The moment that Supreme Commander Emad
Salmin handed over the data tablet they knew precisely who to hand it on to,
and who should hand it to him.
Duff Tarver was primarily a raconteur, his
office was a bar or tavern and his audience were his fellow patrons.
But he didn’t merely tell stories he also
collected them from his loose tongued admirers, and he always got stories of
worth.
He was a freelance journalist who sold his
work to whichever media outlet fitted the bill and he distributed his copy
across the known systems of Legion space, and he made a steady living, not
enough to move up in the world, but he did ok.
He was a heavy drinking, down to earth man
in his early fifties with a long-suffering wife, Chani, who managed to bring up
their three children virtually single handed.
With Duff the
phrase, “what you see is what you get”, fitted him like a glove.
He was a popular
man, despite all his faults, as it was very difficult not to like him, even if
he could drive you to despair.
Due to his heavy
drinking he often needed assistance to get home but because people liked him so
much he was never short of a chauffeur.
Most literary
types have a favorite quote, from one of the classic novels or from a Shakespearian
play but his favorite was
“If I ever read
about the dangers of drinking then I’ll give up reading”
Bagg had known Duff, since they were both
young men, before he began his vocational training.
They met on Mars,
where Bagg was born and raised, and Duff had worked his passage on a freighter
from his home planet of Earth Secondus, in the
Overtonis system.
They hit it off
immediately and became firm friends in the few months before Bagg had to leave
for Visitor College.
But over the years
they had been reacquainted on many occasions, and rarely in the same system
twice, but because they both lead nomadic existences eight years had passed
before they met again quite by chance in the Visitors Rest in Gipki.
It wasn’t the
usual type of drinking establishment he would normally frequent, but he had
felt compelled to go in and when he saw Bagg seated in one corner he fully
understood why.
The home that he
shared with his wife Chani and their three children was in the City of Rendon
on Eikon Major.
She and the kids
had been dragged around Legion space for years, which for the most part she
didn’t mind, but she always insisted that the family live in a big city with
all the amenities to hand,
It was important
for her that she had access to good schools for the children and good shops
that she could afford to shop at.
Living in Rendon
was good for him too, firstly because he had peace of mind regarding his
family, plus it was the seat of Government for the Eikon
Cluster, so called due to the high number of M class planets and moons in the
Eikon solar system, and where there was Government there was potential scandal,
and people loved scandal, scandal was very profitable.
So with Chani and
the kids settled in the capital it allowed Duff to spend his time frequenting
bars and taverns picking up titbits, which may or may not lead to some larger
morsel.
The weekend following their meeting with
the Commander the whole crew were going to Montrose to spend the Festival with
Bagg’s brother and his wife, which held particular significance for Bagg
himself as it was to be the weekend he introduced his love, Wisma Berita, to
his family for the first time.
So as that was one
event he was never going to miss he got a message to Duff and arranged to meet
with him in the Blue Horizon Bar in Odekka on Friday Night.
Bagg took
Merionwen with him for the meeting, partly because she was a redhead and Duff
was partial, but mainly because she was also born on Earth Secundus, and she
didn’t often get the chance to meet a fellow native.
Just as a
precaution he also had the Skeet brothers stationed close at hand watching the
comings and goings.
Duff was indeed
happy to see Merri and was equally pleased to meet another Secundian, but after
twenty minutes of chitchat he said
“What did you want
to see me about?”
“Some information
has come into our possession which we think you will know what to do with” Bagg
explained “about someone highly placed”
Bagg had Duff’s
full attention and stopped drinking,
“Who?”
Bagg and Merri
looked at each other and Bagg nodded.
“Neff Amery” she
said and Duff’s jaw dropped
Bagg and Merri sat
watching him as he processed what they had said, but when the name sank in he
asked excitedly
“What’s he done?”
“Well…” Bagg began
“Please tell me
its sex?” Duff pleated “Lots of sex”
“Well…” Bagg began
again
“Don’t disappoint
me after getting my hopes up” he snapped
“The truth is”
Merri said “There’s too much for us to tell you”
“Too
much?” Duff repeated “Too much to list?”
“That’s why we
have this for you” Bagg said and slipped the tablet discreetly into his pocket.
“What
do you want me to do?”
“Make
what is secret, public, and shine the light of truth onto what hides in the
darkness” Bagg said
“Very
poetic” Duff said “This is a side to you I’ve never seen before, I like it”
After
they finished their drinks they were walking to the door when a roughly dressed
man barged into Duff and knocked him sideways and then growled at him for his
trouble.
Merri
bristled and was about to confront the thug but Bagg held her back and said to
Duff
“Check
your pockets”
Duff
did as Bagg said and then nodded to intimate all was well so they went out the
front door where the Skeets had the Stroller waiting for them.
“Come
on we’ll drop you by your ship” Lyris said and he climbed aboard.
“Anything
suspicious?” Bagg whispered to Zerrad
“No”
he replied “no one appeared to look out of place”
“That
could just mean they were very good” Bagg mused and got aboard himself
They
dropped Duff beside his Corvette and Bagg got out with him and said
“Be
careful Duff, he’s a dangerous man”
“Don’t
worry old friend, I’ll be cautious” he replied “You know me”
“That’s
what I’m worried about” Bagg said and the two men embraced
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