I am Gideon: Chapter #15

A Leap of Faith

I was shaking and crying when Azar’s hand closed over mine.  “I could lose my license,” he said.  “It was ok when I didn’t know, but now I do.”

“I’m so sorry,” I whispered.

“It’s not your fault,” he said.  “It’s a shame what she made you into.”  The hand patted mine and withdrew.  “It will take me a couple of days at least to find somebody new.  Tomorrow morning, go see Mrs. Membuss and get your flying papers.  The short-haulers are due in any day.  Maybe you can get on.”

I nodded and slunk off to my mattress. I’d almost forgotten that word – shame.  But there it was, and here I was, crying myself to sleep while my stomach and my mind churned in tandem.

When Mrs. Membuss opened her shop the next morning, I was there, waiting, my old rucksack in one hand with all my worldly belongings in it, and my carefully saved earnings tucked into the pants pocket that didn’t have a hole in it.

“Need flying papers, do you?” she purred. I looked surprised and she said, “One of the cooks overheard your conversation last night, and of course he told everyone.  Any secrets you may have had, now belong to a six-block area.  Let’s say, seventeen, shall we?”

I choked a bit on the lump in my throat. “Blocks?”

 She said, “Years old.  That will get you clearance to work anywhere but Equus, Amberia and …” she muttered a couple more planets as she was turning away.  I’m not sure she even realized I hadn’t told her what I wanted.

“Thanks,” I managed.  There was a sudden shock of realization.  What if I couldn’t pay for this?  Then what would I do?  Where would I go? “I don’t…how much will this cost?” I asked. I realized my voice was shaking.

“Half now, half when you get paid after your first haul.”

But how much was half?  I didn’t dare ask.  I squeezed myself into a corner for fear of going outside, and waited while she worked her magic.

It turned out to be most of what I had, but my flying papers were a work of art. “Now shoo,” she said.  “You’ll not get a job standing around here in the dark.”

I thanked her and crept into the street like a beaten animal, glancing furtively from side to side, expecting the first stone to be cast, the first finger to be pointed, the first person to yell, “There he is!  Shame!  Shame!”

Miraculously, because I was ten feet tall, bright red and as wide as an atomic bus, no one called out or pointed.  I got on a bus and was not ordered off, and when I got to the gate where cargo ships launched directly into the atmosphere, I flashed my papers and was allowed through.  I shrunk back to my normal size, straightened my back, and walked toward what seemed to be a restaurant or gathering place of some sort.

“Finally ditched the old fart, didja?” somebody hollered and a familiar arm beckoned me over to a group lounging against the wall.  One of the short haulers. I nodded and approached.

“This kid’s a workin’ fool,” he said to his companions.  Some I recognized, some I didn’t. “Been with old man Azar the last year or so.  I been tryin’ to convince him to come fly with us, and here he be.”

I nodded.  “Here I be.”  I didn’t even ask where we were going.