not wrong,” he admitted. “And you’re right; I have to be here while Lyle’s out of school. I was thinking of that as a problem, not offering it to people as a guaranteed vacation every working year. Need to factor that we’re only working ten months into the salaries…”
“Your partner and you could do that math easily enough,” Ivan suggested. “Plus, with Restoya’s engines and acceleration couches, you can cut as much as twenty-four hours off any given courier run.
“That’ll add up fast.”
“It will,” Charpentier admitted. “Twenty percent.”
“Forty,” Ivan countered. “My friend, you need someone with the shares, the patience, and the experience with you to yank you up short if you try and midlife-crisis at the crew again. I won’t put up with that bullshit, and you can’t afford to put yourself in a position where I follow Sonia.”
That was a low blow, but he wasn’t kidding. One screw-up of that scale could mean there’d be another. The best way to avoid that was for Ivan to be there to tell Charpentier when he was being an idiot.
His friend stood next to the kitchen counter, examining his coffee like it held the secrets of the universe.
“Done,” he agreed. “We’ll have time to do up the paperwork. Lyle’s out of school in three weeks, so that first holiday kicks off right now.”
“Good. We’ll recruit toward the end of his break,” Ivan said. “With me in place, I’m pretty sure we can fill our Mage slots easily enough. I’ll keep an eye out for promising candidates, assuming we can put them on salary to wait for us?”
“At Mage salaries?” Charpentier said with a face, but it turned to a grin as Ivan raised an eyebrow. “No, that makes sense. I’ll talk to the lawyer; we’ll have the paperwork for the partnership in place before I grab Lyle and we head to a beach somewhere.”
“Focus on him while you’re away,” Ivan said firmly. “Restoya isn’t going anywhere and I’ll keep an eye on everything else. We’ll keep in touch, but your kid…your kid’s important.”
“I agree,” his friend said. “Not the only place I fucked up, I know, but it’s the one place I can definitely fix it.”
Once Karl Charpentier had left, Ivan took a slow read-through of the quick and dirty memorandum of understanding they’d drafted and signed to cover both their asses.
It answered what one Ivan Halloway was going to be doing for ten months out of twelve for the foreseeable future. Forty percent of profits after costs would likely add up quickly once the ship was running—Charpentier’s wife had put their son in a top-tier educational academy and kept up a mansion without straining his funds, after all.
Ivan wasn’t entirely sure what had happened there and hadn’t asked. He’d never even met Penny, so he refused to judge. His impression, though, was that his friend hadn’t gone sideways until after the divorce.
Sighing, he shook his head and opened his messages to extract a contact code.
“This is the Royal Martian Navy Reserve, Xanth Station,” a chirpy young Lieutenant answered the video call immediately. “How may I assist you?”
“Good afternoon, Lieutenant,” Ivan told the young man. “I am Mage-Captain Ivan Halloway—retired, obviously. I need to speak to Sarah Tapiti.
“She’s left me several messages over the last couple of months, and she and I need to discuss my Reserve status…”
Thank you so much for reading Pulsar Race.
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Starship’s Mage by Glynn Stewart
Enjoyed Pulsar Race? You may enjoy the rest of the series, starting with the titular Starship’s Mage by Glynn Stewart.
A ship that cannot leave
A Mage that will not stay
A meeting of desperations
In a galaxy tied together by the magic of the elite Jump Mages, Damien Montgomery graduates into their numbers—only to discover that without connections, he can't find a ship and is stuck in the Sherwood system.
Pirates attacked David Rice’s jump freighter, leaving him with a dead Mage and a damaged ship—stuck in Sherwood, where a grieving father has blacklisted him from hiring a replacement Jump Mage.
When their desperate needs meet, Damien Montgomery is drawn into a conflict with the most powerful criminal organization in the galaxy—and to the attention of the Mage-King of Mars himself!
About the Author
Glynn Stewart is the author of Starship’s Mage, a bestselling science fiction and fantasy series where faster-than-light travel is possible–but only because of magic. His other works include science fiction series Duchy of Terra, Castle Federation and Vigilante, as well as the urban fantasy series ONSET and Changeling Blood.
Writing managed to liberate Glynn from a bleak future as an accountant. With his personality and hope for a high-tech future intact, he lives in Kitchener, Ontario with his wife, their cats, and an unstoppable writing habit.
VISIT GLYNNSTEWART.COM FOR NEW RELEASE UPDATES
Other books by Glynn Stewart
For release announcements join the mailing list by visiting GlynnStewart.com
Starship’s Mage
Starship’s Mage
Hand of Mars
Voice of Mars
Alien Arcana
Judgment of Mars
UnArcana Stars
Sword of Mars
Mountain of Mars
The Service of Mars
A Darker Magic (upcoming)
Pulsar Race: A Starship’s Mage Universe Novella
Starship’s Mage: Red Falcon
Interstellar Mage
Mage-Provocateur
Agents of Mars
Duchy of Terra
The Terran Privateer
Duchess of Terra
Terra and Imperium
Darkness Beyond
Shield of Terra
Imperium Defiant
Relics of Eternity
Shadows of the Fall (upcoming)
Exile
Ashen Stars: an Exile Prequel Novella
Exile
Refuge
Crusade
Castle Federation
Space Carrier Avalon
Stellar Fox
Battle Group Avalon
Q-Ship Chameleon
Rimward Stars
Operation Medusa
A Question of Faith: a Castle Federation Novella
Peacekeepers of Sol
Raven’s Peace
The Peacekeeper Initiative
Raven’s Course (upcoming)
Scattered Stars: Conviction
Conviction
Deception
Equilibrium (upcoming)
Vigilante (With Terry Mixon)
Heart of Vengeance
Oath of Vengeance
Bound By Stars: A Vigilante Series (With Terry Mixon)
Bound By Law
Bound by Honor
Bound by Blood
ONSET
ONSET: To Serve and Protect
ONSET: My Enemy’s Enemy
ONSET: Blood of the Innocent
ONSET: Stay of Execution
Murder by Magic: an ONSET Universe Novella
Changeling Blood
Changeling’s Fealty
Hunter’s Oath
Noble’s Honor
Fae, Flames & Fedoras: a Changeling Blood Universe Novella
Fantasy Stand Alone Novels
Children of Prophecy
City in the Sky
Wardtown