87 Freeing Felipe (2/2)
”Arrest? The men who attacked him were police officers?”
”We do not have a police force. We are our own police. It was a citizen's arrest.”
”On what charges?”
”Resisting arrest.”
”But why was he being arrested, in the first place? On what charge?”
”Assault and battery of a public official.”
”A public official?”
”Pitcairn citizens that perform public duties are temporarily awarded the status of public officials.”
”But he says your men hit him first! Why did they hit him?”
”He was resisting arrest.”
Cruz let out a soft moan, and massaged his temples: a dull ache had started there.
”Could we talk to the men, pardon me, the public officials involved?” he asked.
”No. That isn't possible.”
”Why not?”
”One of them has a broken jaw. The other two have been diagnosed as suffering from concussion. They are not to be disturbed.”
Cruz looked at Felipe with new appreciation. Susanto's first mate was clearly a man of many talents. He remembered dimly that Susanto had told him two of the sailors also acted as his personal bodyguards. It seemed Felipe was one of them.
”This is just one big misunderstanding,” he told Paul Christian. ”I greatly regret a couple of people have been injured. What can I do by way of compensation? Ask for whatever you like, within reason.”
He noticed a mischevous glint appear in Paul Christian's eye when he said that. He instantly realized the whole assault and arrest business had been arranged especially so that he would make this statement.
”We need Peter,” Paul said. ”He's the mayor. It will be up to him.”
”But of course,” said Cruz. ”Can we go and see him now?”
”It's damned inconvenient. But I suppose you can't wait.”
”Not really. I'll be very grateful.”
”Good,” said Paul Christian. ”But your man stays here.”
It took Cruz an extra ten minutes to convince the governor to release Felipe on his and Cruz's own recognizance. It would have usually taken much less - Cruz was good at convincing people - but he was impeded by the anger he felt at the thought that those two hicks, those inbred island morons had outwitted him. He would pay them back for that in spades. Not right away: revenge was a dish that tasted best when eaten cold.
The day was ending when they finally caught up with Peter Christian. He was inspecting a plantation out of town. A half-an-hour hike up a steep dirt track left Cruz flushed and sweaty and out of breath. He was happy to let Paul Christian do all the explaining to his brother. Of course he listened closely, ready correct any misrepresentations.
There weren't any. Paul Christian put everything in very simple terms: Cruz was ready to do anything needed to get his man released, and - here, the governor threw Cruz a triumphant glance - to obtain the help needed to rescue the castaways on Henderson Island. The mayor listened attentively, nodding with great emphasis. He said:
”I am very pleased to hear that. You must understand, sir,” he said, turning to Cruz, ”That keeping anyone prisoner isn't in our interest. We cannot afford to assign something like twenty percent of our remaining manpower to guard duties.”
”I fully understand,” said Cruz. ”I'll be happy to do anything within reason to resolve this situation.”
”All right,” said Peter Christian. ”We do have a request. A very reasonable request.”
”I'm listening.”
”We're short of people, mister Cruz. We need more people to colonize the New World. We request that you provide us with a thousand people, five hundred each of men and women, all between twenty and thirty years of age. We will draw up a list of professions we require.”
”You want me to move a thousand people to Pitcairn?”
”Just for the implantation process. They'll be free to go back the moment they've replicated in the New World. I was about to say they can keep the signal fully muted, but there's no longer any need for that.”
”By 'signal', you mean the telepathic link with the New World?”
”Yes. It's broken. Everything else is working as before, so not to worry.”
”Let me get this clear. You'd like me to bring a thousand selected people here, you will implant them, and then they're free to go back home?”
”That is exactly correct.”
Cruz laughed.
”I am going to surprise you gentlemen,” he said. ”You want a thousand people? Well, I'll give you two. A thousand men and a thousand women. How is that?”
The brothers looked at each other: Paul shrugged. Peter grimaced. Paul shrugged again. Then they both turned to Cruz and said simultaneously, like characters in a comedy show:
”It's good.”
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