by Alex Siegel
"Thank you, sir," Smythe said. "We might take you up on that offer in thirty or forty years."
Marina gave Odelia a kiss on the cheek. Then the Lord and Lady of the Society vanished.
Smythe smiled. It was good to know he still had options.
He looked over at Tawni and Sheryl who were chatting with some other legionnaires. Tawni was made of blackness, shadows, and mist. She wasn't even trying to appear human these days. Sheryl was a glittering creature made of mirrored crystals which produced dazzling sparkles.
They seemed to be a couple again. Tawni had become bored with the relationship at one point, but now Sheryl could take any form Tawni wanted, male or female. They could even have freaky alien sex. Perhaps that was enough variety to keep Tawni engaged. Sheryl simply loved Tawni and probably always would.
Ethel and President Haley came over next. Unlike the other legionnaires, Ethel looked exactly like her old self down to the fine wrinkles in her wizened face. Smythe expected that was Haley's preference. The abstract forms of the new legionnaires didn't appeal to Smythe either.
"Thank you for throwing this party," Smythe said. "You really helped make our wedding special."
"You're welcome." Haley smiled and looked around the State Dining Room.
"I've been wondering. Ethel is immortal, and you're not. How are you going to handle that issue as the years go by?"
"We just talked to Aaron about that exact topic. He's open to the idea of making me a legionnaire after my work on Earth is done. He'll evaluate me in the meantime. But that's not why I came over. We have more pressing business to discuss."
"Oh?"
Haley looked across the room. "Wesley? Could you come over here?"
Wesley trotted over. The boy was wearing an adorable little tuxedo. His blue eyes glittered.
Norbert was with him. Wesley's new bodyguard was never more than a few feet away. Norbert looked like a kindly old grandfather these days. He had glasses and a cane. His brown suit was slightly frayed at the hems. The disguise allowed him to accompany Wesley in public without attracting attention.
Smythe became nervous. If Wesley was involved in the "hidden agenda," it had to be a big deal. Smythe took Odelia's hand.
"It's time to talk to them," Haley said.
Wesley smiled cheerfully. "When I grow up, I'm going to guide humanity to a new and better way of life. I'll need a management team to help me. Roy will be part of it." He glanced at Haley.
"I know," Smythe said. "What does that have to do with me?"
"I need medical expertise on the team. We'll be setting healthcare policy for the whole world. I think the two greatest healers I've ever met would be perfect." Wesley looked at Smythe and Odelia.
"Are you offering us a job?" she said.
Wesley nodded excitedly.
"And as a warm-up," Haley said, "I want to appoint you as my Surgeon General. It's time for the old one to retire."
Smythe was stunned. His dreams of a quiet, easygoing life had just evaporated. He turned to Odelia.
"Say, 'yes,'" she said in a stern tone.
Smythe narrowed his eyes and looked at Wesley. "Why do I suddenly think destiny kept us from entering the aperture?"
"She is quite sneaky." The boy's eyes gleamed.
"Fine. Yes! I might as well bow to the inevitable."
Haley shook Smythe's hand and slapped him on the shoulder. "I look forward to working with you." Haley shook Odelia's hand more gently. "And his better half."
Smythe grinned. His new life wouldn't be so normal after all, and he didn't mind.
* * *
Aaron looked up at the side of a huge, red house built in a traditional style. It was three stories tall, not including the full basement. White balconies were on the second and third floors. This was the home he had grown up in.
He turned to Marina. She had assumed her original, human form. Her strawberry-blonde hair was brushed out and tied in a ponytail. She was wearing fresh lipstick and blush. Her cute, green dress matched her eyes.
"Your eyes are too big," Aaron said.
Her eyes shrank.
"Now they're too small."
They grew to a more normal size.
"Damn," Marina said, "I'm already forgetting what I used to look like, and it hasn't been that long. Your eyebrows are sideways, dear."
He rotated his eyebrows until they were level.
"Perfect," she said. "I think."
Aaron knocked gently on the door of the house. He didn't actually know how strong he was. He had yet to find the limit.
After a minute, the door opened, and his mother was standing there.
"Aaron!" she yelled. "Exactly on time."
His mother was a pudgy woman with coarse, brown hair. Her large, brown eyes seemed even larger behind her glasses. She was wearing a blue gown, and she had diamond studs in her ears.
"You remember Marina," Aaron said, "right?"
Mom furrowed her brow. "I thought her name was Carol."
Aaron had forgotten that lie. Their last meeting had been so long ago.
"No, it's actually Marina."
Marina gave Mom a gentle hug. "It's great to see you again."
"Come in," Mom said.
They walked into a grand foyer with a spiral staircase. A crystal chandelier provided glittering light, and the floor was a checkerboard made of Italian marble.
"Where's Dad?" Aaron said.
"Right here, son."
Dad walked into the foyer from another room. His back was bent with age, and his once broad shoulders had shrunken. Freckles instead of hair covered his head. His green eyes still shined with intelligence though. He was wearing a suit.
"I didn't think this was such a formal occasion," Aaron said.
"When you meet your son once every two years, it's formal."
"I'm sorry about that. I've been extremely busy. I promise I'll visit more often from now on. Once a month. We can actually spend some time together."
"The last time you were here," Dad said, "you refused to talk about your work."
"Things have loosened up. I'm a sheriff now. I run my own department. I have great deputies."
"Really?" Dad raised his eyebrows.
Aaron nodded. "It's got a funny Spanish name. The County of Creacion. It's out in Arizona."
"I'm impressed. How well does it pay?"
"We have what we need. Oh, we got married recently!" Aaron kissed Marina on the lips. "I wish you could've been there, but it was a sudden thing."
"That's wonderful!" Mom said. "You make a lovely couple. Are there grandchildren on the horizon?"
"Unfortunately, that's impossible," Marina said softly.
Mom looked sad.
"I brought a gift to make up for being such a terrible son," Aaron said.
He was holding a shopping bag. He took out two small gift boxes and gave one to each of his parents.
Dad opened his box and found a gold watch inside. He squinted at it. "Is that real gold?"
"Of course," Aaron said. "Only the best for my father."
Mom found a diamond necklace in her box. "Wow! This is gorgeous!"
"Put it on."
She clipped the necklace around her neck. It had many small stones and a square pendant.
Dad winked. "Being a sheriff must pay better than I thought."
"I was feeling guilty," Aaron said. "Is dinner ready?"
"Yes," Mom said. "I just put it out."
Everybody walked into the dining room. A roasted turkey was sitting on a plate on a large, oak table. The side dishes were asparagus, mashed potatoes, and glazed carrots. Aaron couldn't actually eat the food, but his saliva would instantly annihilate anything he put in his mouth. Marina would pretend to swallow and hold the food internally until later.
"That looks delicious," Marina said.
Everybody sat down. Dad began to carve the turkey.
He paused and looked at Aaron. "You seem very happy, son. I've never seen you smile like that. You
're so relaxed."
"I am happy. I have a great wife." Aaron gave Marina a loving squeeze. "A great job. Important responsibilities. I feel like the people of Creacion will be a lot safer with me as sheriff. I'm finally doing what I was born to do."
"And I'll be right beside him," Marina said. "We'll be a team forever."
He kissed her.
"Forever, my love," he whispered.
Author's Note
First off, don't panic! There will be more novels in the Gray Spear Society series, but obviously, there has to be a change of direction.
The next four books will go back in time and focus on Marina's adventures in San Francisco. At the end of DEADLY WEAKNESS, she and Hanley take off to rebuild the cell there. She returns to Chicago in this book almost a year later. She was very busy during the time in between. In fact, she was in the middle of an exciting mission when she came to Chicago. I'm looking forward to telling her adventures. There will be fresh locations and a whole new team. Of course, some old friends will visit San Francisco, too. Stay tuned for the next installment entitled... ANTISOCIAL MEDIA.
THE END
Table of Contents
Title
Copyright
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
Aaron and Marina
Chapter Twenty-five
Author's Note
