beans
Clouds of dust kicked up by the Hammerhead's
thrusters were still blowing across the crude landing strip when Jet
reached the circle of boulders that was Laughing Bull's camp. The place
was even quieter than usual, though the smell of cooking beans told him
someone was home.
"Yo! Bull!" he called from the arched gateway.
"You here, Old Man?"
Near the front of Bull's yurt, beside a smouldering
cooking fire, a small form moved and caught Jet's eye. "Andrew! Is your
grandfather here?"
The boy stood up and walked purposefully towards
Jet. "He said you'd be coming," said Andrew. "He made me wait so you'd
be sure to get his message. Want some supper?"
Jet half smiled. "Your grandad keeps a
pretty meager
pantry. Sure there's enough?"
Andrew smiled. "There's enough. Grandfather knows
the size of your appetite. He had me take the Dragonfly out to Granger's
Crossing yesterday to stock up."
"Ah. Then I guess he won't be needing this?" Jet
grinned and drew a flask of expensive liquor from his breast pocket.
Andrew held out his hand. "There's always room for
that."
Jet reached into his front pocket and pulled out a
small jackknife, its handle inlaid with polished Martian stones. "Brought
something for you, too," he said. "A little better than the old one you
were using last time."
The boy's eyes shone as he accepted the gift.
"Thank you, Running Rock," he said solemnly. "You have always been
generous to my family."
As the two settled by the fire, Jet wondered why he
felt almost relieved that Laughing Bull was not here. At least it meant
he wouldn't have to indulge in some mystic journey right away. He watched
in silence while Andrew ladled beans into two bowls, and didn't speak
until they were midway through the meal.
"So where's the Old Man?" he said at last.
"You're not keeping track of the dates," said
Andrew, with light reproach. "It's December back on Earth.
Grandfather always goes home to prepare for the solstice rituals
around this time."
"He's in Ontario?" Jet was dismayed.
"Well, that's not far for your ship, right?" said
Andrew. "He said you could give me a lift. That's why I stayed to wait
for you."
Jet stared, open-mouthed. "You're kidding me."
"Kidding about what?" Andrew spoke around a
mouthful of beans. "Grandfather said you needed to go there, too, and
that you could take me. He's never wrong about such things."
Jet scowled down at his beans. It wasn't the first
time the old man had managed to manipulate him into doing something he
hadn't known he didn't want to do. "I wasn't planning on going to Earth
at the moment. I was just coming here for some…advice."
"Yes, that's what Grandfather said you were coming
for," agreed Andrew. "He said you wouldn't mind dropping me off on your
way to see him."
Jet closed his eyes in irritation, silently
counting up the gate fees he'd need for a trip to earth. Maybe he didn't
need Bull's confusing advice, after all, he thought. And then he opened
his eyes and saw the boy's earnest, trusting face. Silently, he cursed
the old shaman, and wondered why he was being tested. "Fine," he said
shortly. "Did he leave an itinerary, and perhaps a special meal
request?"
Andrew laughed. "He just said for you to drop me
off at the main entrance to the university, and I could find my way from
there. That's no trouble for you, is it?"
Jet scanned the stars and located the faraway,
white-glowing body that was his birth planet. "No," he sighed. "No
trouble at all."