A Hop, Skip and a Jump (Family Law Book 4)

by Mackey Chandler

  "What do you think about Central?" Lee asked directly. She was sure he'd know this was a continuation of the last conversation. If he tried acting innocent and not understanding she was determined to pry it out of him tonight.

  "I think that we both pretty much know the same things about Central," Gordon said. He laid his pad aside, which was a good sign he intended to engage her, and he looked at Lee. "We may have gotten different impressions, visiting them, but factually, we know almost nothing."

  "Gabriel in several hours of dinner conversation and travel managed to say basically zip about his nation and masters," Lee complained.

  "I'm sure he has clear orders what he may divulge to the outside world," Gordon said.

  "So how did we manage to spend time with them, eat with them, and learn almost nothing new about them?" Lee demanded.

  "It's quite a skill isn't it?" Gordon marveled. "I needed you to phrase it like that, to make me recognize the problem."

  "It's easier for me to see how with Gabriel," Lee admitted. "He couldn't shroud his motives and feelings as well from me as well as April did with us. He was too engaged with me,"

  "So, you tell me," Gordon said.

  "He kept chattering and telling stories, but nothing really informative. Yet they were entertaining stories. And when he ran down he always had a question waiting for me. They all seemed to require long replies, and he kept me going into detail and expanding on them endlessly."

  Gordon nodded. "Much the same for April, but I sense it's even easier to do with a group than one on one."

  "She's older," Lee said. "You and Bode kept reminding me that limits my perception of things. Well she has the advantage of experience over you every bit as much as you enjoy over me. I haven't been around little children, but it must be easy to control the conversation and steer it where you want with a toddler."

  "That hurts," Gordon said with a grimace, "but it may be a fair comparison. You can talk circles around a little kid if you can stay friendly. If you make one unhappy they can get very single minded, take a stand on something and refuse to be jollied, just repeating their demand over and over."

  "They were very polite," Lee remembered. "And Gabriel, too friendly for my taste. It sort of irritates me to think about now, because I suspect he thought he'd be able to control our relationship for decades ahead."

  "On the other hand, why do they owe us more information than we got?" Gordon asked.

  "I . . . I'm not sure they do," Lee said, "but it would have been a welcome gift."

  "Have they harmed us by withholding information?" Gordon asked. "We seem to be in a much improved situation than before we spoke with Central. We have our discoveries. Nobody is trying to take them away. The Claims Commission cut us loose, but we can administer them and deal with our new allies without any interference. Win or lose, it's on our own heads."

  "They don't care what we do with the Earthies or these new claims," Lee decided.

  "Not greatly, no. I suspect their interests are off around other stars, and they mostly keep an eye on Earth so the Earthies don't surprise them with any new problems," Gordon said. "Perhaps they keep a watch so the home world is safe," Gordon speculated. "Not for the political entities but as a reservoir of biodiversity and history."

  "We're probably not as important as I assumed," Lee said.

  "Indeed, I suspect you are right. Earth itself is valued, but Earth politics is not as important to Central as I imagined," Gordon agreed.

  "Neither was Gabriel forthcoming about their relationship with aliens," Lee said. "He did point out they could follow us back to Earth, but they can't follow Central ships. That's one of the few useful things he accidentally let drop. Also, he worried about the aliens getting Earth excited, but expressed no concern about the aliens themselves. When I did start to get him pinned down for a response he seemed to realize it and refused to say more, complaining it was above his authority to discuss it."

  "The aliens may know them, but the ones we met didn't know us, or were pretty sure we were different. Having Derf and Hinth on our ships they might have wondered who was in charge and who was crewing," Gordon deduced. "Our ships jump differently than Central's. They might have reasonably wondered if those of us who were Humans were even the same race. Humans do present a wide variation of appearances. Our weapons are superior, even if we use a similar drive system to theirs, but perhaps inferior to Central. All that could be very confusing."

  "Oh yeah, if their drive systems are that much better than ours, what do you want to bet Central's weapons systems would scare the snot right out of you?" Lee asked him.

  "No bet. I predict you will never see one of the alien ships, Caterpillar or the Centaurs, the Plate Makers, mess with a Central ship," Gordon said.

  "You think they've tangled with them before?" Lee asked.

  "Given how the Centaurs rushed at us without any hesitation I'd expect it," Gordon said. "The more so since Central seems to have dinky little ships the size of a landing shuttle. They might have gotten aggressive with them assuming little is weak."

  "I really don't like this the more I think about it," Lee said.

  "You'll have to be a lot more specific than that," Gordon said, looking confused.

  "Central is this huge unknown in the middle of everything we are doing. We don't know how many ships they have or where they are out there. Are they going to be upset if we stumble upon one of their star systems? Will we be informed it's off limits to our armed ships just like they keep most of most of the Solar System?"

  "If they own a system and want left alone I'd certainly not argue with them. We'd do the same for any aliens who wish to seclude themselves. Or like the crazy Bunnies who made it obvious we can't get along, shun them, even if they can't really kick us out."

  "Well yeah, but I worry . . . it's like after you took out the Centaur's ship, the Caterpillars were very cautious. They weren't sure you'd let them send witnesses back home. I wonder of Central will let anybody leave who finds out where there's a system that's important to them?

  "I think you are worrying too far in advance without sufficient cause," Gordon said. "I haven't seen any evidence they'd act like that."

  "They sure seem to have the Earth nations cowed," Lee said. "They politely ask clearance to take armed ships out-system beyond L1, and the incoming explorers follow directions and land at the designated lunar field, even though they have crippled weapons systems. Yet I don't see any fleets of Central ships or orbital fortresses enforcing it."

  Gordon considered that carefully before replying. "We found out a little more about their history when we visited. I'd be surprised if we learned everything. They did lose a substantial force challenging L1 limit when it was first declared. If they've tried to challenge it since, and failed, it might not be as easy to find in the public record.

  "I do know this," Gordon said, "the Earthies, the USNA in particular, don't just accommodate you out of the goodness of their hearts. We certainly had to hurt them rather badly in the war before they backed down. It was a close thing at that. If these two had a nasty incident off somewhere, away from a lot of witnesses, then it would make sense for the USNA to keep quiet about the humiliation. As you've pointed out Central seems very private about everything, so they might well conclude all the parties who needed the lesson received it, and it really wasn't anybody else's business."

  "That makes sense," Lee agreed. "That feels right for my take on April's personality. I wish we'd met her sovereign, Heather. There's way too much hidden there and I want to know it. We may need to know it. I'll hire a few investigators, some data researchers, spread some money around, quietly ask some questions and see what I can find out, starting here at Fargone and back on the Moon too."

  "You can afford it, and I'm curious too, as long as you don't fund any aggressive espionage that would actually provoke them," Gordon cautioned.

  "No, no burglary, cracking or suborning minions. We'll keep it clean," Lee agreed.

 
; "Then I'm for bed, so we can go to the field early tomorrow."

  "Goodnight, Gordon." Lee started the search in motion before she went to bed.

  * * *

  "I suppose we could have left the High Hopes at Derfhome and taken commercial transport here," Lee said, as they lifted for the station. "This seems safe, and civilized enough."

  "The crew was happy to be active and Fargone has far more to do than Derfhome for Humans," Gordon said. "The High Hopes would cost almost as much to sit idle. It cost a bit in fuel to bring us here, nothing you couldn't afford. We only had an engineer stay aboard for security on station, and everyone else took shore leave. Don't be surprised if a couple of them look a bit rough. It's been over ten hours since I sounded recall for the High Hopes, and I saw two crew further back in the cabin, who just made the last shuttle with us. I think they've had a little too much fun."

  "Oh, you didn't walk back there and say anything to them?" Lee asked.

  "What's to say?" Gordon asked. "The last thing you want coming off leave hung-over is a sudden chance at trading idle pleasantries with any of their employers. They're making count and I presume they will be functional. The one may even have his eyes open by launch."

  "I've never understood why people keep drinking until it makes you feel bad," Lee said. "Once taught me that lesson."

  "Best to keep it that way," Gordon counseled, nodding. "It's been a long, long time, but I did it with your parents, and I remember I still felt fine when we stopped drinking. It's often the next morning it hits you that you've overdone things, when it's too late."

  "Do Badgers do that?" Lee wondered idly.

  "I've no idea. I can't imagine sufficient alcohol not aversely effecting most organisms. Ask Talker when we get back," Gordon said, "he'll give you an honest answer."

  While they were still lifting Gordon's phone must have vibrated. He pulled it out and read something before putting it away.

  "The Caterpillars won't be there when we get back. They seem to have figured out not much was happening and took off."

  "On a Far Away vector?" Lee asked.

  "No, oddly enough they seemed to be aimed at the first jump for New Japan," Gordon said.

  "Oh, maybe they'll pick up some sushi up on the way home," Lee quipped.

  Chapter 8

  Lee and Gordon arrived in the middle of the off-shift and took rooms at Derfhome station. There wasn't a commercial shuttle dropping until the morning, and they had no desire to sit up waiting for it or stay in a cramped ship's cabin.

  "Do you want to go out to the Keep then?" Lee wondered. They were long overdue to talk to the Mothers about their voyage and visit to Earth.

  "No, it takes me a few days to be functioning at a hundred percent and feel alert once my clock is off the local time. I don't want to deal with the Mothers if I'm at all fuzzy. I want to spend a couple days and do some business and deal with the fleet by com. What's the hurry?" Gordon asked.

  "None I guess. You'll be working on com at the Keep too, but the Mothers won't interrupt you, knowing you'll be along soon. I have some work to do too," Lee agreed.

  * * *

  Lee was up first and had a light breakfast. She figured she'd have more when Gordon finally woke up. He always ordered enough that what she took was insignificant. Talker caught her still nibbling on toast with orange marmalade and savoring her coffee when he called.

  He had the oddest expression on his face. Lee had spent enough time with the alien to read his expressions, but this was different. Well, no. She'd seen this before, Lee decided, but only as a quick flash of amusement or pleasure, not held steadily like a mask.

  "Did we do something to amuse you? Your expression . . ." Lee said, drawing a circle around her own face by way of explanation.

  "You? No, not at all," Talker assured her, doing the Badger grin even harder if that was possible. "Our glorious envoy Timilo has gifted me beyond all my expectations, and I was able to repay his kindness to my pleasure. Thor informed me there is a vulgar Human idiom for such a pervasive grin." Talker reached and tried to smooth down the corners of his mouth, but it didn't change a thing. "But Thor sternly charged me not to repeat it, to preserve your youthful innocence."

  Lee gave a little snort of derision. "That sounds like Thor," she said, peering at him suspiciously. "You've become best buddies with Timilo in our brief absence? Or did he suddenly drop dead? Do Badgers do that?"

  "They do on occasion, although our medicine is not that far behind yours. A sudden shock can leave one dead, as I understand happens sometimes with Humans. Alas, he did not expire, but he was rendered temporarily speechless, which must seem nearly as bad to him. Do Humans have a state of shock where they are momentarily rendered unable to respond, but still conscious?"

  "I think all Earth mammals have some kind of shocked state," Lee said. "Make a note on your pad to look up video of fainting goats. I think they will amuse you. You might also use the term flabbergasted. That's a mental state often associated with being inarticulate."

  "I never spend a day with you but what I improve my vocabulary," Talker said.

  "So, please explain this sudden joy," Lee begged.

  "Timilo was stuck between conflicting interests. He couldn't see any way to deal with Gordon and your new arrangement for claims that would discredit my work. Everything that was already arranged and set in stone had the taint of my hand on it. When we returned home there would be questions why he didn't remove me and bring me home in disgrace, that being the original intent. Indeed if he used the arrangements I made, then the whole purpose of his following after our original delegation would come into question. But if he killed everything I gained and came home with nothing it would be even worse."

  "Well yeah," Lee said. "I thought the whole thing was stupid from the start. Gordon doesn't put up with foolishness very well. He might just send Timilo off empty handed, and I wouldn't be disposed to argue with him if he decided that's how to play it. We're pretty much of the same mind, but I have been letting him deal with Timilo because he's better at dealing with that sort of obstructive personality. Gordon can put the fear in him far better than me."

  "But chasing after us is the sort of thing that had to be justified at all costs, or it is a career killer," Talker said.

  "His problem, of his own making," Lee said, without sympathy. "The Mothers would probably solve this sort of problem with assassination."

  "Thank goodness we're not Derf," Talker said, "Timilo would accept that as a quick and tidy solution I'm sure, but apply it to me. His solution springs from the mind of a bureaucrat. The really awkward moment for him would be if we returned to Badger space together and I was available to be questioned side by side with him. Without me, he could spin it any way he pleased, and he's good at that. So he contrived to leave me behind."

  Lee frowned at Talker. "How could he do that? He isn't your boss back home to be able to order you to stay behind here, is he?"

  "You are so quick for such a young person," Talker complimented Lee. "No, his political bureau is distinct from the judicial agency that employees me. He's basically a policy maker, and it's largely an internal office. When we met other races it was never deemed important enough to create a new agency, and his group though powerful internally, is not large. They never had an arm with sufficient personnel to administer directly, they've always passed orders through other departments to enact. They have appointed ambassadors to the home worlds of other races, but Far Away is a Badger world, the judiciary dealt with the other races present for them, rather than them having their own dedicated office on world. They just failed to predict an entire new set of aliens would show up resulting in my having entirely too much local authority to deal with them."

  "So, what sort of handle does he have on you to get you to stay?" Lee demanded.

  "He declared I should accept an appointment to become the first ambassador to Derfhome and their allies. He laid it on thick about how it was my obligation given my unique experienc
e. He can frame such a guilt trip most eloquently. I'd have to be an absolutely horrible selfish person to refuse it, to hear him tell it.

  "This would make me firmly his subordinate in his agency. He also framed the position as more important than my present one, but they are really roughly equivalent in my view. I just ignored that slur on my present position rather than get side tracked. He rather over-sold it really. I think he expected a huge argument from me, but instead I went directly into discussing what sort of support and compensation I'd have here. He wasn't prepared for that. I think I got a lot more out of him than he'd have offered various concessions bit by bit to try to recruit me."

  "So you accepted?" Lee asked, shocked.

  "Indeed, I'd have been an idiot to refuse. I arranged to have my family join me and very good support to live well while we are here. I have rights to transport back and forth for visits home and household items to be transported in the embassy supplies. We shall retain a small staff of my choosing from the Badgers still here. When I named a personal cash allowance I thought he was going to hurt himself forcing a smile, but he managed to make a gesture that is your equivalent of nodding yes." He demonstrated with his hand.

  "Wow, your daughter, Tish, is going to be thrilled," Lee realized.

  "That is a factor I considered. It will be a very good experience for her, and a boost to whatever her career becomes. My father, though a gracious host, will undoubtedly welcome a smaller, quieter household. Grandchildren are a greater joy as an occasional treat than every day. My wife will enjoy managing her own household. There are so many pluses. Perhaps when it comes time to leave we won't have to burden my father again."

  "But I could tell you liked your old job," Lee said. "You'll miss being the Voice of the Court."

  "How odd," Talker said, looking at her intensely. "Timilo made the same assumption."