officially declared First Successor.

“Sarita and I are working on it, however.” Megal grinned at his father and blushed.

Francos laughed. A grandchild was required by tradition. Now that he and the Poh had announced acceptance of the women’s demands, a granddaughter might also be declared as First Successor. Before leaving Terra, it had been common for a woman to be director of the corporation.

“You are my official representative, due to my injuries. Valentino may complain, but if he wants to be heard, he will talk to you.” Francos again closed his eyes as the healer came in to bring him a cool drink to help him relax. “Go with the Three to guide you. Only that Being can help us with some of this.”

***

“Sarita, this man is older and stubborn. His hacienda has suffered from raids by some of the Port ships. My father believes he is upset over the trade agreement. Let’s go over what was decided in that agreement.” Megal appreciated the conversations with Sarita over making decisions and changes that were needed in all three settlements. Often, they began laughing because they finished each other’s thoughts.

“Just so we keep our dreams and wishes out of the conversation,” Sarita said. She handed him a reader with the agreement open. “I was thinking about some of the things we hope to do and realized we would get a lot of resistance. My experience has been that almost all people resist change.”

“Papi said Ser Valentino wanted to kill off the whole Port settlement and burn it. His fishing camp was destroyed last season and most of the residents were driven off into the hills. With the cold season, many of them did not survive.” Megal began making notes. “From what some of the settlements have suffered, I am not surprised they want revenge.”

“That had to be Mack Gunson. He was killed at Southmost port with that new, larger crossbow. He and the Batchelder family have been the most vicious of the raiders. They’ve been condemned by the other Port residents.” Mandy told Sarita about the arrest of Batchelder and his punishment. Port had warned the other settlements not to rescue him off his prison island and to beware of the flesh-eating fish in the lagoon.

Megal was insistent. “Well, Ser Valentino has reason to be angry and we need to be sympathetic to that.” Sarita realized that empathy was one of Megal’s main powers and one that caused him pain. He could sense a person’s emotional state and easily begin to share it. It made him a dangerous negotiator. He gave in far too soon.

“He will have to realize the changes they have made in Port,” she said, “and what it can mean for all of us.” She would have to strengthen Megal’s resolve.

***

Serept had shown the visitor into Francos’ office where Megal and Sarita were waiting. Ser Valentino was a short, wiry man with a large scar on his face. “I requested to speak directly to the Overlord. Why are you here? What I have to say must be heard by him, or I will call for a meeting the Council!”

“If you please, Ser Valentino, my father is still recovering from his injuries and has delegated this meeting to me and my wife. I helped negotiate the agreement with Port. We have information to indicate you are concerned about it.”

“Just because you chose a woman raised in Utopia does not mean she is not damaged. Women should never be involved in ruling. We had women in charge when we left the Terra and look what that got us! Stranded on this mud ball that keeps shaking. We lost another range of traps and our main dock to a rock fall during the last shake we had. Several people, too. You haven’t even been accepted as First Successor yet. Where is Pentast? He is older than you.”

“Ser Valentino, my uncle has recognized me as First Successor and returned to the hacienda. He is more interested in the birthing of goats than trade and meetings.” Megal wished he also had such an excuse to avoid dealing with this older man. “What in particular do you need to bring to my father’s attention?”

Serept entered with a tray and Sarita asked if Ser Valentino would care for tea or wine. Megal poured the requested tea and placed a plate of nut meat cakes next to the mug.

“See, already you are acting like a woman and trying to distract me with sweets,” Valentino said. Despite his insult, he took one of the cakes and looked surprised when he tasted it. “This is that tree nut that grows on the islands that we let those pirates have, isn’t it?”

Sarita spoke up for the first time. “Yes, that is one of the products we are trading for potted meat. It is one thing the settlement has an abundance of, as well as the crab glass.”

“We had some of those crabs in frames near our fishing docks,” Valentino said, “but the rocks wiped them out. They didn’t seem to want to make any of the clear shells, only thick, opaque ones. Not much of a loss when the cliff fell.” He finished one cake and selected a second before he continued. “I have lost over half my people between the cliff fall and the pirates’ raids. I need more people. That is one thing I wanted to talk to the Overlord about. We have tried to grow the things they do on the islands, but it is just too cold on our coast. I need help.”

“Ser Valentino, would you consider moving your people to another area?” Megal had seen a report that one of the other coastal haciendas was having the same problem: not enough people. “The Delta hacienda has had some major losses. They are not that far up the coast. Would you consider joining with Sera Catrina Carbajal in her settlement?”

“That is another thing I want the whole Council to consider. My sister is not fit to assume her husband’s place. No woman has that right. She asked me to bring my people after the cliff fall. I don’t know who is running the place in her name, but I want to know.”

Sarita had met Sera Catrina at a gathering before the wedding and was certain she was in charge. She probably had been before her husband was killed after his experimental boat blew up and sank. “Ser Valentino, the Poh has announced it, and the heads of all Council Houses as well as many of the Unspoken families have accepted it. Women are not always damaged by their first sexual experience.” Sarita smiled at the older man as she opened the reader with the trade agreement. “We have known this fact in Utopia for years. It is finally becoming known here. Now, what is your concern about the trade agreement?”

“Those pirates must pay! They raided us, killed two men, drove my workers into the hills and took a year’s worth of oil and fish meal production. We have not recovered yet. I want credits, or goods, or something. Not coddling them with a trade agreement!” The man slammed his fist down on the small table, causing his mug to spill and the remaining cakes to fall to the floor.

Sarita quickly made a note about the pirated oil and fish meal. She would check with Mandy and Spacer, but she was sure it never got to Port. Where had the raiders taken the goods? She chose her words carefully.

 “I assure you, there has been a change of policy in Port. The current trade representative is here at the Residence, and we are working on some form of compensation for the losses.”

The talk of a permanent merchant shipping system was still just that, talk. Tony had suggested it to Blackie because some of the ships had done merchant shipping informally—but unfortunately, used it as a cover for kidnapping and raids. Mandy proposed that those who had the most damage from the raids would get credits toward shipping. Tony and Francos thought it a good idea.

“Well, it had better happen pretty soon,” Valentino said. “My people are hurting.” He got to his feet and helped to right the small table he’d knocked over. “Sorry about that. My temper gets the best of me sometimes. I’ll talk to my sister about moving some folks up to her place. With another bad shake, the whole village may be in the water. I want you to know I am not happy about all these changes. Been doing pretty well for all these years until this last round of shakes. Stupid planet to move like it does. Tell your father to get the word out that you are doing things for him. Not everyone is as accommodating as I am.”

It was all Megal and Sarita could do to hold their laughter until he was down the hall and could not hear. Serept returned after escorting the visitor to the door.

Sarita shook her head. “Oh dear. Serept, has he always been that way?” “Always, Sera Sarita. His closing statements always leave the Overlord laughing, but never to his face. He is a good man.” Serept picked up the tray and escorted them back to their rooms.