Nosey McSnooperton

I went to Kenobi's for tea. I was a little early, but I didn't think he would mind.

As I approached, I noticed an unfamiliar speeder bike outside his house. I wondered if this visitor was someone Kenobi wanted me to meet, or if it was someone who was supposed to leave soon.

Etiquette on Tatooine being what it is, I wouldn't have worried about showing up on his doorstep while he had another guest; but Kenobi is an unusually private person and I thought I should be more discreet.

I came back a little while later (and a little late) to see the bike speeding off in the opposite direction. I couldn't make out who the rider was - I think it was an adult male, but not very tall, and possibly not human. Either his skin was black and red, or he was just wearing a tight-fitting mask of some type. With little tufts of yellowish hair along the top? Whoever it was, I didn't recognize him.

Kenobi didn't realize that I had noticed, or perhaps he was pretending not to realize. Either way, he wasn't going to discuss it with me. He apologized for not having the tea ready.

I hate tea and I think it is a ridiculous beverage. When you live on a planet as dry as Tatooine, it doesn't make sense to drink something that makes you urinate. It's usually too hot for tea, anyway. What's more, while I admit I am no expert, I have a feeling that Kenobi's tea and cleanliness standards are perhaps not very high. I refer to the occasional dead insect I find floating among the little leaves.

So I said, "that's all right, a cup of plain water would be fine. Is there anything wrong?"

Kenobi shrugged as he set the water to heat. (Most people drink their water just-boiled, even if they have to cool it off first.) Whatever was on his mind was going to remain a secret. In fact, for a while, he didn't even seem to remember why he had invited me.

We made awkward small talk for a while longer, and finally I blurted out, "look, if that guy on the bike was bothering you..."

Kenobi made that odd gesture that he makes when he is feeling impatient. He said, "that doesn't matter. Have some water."

"That doesn't matter," I agreed. Suddenly I was thirsty.

I hate it when he does that.

After that, we talked about the recent storm, and my crazy visit with the Darklighters, and finally Kenobi relaxed enough to explain why he had invited me.

At this point, I should explain that Kenobi is the person to talk to about software. Most of the farmers run their vaporators on Microsith or Macrostiff products, but I've been using Jedix for as long as I've known Kenobi, and I have less computer trouble than anyone I know. It's faster, more secure, and free. It's not very sexy, but then, I don't think that it's very sexy if six different farmers' vaporator control systems crash for an entire week just because someone felt like opening an email with the subject "CLICK ME!.. If Babies were Banthas..."

Maybe it's just me.

Kenobi wanted to show me that he had found a way to network a group of vaporators together such that they would each communicate directly to a common host machine instead of in a circuit. This is something you cannot do with other software. In fact, I didn't even think you could do it with Jedix.

And, as it happens, maybe you can't do it with Jedix either, because there's an obvious hardware limitation in that an agricultural or industrial vaporator expects to be a link in a chain, and not have both read and write privileges to the same device. (Residential vaporators aren't a solution either because they have standalone processors and don't communicate with a separate computer at all.)

I know that probably sounds like a ludicrous problem, but perhaps now you understand my frustration with the state of technological development under the Empire's control. There are countless, small improvements that could be made to all kinds of existing consumer and industrial products, but if the Empire isn't interested, it doesn't happen.

Kenobi stroked his beard for a while, seemingly miffed by my wet-blanket attitude. I didn't mean to be negative; I was just saying that great ideas alone are not enough.

"You know who could probably do this?" I offered in the way of concession.

"Don't say it," Kenobi warned.

"What is it with you and Lars?" I asked. "Is it Owen? Or is it Luke?"

Well, that did it. I should have known better than to open that can of Regulan bloodworms again, but it was a legitimate question. This thing, whatever it is, goes way beyond regular awkwardness. This is something that makes everyone in and around Anchorhead uncomfortable, and no one really understands why; only that you can't mention Kenobi to Lars, and you can't mention Luke to Kenobi. Even in the context of ordinary every day life, or in fulfilling a simple business need.

I have a feeling that Luke would love for someone to discuss all of this with him, but it's something that Kenobi and Lars are going to have to work out on their own.

I finally got Kenobi to agree that I could take the software and simply explain the hardware situation to Luke and Owen without mentioning Kenobi's involvement.

I thought that was my idea, anyway. But if I was coming up with my own ideas, why did I end up paying him for a small can of stale tea leaves?

Huh. I hate it when he does that.

"You love it," he said with a dismissive wave.

"I love it," I said. At least I was laughing.