Bob Has a Tantrum (Bob and Nikki Book 37) by Jerry Boyd

Author:Jerry Boyd [Boyd, Jerry]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-08-21T16:00:00+00:00

She headed for the airlock. I looked at our visitor, and said, “We could have done business, if you would have just behaved. Did you really think pulling a weapon was going to help things?”

“Well, I was hoping for something other than ration bars. There are still people who would pay money to lay hands on you, Bob Wilson. You took a big chunk out of our business.”

“You’re a slaver, then?”

“We procure household help. You’re the one who thinks those animals are people.”

“Your business can’t be working out too well. That bunch of runaways that were living in the woods must have destroyed their remotes, before they left. That would make it seem that they’ve figured out how to get away. That can’t be much of a selling point.”

“You won’t be able to stay away from us forever. We’ll get our revenge.”

Milly asked, “Boss?”

“He’s boring me too, Miles, but I don’t think we better stun him, with the authorities on the way.”

Just then, the two inspectors came into the galley. Milly said, “Stay out of my line of fire, if you would, please. This fella seems to want to damage the captain.”

“I see.” He looked over at the counter. “What’s that?”

I said, “That’s the weapon he tried to draw on me. The last I heard, they’re not legal.”

He took out his comm, and took a picture of it. I assumed he was asking someone to identify the weapon. It didn’t take long for his comm to ding, and his face got serious. He said, “I’ve heard about those things, but this is the first time I’ve seen one. Nasty.”

Milly said, “I pulled the power pack. I wasn’t sure how to drain the internal charge, so be careful with it.”

“I surely will. Possession of one of these is enough to get you a nice long stay in prison.”

I said, “He admitted to being a slaver, since we talked to you, if that carries any weight here in the core stars.”

“Slaver?”

“Those big, furry household servants they claim are just animals? They’re people.”

“I always thought they seemed smarter than what people claimed they were. They always seem so docile, though. Couldn’t they escape, if they wanted to?”

I replied, “They could, if jerks like him didn’t put pain implants into them, and give their ‘owners’ remotes for the implants.”

“Still, it seems like they could do a lot of damage, if they took a mind to.”

“That’s a fact. What do you think took out that patrol in the woods the other night?”

“Escaped slaves?”

“That’s what it looked like to us. We didn’t know where you stood on the issue, so we didn’t mention it.”

“Sounds reasonable. We’ll take this fellow off your hands. I don’t know if we can punish him for slaving, or not. I know there is precedent, in the outer planets, but I’m not sure if the courts here will honor it.”

“Thanks for taking care of him. Sorry to be a bother.”

“No bother. We’ve been looking for something to charge him with, since he landed.

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