Free Titanium Texicans by Alan Black Page B

isn’t very good anyway. Let me start again. “My name is Anisa Rojo-Graham. I will be your attendant for this take off. Please buckle up.” She looked at Tasso and waited until he took the seatbelt and strapped it across his waist.
    “This is Freddy Rojo.” She gestured broadly at the young boy. “Freddie is your baggage handler for this,” she swept her arms about the broad glass window in an obviously practiced movement, “spectacular view for our departure from … um ….”
    “Saronno,” Freddy supplied.
    “Yeah, I knew that.”
    “Like fun you did!”
    Anisa said, “Where was I? Okay. Freddy is your baggage handler for this,” she swept her arms around the window again, “spectacular view for our departure from Saronno. In the unlikely event of turbulence, Freddy will store your bag in a gabinet in the back.”
    Freddy said, “Cabinet.”
    “What?” Anisa asked.
    “Cabinet is English. You said gabinet which is Spanish.”
    Anisa sighed in resignation. “In the unlikely event of turbulence, Freddy will store your bag in the cabinet in the back.”
    Freddy grabbed the bag and took off. Tasso would’ve been concerned, but so far he kept losing the bag and it kept coming back. Besides, Anisa continued talking.
    “As your attendant, if you need anything, please ask.” Pointing with two fingers, she continued, “In the event of an emergency, the observation deck has four exit doors. There are two in the back and two on the sides. Please keep all aisles clear of people and obstructions.”
    She looked out the window behind her. “I have been informed we will be lifting off right after the …” She checked a small dataport hanging on a chain around her neck. “The Cooperstown.” She pointed at a spaceship across the port.
    She looked as if she had something else to say, but she said nothing.
    Tasso said, “Um …, Miss?”
    Anisa shook her head. “Just Anisa. If we were being formal it would be Señorita Anisa Rojo-Graham, but you can call me Anisa.”
    Tasso nodded uncomfortably. The last girl his own age he had talked with ended the conversation by calling him a bastard and walking away. He still wasn’t sure this meeting wouldn’t end the same way once Anisa found out who he really was.
    “Anisa?” he asked, “if it is going to be a while before we take off, is there somewhere I can get something to drink and maybe a place to get some food and cook it?”
    Anisa slapped her forehead. “Refreshments and restrooms, I knew there was something I was forgetting. Now I have to start all over.” She tapped a few times on her dataport.
    “Can’t you tell me? It’s just the three of us here.”
    “Yeah, might as well. I screwed the pooch on the speech. I might as well mess it up all the way if I’m going to get a failing grade anyway.”
    “You’re getting graded on how well you do?”
    Anisa nodded. “Yep, Freddy and I are both on training cruises. We’re on observation deck duty until we get it right, then we move on to another department.”
    “I think I’m supposed to be on a training cruise, too. I don’t really know right now. But, if anyone asks, I’ll tell them you did fine.”
    Anisa laughed. “Tain’t that easy, greenhorn. La Dueña Dunstan is watching.” She pointed at the ceiling.
    “La Dueña Dunstan?” he asked. “Is she in charge? And my name is Tasso Menzies, not Greenhorn.”
    Anisa laughed. “La Dueña literally means the owner, but it really means our babysitter, nanny, our nurse, and our chaperone. She is our central computer core and records everything for review by the section hands, foremen, supervisors, and officers in charge.”
    Tasso shook his head. “I’m really lost, but I’m also really hungry. So if we have time, please point me in the direction of a kitchen?”
    “I already sent Freddy off to get us all something.”
    Tasso turned around but the boy was gone. “Really? Is there somewhere I can cook up whatever he brings back, or can he