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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