Here is another quick snippet from the New Book -The Martian Inheritance!

"Just how did you get tickets to that new club anyway?”

I laughed and told Min how. “I know the owner, he supplied the tickets, the limo, food, and alcohol.”

“You’ve met this guy? He is the most mysterious man on the planet! One of the guys at the building commission said that he thought that he was some big shot from New Texas.”

‘Why would he say that he was from New Texas?”

“What he told me was that this guy did all his business on the vid and he was a big man wearing a cowboy hat with a ‘western accent’ that made the call.” I had to chuckle at her. Dar was snickering too.

“OK you two, what did I say that was so funny?”

“Min, why were you checking up on Mr Theai?”

“I wanted to thank him for hiring so many veterans and to ask if we can use his club for a Militia fundraiser next month.”

Laughing I pointed at the Vid screen in the kitchen. “Min, ask his yourself. He is right there.”

The image of a tall, thin man in blue jeans and a yellow western shirt wearing what looked like a leather vest, neckerchief, and a cowboy hat appeared on the screen. His face was long and he had deep brown eyes. “Howdy? I heard you were looking to speak with me Miss Lee.”

Min glanced at me and silently said “how?” to me. She turned back to the screen and responded. “Yes, Mr Theai, I wanted to thank you for hiring all the Militia veterans at your club. I also wanted to know if we host a charity event from there sometime next month?”

“Well Miss Lee, I think we can do that. Give my business manager Andy White a call and set it up. I will let him know it is OK from my end and the club will be all yours. Anything else I can do for you?” The cowboy had a smiling face.

“Will you join us for the fundraiser? I am sure that a man of your stature will solicit lots of donations.”

“Well, darling, I would love to do that, but I’m shipping out next week for an unknown amount of time.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. Do you have business elsewhere to take care of?”

The cowboy began to laugh. “No, no business. I’m on my way to Mars. In fact I am leaving at the same time as Athena.”

Minerva looked at me with a strange look on her face. “Athena, is this man one of your shipmates from the James Cook?”

When she said that Dar, almost fell off her chair she was laughing so hard. I looked over at my father who had been watching us this whole time. He had a smile on his face like he knew.

“You need to explain this to me now! Why is what I said so funny?” She looked back at the screen and the cowboy was gone. In his place was one of the RAM units except this one had a smiley face drawn on it.