Robber Baron Read online

  However, when the Federation began to split up and the 140 planets were left to rule themselves, the Colonial Commission retained its recruiting offices on many of the main planets, in cooperation with each government, and they kept their headquarters in Astropolis IV, in orbit around Blabrow. This made the Commission the only organization that still had authority on an interstellar basis.

  The governments of each planet or solar system were never at "war" with each other, but each was suspicious of the other, and every ship that arrived or departed from anywhere had to undergo searches, and all cargoes were subject to high tariffs.

  All of this makes it difficult for the Commission to run its business, and the business of finding my grandfather, I soon learned, wasn't very high on their priority list. But I wasn't too concerned, as my grief for my parents lessened with each passing week, and I became accustomed to answering to Mr. Bates.

  Many weekends, he would actually come out to the farm, and "help" me. We weeded the garden, and picked off fresh produce, some of which I kept to eat, but most of which I sent in to the market, to sell. Mr. Bates seemed to actually like the working in the open air. He said it was a lot better than being stuck in an office all day, getting hand cramps from signing papers and migraines from trying to figure out every little problem. He told me I could call him "Harry", and he gave me an unlimited public bus pass, in case I ever needed to come see him at his office or his apartment.

  When school let out for the summer, I convinced Harry to let me get a job. My friend Norman Dester said his father needed extra help with that year's harvest, so I accepted. Harry said it was okay, as long as I didn't ignore my own place. Every morning, I walked two miles to the Dester farm, which was comprised of nearly a hundred acres. Mr. Dester had been overly optimistic when he had arrived, and had taken fifty acres. Five years later, after being tremendously successful, he had taken another forty-five. Of course, he had two grown sons, besides Norman and his sixteen-year old sister Destiny, but 95 acres is a lot to work, especially without expensive power equipment.

  When the Federation had still held all the planets in its grip, there had been a "minimum wage law" on most planets - two newdollars per hour, Harry told me. When the Federation broke apart, some planets had raised their minimum wage, while others had done away with the law altogether. In Tarkin, the minimum wage (set by the Commission) was one credit per hour, but I wasn't sixteen yet, so the law didn't apply to me. Mr. Dester paid me six Colonial Credits for every full day of work I put in, besides two full meals for every day I was there.

  I saved money that way, since I wasn't buying nearly as much food as I had been, so I used the extra money I made to buy food for my animals, and every now and then I had some left over. So for the four months that school was out, I helped the Desters weed their large vegetable garden, feed their livestock, spray insecticide, build a new barn, and - right before school started again - harvest their main crops. I got off work one day in seven, when the entire Dester family attended religious meetings, so I made more than cc600. After my own expenses - feed, clothes, and other things, I had about a hundred credits left over, and I wanted to start a personal savings account at one of the little banks in Tarkin.

  My parents had never installed a vidphone in our house, so I called Harry from the Dester house, to ask him if it was okay for me to start a separate savings account. He said it wouldn't be a problem, but he couldn't go with me for a few days, so could I wait? Then he suggested that I just put that ccl00 in my trust fund - he could arrange it. I was about to tell him I would wait until he could go with me, but then Destiny spoke up. She had been sitting across the living room from me, reading a book, apparently eavesdropping on our conversation.

  Norman's older sister put the book down and said, "I could go with you, Phil." When I told Harry to wait, and looked up, she went on. "I've got a savings account in town, and the bus will be out this way in an hour or so. You could start your account at my bank."

  I told Harry what she had said and he said that would be okay, so I hung up. Destiny grinned at me, and said, "Let me know when the bus shows up." Then she stuck her nose back in her book.

  I wasn't sure what I should do for an hour, until the first evening bus came out from town. We had finished the first half of the Dester family harvest, and they had fed me lunch. Basically, I was unemployed now, and school was starting back up in a few days. It would be a waste of time for me to walk home, and then come right back. Norman was doing his chores outside. So I just sat there, glancing outside every few minutes, and alternating that view by looking around the Desters' living room, and down at my nails. A few times, I looked at Destiny.

  I guess it was about the fourth time my gaze swept over Destiny when I stopped, and really looked at her. I suddenly realized that I liked girls, and especially this one. For the last couple of years, I had been vaguely aware that girls were different, and I had known Destiny merely as Norman's older sister whom I saw around the school from time to time. But now I was looking at her in a decidedly different light.

  Her hair, the color of straw, with light brown roots, hung in loose curls around her sun- tanned face and down over her shoulders. Her light green eyes brightly reflected the light from the lamp next to her and her full lips were slightly pursed, as if in deep thought. I turned away and blushed deeply when she suddenly looked up at and smiled. I realized when she smiled that I also liked her teeth. When she looked back down, I looked at the rest of her. Her breasts weren't fully developed, but I could see the twin bulges under her shirt, and her shapely legs were folded under each other on the couch.

  I think I may be the only man alive who can point back to the exact moment when his puberty kicked in. A lot of men have told me over the years that they can't remember when they switched from avoiding girls to being attracted to them. I know. It was that moment, in the late afternoon at the end of Persiphone's summer, in 2483.

  I was a little relieved when I heard the bus approaching, although I had forgotten all about my boredom. "The bus is coming," I managed to say, and got up, realizing that my pants were tight in an unusual area, where they had never been tight before.

  Destiny closed her book and stood up, in one beautiful motion. "Let's go."

  When we got on the bus and found two seats next to each other, I realized that she smelled good too. I remember wondering to myself if I was in love, then shutting off the thought. Of course, I wasn't in love! She was three years older than I was, and I would have to be a fool to think she'd ever reciprocate my feelings. Besides, I'd worked right beside her for six days of every week for four months and never noticed a thing, even on the days when she was just wearing shorts and a halter-top. And now, all of a sudden, I loved every thing about her. Then I realized she was talking about something.

  "I'm sorry, Destiny, I wasn't listening. What were you saying?"

  "Oh, nothing. I was just wondering how you do it."

  "Do what?"

  "Live by yourself. Isn't it hard? I mean, everyone else around has families, and I don't think I could live without my family, even though they bug me sometimes."

  Maybe it was the fact that school was starting the next week, but I said, "Isn't that a 'run-on sentence'?" Immediately I felt stupid for saying it, because she looked at me very strangely. I wondered if it really was a run-on sentence.

  Then suddenly she laughed, and patted my knee. "You're funny, Phil. But seriously, don't you ever get lonely out there?"

  I found it hard to speak, since her hand was still on my knee, but I did. "Sometimes I wake up in the morning, and wonder where my mom and dad are, but after a few minutes I remember they're dead. It's a lot easier to cook and clean house with just one person, though."

  She raised her eyebrows at that last, then asked me, "Did you ever cry, Phil? I think I would cry for days if my mom and dad were dead."

  "I cried a little, but I got over it. 'Life goes on,' my dad used to say. He also used to say, 'You can't change the pas
t, unless you have a time machine.' There's nothing I can do about it, and crying doesn't help a whole lot."

  We fell into silence then, but she left her hand on my knee for a while. When the bus reached the end on the line, and headed back for town, she rested her head on my shoulder. That's when I realized what a difference four months of hard work can make. When I started working for the Desters, I had been very skinny, but Destiny's head on my shoulder made me realize that I had put on some muscle. Suddenly I felt very good about everything and didn't want the bus ride to end.

  *

  At the First Bank of Tarkin, North Branch, Destiny showed me where the applications for savings accounts were stacked, and helped me fill one out. Then a nice lady at the counter took my money and application, and gave me a handful of brochures describing other accounts.

  The lady said, "Just wait here, Philipp, and look over these pamphlets. I'll go get you a balance book for your savings account, and then I'll explain to you how it works, okay?"

  I nodded, and she wandered off. I noticed that she stopped to pour herself some coffee, on her way to get my "balance book." Everyone needs a break from time to time, but should you really take one in the middle of helping a customer? Even if he's a kid?

  Destiny bumped me, and I looked at her. "What?"

  "Shhh. Look over there." She pointed with her eyes, then became very casual. I looked where she had been looking, and my eyes widened. There was a stack of bills sitting on the counter, apparently left there by a careless teller, since the bank was near closing time. Thinking back, I assume that someone must have been counting down their drawer, and gotten distracted.

  I looked back at Destiny; she was scanning the room. "There aren't any cameras," she whispered. "No one's looking."

  I realized then that she wanted to take it. Or she wanted me to take it. I forgot for the moment that my dad had taught me that stealing was wrong. I was still enraptured by the presence of this 16-year old girl next to me. I looked around the room, and thought that maybe the cameras were hidden behind mirrors or something. I had never before actually been inside a bank, but I had seen movies on the Desters' video in the evenings. I knew banks were supposed to have cameras, to avoid just this situation. The thought briefly ran through my mind that maybe there weren't any here, since it was a colony world, and the city was only seven years old. This bank branch had only been here for maybe two or three years. There wasn't a lot of crime on colony worlds. Most people moved to the colonies to avoid things like crime. And the really big criminals stayed in the big cities, where it was easy to disappear, and where there were plenty of choices. Then suddenly, I thought of a way to get the money, whether or not there were cameras.

  "Move over here," I whispered to Destiny, pointing. "And open your purse." She moved quickly, and was then in a position where she would block two possible camera angles. "Don't move."

  I noted the position of her purse then turned away from her, setting my stack of bank brochures on the counter, directly in front of the bundle of bills. From there I could see that it was at least cc2,000, in two bundles of 10-credit bills. I waited, with my hand on the brochures. As soon as the lady with my bank balance book and her coffee came out of the back room, I slid the brochures off the counter, on her side. "Oops!" I called out, and reached over for them. But two had fallen all the way to the floor. I leaned over the counter, reaching for them, letting my arm block the stack of money from the lady's view.

  "Oh, that's all right," she chirped. "I'll get them." She hurriedly set her coffee down, and bent down for the papers.

  As soon as I saw the back of her head, I snatched the money, and reached back, slipping it into Destiny's purse. I felt her hands cover the money and I immediately put my hand back over the counter. The lady teller put my brochures back in my hand, and then she handed me the balance book.

  "Do you need me to show you how to use it?" she queried, indicating the balance book. "Well," I said, trying to keep the shakes out of my voice, "we've got to catch the second out-bus. Maybe I can get my dad to show me." Wow! I had lied without even trying.

  "All right then, young man. I hope to see you again."

  We left as quickly as we could, maybe too fast, but no one followed us. Once on the bus, Destiny suddenly grabbed me in a bear hug. "Oooh, you're great! We did it!" All this in an excited whisper. After looking around, she pulled the money halfway out of her purse. "How much do I get, Phil?"

  "You carried it out," I said to her.

  "You took it, and told me what to do," she pointed out to me.

  "Fifty-fifty, then," I said, shrugging. "How much is there?"

  She looked at it, then shoved it back into her purse, zipping it up. "Let's count it at your house."

  "My house?" My eyebrows went up. "How are you getting home?"

  "Oh, I'll walk." She smiled at me. "We've got to keep the money at your house, anyway, you know. I can't be bringing in that much money to my house! Either Norman would find it when he's snooping, or my mom would find it when she's cleaning. After we've split the money, you'll have to keep my half at your house, and give it to me when I'm ready to spend it. That's okay, isn't it? Since you're the only one living there?"

  I shrugged, and was content to ride home in excited silence, with Destiny's hand on my knee and our traded looks of badly suppressed anticipation.

  *

  There were indeed 2,000 Colonial credits in those two bundles, and we counted every bill. I put my half in a small box, and taped it to the underside of my dad's old dresser, behind the footboard. For Destiny's half, we thought a while. I thought of all the places where I would look for money if I were burglarizing someone's house: under the mattress, in the underwear drawer, under seat cushions on the sofa or chair, etc. Then I hit on a bright idea. I had a full loaf of bread in the refrigerator, which I hadn't even opened yet. I took it out and carefully opened the seal, then poured the slices out on the counter, telling Destiny to wrap her money tightly in a plastic sandwich bag.

  While she did so, I gingerly tore a small hole in the very middle of about ten slices of bread, toward the middle of the loaf. Then I began replacing the bread into its plastic sack. When I got to the middle of the loaf, I stacked the ten slices with holes together on the counter, and placed Destiny's jury-rigged moneybag in the cylindrical hole I had created, then put those slices back in the bag. When all of the bread was back in place, I replaced the seal; the loaf looked as if it had never been touched. All of the extra bread I put outside for the birds, then wiped the crumbs off the counter into the trash. I promised I would keep that loaf until it was too old to be inconspicuous, then I would replace it, using the same method of concealment. In more than seven years, our house had never been broken into, but I figured that even if the improbable happened, the burglar would never find that money, even if he or she stopped to have a sandwich or two.

  We promised each other that we would never tell anyone else about our theft, then I walked her home since it was getting dark. Just before we came in sight of her home, she stopped and kissed me lightly on the cheek. "I had fun, Philipp. Maybe we can do something like that again, sometime. Bye now."

  And she trotted the rest of the way to her house, leaving me standing there in a daze.

  *

  That fall, I entered high school. The school year came and went; I saw little of Norman or Harry or Destiny, since I was wrapped up in schoolwork and chores. I saw Norman every now and then, if we had a class together, and occasionally I saw Destiny in the halls. She would always smile and wave, but she was a senior then, while I was only a freshman, so we didn't ever talk, except on the sixth day, when I would take an afternoon walk with her, or help her with her chores. Harry spent a lot of time on the other side of the planet, where a new city was going up even faster than Tarkin had, as new colonists poured in from the inner planets. He blushed over the phone when he told me that the new town was to be named "Batesville," after himself.

  Harry told me that the
older worlds were working together again, trying to come up with a new interplanetary government, that would once again pull all the known worlds together. Tuf, Turner's Planet, Willsworld, Junxle, Aurora, Paradise, Maze, Leech, Mars II, Ibeen, Earth II, Brellow, Poois, Grink, Mouwor, and even Yurple were cooperating, for the first time in nearly a century. He said that the colony worlds would probably be flooded for a while. Fifteen thousand people landed at our new city in just one week, all looking for homes.

  *

  Shortly after the winter break, I turned 14, and the Desters invited me to their house for my "party." Mrs. Dester had a cake waiting for me when I showed up that evening. Mr. Dester gave me a small video unit to install in my house. Norman gave me cc10, and Destiny gave me a new shirt to wear to school. Mrs. Dester remarked that I had grown quite a lot since last summer, and Mr. Dester said I had put on a lot of weight too, and he patted my shoulder firmly.