REDFRUIT RISING
PART II
As the two kids returned to H&H, Michael went directly to help Baloo, while Molly went inside to talk to her mother.
"Mom?" Rebecca raised her head from some figures she was working on. The older woman looked at her daughter, and immediately realized-- A request was about to be made.
"Yes Molly?" Rebecca said, raising her eyebrows.
"If I finish all my work... could I have that old compressor?" Rebecca blinked.
"Why....." She said, drawing the last word out.
"Um... I have a project in mind.... and no, it won't break curfew or anything like that."
"Then why don't you tell me what it is." Rebecca said, meeting her daughter's eyes.
"I want to use it to make a refrigerator..." Molly said
"For what?" Becky asked. Jereem looked up from his own papers and watched the interplay between mother and daughter with interest.
*At least she isn't saying no....* Molly thought. Rebecca continued.
"Molly.... Why don't you tell me what it's for." Molly reached for the paper on Rebecca's desk and opened up to the business section.
"Reticula's redfruit crop went down the tubes, see and so we were thinking that if we're going there this weekend, we can ship them some redfruit, only the fruit is too big for the 'duck so we're going to press it and bring the juice and that's why I need to make a refrigerator-" Rebecca raised her hand, and molly stopped, slightly out of breath. Jereem was looking at the young bearess, and back to the paper.
"So what you're saying, is that you want to ship this redfruit juice, and you need the refrigerator to ship it to Reticula."
"Yes!"
"On the Seaduck?"
"Well... yes."
"How much were you going to
pay *me* for the use of the cargo space?"
"Ummmm..... would you accept a cut in the profits?"
"Why yes! 25% should do it." Molly gulped.
"uh... .OK."
"And you'll have to keep up on the rest of your work, right?"
"Of course, mom." Molly said, confidently.
"Well, then you and Michael have thought of just about everything..." Rebecca said, "I'll just add one other suggestion... instead of pressing the fruit yourself, why don't you just buy the juice direct... since you can get it almost as cheaply as the fruit." She smiled. "I think you might find pressing out the juice a bit hard to do... especially given your time constraints." Jereem watched the two, a quizzical expression on his face... there was something that just didn't seem right.... He shrugged and went back to the books.
"OK!" Molly said, enthusiastically. "Michael and I can cover the money... so there's no cost to you..."
"Well then," Rebecca smiled. "How can I lose on a proposition like that? I'll let you get to work... and if you need to, we can eat down here so you and Michael can get the work you need done." Molly bounced up and left at a trot. Rebecca shook her head affectionately and looked at the article one more time before going back to work.
***
Michael was huffing, loading the last box into the Seaduck. The boxes were heavy, but nothing like the ones yesterday.
"So why are we not coming along for this flight, Mr. Bear?" Michael asked. Baloo grinned.
"It's just a short little hop... an' Wildcat has some family there, so I decided he can come along and say hi to them."
"Oh... well if you are certain..." Molly came charging out and heard the last part of the conversation.
"I'm certain Baloo knows what he's doing, Michael." Molly said, just the tiniest edge in her voice. "Besides... we need time for our project... you know, the one Rebecca just gave me permission for..." Michael turned around to the young bearess.
"She did?!" He asked. Despite his optimism, he really had worried about Ms. Cunningham's opinion. Baloo looked down at the two.
"You kids have something in mind?"
"Yeah, Baloo." Molly said airily, "We're going into business... wanna join up?" The older bear laughed.
"Nah, Shortstuff..." Baloo grinned, "I'm still not recovered from the last time I went into business..." He waved, then got into the Seaduck and started the engines, Wildcat in the copilot's seat. As the Seaduck moved off into the harbor... Michael turned to Molly.
"I knew about our project." He said, just a little crossly, "And why did you go and tell Baloo the whole thing anyway?" Molly frowned at him.
"Well if he had wanted to help..."
"Then it wouldn't be *our* project anymore, now would it." Michael paused, "If we put in all the work, we get all the money... if we have everyone and their brother helping, they get all the money." Molly glared at him.
"I know that...." She paused, remembering what Rebecca had said. "And we're not gonna get all the money."
"Why not?"
"Mom wants 25 percent of our profits to let us ship it in the Seaduck." Molly said quickly.
"Gross or net?" Molly blinked.
"What?"
"Did she want 25 percent off of our net profits, or our gross profits?" Molly shrugged.
"Mom never said." Michael glared at her.
"Molly, that's very important!"
"OK, then you talk to her about it." Molly said, glaring back. "I've gotta work on the refrigerator." Michael looked at her set jaw.
"OK, OK... I shouldn't have snapped." He said, putting his hands up. "I'll ask Ms. Cunningham..." Molly's mood changed, and she gave him a smile.
"OK, I'll see you behind the building... that's where the compressor is." Michael nodded, and walked towards the main building. He opened the door, and walked in, waving at Jereem.
"Ms. Cunningham?" Rebecca looked at him
"Yes, Michael?" Michael cleared his throat.
"Did you intend for the 25 percent to come off of the net, or the gross profits?" He asked, crossing his fingers. Rebecca looked at him, and smiled.
"Well... what would your granduncle do?" She asked.
"Go for the gross... it would give him the best chance of recouping his investment." Michael said.
"So that would be best for me... money wise?"
"Yes...." Michael reluctantly said. Becky laughed.
"Well... seeing as you were honest with me.... I'll make it the net."
"Thank you, Ms. Cunningham! I-ah mean thank you for giving us this help." Michael said, regaining his composure... and glaring at Jereem who had to stifle a laugh at the tiger's momentary lapse. He turned and quickly left the building. Rebecca looked over at Jereem, and commented.
"Jereem, I can handle the rest of this... why don't you go give Molly and Michael a hand?" Jereem nodded, and then got up and walked to the door. Halfway there, he turned and looked at Rebecca.
"Ms. Cunningham?" Jereem asked.
"Yes, Jereem?"
"Why didn't you tell Molly? I mean, you knew the difference between net and gross." Rebecca paused and then smiled.
"Jereem.... If she'd asked me I would of. But both Michael and Molly want to do this alone, and they can't do that if I'm butting in every second, telling them how to do it." The older woman shuffled some papers, and put them in a drawer. "Besides, this won't cost them much more then hard work and a little cash, no matter if it's successful or not, and if it is, you'll all be the better off for having done it yourselves." She paused. "Are you going to work with them, Jereem?"
"I have to." Jereem said, "Molly gets overenthusiastic... and so does Michael... I'll just have to be the voice of reason... or of 'I told you so', depending." Rebecca burst into laughter, and shooed him out.
***
At the rear of the building, in the rat's nest of junk that was Wildcat's source of raw materials for his mechanical feats, Molly sat down, looking at the compressor. It wasn't rusty, that was one blessing, but it had no powersource, and all the rubber parts had long since deteriorated. She blew some hair out of her face, and then sat to work, spreading the blanket she had bought and began to disassemble the machine, taking each piece out and cleaning it, then setting it out on the blanket.
When Michael and Jereem came walking around the building, they saw the bearess in the center of a mass of disassembled parts, methodically washing each one in gasoline, and putting them down to dry.
"So how is it?" Michael asked.
"Awful.... all the rubber parts are rotted, and we'll have to replace them." Molly gestured at a piece of paper next to her. "Here's what I'm gonna do." Jereem looked at it, and pushed his glasses up on his muzzle.
"You have everything, but..." the coyote said, looking about, "The copper tubing, bottles and freon." Molly nodded.
"Yep, I need you guy's to get it." Jereem nodded.
"How about if I get the redfruit... then we can use those bottles in the refrigerator." Michael said loftily. Molly snorted.
"And watch the juice go bad while we set the system up?" She looked at him. "I'm not Wildcat... this is going to take a while." Jereem broke in.
"What do we need first? The tubing or the bottles?" Molly chewed her lip.
"Both, I think." Michael nodded.
"Then I'll get the bottles, and Jereem will get the tubing." Jereem shook his head.
"I have a better idea. Why don't' we both go down to the scrapyard, and look there. How much money do you have on you?"
"About twenty dollars." Michael said, getting a frown from Molly. She didn't have to worry about having twenty dollars.
"And I have five... which should hopefully be enough."
"I have a little..." Molly said.
"You're providing all the skilled labor." Michael said. "That is everything you should provide and more." Jereem looked at Michael.
"Skilled or not, if we need more money, we'll need it." The coyote said, earning a quick glare from Michael. Jereem continued. "How about if we go get everything, and plan to have it back here by.... 3:00?" he asked, consulting his watch. He blinked. "Do you have all the gaskets?"
"Oh sure," Molly assured him breezily. "they use the same types as the refrigerator indoors, and Wildcat keeps spares." She waved them off. "I'll see you at three."
***
Fast Earl's House Of Bargains was a small shack in front of a large junkyard. Michael and Jereem regarded it doubtfully.
"Well." Michael said, "I'm certain we'll find what we're looking for here."
"I'm not certain..." Jereem said, "Unless Molly needs a large amount of rust." Michael looked at him, then turned about as a large hippo came out of the door.
"Well Hellooooo" The hippo said ingratingly. "Is there anything I can help you young fellows with?" Michael immediately disliked the individual, but..
"Well yes. We are here to buy-awk!" The tiger squawked as the two kids were magically transported into the shed, it seemed.
"Now... What can I get you boys?" The hippo continued, with an ingrating smile. Michael looked around at the inside of the building, and gathered his thoughts.
"We need ah... five 50 Gallon stainless steel containers, and 40 feet of 1/2 inch copper tubing..." he read off the rest of Molly's list. When he finished, the Hippo smiled.
"Looking for a science project? You don't need to go to that effort!" He vanished back behind some material and came out with a large box. "The x2000 chemistry set allows you young men to have all kinds of scientific fun, and only for....20 dollars!"
"No, Thank you." Michael said, gritting his teeth. "We're on something of a time limit, so could you please tell us if you have what we need? If not, I have two other stores on my list." The prospect of loosing a sale brought the hippo back down to earth. Quickly grabbing the paper he looked at it and back to the two kids.
"Hmmmm.... Whyyyy yessssss..... We have all these items. And I'll be able to give them to you for the quite reasonable price of...... 100 dollars."
"ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS!!!!???" Michael shrieked. Jereem blinked at that.
"Well.... I could knock some off of that... how does 95 dollars sound?" The hippo said. Michael took several deep breaths.
"Like. Highway. Robbery." He said. "I doubt you've done that much business since this place started.... C'mon Jereem, we'll go check out the other yards." The hippo sprang up, waving his hands.
"Wait, Wait!" he said, "Perhaps I could lower the price down a bit. how much do you have?"
"twenty-five dollars" Jereem said. Michael winced at Jereem's slip. Now they'd never get it down to a reasonable price.
"Which is far more then the scrap value of this stuff, which is all you'd normally get for it." Michael said.
"Well..... OK. But," The hippo said, raising one hand, "We don't deliver for that, so you'll have to take it out yourselves.... I can give you a hand truck-- for free!" Michael handed over his and Jereem's money, wondering doubtfully what the truck was like.
***
Back at H&H, Molly finished the last of the parts and began to reassemble the compressor, looking at the plans she had made. The heat exchanger would dangle outside an open porthole, letting the wind help cool it off, while the rest of the system would be in the rear of the 'duck. Molly shook her head and made more marks on the paper. She'd have to run an exhaust pipe from the gasoline generator she had borrowed... Shaking her head, the bearess continued to work, hoping that Jereem and Michael were at least finding their job as easy as it had looked.
Rebecca came around the building a looked at her daughter. Molly turned to her mother, her golden fur streaked and smudged from where she had gotten oil on it.
"How's it coming, sweetie?" Rebecca asked.
"Well.... fine. really." Becky cocked her head.
"That doesn't sound certain."
"It's a lot harder without Wildcat's help." Molly admitted. Rebecca smiled.
"Do you think you'll be able to do it?"
"Of course!" Molly said, then paused, "But... how late can I stay here tonight?" Rebecca looked at her.
"How does 11:00 sound... as long as you stay out of the sewer." She paused, "I'll be working that late, so it won't be as if you're all here alone." Molly nodded and then looked down at the parts. She took a deep breath and started putting them together again... delaying wouldn't make the job any easier. Rebecca affectionately tousled her hair.
"I'll let you keep working... but we are going to have a dinner.... starving yourself won't help anything."
"But mommmm." Molly said, "We can't take the time to-"
"Yes you can, young lady..." Rebecca replied. "Besides, we'll eat at the bar&grill up the street when Baloo gets back... it won't take much time and you'll work better for it." She left, going back into the office where her own work awaited.
***
Michael looked at the truck.
"It doesn't have an engine." He said flatly.
"And you don't have a license." The hippo replied, "So you couldn't drive it if it did. But since you're coming from up the slope all you have to do is ride it down and throw the brake." Michael turned to Jereem, then looked back at the rickety truck, piled high with their purchases.
"OK." Michael decided. They had already spent too much time on this. He handed the money to the hippo, who immediately disappeared back into the shack, now that no money was to be had. He looked at the drivers...'seat', actually more of a platform with a steering bar and brake bar and pedal. Walking to the gate, he looked down the road, descending at a shallow slope, getting deeper as it approached the waterfront. It was only a few miles to H&H.... what trouble could it be?
"Jereem?"
"Yes, Michael?"
"Why don't you steer, and I'll give a push... then keep it going slow until I hop in." Jereem looked at the rusty vehicle.
"Well.... alright." The coyote said, getting on the seat and disengaging the emergency brake. Michael got behind the vehicle, his sight obscured by the five large steel barrels, and began to push with all his might.
The wheels resisted, then, just as Michael thought he would explode, began to move. It began to slowly move, and then hit the slope. Michael took a moment to relax, then fell over as the vehicle shot forward.
"JEREEM!" He yelled, getting to his feet and running after the receding vehicle. "SLOW IT DOWN... SLOW IT DOWN!!!!!!!" It began to slow up a little, and Michael caught up to it, and managed to swing himself into the seat next to Jereem.
"What are you doing! I said slowly!" Michael yelled, then noticed Jereem's set expression, and the fact that his foot was all the way down on the brake pedal...without having any effect on the speed of the vehicle.
"I'm trying.... the load is too heavy!" The coyote gritted, sweat beading on his brow. Michael lent his foot to Jereem's with no success. The vehicle kept gaining speed. Michael looked down the road, and saw with some relief that there were few cars on the street. Then the cart hit a rough spot in the road and bounced, almost throwing both kids from their seats.
"The brake... the emergency brake!!" Michael yelled, then reached over grabbed, and pulled it-- right out into his hand. "Oh that was helpful." He growled, then saw a truck pull into the road. Jereem managed to avoid the truck, by going onto the sidewalk. Swerving from side to side, Jereem managed to avoid the few pedestrians, and get back onto the road, barely keeping from going over.
Michael gripped the side of his seat so hard his knuckles cracked. Finally, he saw that there was nothing else between them and H&H. He sighed, relaxing slightly.
"What are you calming down about?" Jereem asked.
"There's nothing else to hit." Michael replied, getting some of his poise back, as the wind whipped through his hair.
"Exactly... nothing between us and the bay." Michael turned around, opening his mouth, just as the vehicle sailed onto the pier in front of H&H, continued, and went sailing into the bay. Fortunately, the empty canisters kept the whole assembly from sinking.... unfortunately, that allowed Michael to see the police car pull up to H&H. Jereem was cleaning his glasses, as a gape jawed Molly came running out onto the pier, with a rope. "Shall I explain this to Ms. Cunningham?" Jereem asked. The only reply he got was a groan.
***
"Well you could have been hurt." Rebecca said, looking at the two kids. Towels had managed to get them just a little less waterlogged, and they had changed, but Michael still was drying off his hair. Rebecca continued. "But Wildcat says that the brakes on that...... cart were defective, and I'm going to have a little... chat with the fellow that let you use it." Michael sighed, then sat up as Rebecca turned around and got a ticket from her desk.
"Still, there is the matter of a 125 dollar ticket... that I paid out to the police." Rebecca commented. "Do either of you have any idea where I'm going to find the money for it?"
"Out of what we make from our sales?" Michael said.
"Yes!" Rebecca smiled. "And given that I now have a vested interest in seeing this work... why don't you two go out and help Molly, if you're feeling up to it." Michael and Jereem bolted from the room, heading to the much safer regions where Molly was working. As they left, Baloo came walking in, still laughing. He and Wildcat had touched down just in time to help Molly get her two waterlogged friends and their cargo out of the bay. Becky turned to him and poked him in the chest.
"Don't you go laughing mister.... that was right up the alley with one of your treasure hunts!" Baloo grinned.
"So maybe I should take those three on one?" Rebecca groaned.
"Don't even joke... they found a ghost and pirates in Cape Suzette... What they might find somewhere else, I shudder to think." She sat down.
"Ready!" Michael's voice came from outside the window. Baloo and Rebecca cocked their heads. "Start her up!"
"What-?, Turn it off, turn it offfff!!!" Came Molly's yell.
"What happened?" Jereem asked.
"The freon, the freon-- it's coming through the cracks."
"Michael, I said turn it cough, cough OFF!!!"
Baloo looked at Rebecca.
"Yep, seems like they have everything under control." Rebecca nodded.
"I thought you had soldered everything!"
"I did!"
"Well, it didn't work!"
"Maybe if we tried again... and asked Wildcat if there was a reason why the solder didn't hold?" That was Michael's voice.
"I can handle it, Michael." Molly said.
"OK... but if that happens on the Seaduck... we'll lose everything and there is still the ticket to pay..." Jereem said.
"WILDCAT!!" Came Molly and Michael's voice. Rebecca laughed softly.
"Good thing they have Jereem along... he keeps his head." Becky said.
"Well, compared to everything else that's happened to the kid, this is pretty minor." Baloo replied. The bear sat down in the chair. "So, how close an eye do you want me to keep on them?" Rebecca frowned.
"Reticula... That's a pretty safe place, isn't it?"
"Well, you hafta go lookin' for trouble, if that's what you mean."
"Then don't let them go looking for it...."
"Sure thing, Bosslady." Becky looked up at him.
"And get ready for something to eat. We're all going to the bar and grill up the street." Baloo cocked his head at the sound of a failing oil gasket and a female shriek from outside.
"Before they kill each other, or after?"
"Before," Rebecca laughed, and shooed him out of the room, before sitting down, finishing up the last of her work.
***
When Rebecca rousted the kids out of the back to get something to eat. Molly and Michael were on the verge of killing each other, with Jereem acting as the moderating influence. Molly glared at her meal, her fingers bandaged where she had accidentally scorched herself with the soldering iron, and her face still smudged. Michael looked at his plate, and once again tried to comb his hair back.
"It was a good thing Jereem thought to call Wildcat." he said. Molly glared at him.
"How was I to know about swedging?" Molly bit out. "I've never worked on a refrigerator before," The bearess continued, covering her real embarrassment with grouchiness at Michael.
"Of course not..." Jereem said, finishing up his meal. "But Wildcat has a lot more experience then... well any of us. I certainly didn't know about that." Molly sighed.
"Well, at least everything is finished, except for washing out the canisters..."
"That shouldn't take long." Michael said.
"Guess again." Rebecca said. Michael looked at Molly's mother in surprise.
"Michael... you're shipping food stuffs in those canisters." Rebecca continued, "And I got a look at what they look like." She smiled at Michael. "Before you can even think of putting redfruit juice in them, they have to be clean enough to eat off of... literally. Don't think the health board is anyone to fool around with." Rebecca paused, "Trust me. About six years ago I was thinking about getting into the pizza delivery business and I checked. I wonder what happened to those other fellows?" She finished. Baloo, eating next to her, suddenly seemed to get some food stuck in his throat, and grabbed for a glass of water, while Rebecca pounded him on the back.
"And that means?" Michael said.
"Well, first you should go over the inside with detergent and wire brushes, then probably use ammonia to wash them out, then tomorrow morning, early, Wildcat can help you steamclean them to get the last of the ammonia out and anything that might have survived, as well." Rebecca finished. Molly nodded.
"That'll be an hour to scrub them, per canister.... and we have five of them."
"And that doesn't count washing them out with the ammonia..." Michael said. The three looked at each other, then stood up.
"May be we excused?" Jereem asked, Rebecca waved them off, and they seemed to teleport out of the room, heading back to H&H at flank speed.
"Gotta admit.... they're putting in the work for this." Baloo said.
"Well, given who they are, what do you expect?" Rebecca asked. She finished her meal, and waited for Baloo to finish the last of his.
"So what's the plan now?" Baloo asked her as they walked out of the restaurant.
"I'm going to try to finish everything tonight. We really can't postpone this trip, and if the kid's need some help, I want to be able to give it to them." Rebecca said. She paused as they came around the corner, seeing the cluster of lights marking the trio's work area. "But on the other hand, I think they might just make it on their own."