“Solrio, I know that the investigators have gathered evidence. I’d like to speak to Tysske Jelsma about this. Maybe she'll tell me what she knows.”
“I need to conduct the interview with her, Eiske. That's my job, not yours.”
"It was my home that was broken into.”
They argued back and forth and finally Solrio relented. “I suppose we can talk to her together. Normally, I’d conduct an interview in her home.”
“Would you consider transporting her here?”
“Yes, if she’s agreeable. You can use that communication station," she pointed.
Eiske looked up the Jelsma contact information and punched in the number. Tysske’s face immediately filled the screen. “Dr. Bonnema! How are you this evening?”
“Hello, Tysske. I’m not so good. I’m wondering if you could help me figure some things out.”
“How can I help?”
“I’d like you to join me for a conversation in person. Could you do that right now?”
“Sure.”
“I’ll have you transported to my present location. I’ll be with you in just a moment. Thank you.”
Solrio and Eiske went to the transporter room. Eiske introduced Solrio and Tysske on the way back to the lounge where Syp sat reading. “I’m investigating some activities that occurred this morning. I'm hoping you can help me out,” Solrio explained. “This interview is being recorded. Protectorate Enclave 8. It is the seventeenth day of the fourth month, 6242.”
“I spoke with my father this afternoon after I returned from a fishing trip,” Eiske told Tysske. “He was telling me about a conversation that he had with you this morning.”
“Oh, yes,” Tysske said cheerfully. “I saw them at Limke’s this morning.”
“Can you tell me approximately what time it was?”
“Around 9:30. My daughter and I went there for a late breakfast.”
“You told my father that you’d heard my house had been broken into and the garden had been destroyed?”
“I did.” She fiddled with the wristbands of her blouse and looked away.
“Did you come to the medical facility for treatment, Tysske?”
“No.”
“Were you on the grounds?”
“No.”
“How did you know that my house had been broken into?” She didn’t answer.
“Tysske,” Solrio said, “You have knowledge that a crime has been committed. That crime occurred on the grounds of a Protectorate facility. Withholding information in a Protectorate investigation is a punishable offense. Please share with us how you became aware that Eiske’s home and the medical facility were broken into.”
“Els and I went to see Geldou. Els is my daughter. Geldou was at our house one night last weekend. We were playing poker, and she made this outrageous bet towards the end of the night. She lost the game, then borrowed money from me to keep playing. She lost it all. She said it would take a week to get the money together and promised me that she’d pay me this morning. So, we went out there to get what she owed me.”
“What time were you there?”
“It was about 7:30.” When Eiske looked surprised at the early hour, she explained, “Els and I wanted to bake some goodies for the noon meal. I needed the money that Geldou owed me to buy groceries. When we arrived, the boys were outside, cleaning a loader that was on the tractor. They were laughing and joking around. One of them said something to the effect of, ‘I never thought breaking into Eiske’s house would be so much fun! Just thinking about the looks on their faces when they see what I painted on the wall makes me laugh.’”
“Do you know each of the boys?” Solrio asked.
“Yes.”
“Which boy said that?”
“That was Kryn.”
“Was there any other conversation that you heard?”
“Nel thanked Obbe for letting him dig the hole. Eiske, he asked Kryn why you asked him to dig such a hole in the mud in the middle of winter., Nel was worried about how much damage they had done to the stone path that you’d put down. Kleis told him that you had said not to worry about it, it was all repairable.”
“Did you say anything to Geldou or Haerm about what you overheard?”
“I would have, but she neither of them were there.”
“Did you see the other boys?”
“Thys and Teed were practicing martial arts. Melle was inside. I talked to him, and he said he was working on an application to Shipman University.”
“Did you happen to notice which tractor they were working on?” Solrio asked.
“Oh yes. It was the tan Tracton 620. That’s the one with the big cab on it.” Solrio turned off the recording machine.
“I don’t want to ruin my friendship with Geldou,” Tysske lamented. “Are you going to tell her that you talked to me?”
Solrio responded. “This tape will be part of the evidence presented to a prosecuting attorney.”
Tysske sighed. “I’d hate to see something happen to her.”
“Thanks for helping us out, Tysske.”
“I haven’t said anything to Geldou, but I’ve really wondered about her and Haerm over the years.”
“What exactly are you referring to?”
“I’m sure you know that a piece on the harvester broke last year, and they didn’t bother to replace it. They lost most of their crops, so you’d think they’d be hurting for money. But I heard that they paid off that new tractor. The housing inspectors were out there recently and told Geldou and Haerm that they have twelve months to put a home up that meets the minimum housing standards for this area or they’ll be forced off their own property. Well, that’s going to cost a buttload of currency. When she told me that, I asked what they were going to do, and she said, ‘Keep faking it.’ What in the world does that mean? Either you’ve got the funds or you don’t!” She shook her head. “Worst of all, they loosed that little girl, Syp. Those quintuplets are only five, and they sent her out in the middle of winter! The child’s been gone now for nearly four months. I asked Geldou about her, and she told me that there’s one less mouth to feed. She makes it sound like they don’t have enough money to feed them all, but they’re out playing high stakes poker almost every weekend. She told me recently that it’s like being back in Kop, taking chances at the Aurora Borealis.”
"The Aurora Borealis?"
"It's a bar that's near the university. I guess she hung out there a lot, back in the day."
“Were you in Geldou’s class at school, Tysske?” Solrio asked.
“Oh, yes. We’ve known each other since grade school. We attended each other’s weddings.”
“That was what? Eleven years ago?” Eiske led her along in the conversation. “I'll just fish around for some information," Eiske thought.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
“No, Eiske. It was ten years ago. She’d gone to Shipman for a few months and couldn’t come up with the funds to stay in the university. She came back with Haerm after he graduated.”
“I don’t recall that he attended there,” Eiske scratched his head.
“He was two years older than she and I.”
“That’s not true. That would have put him in my class,” Eiske said. “I didn't know him when I was in school. He has to be at least two years older than me. What was his area of study?”
“It was something to do with funerals? Maybe embalming people? No. Maybe it was doing autopsies. Why can't I remember? Wait! It was something to do with accounting." She adjusted her collar. "Isn't that funny? Geldou, the person who never has enough money and is always asking to borrow it, is married to someone who’s supposed to be able to keep close track of money,” Tysske laughed. “I never understood why he got a degree, but came back here to be a farmer.”
Solrio sat silently, thinking hard. “Dead bodies. Accounting. Dead bodies. Forensics. Forensic accounting." she thought to herself.
“And have so many boys!” Eiske laughed. “I wonder who the genius doctor is that she and Haerm worked with?”
“She and Haerm worked with?”
“You know. The doctor that implanted the boys’ embryos.”
“Eiske, you’re confused. She didn’t have embryos implanted. She and Haerm had those babies on their own. She never left the peninsula. She had those three boys, and no one would watch them. She couldn't keep up with them. They had a lot of energy and were into one thing after another. No, Haerm and Geldou never went anywhere until about two years ago.”
“I just assumed someone helped them. After I finished at Shipman, I went off-world for medical school. I remember my mom talking about a doctor and doing lab work. Maybe she worked in one?”
Tysske tried to remember. “She did work in a lab when she was going to the university. She mentioned it to me once at a party. I only remember because she gave me this detailed description about a person she worked with, and I have never had such a clear mental picture of someone. He was a ridiculously tall doctor that had golden eyes, dusky blue skin and golden-brown braids. They had gone outside on a break, and she was smoking something, and he was leaning against the building. He apparently hit his head on the sign that said “Conceive” and told her that his mind was pregnant with ideas of how she could make money to pay for her classes. He was teasing her, of course. They ended up making this long list of ways she could make money, and they were mostly silly. Some of his ideas did help her a bit. She donated blood, and had her long hair cut by a lady that made a wig out of it. When she and I were talking about it, we were half-drunk and our conversation degenerated into all kinds of sexual references." Tysske giggled. "Before she left for Kop, she told me that she was going to work at a casino bar on the weekends. She thought she had some sure-fire way to win at poker and could pay for her classes that way. But she couldn’t earn enough to continue past the first semester, so she came home with Haerm after he graduated.”
“They were married in the seventh month.”
“Yes. And she miscarried in the eleventh month.” Eiske looked over at Syp. He knew it wasn’t reading, and it was listening. Tysske went on, “Obbe was born in the twenty-third month. You came home after that.”
“Um, no. Not for a long time. I was in medical school for three years. Then I was assigned to a hospital in Nik for a few years.”
“Did you like the city?”
“Some days. Other days, not so much. Now that the technology of the hovercraft available is advancing so rapidly, the cities are kind of a crazy place to be. There aren’t markings to follow, and anyone can come at you from any direction. And those damn pyricells! They clean up the dead bodies, but then go after live people. And people are so...Aargh! Just thinking about it upsets me!”
“People won’t stay away, because they want to know who was killed so they can notify the families.”
“Yes. I treated so many people that were attacked by those beasts! They can fly faster than people can run. So many people would run for a door and would be halfway in. They’d lose a hand. Or an ear. Or...well, you get the idea. I’m sorry! Those things drove me nuts. If someone would tame them and train them to do the clean-ups, it would be a service to the world.”
“Like that’ll ever happen,” Solrio said laughing. “They are unpredictable beasts.”
“Thanks for coming to help us, Tysske.”
“I’m sorry this all happened, Eiske. Hopefully, things will get straightened out.”
After Tysske went home, Eiske returned to the lounge with a tablet. He opened an article and started to read. Syp sat in a chair sideways, legs dangling over the side, reading. Solrio made tea and filled their cups. “Stop pretending. Neither of you are reading,” she said.
“It’s hard to read when I’m so angry that I can’t think straight. Those boys entered my home and destroyed things. Hasn’t anyone learned anything? What the hell is wrong with them?”
“I don’t know, Eiske. I’ve gathered all the evidence and have sent it to a legal consultant. Lonc sent a copy of satellite tapes that show the tractor going between yours and the Brons’ properties. After you leave tomorrow morning, Obbe, Kryn, Kleis, and Nel will be brought in for questioning. The consultant has filled out the paperwork requesting a search warrant.” Eiske looked at her questioningly. “This incident is not something simple like Geldou lying about her birth order, age, or college degree. I've seen those boys' school records. All but one have many incidents of fighting with and bullying other children. Geldou and Haerm have told the teachers to deal with them, and they don’t want to address the glaring problems. Now those boys have crossed the line by breaking and entering, destroying a Protectorate facility, threatening people with death, and killing small animals. This is much more serious than a fistfight. Since three of them were here once already, we're talking about incarceration. It will depend on what forensics turns up.”
“What are the legal people looking for, Solrio?”
“I’d rather not say, Eiske.” She glanced toward Syp.
"You don’t need to protect me,” Syp said boldly.
“Yes, we do. That’s what adults are supposed to do for children.”
“I meant, you don’t need to hide the truth from me. I lived in that family. I realized after I went to stay with Eiske that something was not right.”
“What do you think that was, Syp? Can you tell us anything about it?”
“When I came here for the tests, I slept all night for the first time in my life. I didn’t tremble like I did at home. When I went to Eiske’s, my stomach became soft, and I started to move around easier. When Haerm accused me of tripping him at the community center, my stomach got hard, and I wanted to run. That’s how I always was when I lived there.”
“You were afraid.”
Syp nodded. "Yes, afraid." It turned off the electronic tablet. “I think that everyone living there is afraid. There’s a secret. But I don’t think the boys know it. They just feel afraid.”
“What’s the secret, Syp?”
“Someone’s going to come. Someone will find them. Will tonight be the night that person’s going to come?”
“Are you saying that Haerm and Geldou are afraid that someone’s going to find them?”
Syp held onto its stomach. “They’re so scared. They had a checklist that they went through every night. What are we eating tomorrow? It has to be healthy, so no one gets sick. He was adamant that everyone take a vitamin. She stood at the bathroom and watched each of us to be sure we brushed our teeth, even Melle. Haerm would check everyone's feet, rub them with lotion, and trim nails and fingernails. Once a month, she gave everyone a haircut. Except for me. She never touched my hair after the first try. I screamed so much that I shattered two windows. Every night when they went to bed, they would argue. I don't know what it means, but he would always tell her that they agreed before they married that they would live below the radar. He'd say, 'You can only go to one place after work tomorrow. Where are you going? Which item are you going to buy? No, you can’t buy two pairs of jeans today. Remember to not let anyone see how much money you are carrying. We don’t want anyone to know how much money we have. Be sure to only take money for what you absolutely need. How much is left? Can we pay him if he comes? Someday he’s going to come.” Syp’s voice trembled. “And she'd say, 'He said he’s only going to take one of them. Offer him Syp first. She’s so ugly and deformed and doesn’t matter. Maybe if we send her away, he’ll see her leaving and take her and be satisfied. What if he wants more than one? Should we give up more than one child, in order to save the rest? Whatever you do, don’t give him Kryn. He’s the best baby boy.”
“Who are they so scared of?”
“I don’t know,” it whispered.
“Take a deep breath, Syp,” Solrio said softly. Syp inhaled and exhaled. It took a bit before it stopped shaking. “You’re safe here.”
Solrio walked Syp down the hall to the guest quarters and stayed with it as it changed into sleeping clothes and brushed its teeth. Syp looked at its fingernails and rubbed lotion onto its feet. Solrio could still see the fear on its face as it climbed into bed. “You’re safe here. It’s okay. No one’s coming to take you away.” Solrio sat on the bed and rubbed its back. "Would you like to listen to some music?"
“No thank you. I don't care for music. It’s repetitive and annoying.”
“When do you hear it?”
“When my brothers played games.”
“Games have songs that are intended to hook you into playing over and over. I’ll see you in the morning, Syp.” Solrio went back to the lounge to get her electronic tablet.
Eiske was still sitting there. He was thinking hard, and she told him she was going to bed.
“I’m trying to figure out what to do," he responded. "I don’t want to be Haerm and Geldou’s target. I don’t want to leave. My parents are getting into their old age. I no longer trust that Geldou will help them if they need it. I like this location, and I like my patients for the most part. These are good people. But now, I’ll have to replace almost everything in the medical building.”
Eiske went on. “I’m afraid that Syp’s going to take off on its own, if there’s another incident like the one today. I taught it how to fish. It knows how to cook over an open fire. It seems to know when things around it are out-of-sync. This week, we found my wife’s old spellbooks and her charms and Syp has asked me about those. Do I teach it magic? Or not? It doesn’t know how to defend itself. I’ve looked at both electronic pads Syp has. It has read over forty documents in the past two weeks about how to live outdoors. Should I let it practice living outdoors? Should I let it go on its own?”
“Does it have currency or access to currency?”
“Yes. It has a small bit of paper currency and a card with a balance. It hasn’t been taught how to budget, save, or spend currency.”
“Let’s sleep on these things. Magic skills, defense, outdoor skills, currency. In the morning, let’s make a plan with specific goals. I’d really like to see Bahansir succeed. I mean, Syp. The name thing needs to be brought up again.” She added that to the list.
The next morning after breakfast, the three sat down again. “I’m tired of always talking,” Syp stated. “May I be excused from this?”
“No, you can’t,” Solrio answered. “I’ve made the decision to end this living arrangement. I’ve talked with Sage Elvan. I’ll be taking you to his home this morning.”