The Lord of Opium by Farmer Nancy

Author:Farmer, Nancy [Farmer, Nancy]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Published: 2013-09-03T07:00:00+00:00

28

SOR ARTEMESIA

Matt and Listen waited at the Ajo holoport to greet his friends. He saw the black craft grow from a distant speck to a sleek ship with a bulging, transparent top. As it settled down, he saw that the pilot was not one of the new pilots he’d hired, but Cienfuegos. Fidelito was bouncing up and down, trying to touch the ceiling, and the jefe pushed him into a seat.

“Are those crots?” asked Listen.

“They’re Real Children. Don’t use that word,” Matt said. “It’s extremely insulting.”

“If they’re crots, they won’t be smart enough to care,” the little girl said reasonably.

“Just stop swearing. It’s a bad habit.”

The hovercraft set down, and the antigravity recharger snaked up and fastened onto the nose cone. The door opened. Fidelito attempted to jump out and was yanked back inside. “You turkey,” said Ton-Ton. “L-ladies go first.”

Cienfuegos helped Sor Artemesia step down, and she looked around until she found Matt. “Please forgive me, mi patrón. Doña Esperanza sent me away because she says I’m a bad influence on María. I didn’t know where else to go.”

“You are most welcome here,” said the boy, and he meant it. The more he saw of the nun, the better he liked her. “María must be unhappy, though.”

“She is. Doña Esperanza hardly ever pays attention to her.”

By now Fidelito had wriggled free, and he ran straight to Matt. “You’re really here. You’re not a picture. Wow! What a great place! Is it all yours?”

“Of c-course it is,” said Ton-Ton, catching up to him. “He’s the king.”

Chacho came behind, somewhat hesitantly. His face was thinner, and he had dark circles under his eyes. “You really are a king. I bet movie stars don’t have as much as this.”

“I was just lucky,” said Matt, embarrassed. “I’m the same kid you knew at the plankton factory.” But he could see that wealth made a difference. Both Ton-Ton and Chacho looked amazed by the huge gardens, the hacienda, the many other buildings, and in the distance, the swimming pool winking in the desert light.

“Mi abuelita says that if you have food, water, and a roof over your head, you’re rich,” Fidelito said, quoting his beloved grandmother. “You don’t need a lot of stuff. After all, you can’t eat a hundred hamburgers or sleep in a hundred beds.”

“That’s crap,” said Listen. “You can save the hamburgers for another day.”

“Who are you?”

“I’m Listen, not that it’s any of your business.”

Fidelito reached out and she slapped him. Hard. “Don’t touch me.”

“Okay,” said the little boy, rubbing his face. He seemed hypnotized by her.

“¡Que barbaridad! He was only trying to be friendly,” Sor Artemesia said.

“Don’t want friends,” Listen said.

“Whether you want them or not, there’s no excuse for being unkind.”

Listen made a rude noise. “You aren’t the boss of me. I’m going to grow up to be beautiful and marry a drug lord.”

“You’re already pretty,” said Fidelito. Ton-Ton and Chacho rolled their eyes.

“Crot you!” swore Listen. That was too much for Sor Artemesia. She picked up the little girl in an expert hold and strode off.

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