Ch8 meet the family

Ch8

meet the family

When Jen and Tim got back to the camp,

People were dancing around the campfire.

Guys and girls were talking, laughing and having a good time.

Some of the men and women were playing flutes, violins, bagpipes, didgeridoos and even a child with a kazoo. There was a small portable grill tended by two twelve-year-old twins. He could tell by their chatter that the taller boy supervising them was an older teen called Allen.

Some were eating and watching the dancing and talking from a distance.

Jen and Tim took a seat by the fire. The music died down and the man and women cleared from around the fire. The music came again -- it was a beat, slow. Two women came in to the firelight and began dancing around the fire. One was Jerra. The other Jen did not recognize. Jerra had changed from her t-shirt and jeans to a tiered long skirt and a long and wide sleeved shirt with wooden toggles. The other women offered her a Chinese broadsword. Jerra drew the sword from its sheath. She took a ready stance then began to twirl. First slowly then she sped up and spun the sword faster. With every strike, it made a sound as--it was like of competitive chimes.

Her swordsmanship was amazing -- not just spinning but leaping and doing amazing acrobatics and always landing in a perfect pose.
She now struck so fast it seemed an absolute blur to his eyes. As she twirled her skirt billowed around her…her hair released from its hair tie. Her hair was swaying freely, shimmering like firelight.

Jen was stunned. She…she was beautiful.

He stared and said in a whisper, "Oh …my...god…"

Tim said. "Yes she is a good dancer, isn't she." Tim looked at Jen and got a look of happiness in his eyes just for a moment.

Jerra ended the dance with a flourish in the last move then dropped into a ready stance and sheathed the sword.

Jen turned to look at Tim just realizing that Tim had spoke to him. "What did you say, Tim?"

Tim looked away and said, "Nothing, nothing."

Jerra pulled both men and women on to their feet and lured them to join the dance. Jen smiled dreamily and watched her. Jerra twirled over to Jen then smiled at him. Jerra took the sash from her neck and proffered it to Jen. Jen grabbed on to the sash and wrapped it around his hand and stood up. She pulled up, inviting him to dance. Jerra was an extraordinary good dancer and forgave Jen for his left-footed blunders.

As Jerra twirled Jen around and tilted, Jen was in ecstasy--amazingly happy. After the dance, Jerra let Jen go. When he sat down, he was out of breath. He said, under his breath, that was nifty--smiling like an idiot. Jerra and her fellow female dancing partner went to pull Tim up. Tim said, "I couldn't." Then the rest of the group goaded him in to it. "OK, if you insist," and jumped up. Jerra and the other pulled Tim into the center. Tim started dancing with both of them. To Jen’s surprise Tim had no problem dancing with both of them at once. Jen watched and saw Tim smiling the happiest smile Jen had ever seen. Finally, the finish with a flourish and an uproar of clapping and cheering came from the men and women around the camp. Tim, Jerra and Lisa bowed with big smiles on their faces. Tim walked over and plopped down by Jen breathing a little heavily.

"So Jen, having fun yet?" asked Tim.

Jen was still smiling wide. "Yes. I haven't had this much fun in a long while."

Jerra came over and patted Jen on the shoulder. "Come on Jen, let's get some grub."

Jen looked at Tim "Go on, I'll socialize here."

Jen followed Jerra to the grill. But stopping to pick up a plate and silverware set from his speeder bag. The two boys at the grill handed them two plates. Then Jen and Jerra moved over to Allen who gave them their choice of steak. On the plate was a steak with light gravy, plus fried rice and roasted vegetables.

Jerra scooted over to A table, offering drinks. She pulled a pint filling the stein with the amber fluid.

Jen looked down at the food. Jerra smiled. "It may not be as good as you make but it is good."

Jen took a fork and took a bite, chewed and then swallowed. "It's not bad." Jen picked up a stein and was about to fill it from the same cask Jerra had filled when Jerra softly put a hand on Jen’s to stop him. Jen looked up at Jerra.

"What's wrong?"

"Jen, that stuff has a kick. You can have it if you want but you may want to try it first." One eyebrow went up.

"I think I can hold my drink," said Jen.

"OK," said Jerra. She picked up the stein and let a little into it, then handed it to Jen. Jen looked at her as if to say, 'you know this is pointless”, and took a drink.

Jerra watched him and then turned and walked to a stump by the fire. Jen spit the drink in to the grass when Jerra was not looking and with a sour expression get a different drink.

Jen walked over and sat down beside her.

"Does this happen every night?"

Jerra looked at Jen.

"partys." said Jen.

“When we want to have fun, or, when we get paid." Said Jerra "We all chip in -- some more then others -- I and Lisa supply some of the entertainment as you saw, as well as juggling and magic and stuff like that. Allen is good on the grill and Toms supplies the hard drinks."

She took a sip of the brew then laid the stein on a stump. "This isn't half bad. He's getting better at brewing mead. So Jen have you joined these bunch of merry yokels yet?" Jen nodded. Jerra looked over at Kai who was glaring at Jen.

"you were the one who gave Kai some hot soup." In a accusing and merry tone.

"Sadly…yes. Jen said with unease’s. “I hope he will forgive me soon.”

"Well, you could make him the same meal that you made me back at the apartment. I think even Kai would show respect to you then."

"I thought that Kai didn't like stoat meat." Said Jen.

"How did you know?" said Jerra in surprise.

"I just know."

"Anybody else will like it." Jerra continued eating.

"Jerra, I have a question. I would not want to pry or anything but what do you do besides checking up on Tim's buyers?"

Jerra replied, "I am a dancer. I learned the art of stealth and the basic training of a personal companion." Jerra paused and took a drink from the stein and watched his face. Jen didn't bat an eye. She continued, "I used to work as a thief professionally--stealing paintings, electronics, statues, things like that."

Jen nodded encouragingly "How did you get in touch with Tim?" asked Jen

"Well, I was doing a job and found out that the contact was double-crossing me. She made out a check that was made out for ten thousand. It was originally issued for ten dollars altered to ten thousand. Tim was a bystander; he gave me a better deal. The other reason I joined this group was I like the way he does business. And what he strives for is complete honesty which is a rarity in any day and age. I myself remember what this was like before the war--back when you could support yourself with very little work. Now, both parents have to work just to make ends meet. The empire holds our lives now. You are forced to go to war. You have no choice. If you do not, then…" Jerra paused and Jen completed the sentence. "Dragged to the town square and hanged and left there to die and even then they'll have you decay on the rope as a example."

Jen shivered at the thought. Jerra continued, "Yes, at the start you were quietly shot then it went to torture, hanging, rape -- even the children. Those damn haemoid daquelas irmãs que risca o gado que humping alguns priests um cathic pedo olha o alvorecer em quem veio provavelmente dentro ao mundo era porco que os guts começam furados na cerca e lá gene era assim desesperado!"

That surprised Jen, even though he’d worked in a machine shop for a summer. Compared to what Jerra just said about the empire, the swears he heard in the machine shop were a children's lullaby.

"This war has been going on for over twenty-one years. I want it to end. I'm doing my part. Tim found a spy, and I found a partner."

Jen looked at Jerra "So you and Tim are…" Jerra looked at Jen in surprise. "You think." Jerra laughed "No. No. He's not the type for me, I like…" Jerra fell silent as she looked at Nolfivrell a dark skinned teen. Nolfrivrell was a young man with red hair. He was dressed in A black leather Jacket, a vest embroidered with a mixture of red and gold thread. He was talking to the other woman who was dancing with Jerra earlier. Jerra smiled.

"Quite a catch. You must have gone through a lot to get that one," approved Jen.

"A few," said Jerra.

Jen realized something. "Jerra -- you said that you remember what it was like before the war. How is that possible? You can't be over your early twenties."

Jerra smiled. "Jen, flattery will get you everywhere."

"No, I'm serious!" Said Jen.

"I'm glad that you think so." I'm actually in my middle thirties." "Jen goggled wide-eyed. "I take it you are joshing me" "said Jen. "I'm forty four." "Well I must say you age well. You’re looking good from down here." Jerra smiled. "I moisturize."

They ate the rest of the food in silence. Jen swallowed the last of the food, stood up and addressed Jerra. "Anyway, it’s nice to meet the real you."

Jen and Jerra went their separate ways. Jerra went to a trailer and Jen to the campfire to warm up. Watching the Yojimbo, Jen spied a group coming to the camp. He noticed the cyborg from earlier. Jen pulled aside a Yojimbo called Lora. She was talking to a Mongolian man. Jen asked, "Who's that?" Lora, a little annoyed by the intrusion replied, "Why don't you go over and make friends and find out for your self."

The cyborg walked over to Tim who was sitting by Lisa,

Jen went over to join them. Tim noticed Jen approaching.

"Jen, this is Jackie Divine." Jen looked up in to Jackie's face. ‘He’ must have been seven feet tall. Jackie looked down . Jen spoke up. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Divine." Jackie said, "Please call me Jackie." The voice was a little metallic. "Jen, it’s nice to meet you too, but I beg leave of you. If you'll excuse me I'd like to talk to Tim in private, please."

"Very well," said Jen. "Go on, Tim. I'll be out by the fire."

Tim and Jackie went in to a tent. As they walked, Jackie spoke up. "Ous Tim è lui quello che stiamo cercando? è il vostro figlio." Tim cut him off with four words. "Heer di attesa non."

Jen went over to mingle some more. After a while, the group went off one by one to their respective corners. Some had trailers. Some had tents and some just curled up by the fire, leaving Jen to do as he would. Jen helped clean up from the party, then he thought he'd try to get some practice in. He drew his sword, whirling it around trying to get used to its weight. He had wielded farm tools and sticks more than weapons. Jen sat by the fire and fed sticks into it. Finally, Jen gave up. He just curled up by the fire and went to sleep.

Later, Jen felt some thing warm lying on him which woke him up. Jen sat upright, bleary-eyed. Tim's green trench was lying on him. He looked around and spied Tim standing over him looking down. “Tim?”

Tim sat Indian style beside Jen.

"Hi, kiddo. Sorry I woke you." Tim put a few logs on the fire then took out a cloth and began cleaning his weaponry. Tim removed something from a holster--a DD gun, a very dangerous weapon not for private ownership. A device so powerful that can literally make a hole right through you. "Tim, that gun you have there…that's a forbidden weapon, isn't it?" Tim paused, cleaning the moving parts then turned his head to stare at Jen.

Jen went on. "You could be arrested for having that gun." Tim brandished the gun and an impish gleam came in to his eyes "Let them try."

"But Tim, but -- you will go to jail. Why run the risk of being caught?"

Tim looked at Jen’s sword and his pistol. "Jen, you like being able to carry that seven shooter and your sword right?"

"Indeed, yes. It’s my right as a citizen to have the right to bear arms against anyone that might try to…oh." "See, you just answered your question. You see, back on earth--before we colonized the stars--you could not own a gun without a license. On top of a license for owning a gun, you had to get another for carrying a sidearm. And, swords were never allowed."

Jen stared in horror. "You mean that if you had a gun, you could not use it?" Tim nodded. "That's right, that's barbaric." said Jen. As one man once said ‘if you don't use your right then you will lose it.’ That's the reason that I carry this gun. I'm one of the people that have decided to push the envelope. The reason why people could not carry guns and swords freely back on earth is because people did not use their power. Now, the only people who can carry these are military personnel. If enough people carry this." Tim gushed, "with the gun we may be able to get them legal to carry. I don't like the thought that someone can use something that the free people can't. You have the right to carry that gun and that sword because people like me didn’t let that happen. Tim holstered his DD Gun.

Tim picked up his sidearm and cleaned the barrel with a stiff bristle brush. Jen and Tim sat in silence. After Tim was finished, he holstered his gun and took his green leather trench coat, folded it neatly and laid it by his side. Tim fiddled with his glove and undid the straps as he unzipped and removed his leather over glove, then the rubber under glove—to reveal a metal gauntlet. Jen saw metal gears revolving under the metal and poly glass casing. Tim took a screwdriver from his wallet and placed it in a slot at the back of his hand and twisted. The back popped open. Tim took a hex ranch and began to twist another socket.

Jen piped up. "What are you doing with your hand?"

Tim turned to face Jen "I'm doing maintenance on my prosthetic arm. I lost my hand years ago. I had a prosthetic that looked real, did the basic pincer grip. I actually helped designed this one. How this one works is…you see these four tubes? Each one has a cord. They each pull these four fingers. The cords are attached to what's left of the tendons and muscles in my forearm. The only thing I can't do is swivel my thumb. The muscle got chopped off -- I had to add a small motor to do the job. My wrist works in the same way my fingers do. Jen…am I grossing you out?" This last caught Jen off guard.

"What?"

"Am I grossing you out?

"No, no I'm actually interested."

Tim started to fiddle with his metal hand using the hex wrench to loosen the cords. Soon Tim took the hooks off the cords, pulled up and unscrewed his hand. Soon enough Tim fully removed the hand. All that was left was a casing that held rings that connected to the cords on Tim's prosthetic hand. Tim took the mechanical hand and connected it to a power pack to recharge for the night. Tim then removed the casing enclosing what was left of his stump. Jen could see the way it was grafted onto Tim's arm. It had been attached to the bone that was left. Jen moved over to Tim. "How did you lose your hand?"

Tim looked up at Jen. "It really isn't a proper bedtime story."

"Please, Tim." Jen saw Tim tense. "I…I lost it in the war on Titan. It was a parting blow from the leader of the army."

"Really. Tell me what happened, I'm interested." Tim paused. "I want to know your story."