“I’ve helped out a lot of people,” she said with a laugh. “Getting a house or starting a business. It’s a win-win scenario. I have money and they need it.”
“So how is giving your money away a win for you?” Lewis asked.
“I’m not giving it away per-se,” Fingers said, looking suddenly serious. “It always comes back in the form of goods or services, if not the money itself. Also, the city reduces the taxes for someone who helps fund development.”
Lewis thought about this for a while before asking. “How many people are you helping?”
Fingers nodded her head to the side and they stepped to the side to let the others pass. “Most fighters don’t ask so many questions,” she said quietly. “Do you want to fix up a house to live in?”
Lewis said. “I don’t know, just curious, I guess. What’s involved in ‘fixing up a house’?”
Fingers said. “You stand before a panel with a request and if they approve the request they will issue a temporary title to a house or apartment. You would then have one year to fix up your dwelling and receive a permanent title. If a benefactor guarantees your fees and construction costs, then they would hold an equal interest in the title until it’s released.”
Lewis asked. “What if a person doesn’t have a benefactor?”
They had resumed walking at the rear of the column before Fingers answered. “Even a laborer is able to afford the fees. The question is, are they going to be able to meet the one year deadline? If they can’t, then they will have wasted a year of their lives. It is possible without much money, but it isn’t easy.”
“Do you need to be a resident of the city to submit a request?” Lewis asked.
“Yes,” Fingers answered. “But that is just a matter of fees and forms, it’s pretty much a given that you will be accepted.”
They had arrived at a warehouse in a rather industrial part of town. A large door was opened to allow the carts in. Fifty feet to the left was a smaller door under a sign that said ‘Jones Enterprises’, Fink ushered Lewis’ party through it. He took them down a long hall with doors on both sides. At the end of the hallway they went into a room with bench tables and a kitchen. The cook was busy at the stove among great clouds of steam and a wonderful aroma. Fink directed them to sit and soon they were all eating. Meat and bread came from the kitchen as well as a thick, sweet drink that Telini thought was nectar.
When they were finished eating they were shown to a bunkroom big enough for eight, which included foot-lockers and a couple of writing desks. Telini set up a com-station at one desk and Lewis put his computer on the other. That evening they relaxed and talked about what they’d seen that day. In the morning they found all their weapons in the cafeteria. The dozen or so workers who were eating ignored the pile of weapons and gear.
Tomas came in while they were retrieving their weapons and said. “Fingers has a couple of days of meetings and she said for you to wander around the city. Here are some tips: arm yourselves lightly, stick to the developed parts of the city and be back by dark. Fink is finding you some clothes so you can blend in, also, here’s some money,” he handed an envelope to Lewis, and then he continued. “Fingers said to consider it a signing bonus for your team.”
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
They stowed most of their weapons and combat gear in the footlockers, which each had a key in the lock. Lewis had just set the envelope on his desk and started to examine the money when there was a knock at the door. He threw a shirt over the cash and crossed the room to open the door. Fink was pushing a cart and announced that their wardrobe had arrived. Fink handed clothes around the room, two outfits for each of them. Without asking any questions they took what was offered. When they had all changed, Lewis thought they looked like a totally different crew. Everyone looked a little ragged, like a bunch of peasants making their first trip to town.
He turned his attention back to the money that Tomas had brought him. The monetary denominations here were figured in kolas and he counted various denominations of paper money from one to two hundred and fifty. The total was one thousand five hundred. He gave each member one hundred kolas and stuffed the rest of the money into the top of his boot.
Fink’s directions led them on a circuitous route past several warehouses and into a residential area before cresting a hill and looking down on the market area. Lewis could see that an old park had been cleared to make room for the vendors under a few of the tall, native trees that stood at least thirty meters above the venders.
“There has to be at least five hundred stalls here.” Roquette observed when they rounded the corner and the market came into view.
The crowd milled and surged around the market place, most of them dressed in brown, tan and gray, the same as Lewis and his team. At times he spotted soldiers, like the ones they’d seen at the gates, as they loitered or wandered in groups of two or three. A group of men in what looked like metal cloth jerkins that hung almost to their knees, marched in step, two abreast and six rows deep. Each had a red cape, a shaved head, carried a holstered pistol and had a sword hilt showing over their right shoulder. Here and there Lewis noticed a few people who were a little shorter than average and dressed in very ragged clothes or loincloths. They looked uncomfortable in the crowds and kept moving to accomplish whatever errand they were there for.
Many balconies overlooked the marketplace and on one there were five men dressed in brilliant blue jumpsuits. Two were sitting at a small table, apparently absorbed in something on a computer, one was surveying the crowds with binoculars, and two looked as if they were standing guard on either side of the balcony. The one sitting closest to the person with the binoculars stood up and said something to him. The man with the binoculars swung toward Lewis’ team, Lewis dropped his gaze and checked on the rest of his team.
“Listen guys,” Lewis said, slowing to match the pace of the crowd. “Don’t stop, try to blend in, spread out more but don’t lose each other. Let’s see what’s for sale.” The team scattered, he angled off to the left and leaned against a wall to watch them.
When he looked up to the balcony it was empty. Raised voices caught his attention and he swiveled to his right. Twenty yards away two men were engaged in a tug of war over some small machine. Two of the local soldiers hurried over and interjected themselves. They took the item in question and one of them turned to the shopkeeper who pointed at each of the men in turn. The guard gave the small machine to one of the men, who left quickly. The other guard took the man who was left by the arm and pointed him in the opposite direction. Lewis was watching him stomp off when he saw blue out of the corner of his eye.
The five blue jumpsuits had come out the market a hundred yards or so from his location. Their jumpsuits had epaulettes with a braided cord at the left shoulder. The cords were of various colors; gold, silver, white and two black ones. The man with the gold braided cord was definitely in charge, surveying everything and then talking to white cord. White cord was holding a small device in his right hand, which looked to Lewis like a little transistor radio. He pushed a few buttons and swept it left and right. Finally it came to a stop in the one o’clock position and he pointed with his left thumb. Silver and gold cords nodded and he pulled another small radio from his utility belt and held it up to his ear. Momentarily they started moving. Lewis looked around and saw Roquette standing several yards to his right. He nodded his head slightly and she turned and made a ‘come here’ sign to her right before walking slowly in his direction. Lewis went back to watching his quarry. They were making slow progress through the crowd and when he scanned ahead his gaze fell on Telini. Telini was pointing something out to Gomez, who reached out to take it from the table. Suddenly it hit Lewis, they were tracking Telini.