The Prospector by Williams CJ

Author:Williams, CJ [Williams, CJ]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

*.*.*.*

“You sure you don’t want to go?” Jacob asked.

Rachel handed him a beer from the fridge and sat beside him on the couch in the living room back aboard Cooley . It was just the two of them for the first time in a long time. Or so it seemed.

“I would love to go,” Rachel said. “More than you can possibly know. I was looking forward to a vacation with just you, me, and Emma.”

“I was too, to tell you the truth.”

“And so was I,” Cooley said.

Cooley’s unexpected words brought the conversation to an awkward halt.

“Sorry for that,” Jacob said drily. “It’s sort of a package deal with me and Cooley . You can’t have one without the other.”

“That’s okay. It’s the same with me and Emma. I guess we make a good foursome. I know she loves it up here. She was disappointed a little while ago when I said she had to stay with Nana this afternoon. But I needed some time to clear my head. It’s been so hectic lately, what with the lawyers and all.”

“Any luck with the Vatican?”

“Not one bit,” Rachel growled. “I don’t know what I’m doing wrong, but they really won’t talk to me. I did, however, find a company in Vietnam that makes marble replicas. They can have a full-size replacement in six weeks. I get the feeling I’m not the first person to order a copy of La Pieta .”

“Well then, that’s progress. What about Lars? Did you get everything worked out with Lykke Sound?”

“Better than I expected. Seventy million dollars upfront as a licensing fee, and then two dollars for every set of earbuds manufactured. He wanted double the production rate that I offered, so that’s why it’s seventy million instead of fifty. He’s getting a manufacturing facility ready right now. I have to deliver him the master fabricator at the beginning of next week. Cooley , are you still good with that?”

“Yes. In fact, I’m going to print that out tomorrow and move it on board Rudy .”

“Are you sure about giving me my own spacecraft?” Rachel asked Jacob. “It sounds crazy even to say it.”

“I don’t see that we have a choice,” Jacob replied. “When I leave, you’ll need transportation, and Lockheed already paid us for Maille, so she’s gone. And we still need to get your Planetary Controller up and running. You said you were going to name him Hermes . He’ll have to run interference while we’re gone.”

“I know. I really need to do that tomorrow. That’s got to be a complicated process.”

“Not too much. Cooley already talked to him. He gave him an overview of the situation here, our relationship, how Earth was brought into the Commonwealth, and the loophole about interdiction. Plus, when we bought him back on Reaza, I made sure he was equipped with a good grounding in Commonwealth law. Once we’re gone, he’ll take over all the earbud communication. Let Lars know about that. He’ll need to include Hermes’s name in the instructions.

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