Trouble for Snale (Troubleshooters 40)

By Dr E J Yeaman

Snale, a goblin-like boy from the planet Vaya 7, is stranded on Earth, in Scotland, in the year 1803. And that’s just the start of his troubles.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dr E J Yeaman
• Release date: Nov 28, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370368631

Dr E J Yeaman

I retired (early) and started a new career as a writer. I wrote short stories and articles. Some were published; some won prizes; some sank without trace.Having heard my stories, two friends suggested I should write for children. I’d never thought of that, although I’d spent my first career communicating with young people – as a Chemistry teacher, and running clubs for badminton, chess, table tennis and hillwalking.I tried writing for young people – and I loved it. It became my main occupation. I sent samples to publishers. One asked to see a complete story. In excitement, I sent it off. Then nothing. After four months, I rang, and was told the manuscript was being considered: I would be notified. Then more nothing. Now, after eight years, I no longer rush to the door when the letter box rattles.But I kept writing the stories because I enjoyed it so much. Until, in late 2013, I learned I could publish my stories and games as e-books. Since then, I’ve been polishing and issuing some of them. I hope everyone enjoys reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them.Check out the series:C: Charades – party game – a new twist to the traditional game.D: Diagags – party game – gags written as plays for two people.M: My Story – novels – classical stories, told by the heroes.O: One-Offs – party game – guess the titles, not quite the classical ones.P: Pop Tales – short stories – inspired by 60s and 70s hit songs.Q: Quote-Outs – word games – can you deduce the missing words?S: Inside Story – novels – a boy’s adventures inside classical stories.T: Troubleshooters – novels – space adventures for young people.

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TROUBLESHOOTERS 40

TROUBLE FOR SNALE

by

Dr E J Yeaman

Published by EJY at Smashwords

Copyright 2016 Dr E J Yeaman

All characters in this publication are fictional. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be resold, or given away, to other people. If you would like to share this e-book with other people, please buy additional copies. If you did not buy this e-book, or it was not bought for you, then please go to Smashwords.com and buy your own copy. Thank you for respecting the work of this author.

CONTENTS

1. VINSON 5

2. OJONUFFLA

3. HOMELESS

4. STOWAWAY

5. JAMIE

6. EZEKIEL

7. VENTURE

8 A KNOBBLY STICK

9. JAMIE STAY SNALE.

10. SIX STONES

11. NEVER!

12. MY FATHER.

13. FARAQUEE

14. TELL FARAQUEE.

15. NUFFLA

16. THAT’S A LIE.

17. SOME QUESTIONS.

18. AULM

19. WE?

20. CUT.

21. SPECTAREL

22. SOME QUESTIONS.

23. BUMP. BUMP.

24. A MEETING

25. JAMIE?

FROM DOC Y

TROUBLESHOOTERS

HAVE YOU MET JAM?

TROUBLE FOR SNALE

1

VINSON 5

Snale leaned back in his armchair and began his story: I was an only child, and my mother died when I was young, so my father brought me up. He was not a good example to me. We had an old ship which provided both transport and accommodation. He described himself as a trader, transporting and selling goods, but I fear that most of the transporting and selling were done without the owners’ consent. To speak plainly, he was a thief.

He usually worked on planets which were civilised enough to have valuables, but not civilised enough to have strong security. Using Federation equipment, he would break into a wealthy native’s house. If anyone disturbed him, he used a stun-gun on them.

I am ashamed to admit that, when I was young, I acted as his lookout. If anyone approached, I whispered a warning into my wrist unit, which transmitted it to his wrist unit.

By such methods, we made a living, which was neither noble nor successful. When the law officials on one planet became suspicious, we moved on. In that way, we drifted from one planet to another during my youth, until, when I was about 11, we landed on a planet called Vinson 5.

"Vinson 5!" I said.

Snale smiled. You know the name?

"Of course, I said. I shouldn’t have been surprised. Please go on."

When we landed on Vinson 5, my father ordered, Come, Snale, and led me through the town beside the spaceport. The streets were busy, with hurrying natives, and horse-like animals drawing carts and carriages. Walking in such places is not pleasant for people of our size, but my father braved the bumping until we reached a shop in Sorestrom Street.

I did not know the nature of the shop, because I was too small to look in its window, but my father went in – to a gloomy room with a dirty wooden floor and walls. Boxes of vegetables lay at the sides, giving the place an earthy smell. In the middle, an old man sat behind a wooden counter with a weighing machine.

My father greeted the man, whose name was Aulm. He took us through a door at the back of the shop, across a wide passage, and into a room beyond. It was about the size of the ship’s entrance hall, with a cracked sink under a grimy window. An old table and chairs sat in the middle of the room, and two straw-filled mattresses lay on the dirty floor.

When Aulm had left us, my father told me, This is where we shall live during our stay on Vinson 5. He must have seen my surprise: he added, Aulm has rented it to me. He is a… a business associate. Thus I entered the first building I had lived in since my mother died.

The passage led to a door in a lane at the side of the building. That door was kept locked, but Aulm gave us a key so that we could reach our room without going through the shop.

As usual, my father sent me to the local school. I shall not describe that. Perhaps you can imagine how I was treated by the larger native boys.

That did not worry my father. He spent his days lounging on his mattress, or talking with Aulm in the shop. He also developed a strange habit. He would announce that he was going on a trip, then he would disappear for several days, leaving me to look after myself.

I did not mind that. In fact, I welcomed it. When he was at home, he treated me as a servant who would cook, wash and clean for him, and he was not slow to beat me if I did not please him. And, in his absence, I did not attend that school.

As our lives settled, I noticed a pattern in his absences. He would be away for 10.3 Federation days, regardless of the times on Vinson 5. He might leave in the middle of our night, and return in the middle of the day. After his return, he would have long meetings with Aulm, returning with money. More money than we usually had, although he spent none of it on me.

One day, I secretly followed him to the spaceport, and confirmed that he was using the ship for his 10.3-day trips. He had taken the rooms on Vinson 5 because he did not want me to know where he was going.

I did a little research, and discovered a planet that was about a five-day flight from Vinson 5. Another two planets would require a shorter flight than five days. He might be spending longer on one of them, but that was less likely. No doubt you can guess the name of the planet.

"Earth, I said. Sol 3."

Snale smiled. "Correct. I found one interesting piece of information about Sol 3. A Contact Team had visited it, and learned the local language. But, before it was invited to join the Federation, war broke out, so the invitation was never issued.

That raised alarming thoughts in my young mind. What was my father doing on a planet where the people were fighting? Fighting suggested a certain level of civilisation, so perhaps he was at his usual occupation, using Federation equipment to overcome local security. Or was he doing something more sinister? He was dishonest enough to sell Federation weapons on a non-Federation planet – and that would earn him a lifetime in prison.

Then what would happen to me? If he was sent to prison, I would miss him in a way, although it could hardly make my life more unpleasant. But, as the son of a convict, I would have little chance of achieving my dream.

I must tell you of my dream, because that is important. From an early age, I wanted to become a Federation agent. During our wanderings, I would sometimes see agents, and long to be like them, in their smart uniforms.

I foolishly revealed my dream to my father. Perhaps that was another reason why he was cruel to me. He had no love for Federation agents and, considering his occupation, that is not surprising.

At that time, I could do nothing about my ambition. By Vayan laws, I would be in my father’s care until I was 5 000 days old, and that was an unending 1 000 days ahead.

During my father’s absences, I visited a few planets by transporter from Vinson 5. Since I had lived on several planets during my short life, you might expect that I would be bold in such exploring, but you must remember that my experiences had not been pleasant. Hoping to find a planet where the people were friendly, I would gather my courage, and venture into a transporter. Alas, too often it took me to a place where someone would scowl at me, and ask my business. I would stammer an excuse, and flee back to Vinson 5.

I did find one planet whose transporter was in a lonely place, and I would visit it, although it had a cold wind, often with rain or sleet. Bea, perhaps you can guess the planet to which I refer. I believe that you have visited it.

"Me? I… I’m sorry, I said. I was feeling sorry for you. Where did…? Didgery 2! That was our second mission. We took the transporter from Vinson 5 to Didgery 2. It is a bleak place. The transporter opens into a bare concrete shed without ends. In one direction, it looks over the sea, which is usually dark grey. In the other direction is bare rock, also dark grey."

Snale smiled. "That is the place. Sometimes, I ventured inland, finding large fields, but men often worked in them, so I remained out of sight. I did enjoy sitting on the shore, watching the sea, although the cold soon drove me away.

I was happy to sit in the waiting room of the Vinson 5 communication centre. It was bright and warm, and more comfortable than our room. Many people passed through it, but few lingered there, so no one ordered me to leave. I would sit in a quiet corner, watching the travellers come and go, and dreaming of being an agent who would come and go as they did.

Am I wearying you? Do you want me to stop?

"No!" I said.

"It’s interesting, said Hais. We want to know what happened."

"You are very patient, listening to a boring old man."

"It’s not boring, I said. Do please