War World X: Takeover by John F. Carr Read Free Book Online Page B

a few minutes yet before his co-conspirators arrived, and he made good use of them.
    By the time Makhno strolled into Harp’s Sergeant, with one of the two H&C bodyguards and Irish Himself in tow, Brodski had the drinks poured and the sandwiches ready. He smiled at the lot of them, lifted the tray and led them into the back room where Van Damm was waiting for them.
    As soon as the door was shut behind them, Himself—not even waiting to take hold of his glass—delivered the news. “Aye, he fell for it, and he’s a-runnin’ off to radio the Reynolds boys right now.”
    “Excellent!” said Van Damm, reaching for his drink.
    The others hastily sat down, took their glasses and lifted them in a toast.
    “Here’s ta playin’ ‘Let’s You and Him Fight,’” Irish intoned.
    “Hear, hear,” said everyone else, and clicked glasses, and happily downed their contents.
    Van Damm, ever the worrier, asked: “Are you certain he got the right coordinates?”
    “Now, lad,” Himself chided, “Are we miners, or are we not? Aye, we made sure he got ’em right.”
    “By the way,” Makhno added, “We brought in a good load that Jane—and especially Benny—will be happy to see: coal, iron, brass, and a lot of interesting fruit that grows down river.”
    “Jacko’s watching it now,” the bodyguard added. “How much do we unload here?”
    “Half of everything,” said Brodski. “The coal and metal go to Heinrick, as pay for the use of his metal saw. We’ll be taking him along, up to the fort again. Little Wilgar, and maybe a Harmonious friend or two, will mind the store til he gets back.”
    “And the fruit?” Himself asked.
    “Ah, that’s for the Harmonies to study and take good care of the seeds.”
    “For a group of miners and prospectors,” Van Damm noted, “You Hibernians seem to know much about the local wildlife. One might almost think you had a guide.”
    Irish paused for a moment before answering. “Aye, we do,” he admitted. “Let’s say, it’s someone with a copy o’ the original survey.”
    “Very good.” Van Damm smiled. Then he addressed himself to his sandwich and said nothing further.
    “So how long, d’ye think,” Himself turned back to Brodski, “Before Reynolds moves in?”
    “As fast as they can get a ship here, send a team down and make the claim.” Brodski turned to Van Damm. “Where’s the nearest station where they’ve got ships?”
    Van Damm took a sip of his drink before answering. “Certainly one at Ayesha, and others…no more than a couple of months out, at most. I daresay DeCastro will be sending his message to Ayesha, and the other company ships will get it soon after. Do you think you’ll be ready by then?”
    “That depends on just what we’re t’be ready for.” Himself leaned closer across the table. “Don’tcha think, me lads, that ’tis time yah filled me in on just what yous hopes t’accomplish, besides givin’ Kenny-Co a distraction from us?”
    “No ordinary distraction.” Van Damm’s smile was thin and cold. “Kennicott, having gotten here first, got claim to the big hafnium deposit—and thereby raised enough money to buy the right politicians, so as to sway CoDo in its favor. Anaconda and Dover were late-comers, and had to take second-best deposits—and not as many politicians. There’s a fragile and uneasy truce between them and Kennicott and it has held in spite of the discovery of the shimmer stones. But add Reynolds to the mix, and the balance tilts; the three of them together could get their politicians to out-vote Kennicott’s.
    “Now Kennicott will have a real fight on its hands—a fight with other big corporations, not just some fringe church that has nothing but right on its side. That will keep Kennicott too busy to try wresting Haven away from the Harmonies—and also too busy to note how its wage-slaves are escaping into the settlements—for a long time yet. That, we hope, will keep CoDo out of Haven long enough for us to