Greetings sharp readers. Thanks for being here. Yesterday I shared part one of my conversation with Dusty waters. Today we’ll conclude:
Philip Normer: “So Dusty tells us about after Max left Salmo.”
Dusty Waters: “Once we’d heard she was off world and safe we quit worrying about her but then we missed her. Max was never what you would call outgoing or bubbly but she had a sweetness about her that you could feel. Sweetness is not something often found in Salmo or even on planet Lava. Lava is a harsh world. It’s either too hot or too cold. Too dry or too wet. People get by there but living on Lava requires a certain toughness that neither Earth nor Kusha demand. I didn’t think Max had it. I figured that Lava would chew up our little girl and spit her out a mess.
Boy, was I wrong about that. Looking back I can now see that Max was tougher than all of us. She was the only one who I know that lived on Lava and was not changed by the place. Max came to Salmo a sweet young academic and left still sweet and on her way to being the smartest person in the Galaxy.”
PN “Did you know then just how smart Max was?”
DW “No. I don’t think anyone could have seen that. Maybe Sanderson did but I certainly didn’t see a braniac when I looked at Max. I guess she kept that part of herself well hidden. I know her friend Sierra likes to joke about how well Max kept her smarts to herself. I think Sierra has made it one of her missions in life to keep Max humble.”
PN “How so?”
DW “Oh, you know, like friends do. Sierra likes to tease Max about her status around the Galaxy. She calls our little Maxi ‘Mama’ and such with as much sarcasm as she can muster.”
PN “Do others on Lava remember Max’s time there?”
DW (laughing) “If as many people helped Max as have claimed to have been her best friend while she was on Lava, our little Maxi would have had to have known every single person on the planet. It is something of a joke, especially among those of us who did know our Max while she was in Salmo. I wish I had a chit for everytime some stranger told me that they were tight with Max while she was on the run.
I lived directly across the street from Max in Salmo and I did come to know her quite well. Don’t listen to the folks who would tell you tall tales about our Max. There are a lot of tales that are not true circulating about Max’s time in Salmo.”
PN “Can you give us some examples?”
DW “Max never shot any SID agents that I know of. That’s one of the big lies. She did not run the brothel there. I did that. There was no prostitution at Max’s Saloon. I know she didn’t think much of the local Tarsans but she never burned down their mission nor harmed any of them.”
PN “How would you charcterize Max’s time in Salmo? Was there some drama?”
DW “Yeah, there were some exciting moments while Max was there, but mostly as a result of Max being chased by the SID. I don’t recall Max ever raising a hand at anyone. Some of the tales going around now have Max as this action hero from the movies. That’s not who Max was or is. She is thoughtful, smart and compassionate. I wish peopel would quit trying to make Max into something she is not.”
PN “Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about Max or your time in Salmo with her?”
DW “Max has become a lot of different things to a lot of different people. She may be the most famous person in the Milky Way but she is still a sweet individual with close family ties and a private life that is seperate from her public persona. I know what is going on with Max right now. I’ve heard that she won’t last much longer. I understand that there is a long line of people waiting to meet with her before she goes. I hope they understand that she needs time alone with her family and friends. They were forced to sacrifice their time with our little Max while she gave all for the Galaxy. I hope these people appreciate not only Max’s sacrifice but that of her family too.”
PN “Thank you Dusty.”
DW “And back at ya, Philip.”
Never Mix red wine and Oodo.
Philip Normer
Kushan Year 88
Earth Year 2480
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