Part Nine, Chapter Ten - $5,000 Sweetbuns

The next morning Gris visits the hangar to find a whirlwind of activity, with contractors scurrying every which way and Heller guiding a fin into position on Tug One's back, which is completely unnecessary for space flight, wouldn't be enough to make the monstrous tug aerodynamic in atmospheric flight, but might make it look cool. A Fleet Intelligence officer is also there to deliver some now-obsolete "variable time sights" for the ship's baffling propulsion system, which Heller coos over. Gris is just happy to see some progress being made, and concludes that the Countess has convinced Heller to get his fanny into space ASAP.

Next he goes to the corporate headquarters of Zanco Cellological Equipment and Supplies to discuss a millions-credit order with CEO Koltar Zanco himself, who is described as both huge and sleek, like a manatee in a skintight jumpsuit. Gris namedrops Professor Slahb as a family friend and discusses a high-paying, top secret project. He gets Zanco to fill the materials list Dr. Starving wrote up last chapter, and, because Zanco's a worldly man experienced with government graft, requests that the bill be doubled so half of it can go to Lombar Hisst. This requires Gris to go through the entire Zanco product catalogue and order multiples of each item, as well as some "special" purchases not normally listed, but the bill is properly padded.

Even though Hisst expressly forbid Gris from earning a space penny from any kickbacks relating to Mission Earth, Gris has the executive give him a cool ten thousand credits, and covers his tracks by having Zanco write and sign a little note refusing Gris' demand to give him money - "Oh no, boss, I didn't get no kickbacks, this guy even wrote a note about how he didn't give me any! 'Where'd I get the ten grand, then?' Er..."

Zanco is quite pleased with the day's transactions, though Gris threatens to complain about faulty goods if Zanco tells Hisst about the ten thousand credits. And Gris is ecstatic as well - "I suddenly wasn't poor! I could even buy some hot jolt and a bun!" Good grief, what kind of inflation is Voltar going through?

Oh dammit, that reminds me, I was supposed to be keeping track of Gris' diet. But to my recollection there's been nothing to keep track of - no mention was made of Gris either scavenging for food (beyond stealing Bawtch's tup) or suffering from hunger pangs. Odd. I guess that meal at the restaurant was really filling.

Anyway, Gris has Ske take him to a place with sweetbuns, but his driver is worried - he thinks someone's watching the airbus and shadowing Gris. Gris, of course, waves it off as nonsense, because he's a careful Apparatus agent always covering his tracks and watching his back.

Heavens help you now, Heller, I said to myself as I ravenously chomped down on a sweetbun. A clever Gris might not be enough. But a clever Gris and a rich Gris are an unbeatable combination! You're sunk!

...Does Gris have a clone?


Back to Part Nine, Chapter Nine

Forward to Part Ten, Chapter One