“The folks back on Kyoto are going to be disappointed if they don’t see their hometown . . .” Kranjic stopped, and stared behind all three of us. “What the hell are those?”
We turned, slowly, to see two deer-sized creatures about five meters into the fur trees, eyeing us placidly.
“Jane?” I asked.
“I have no idea,” Jane said. “There’s not a whole lot on the local fauna in our reports.”
“Beata,” Kranjic said. “Go get closer so we can get a better shot.”
“The hell I will,” Beata said. “I’m not going to get eaten so you can get a better shot.”
“Oh, come on,” Kranjic said. “If they were going to eat us they would have done it by now. Look.” He started to inch closer to the things.
“Should we let him do that?” I asked Jane.
Jane shrugged. “We haven’t technically started the colony yet.”
“Good point,” I said.
Kranjic had snuck up to within a couple meters of the pair when the larger of the two decided it had had enough, bellowed impressively, and took a quick step forward. Kranjic shrieked and took off like a shot, nearly stumbling as he sprinted back toward the shuttle.
I turned to Beata. “Tell me you got that,” I said.
“You know I did,” she said.
The two creatures in the trees, their work done, sauntered casually away.
“Wow,” Savitri said. “It’s not every day that you get to see a major colonial news figure wet himself in fear.”
“This is true,” I said. “Although to be entirely honest I’m pretty sure I could have gone my entire life without having seen that and still died happy.”
“Then it’s just a bonus,” Savitri said.
We were sitting in my office on the day before my final departure from Huckleberry. Savitri was sitting in the chair behind my desk; I was sitting in one of the chairs in front of it.
“How do you like the view from the chair?” I asked.
“The view is fine. The chair is kind of lumpy,” Savitri said. “Like someone’s lazy ass had deformed it beyond all recognition.”
“You can always get a new chair,” I said.
“Oh, I’m sure Administrator Kulkarni would be delighted with that expense,” Savitri said. “He’s never gotten over the idea of me as a troublemaker.”
“You are a troublemaker,” I said. “It’s part of the job description of being an ombudsman.”
“Ombudsmen are supposed to resolve trouble,” Savitri noted.
“Well, fine,” I said. “If you want to get snippy about it, Miss Literal Pants.”
“What a lovely name,” Savitiri said, and swung back and forth in her chair. “And anyway, I’m only an assistant troublemaker.”
“Not anymore,” I said. “I’ve already recommended to Kulkarni that you be made village ombudsman, and he’s agreed.”
Savitri stopped swinging around. “You actually got him to agree?”
“Not at first,” I admitted. “But I was persuasive. And I convinced him that at least this way you’d be required to help people rather than bother them.”
“Rohit Kulkarni,” Savitri said. “Such a fine man.”
“He does have his moments,” I allowed. “But he did give his approval, finally. So just say yes, and the job is yours. And so is the chair.”
“I definitely don’t want the chair,” Savitri said.
“Fine,” I said. “Then you’ll have nothing to remember me by.”
“I don’t want the job, either,” Savitri said.
“What?” I said.
“I said, I don’t want the job,” Savitri said. “When I found out that you were leaving, I went looking for another job. And I found one.”
“What is it?” I asked.
“It’s another assistant job,” Savitri said.
“But you could be ombudsman,” I said.
“Oh, yes, be ombudsman in New Goa,” Savitri said, and then noticed my look; after all, that had been my job. “No offense. You took your job after you’d seen the universe. I’ve been in the same village all my life. I’m thirty years old. It’s time to leave.”
“You’ve found a job in Missouri City,” I said, naming the district capital.
“No,” Savitri said.
“I’m confused,” I said.
“This is not news,” Savitri said, and then continued on before I could retort. “My new job is off-planet. On a new colony called Roanoke. Maybe you’ve heard of it.”
“Okay, now I’m really confused,” I said.
“Seems that a two-person team is leading the colony,” Savitri said. “I asked one of them for a job. She said yes.”
“You’re Jane’s assistant?” I asked.
“Actually, I’m assistant to the colony leader,” Savitri said. “Since there are two of you, I’m your assistant, too. I still won’t get you tea.”
“Huckleberry’s not one of the colonies that was allowed to send colonists,” I said.
“No,” Savitri said. “But as the colony leaders, you are allowed to hire whomever you like for your support staff. Jane already knows and trusts me and knows that you and I work together well. It made sense.”
“When did she hire you?” I asked.