The Story of Samo-Chapter One, Part Nine
In the shop, Samo let his arms on the counter and leaned forward. “So,” he said, as if he had just been out for a morning stroll. “What’s this I hear about you having Dacule manuscripts?”
Tansu chuckled nervously. His eyes turned to the crowd outside, which was now staring in shock rather than fury, although Lora still watched in fury. He said, “Well, I don’t know if I-“
“Tansu, Lora said you have them. He’s an idiot, but not a liar.” Samo turned and rested his elbows on the counter. He said, “Was he mistaken, or do you have some?”
“They just came in, I swear! I didn’t order them.”
Samo craned his neck around. He said, “So? You have them, and I want to buy them. I have the money. What’s the big deal?”
Kiara looked up from a small leather-bound book she had picked up and said, “Uh, Kia, they’re kind of illegal.”
“Pft. That’s not a problem.” He turned from the counter and started perusing the books. He said, “Where do you have them hiding?”
“Urm,” Tansu muttered, looking back out at the crowd, which was slowly dispersing. “They’re in the back, in a box.”
“Can you get them?” Samo picked up a heavy book and found it to be a manual on swordplay. He said, “A whole book on swinging a metal stick? How hard can it be? Pointy end goes in other man. The end.” Slamming the book closed, he set it back on the shelf. He turned to Tansu, who was wringing his hands and looking from Samo to the dispersing crowd. “I’d like to buy the book. The Dacule manuscripts.”
Just then, the door opened and a man dressed in the uniform of a city officer walked in. He wore a close-fitting dark blue tunic and a black jacket that hung to his knees over that. His trousers were black with a wide stripe the same color as the tunic running down the outside of the legs, and were tucked into leather boots that ended halfway up his shins. He looked from Samo to Tansu, then back to Samo, and sighed. Kia followed after him.
Kia said, “Thanks for leaving me outside with the angry mob, bud.”
“You’re welcome.” Samo chuckled and said, “I didn’t even know you liked that sort of thing.”
As Kia gaped at him, the city officer said, “Samo, I hope we’re not here for the same reason.”
“So do I,” Samo replied. “I really want that book, Snake. I’m sure you know which one I’m talking about.”
The officer set his hat, a dark gray cap, on the counter and said, “Yes, I’m sure I know which one too.” He turned to Tansu and said, “The book.” Tansu nodded, cringing anxiously, and went to the back of the store. When he disappeared through a door, the officer turned to Samo and said, “Why do you want to buy an illegal book?”
“Oh, Snake, Snake. Come on. Why do have to be like that?”
“It’s my job.” He stepped forward and said, “And for goodness sake, don’t call me Snake! My name is Tarat. Officer Tarat.”
Samo frowned. He looked at Kia and Kiara and said, “Really?”
Kiara said, “You’ve known that for years, Samo. He hate’s being called Snake.”
“But that’s what his name means. I mean, in Tripannari, anyway.”
Tarat stepped forward and said, “Samo, you’re trying to buy an illegal book. I could arrest you
for that alone. Show me some respect.”
“You’re not going to arrest me.” Samo lowered his voice and stared at Tarat. Almost as if he was asking for a salami in the market, he said, “You’re not going to arrest me because you respect me too much. If you really want, I’ll try to remember you hate being reminded your name means ‘snake’, but you’re not going to arrest me.”
As Tansu walked out with a thick, leather-bound book, Tarat walked to him and snatched the book away. As Tansu stood there, staring, he walked to Samo and said, “You’re not getting this book. If I let you buy it, not only would Tansu lose his license to sell-“
“We can’t have that,” Samo said. “He’s my favorite bookseller.” He grinned at Tansu, who smiled nervously.
Tarat gave a heavy sigh and continued, “You would spend three days in the dungeon-“
“I hate that place!” Samo interjected, interupting yet again.
Tarat pounded his fist on the counter. He shouted, “Stop interupting me! I would lose my job! I would be stripped of all honors, my uniform. I would be kicked out of the city and chased to the borders of Pasca. I’d never even be allowed in the country anymore.”
Samo stared at him in shock. “They wouldn’t do that, would they?”
Kia said, “They have before.”
“Well,” Samo said. “That really stinks.”
“Tansu,” Tarat said. “I already know that you don’t know where these came from.” Tansu heaved a sigh of relief and Tarat explained. “I’m considering you a victim here. Maybe someone was trying to frame you or do some sort of extortion. You’re not in trouble.”
“Thank you, officer.” Tarat nodded and sat in, or rather collapsed into, an armchair that stood nearby.
As Tarat turned to leave, he said, “You’re lucky I came in here, Samo. You would have been in a lot of trouble if you bought this.”
“Tarat,” Samo said. “Do you know who killed Gianan yet?”
Tarat leaned against the counter and sighed. He said, “I’m sorry, bud. We don’t know yet. We’re working on it.”
“I want five minutes alone with him when you do.”
“I’ll see what I can do.” Tarat smiled and started for the door. He said, “All of you stay out of trouble. Take care of yourself, Kiara.” He waved to her, though she kept her back to him. Frowning, he walked out the door.
Samo said, “Well, I guess I might as well get a book on how to poke people with metal sticks.”
Tales of the Inventor's War 