94 The Bicycle Thief (1/2)
Amrita woke Samir up an hour before it dawned in Mumbai, just as arranged earlier. He ate a light breakfast, glancing at the sleeping Neil. The boy had already proved to be a hard worker, and intelligent - not too much, just the right amount, without any danger of getting too many ideas of his own.
However, even with Neil's help they couldn't welcome Sunil and his family into Kulaba just yet. It would take them at least three New World weeks to finish Sunil's house, sew the needed clothes, make a few extra pots and bowls and baskets... Food was a problem, too. Samir had promised the clerk at the municipal office he'd deliver the first thirty kilos within a couple of days.
As soon as the sun came up, Samir went over to Sunil's house. He informed a sleepy Sunil that he wouldn't be joining the colony just yet: a couple of extra days were needed to set up things properly for his arrival. Sunil immediately became suspicious. No longer sleepy, he bombarded Samir with questions. Would the rest of his family get their own hiber beds? What was the daily food quota he could send back home? How did the other colonists react to news of his impending arrival?
Each of Samir's answers brought more questions. Eventually he grew irritated, and told Sunil to stop: he would be finding things out for himself within a few days. He returned home, and found a mound of food had been sent over in the meantime.
Samir and Rani had situated the launch platform in the New World so that the goods they sent arrived in a windowless corner of their room, safe from inquisitive eyes. It was obvious that location wouldn't work so well for large quantities. Delivering said quantities to the municipal clerk was going to be difficult, too. Samir groaned, and passed his hand over his face. Problems, new problems to solve everywhere he looked!
He decided he would begin by going to the store owner who had promised him a couple of bicycles. He had demanded an extra ten kilos of mangoes and ten of fish last time they talked. Well, first he would have to show his good faith by giving Samir one of the bicycles. That would make delivering the town clerk his due much easier.
It was a hot, humid day, and Samir was sweating heavily by the time he got to the supermarket. It was deserted, save for the security guards: there was nothing to sell. One of the guards informed Samir he would find the owner in the office at the back.
The owner of the supermarket was a big, fleshy man in his late fifties who had mysteriously become even fleshier and fatter in spite of the food shortage. His name was Paul Leduc, and he had been born in Lebanon: he'd inherited the pale skin of his European great-grandfather, who had been a sergeant-major in the French Foreign Legion. The store owner had repeatedly mentioned that to Samir, as if having an ancestor in a military organization full of criminals was something to be proud of. The Foreign Legion granted its soldiers immunity from prosecution: it had been a favored employer among Nazi war criminals following the Second World War.
When Samir entered the office, Paul Leduc was sprawled in an office chair he'd moved to the window, and was looking at the view outside with a jaundiced eye while chewing on a toothpick. He glanced at Samir and raised a pudgy hand in greeting, along with an enquiring eyebrow.
”I've come to collect one of the bicycles,” said Samir. He was about to say more, but stopped. There was a bicycle inside the office, propped up against the wall next to the entrance. It looked brand new, and it had a wide baggage rack in the back and a large wire basket in the front, mounted just below the handlebar. It was perfect for Samir's purposes.
”That's all very nice,” Paul Leduc said lazily. His tongue flicked out and moved the toothpick to the corner of his mouth. ”Have you brought the fruit and the fish? I don't see any.”
”You'll get them, don't worry,” said Samir. ”But the deal we made was for two bicycles. I've already paid you more than enough for one.”
”Correct,” nodded Leduc. ”It was for two bicycles. And you'll get them when you deliver what you promised.”
”I need a bicycle right now.”
”That's too bad.”
”Why can't I take that bicycle?” asked Samir, pointing.
”Because it's mine.”
”You have bicycles in your storeroom,” said Samir. ”You showed them to me.”
”So?”
”So you can easily replace this one.”
Samir stepped up to the bike and lifted it up, turning it around. Leduc got up from his chair and took a step forward.
”Put that bicycle back,” he growled.
”I'm taking it,” Samir said simply. ”I'll be back with the fish and the fruit within a couple of hours. Then you can give me the second bicycle.”
”You're a thief!”
”No,” said Samir ”I'm your new business partner. You want to have some food to sell in this store of yours? I can deliver it.”
He didn't wait for a response. He pushed the bicycle through the doorway while Leduc watched, suddenly deep in thought.
He was still deep in thought when Samir returned together with Neil two hours later. He took delivery of the mangoes and the fish, grumbling about the quality of the fruit.
”Those are wild mangoes,” Samir told him. ”You found nothing wrong with them earlier. Now give me the second bicycle.”
”Wait,” said Leduc. He glanced at Neil and said:
”Can you leave us alone for a minute?”