Page 14 of Pulled By the Tail
Of course, the brothers weren’t dead, and the cousin’s lawyers found them in due course. The brother received a payout for signing an agreement to never return to Talmar and never use their birth names. Some males might be disturbed by turning their backs on their heritage, but it was all ancient history to Talen. The planet of his birth had treated his family cruelly and he felt no great love for Talmar.
“Yes, and half that money is mine. I let you buy the ship,” Quil said. “We’ll do what we need to get this place presentable, then offer rooms as a bed and breakfast. We won’t be able to restore all the rooms at first, so we’ll have to do it as we go. Did you know there’s a hot spring somewhere on the grounds? Guests will like that.”
“Wait, a bed and breakfast? You’re joking.” Not once, in all the years, had his brother ever expressed an interest in playing host. Gambler and gardener, yes, but not a host at a B&B. “You don’t have the temperament for it,” Talen said.
“Youdon’t.” Quil rested a hand on his chest and said with all sincerity, “I am charming as fuck.”
Talen huffed, unmoved by his brother’s dramatics.
Quil continued, “But I know what you’re saying. I’m going to be too busy in here. I think it’s too late to plant for the spring, but I’d like to see what the grounds look like in the summer, anyway, before I plant.”
“You’re not listening to me at all.” Frustration edged into his voice.
“No, you’re not listening to me,” Quil said, finally turning his full attention to Talen. “I want this. When you came back from the Navy, you weren’t yourself.”
“I was—”
“I know, I know, and I don’t blame you. The only thing that made you seem half-alive was leaving port. Always had to be moving, could never let the ground grow cold under your feet, so I went with that. We made a tidy profit, had a few laughs, and that was good enough for a time.”
“Half-alive? Was I that bad off?” Talen knew his behavior after being discharged had not been optimal, but he thought he was better off than half-alive. It was just… he couldn’t pin it down, exactly. The universe was vast and he wanted to see as much as possible. Staying in one place made him restless. Anxious. If too much time passed, he found himself looking over his shoulder, which was unfounded and paranoid, adding to his frustration. Better to move on and not think too hard on it.
“So, we did your thing, and it had some fun, but I’m tired. I told you the truth about that, and Bright is getting older,” Quil said.
“I know.” He noticed how she climbed the stairs slowly and needed to rest frequently. “But you think this big house is the solution to that? She’ll wear herself ragged trying to run the house.”
“Then we’ll hire help. A place this size needs staff.”
“And Charl? You plan to give him a recommendation and drop him off at the next port?”
“He’s family and welcome to stay. This place has more than enough projects to keep the cranky bastard entertained.”
“You want to demote our engineer to a handyman?”
“Estate manager, then. It’s a promotion. What do you think?” Quil spread his arms wide and grinned, surrounded by the chaotic greenery of the conservatory. His tail swayed from side to side, pleased with himself.
Bright enjoyed the sunshine and the flowers. Charl was having the time of his life grubbing around, inspecting the inner workings of the house. Talen had lost the fight. This ridiculous scheme proved good for his family.
“Is this what you truly want?”
A smile tugged at his brother’s lips, a true smile and not the charming mask he slipped on. “Yes, very much, but what doyouwant, Talen? And do you think you can find it here?”
Talen took a long moment to consider. He joined the IU Navy to see the universe. But the only locations he ever saw were the bowels of an interstellar cruiser or a military base. The only exotic location he ever experienced was a steaming jungle full of mud and vermin.
He had also wanted to help civilians but found the vague assistance that the military delivered to be unsatisfying. They protected ships in the depths of space from pirates, yes, and had deployed to conflict areas, but Talen never felt the situation improved for all the muscle and ballistics the military employed.
“I want to help people,” he answered. “How can I do that here?”
Quil scratched behind one ear. “Why do you have to be so noble? It’s damn inconvenient.”
Talen tilted his head back and squinted in the sunlight that filtered through the dirty glass and the floral canopy. He had spent so much of his life off-planet, be it on ships or stations. Living on the ground, under an open sky, without the constant background hum of engines and circulated air, made him feel exposed.
His mother’s last words came to him. Take care of each other. They were all they had in the universe.
Quil could be such a manipulative bastard.
“Why couldn’t you just discuss this with me ahead of time?”
“I’ve been telling you my plan for ages, but you never listened,” his brother said.
