Mana Pool Snippets - The Job

Part 4

"Is this your only choice? How's this? I know a mine owner in the Dega system, he might need help."

"The mines? Pass. I gag the minute I sniff carbon monoxide."

"Fine. Be this stubborn."

"And I'll stay that way." I laughed a little, but not out of joy.

Brill closed his big, black oval eyes. He could never overcome my history; nobody in Nova would dare to. Well, except Denverbay.

"There's nothing else, Brill. I will take this. There were times when I want to settle down, take up fishing and glassblowing for a living, but not now. It's too risky. And you know. Everybody knows. This will help me."

"How?" Brill asked.

"Why hasn't the Council vaporized the asteroid yet? If it's not a threat, it makes sense," I said. "If it is, why no action? Maybe I can get some leeway out of it, but still, this is my only choice. Please, support me on this one."

"Jaruka..."

"Don't say it. Don't you dare. For the record, if anything happens to me, let my father and sister know."

Brill looked up surprised, as expected.

"Okay. Okay. If that's your choice. Whatever you need, I'll supply. I'll inform the ship mechanics right away."

I smiled. "You're awesome."

I should've pressed Jaruka for the real answer instead of waiting. I had forgotten that I was outside; still on Terra Firma. I heard nothing but silence.

Javo.

Jaruka went on to say that he had called Benali, apologizing first, then started the job. To his recollection, Benali was very forgiving.

But the Council itself not raising a finger...

"And you stayed there for four months?" I asked.

"Three really. Next month would've been it and I'd be long gone from this system," Jaruka said.

"Oh. Sorry."

The memory-recording device dinged again, as it had for the past four hours.

"And you never left, correct?" I asked. "You were that desperate for the money?"

Jaruka nodded and said, "Yes. Not a single meter. It was living hell, even the rock's surface. Every twelve hours those meaningless and almost duplicate reports were sent to the guy. Nothing exciting, the asteroid did its thing."

"Did its thing?"

Jaruka was leaning forward, hands clasped and resting under his chin. "It changed course by itself, toward the planet. If you noticed the purple crystals around here, they came from it. Makes you wonder how that was possible." Jaruka finished his glass of wine and I waited for him to finish the bottle. My glass was still full, and the food untouched—I've been accused of ignoring my meals during intense conversations.

I leaned forward. "Turned...on its own?"

Jaruka nodded.

"H-How can that be?"

"Good question. I'm still figuring that out." Jaruka took a drink of wine. "Tell me, have you felt their magic?"

I did not hesitate to nod. "I felt something about Ms. Walsh."

"After touching her?"

I nodded once.

"When their magic is activated, or during a transformation, my dreads curl and my insides twist. It's like nothing I ever felt. Their magic scares me for being GMTs."