Retaliation Read Online Free PDF Page B

everybody’s doubts after they maneuvered you and Keogh into almost starting a war for them.” He glanced at West.
    “So you’ll have to excuse Kasuf and the others for being a little dubious about your proposals.”
    “All right, here’s something a little more concrete,” West said, nettled. “Since we took over the mining op-eration, we’ve been providing health care for the workers. And I know Colonel O’Neil has been send-ing his medical personnel into the city. I’ll expand that by offering a complete immunization project for the city’s children-“ Jackson cut him off with a quick interchange in Abydan between himself and the Elders. The old men were looking at West like a collection of hungry eagles. “That’s much better than the promises UMC made-and never kept,” Jackson said.
    “But I think you’ll have to sweeten the pot considerably more.” West took a deep breath. “All right.
    Besides classes in machine operation, I’m willing to give Kasuf and his people all the equipment presently invested in the mine-when they’re qualified to operate it. That’s a bit more than the steel picks and shovels our engineers provided to replace those copper mattocks they were using.”
    Jackson passed on the offer, to voluble discussion among the Elders. West noticed that Jackson was par-ticipating, even arguing. In the end, the translator shrugged. “A week after you start the inoculations, they’ll allow a small group in-perhaps a dozen people or so. We’ll also provide help with translating, which you’ll have to pay for.”
    After some haggling, they at least reached a reason-able ballpark figure. It was exorbitant compared to the wages for a miner, but West was willing to pay. “Incidentally,” Jackson said, “only part of that fig-ure goes to a stipend for the actual translators. The rest is going to expand our English classes.” “Money well spent,” West said.
    “Your people will be there on sufferance,” Jackson warned. “They’re still debating the rest of your deal.
    This is just a show of good faith on their part.”
    The general nodded. “Understood.” He glanced at his watch. “If you would please thank them for their attention, I’ll stop taking up their time.” West stood for a formal farewell, with fulsome hopes that this time harmony would prevail.
    As West left, he was a little surprised when Jackson accompanied him to the Humvee convoy for the ride back to the base camp. “General, I don’t mean to knock your proposition, but what you’re offering is just a Band-Aid for the problems here.”
    “It’s all I can give,” West replied. “Even with secret appropriations, I don’t have bottomless pockets.
    We’ve got a Congress that wants to cut all spending.” To give the Egyptologist some credit, he argued eloquently for his adopted people all the way to the StarGate.
    “Understand, Jackson, I don’t want to cause dislocations in the society here,” West finally said. “I want things stable, so we’ll receive dependable ship-ments of the golden quartz. From our side, we’ll give all the tools and training the people of Abydos can absorb. But if that causes troubles, your Abydan friends will have to find their own answers.”
    He turned to the technician in charge of the alien in-stallation. “Warm up your magic donut there, Corpo-ral. I’ve got to be back in Washington by this evening.”

CHAPTER 3
DOMESTIC DISTURBANCES
    The sun was setting by the time Daniel Jackson got back from the base camp. Though the twisting streets of Nagada were in shadow, a stifling heat seemed to radiate from the adobe-brick walls of the buildings around him. A wasted day, Daniel though moodily. The problem was, most of his days seemed wasted-spent in meet-ings with the Elders, or translating for the Earthling du jour. His hieroglyphics literacy courses had gone to Sha’uri and some of his brighter students. All he had time for was the advanced English class. On rare