The Feather Merchant
by
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When Pitzi awoke, he felt a warm hand touching his cheek. Looking up, he noticed Merat staring at him. She quickly removed her hand.
“You’re cold,” was all she said.
“Yes, I am.”
“You want a blanket?”
“Yes, thanks.” Pitzi took the blanket from her, drew it up around his shoulders, but he began to shake, and he couldn’t stop shaking.
“Pitzi?”
“Yes?”
“I’ve been thinking.” She drew a breath and sighed, sitting near him.
“I have, too,” he said, just for conversation.
“Look . . . I mean, I apologize for being so unkind awhile ago. I am really a stowaway, and you have every right to turn me in ? if you like,” she added.
“Oh, Merat. I wouldn’t turn you in. You’re, well,” he couldn’t think of the right words, “you’re family,” he finally said.
“No, Pitzi. I’m not family. Not your family. I was wrong, and I know my father will punish me, but ?”
“I won’t turn you in, Merat. I just wouldn’t.” He kept shaking, and there was no way to stop it at all.
“Well, let me borrow your communicator. I’ll call father and tell him I’m alright. I never told him I was going to be gone.”
“Um,” Pitzi began, “would you also tell him that I didn’t kidnap you?”
“What for?”
“I . . . uh, that man, Backrt, that officer at Hozel . . . he told me that your father reported me as kidnapping you.”
“He did?” She almost came unwound. “That’s absurd.”
Pitzi sat up and couldn’t say anything more, just spread his hands.
“I don’t believe that. Pitzi, that’s just not a very polite joke. I was trying to be nice to you, and you ?”
“Oh, here. Go ahead and use the communicator,” he handed it to her, as she glared at him.
She punched her father’s code and heard, “Star Police Command. Commander Kimp,” came a stout voice.
“Father. This is Merat. I wanted to let you know ?”
“Merat! Honey, I’ve been so worried about you.”
“You have? I know, I’m on my way to Hozel.”
“Alright. Now, you listen, Honey, we have people waiting at Hozel to rescue you. When will you arrive?”
“Father, I’m not in any trouble, if that’s what you think.”
“Listen, Honey. Are you with that character, Phips?”
“Yes, I am, but ?”
There were a few uproarious expletives, and Kimp finally simmered. “Look, Honey, just stay in there, and we’ll have that scoundrel as soon as we can. Is he there?”
Pitzi had heard the entire thing, and he didn’t like the sound of Commander Kimp at all.
“Father, I’m alright. Don’t you worry. We just decided to elope, that’s all. Now, don’t worry,” she tried to sooth the man.
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About the Book
Life is not always easy. Far from it. This third popular, action-packed novel in Hillyer Ives’ Connizol series features a young merchant who had been handed a bill of stolen goods on Earth, having to pay a very expensive fine. Everything began falling apart after that. With nothing left but a ship load of perishable feathers, Pitzi sets out to define his new direction in life. His first desire was a date with a beautiful young woman, the daughter of the Star Police commander. But things continued to go wrong. The young woman stowed away on his ship, a Confederation offense, to “look after Pitzi.” Pitzi later has doubts about Merat’s love when Janzi Jit, a good-looking athlete joined them after the three were kidnapped and taken to the slip-shod world of Purrit. There they were to be used by the Confederation’s “most wanted” criminal, Otlee. Otlee was said to have been responsible for the deaths of over two thousand people. This never-ending action story involves not only suspense and adventure, but much comic relief and humor. Join Pitzi Phips, a sawed-off little merchantman with a big heart, as he takes on the Connizol Confederation’s number one assassin.
About the Author
Hillyer Ives (psuedonym for James Estes) is the author of seven exciting, published novels for teenage and adult audiences. Both Mars Mich, his first work, and Salzo, his fourth, are in the exhilarating series called the Connizol Tales.
Ives was born near Houston, Texas, but lived with his family in other areas of North Texas where he attended schools. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Texas Wesleyan University and a Master of Education from Texas Christian University. He was editor of a corporate magazine for thirteen years.
Always interested in adventure, Ives has led many backpacking groups to areas in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains, served as chairman of the National Speleological Society’s convention, received the NSS Fellow Award, and was editor of the Texas Caver for more than seven years. He has been active in the Boy Scouts of America explorer program, and following his retirement from West Texas Utilities Company at Abilene, has been employed each summer as a Park Ranger in Utah. He enjoys not only writing novels and music compositions, but traveling abroad. He has authored seven novels of adventure, science fiction, fantasy, and horror.