Owner's Share (Trader's Tales from the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper) (12 page)

I stepped to the side of the promenade and stopped, getting out of the flow of traffic and letting it move on. She stopped with me, anger giving way to curiosity.

“DST has a management problem that they’d just as soon not get spread around.” I looked at her until she nodded her understanding. “Historically, the CEO is also the majority stockholder. It’s a private company and that stockholder has been a Maloney for three generations now.”

“Yup, I know that. What’s the prob—” She stopped. “Who’s the new majority stockholder?”

“Mr. Maloney’s daughter.”

I could see the confusion in her eyes. “So? What’s the problem?”

“She’s not in the business.”

“What do you mean she’s not in the business? How can you be the heir to DST, and not be in the business?”

I shrugged. It took me a couple of ticks to explain the will and the stipulations it contained.

When I finished, she looked at me with disbelief. “You’re kidding. They think you’re gonna go into business for yourself so you can turn around and train their new CEO?”

“That’s what they’re telling me.”

“If she doesn’t stick it out, then these people, Jarvis and the Board of Directors, have to take the company public, and Little Miss Maloney gets a reduced inheritance instead of controlling interest in her family business?”

“That’s what I’ve been lead to believe.”

“That stinks!”

“So do I.”

She giggled then. “Me, too. Let’s get cleaned up. I need to think about this.” She struck off down the promenade without looking to see if I were still with her.

I chuckled to myself and stretched my legs to catch up.

Chapter Nine
Diurnia Orbital:
2372-December-19

Mr. Wyatt pulled out all the stops for the dinner mess, serving up a five course meal complete with wine and beer. Mr. Hill and I refrained from imbibing but the general air of celebration was infectious and I, for one, didn’t mind.

Ms. Thomas was the guest of honor for having survived her third attempt at a Master’s Interview. She seemed as dazed as I remembered being after my own trials, but pleased by the attention and support. Mr. Wyatt, always sensitive, even had a special candle bedecked cupcake for Mr. Hill to honor his passing his Spec One Cargo exam.

As the meal progressed, I became more and more aware of the reality that faced us all. With the remains of dessert littering the table, I lifted my mug in salute to Ms. Thomas.

“To the newest captain in the fleet.” My voice cut through the fading conversational threads and everybody raised glass, mug, or cup and gave a rousing “Hear! Hear!”

Ms. Thomas bowed her head in gracious, if giggling, acceptance of the honor and the company looked to me to speak.

I took a deep breath and blew it out through my nose. “Ladies and gentleman of the
Agamemnon
,” I began. The formality wiped some smiles away and engendered others. “This is as good a time as any to let you know what’s happening to the best of my knowledge and ability to share.”

On the far side of the table, Mr. Schubert muttered, “Finally.” A chorus of chuckles erupted around the table.

I nodded to him with a grin. “Finally, and I’m sorry that I’ve had to be quite so secretive. I’ll also admit that there will still be things I can’t share yet, but in all probability, the newest captain in the fleet will be your new captain.”

Ms. Thomas’s jaw dropped. She managed to sputter, “Surely not.”

Mr. Pall put the point on it for me by asking, “Doesn’t that usually take weeks to find out, Skipper?”

“Usually, Mr. Pall, but this Board is expected to report its findings in the morning. It’s the same board that Ms. Thomas faced a year ago, and this re-examination was granted at the request of Diurnia Salvage and Transport a month or more ago.” I shrugged. “Ms. Kingsley expects the report in the morning, I assume.”

Ms. Thomas looked concerned. “Captain? When you started talking about going indie, I didn’t realize you meant now.”

“I didn’t really expect it either, Ms. Thomas, but when Ms. Kingsley brought me your invitation to the Captain’s Board, she also brought my termination papers. I’ll be going ashore, and you all will have to fill an empty billet before you can sail to Jett.”

The jovial atmosphere leeched out of the mess deck faster than a hull breech would have siphoned off the atmosphere, leaving emotional debris swirling in the air.

“But why, Captain?” I was surprised to hear Ms. Arellone’s voice.

“Why, what? Ms. Arellone?”

“Why the sudden shift? Why the hurry up?”

“In about two weeks they’ll announce the results of the
Chernyakova
auction on Breakall. The company expects a lot of the people who get that prize money will quit the company. They expect that I’ll be striking out on my own—going indie.”

“Aren’t they sorta forcing you to do that, Skipper?” she asked. “I mean, by putting you ashore without another ship, aren’t they sorta forcing you into it?”

I shrugged. “I suppose, in a way. The truth is that I don’t have to do anything. The proceeds from the sale of the
Chernyakova
will set me up pretty well, when they get here, and I’ve got plenty of resources to get by on until then.”

“Still,” she persisted, “that timing sucks and it looks to me like they’re punishing you, sar.”

I could see Mr. Schubert nodding just a tiny bit in agreement. I shrugged. “Be that as it may, Ms. Arellone, as soon as Ms. Thomas gets her ticket, she’ll be the new captain, and I’ll be going ashore.”

“Where will you go, Captain?” Avery’s voice broke in. He’d had more foreknowledge, and was trying to help me move the conversation along.

“I don’t know just now, Mr. Wyatt.” I grinned. “Maybe I’ll reserve the penthouse suite and live in the lap of luxury.”

The company laughed a little and Mr. Wyatt suggested, “You might want to wait until the payout actually comes in, Captain.” That triggered another round of chuckles.

Chief Gerheart had a strange, contemplative, look on her face, but didn’t offer any comments. I wondered what she was thinking.

I took a deep breath and spoke again into the diminishing chatter. “Since this may be the last time I’ll be sitting at the head of the table with the whole crew assembled...” I paused until they’d all turned to me. “Thank you,” I said. “This has been an amazing stanyer, and I’m honored to have been your captain. I’m sure you’re going to continue the work we’ve begun, and I want to wish soon-to-be-Captain Thomas all the success in the galaxy when she takes command.” I raised my mug to her in toast.

She mouthed the words, “Thank you,” while the crew applauded in her direction.

When the hubbub died down, she got a devilish expression on her face and muttered, “You’re gonna feel the right fool tomorrow, when you’re still here, and I’ve failed that exam again,” loud enough for everyone to hear.

Everybody laughed and the moment passed as the party began breaking up. Mr. Hill headed for the watch station, and the rest of us helped Mr. Wyatt clear away the remains of the meal. Within half a stan we’d cleared most of it. The junior crew wandered off to the joys of liberty, leaving Mr. Wyatt, Chief Gerheart, Ms. Thomas, and me to our discussion.

“So, now that the cats are mostly out of the various bags,” Mr. Wyatt asked, “What are you going to do, Captain?”

Ms. Thomas looked up sharply. “Cats out of the bags, Avery? You mean you knew about this?”

He shrugged and nodded in her direction. “We didn’t want to mention it to you until after the interview.”

I smiled at her. “It was my fault. I remembered how nervous I was at my interview, and I didn’t want to add that pressure to you in yours.”

She planted an elbow on the table and put her chin on her fist. “Well, DST seems to be taking a lot for granted, aren’t they?” We all looked at her, and the sudden attention distracted her for a moment. “I mean, what if I don’t want to take over the
Agamemnon
?”

I thought Avery’s eyes might bug out of his head at that pronouncement. My own must have looked a bit odd, too.

“Don’t you?” Chief Gerheart asked.

Ms. Thomas grinned and patted the chief’s forearm. “Well, of course, I do, Greta, but they’re assuming I am. That’s not the same thing as asking, now is it?”

We greeted her pragmatic pronouncement with general nods of agreement. After stowing the last of the clean dishes, we settled around the mess deck, Gwen and Avery on one side, and Chief Gerheart, uncharacteristically, seated beside me.

“So, who will we lose?” Gwen asked.

“Lose?” Wyatt asked her.

“Yes,” she nodded at me. “When Ishmael leaves, who will go with him?”

I smiled at her. “You’re asking who won’t stay if you’re captain?”

She pursed her lips and nodded. “Yes, I suppose I am.”

“I think Mr. Hill will stay,” I told her. “He’s very much enjoying his work here with Avery. Mr. Schubert and Ms. Arellone, I don’t know. Mr. Pall, will stay, I’m pretty sure.”

Avery grinned at her. “Hmm. I don’t know, I may have to find a new berth.”

She turned a stricken face to him, and spotted the twinkle in his eye. “Oh, you!” She smacked him on the shoulder with a fist—very gently for her.

We all turned to Chief Gerheart. “Gwen, how could I leave you?” She smiled warmly.

Ms. Thomas tossed an odd glance in my direction before reaching across the table to pat, the chief’s hand. “You follow your heart, dear.” She straightened up quickly, and said, “Okay. We need a first mate and possibly another watchstander.”

I frowned. “You seem pretty sure that you’re going to lose one of them. Do you have a reason?”

She settled back on her chair and thought for a few heartbeats. “I don’t know, Skipper. Just a hunch, and I’d rather not be unpleasantly surprised. If we plan for it and don’t need it...” She shrugged but didn’t finish the statement.

“Start with the known,” Avery suggested. “Do we know any firsts? Or any likely seconds who’ve got their first mate ticket but need a first mate berth?”

“Where’s William on the list?” Gwen asked.

I pulled up my tablet and accessed the crew rosters. “He’s got enough time in grade to go for second mate, but he hasn’t taken the exam.”

The chief asked, “Would he?”

I considered it. “I think he would now.”

She looked at me with a question on her face but it never made it out of her mouth so I didn’t answer.

“Hmm. You’re going to be short handed as soon as they beach me,” I pointed out. “Gwen, you’ve got day watch in the morning and William has the mid tomorrow night, leaving day watch on the next for somebody.”

She grinned at me. “And by that time, it won’t be your problem, will it?”

I felt the color rising in my face.

Gwen continued. “Thanks for worrying, but I think we can handle it.”

I smiled back. “I know you can. Just... habit, I guess.”

She nodded. “If we can get William through the exam, he might be able to move up if he wants.”

Avery looked at her with a question, “You’re thinking down the line a bit, right?”

She nodded thoughtfully. “Yes, I’m thinking ahead. Getting a new first mate is a priority and we don’t have time to wait for him to prepare.”

The conversation petered out as we sat there looking at each other for a few heartbeats. Chief Gerheart stood first and slotted her empty mug in the washer. “Well, I’m going to get into some civvies and go ashore for a while, I think.” She smiled around the table at us and gave a little wave as she headed off the mess deck.

Avery gave Gwen a fond look and asked, “Feel like dancing? Celebrate your new rank?”

She looked at him with a little frown. “I haven’t really gotten it yet, you know. I might not and I’d hate to jinx it.”

He smiled warmly at her and patted her forearm. “Of course.”

“I am tired, though, so I think I’ll go grab a shower and get some sleep. Something tells me I won’t get that much after today.” She grinned at me.

“Probably true,” I agreed and stood up myself.

She made her way off the mess deck, leaving only Avery and me. I drew another mug of coffee and leaned against the counter to consider my next steps.

“What are you going to do, Skipper?”

I looked at him. “I don’t really know, Avery. The chief and I visited the
Jezebel
today and talked to Kirsten Kingsley. Kirsten seemed a bit confused by the advice that Larks gave me. She gave me the impression that I should be thinking about what I’m going to do when I own the ship.”

He snorted. “Well, I’ve seen your numbers and I have to agree with you on that assessment. The only other choice you’ve got is to try to raise the capital some other way or get DST to lower the price of the ship.”

“Or both,” I muttered.

He grinned. “Or both.”

“In a way, it’s good,” I said.

He raised an eyebrow in my direction.

“I’m not going to another ship. There’s no way for people to follow me into unemployment.”

He snickered. “I don’t think that’s really a problem, Skipper. We’re a pretty solid crew now, thanks to you, and Gwen’s got a good heart.”

“I think so, too, Avery, and I credit you with that. You changed her life much more profoundly than I did.”