by Robin Banks
“He’d never leave here to train your pilots.”
“He could do short stints. It wouldn’t change how much time he spends on-planet overall, and it would be both safer and more exciting. More opportunities to fly like gravity is a matter of opinion, and less risk of getting shot right out of the sky. Gwen and Asher would both like it.”
“And Quinn?”
“She’ll go for whatever makes her folk the happiest. It’s a win-win-win. Failing that, we could send our pilots here to train with him. It may not be a bad idea to fill the Pollux sky with some Anteian ships, anyway. Just to make a point with the Fed.”
“True dat. But you’d have to put that to the assembly.”
“Yeah. It’s a big deal. They’d take absolute ages to decide.”
He doesn’t even bother to hide how pleased he is by that.
“Raj, we’re on a time limit here, remember? We can’t dilly dally.”
“I could hardly forget.”
His face does that thing it’s being doing, with his mouth grinning and his eyes filling up at the same time. Knowing that I’m part of why he’s looking like that makes my heart swell up. It’s getting harder and harder not to answer in kind.
I take the ship down as steady as humanly possible. I’ll be damned if I use the autopilot with Osh flying rings around me. Raj jumps at the tiniest bump and increase in gravity, but that’s just how he gets. Osh kisses ground and goes straight back up again. That may or may not stop him catching hell from his mother if she’s home.
As soon as we hit dirt, Raj unstraps himself and starts flapping.
“Is everything ok?”
“Raj, I understand you’re a nervous flyer and I’m trying to accommodate that, but I’ve been flying for longer than that kid’s been alive. I know how to make a landing. If you keep this up I’m going to turn this ship around and you won’t get to see your friends.”
“Sorry, mom.”
“Cut it out!”
He tugs my hair. “Come on, then. I want to see uncle Kolya.”
“I’m going to see Luke. I’ll see you later?”
“We’ll come over. It’s easier than moving the whole tribe.”
“True dat.”
There are no ATRs by the port, so I can’t cadge a lift. I don’t mind. It’s not that far and I like walking around here. It’s so quiet. More than that, I like to see the homesteads in the distance and remember who lives where. It’s nice having nice neighbors.
When I get to the compound the front door is wide open, so instead of knocking I bellow, “Hello, the house?”
Asher’s voice drawls, “If you’re here to rob us, you’re out of luck. If you’re here to take the kids away, let me wrap them up for you.”
“Just visiting, I’m afraid.”
“Alya?” Gwen comes to the door. “We weren’t expecting you!”
“I know. Surprise visit. Is that ok?”
“Of course it is!” She throws her arms around me. “Come in! And Raj?”
“He went straight to Kolya’s. They’ll probably swing by soon, if they’re sober enough to find their way. Sorry about that.”
“Don’t be silly! Tea, coffee? I think we still have coffee, if that kid of yours hasn’t cleared us out.”
“Do I have to beat him with a rod?”
“Nah. He might take offence at that and slink off somewhere. Then I’d have nobody to do all the housework.”
“Luke’s doing housework?”
Asher gets off his chair to give me a hug. “Looks like an elven prince, works like a brownie. Better than having it the other way round, by a long shot, though he’s putting us all to shame. I think it’ll wear off soon, though. He’s still in guest mode and feels he has to make up for his presence. Maybe I should threaten to kick him out to reset his calendar.”
“You do that, and you go to sleep in the shed.” Gwen is smiling as she says that, so I’m not buying it.
I look around the house. “Where is everyone, anyway?”
Asher tilts his head theatrically. “No screaming, cussing, or shattering of furniture. They must be off the compound. They’ll turn up for food, no doubt. Oh, when was the last time you checked that kid for worms? He’s eating us out of house and home.”
I don’t know how to take that. It could be a joke or a real problem: they’re dirt poor. I also don’t know how to broach that subject without insulting them. Thankfully Gwen comes over with my coffee, so I don’t have to, but it’s something I’ll have to deal with sooner rather than later. I should have thought about it months ago.
Gwen sits across from me and smiles.
“Pay no heed to grumpy guts. He likes to complain about the youth of today. He’s practicing for when we’ll install him on the porch as a permanent feature. Luke’s been working hard. He’s gotta eat up to make up for that.”
“What’s he been up to?”
“If you go to the back of the house you will find the room he built himself. Hell, if you’re lucky he’ll let you stay there. It’s the quietest room in the house, as well as the least likely to fall down.”
“He built himself a room?”
“Yeah. Got all the materials, too.”
“Where the hell did he learn to do that?”
“A couple of guys were building a house across town. He volunteered to help them out so he could watch and learn. He worked so hard that they asked him to go back and ended up paying him in scrap materials. He carted them over with Quinn and they built themselves a honeymoon suite.”
“Wow. I know Luke’s industrious, but he’s never been one for putting himself forward. And I didn’t have Quinn down as laborer material. Sorry.”
“Nah, you are right. She’s not terribly keen on getting her hands dirty, but she’s terribly keen on Luke, so she got on with it. They did a good job, too.”
“And Luke’s gone off to be a builder?”
“I don’t think he’s sure. It’s not steady work. He could do it if he wanted to. At the moment he’s just darkening the doorsteps of half the craftsmen in town. He’s got a way of asking people questions about their jobs that makes them want to answer, and he doesn’t mind mucking in, so he’s helping a lot of people out and picking up a load of skills. They all reckon he’s really good with his hands.”
“So does Quinn,” mutters Asher with a grin.
“But he’s doing alright?”
Gwen nods. “He’s doing great. If you’re here to take him home, you might have a fight on your hands.”
“Nah. I’m not in the business of kidnapping teens. They’re too expensive to keep.”
“What is it then, business or pleasure?”
“Yes. And serious, on both counts.”
Asher comes over, picks Gwen up off her chair, takes her place, and sits her on his lap. There are only twenty or so other chairs in the room, so it makes perfect sense. When he’s got her properly installed, he sighs.
“How serious?”
“Calling-the-assembly level of serious. Raj is here in his official capacity as a representative of the Anteian Council.”
Asher’s grin disappears. “No shit. Are we in trouble?”
“Quite the opposite. The Anteians have a business proposition for Aiden.”
“They what?”
“They want his cloaking device, for starters, and anything else he’s got and they don’t. In particular, anything that’ll help them keep their edge against the Fed.”
Asher frowns. “If it’s weapons they’re after, I don’t think he’d go for it. He’s no arms dealer. Nothing personal. He just has a tendency to think about all the potential ripples of his actions.”
“It doesn’t have to be weapons. Anything he’s got and we don’t.”
“You’re not gonna get him to move to Anteia either. He loves it here, and he wouldn’t unsettle Sasha and the kids.”
“Nah, we figured that. He could work from here. We’d kit him out with whatever he needs.”
Asher nods.
“He’d love that. More materials, better toys… He’d go for that in a heartbeat. He likes the challenge of making do and mending, but he could do a lot more with better resources. The Fed aren’t gonna like the Anteians associating with us lot, though.”
“That’s the tricky bit, and why an assembly is necessary. The Anteians are offering to buy your Fed debt out.”
Gwen splutters. “Beg your pardon?”
“They would pay off whatever the Fed charges against your colony.”
“So they’d own us?”
“No. We know you wouldn’t go for that. It’s a bit tricky, really. We’d have to sell it one way to the Fed, one way to the Anteians, and a different way to you lot, but the end result would be the same. All debts to the Fed would be struck off and going to war with you would be going to war with Anteia. The Fed are unlikely to want to risk that. You’d be safer.”
Gwen sits back, looking stunned.
Asher shakes his head. “But what if we go to war with the Fed?”
“Are you likely to? Officially, as a colony?”
He grins. “In all honesty, I can’t see us ever getting that organized.”
“If anything happens that wasn’t put forward by your assembly, we could just put it down to dissidents. I don’t know. It’s not simple. But the Anteian Council is willing to get the Fed off your back for good in exchange for Aiden’s tech.”
“If you put it like that to the guy, he’ll shit a brick.”
“But would he do it?”
“He’d probably want the community’s approval. If he ended up owning us, he wouldn’t like it.”
“All the details are negotiable. And you can say no.”
Gwen snorts. “No, we can’t. I can tell you right now how this is going to play out. Three weeks of discussions, at least, and probably a few fistfights, and then they’ll come to the only possible conclusion: the assembly doesn’t have the right to stop Aiden making that trade. They could consider it invalid and pretend it never happened, but they don’t have a right to stop him buying anything with the sweat of his brow, and that includes the Fed debt. He will do it because he loves this place and he wants his kids to grow up safe, but also because he wants to ply his craft. He’s an artist. It’s as good as a done deal.”
“But you’ll still have to go through all the discussions and fights?”
“Of course. People will have to reach their own conclusions at their own speed, but that’s the conclusion they’re going to reach. Are you going to stay here in the interim?”
“Here on planet, or here-here?”
“Either. Both.”
“On planet, yes. Here, it’s up to you guys. We can stay in our ship if it’s easier.”
They both pull faces. Asher wraps his arms around Gwen and bends down to kiss her cheek.
“Hey, maybe we could get wunderkind to build us a guest room.”
Gwen frowns at him. “Don’t get greedy.”
“But then I could have a place to hide away from you.”
“Pfft. No chance. But if the guys are here for a while it may be an idea.”
I sigh. “We’re on a time limit. Four weeks max, then I’ve gotta head home. Do you think we’ll be done by then?”
She cringes. “I’m not sure. Our lot won’t like a deadline. It’ll make the debates drag on longer and could lose you some support.”
“Nah, nothing like that. The offer is open. You can send us a com or a representative with your decision at your own convenience. The deadline is just for me. Four weeks seems more than long enough to abuse your hospitality, anyway.”
Asher nods. “Roughly three and a half weeks too long for standard guests. But you’re family.”
“Great. I’ll tell Raj. He’ll be delighted. Just so I can tell him the specifics, though, what’s your partner’s partner’s friend’s husband to you?”
“Family. I just told you.”
While we were talking, a noise has been building up outside. I’d not really noticed it until it turns into what sounds like a herd stampeding down the porch. I turn to look at the door and see a gold and tan flash that resolves into Luke when he stops dead in the middle of the room.
“Alya!”
The little twerp looks more alarmed than pleased to see me. His alarm doesn’t last long, though, because Quinn, who was charging up behind him, doesn’t stop on time. She runs smack into him and nearly sends him flying off. Luke’s just steading himself when a second, higher-pitched stampede approaches.
“Luke, watch out!” bellows Quinn. She throws an arm out towards him. Luke grabs it, they pull towards each other, and they disappear.
That’s not the right word for it. They just stop being there. There’s no dramatic puff of smoke, no sense of shock or surprise, and no memory of something odd or significant having taken place. It’s hard to remember that they were there in the first place.
Moments later Mattie, Jojo, the twins, and sundry other kids of various ages and in various states of disarray charge into the room. They look around, their confusion turning to frustration, until Mattie growls.
“They’re doing it again! Jojo, can you see them?”
He takes his thumb out of his mouth and points at the empty air.
Mattie stomps her foot. “Uncle Luke, that’s cheating and you know it!”
Luke and Quinn reappear, if you can call it that. There’s nothing dramatic about that, either. They were always there. You’d just not noticed them, even though they were just in front of you.
While Quinn pacifies the kids and sends the spare ones on their way, Luke rushes up to me. He’s just about to bear-hug me when I stop him.
“Halt! You need to be gentle with me, ok? I need all my bones intact.”
He frowns. “What? Are you ill?”
“I’m splendid and that’s how I want to stay. Without broken ribs.”
Gwen puts her cup down on the table with a loud clang. “Hang on a moment. Four weeks limit? No hugs? You’re pregnant!”
Luke freezes. “You are? For real?”
“I was going to let Raj tell you. But yes.”
The kid looks like he’s just gotten a smack on the back of the head, his eyes goggling and his mouth hanging open. His expression is so damn ridiculous that I wish I could take a holo. Then he lets off a giant whoop.
Quinn rushes over. “What did I miss?”
Luke throws his arms around her. “Alya’s pregnant!”
“Really?”
I’ve had about enough of this. “Are you people in the habit of feigning pregnancy to amuse yourselves? Yes, really.”
Quinn walks over to hug me, but Luke yanks her back with a scowl.
“Don’t squeeze her! She’s pregnant!”
Quinn yanks him back.
“You can’t squeeze babies out of people by hugging them, dummy!”
Luke yanks her again.
“What the hell would you know about that? Squeezing babies into people is more your line.”
Quinn pulls her arm out of Luke’s grasp.
“Why are you being such a dick about this?”
“I’m going to be an uncle, you tit!”
“You already are, you unmitigated ass!”
Luke stops dead for a second, then wheels around. Mattie and Jojo are staring at the two of them. He walks over and gets down on one knee in front of them.
“Matilda, that came out wrong. I’ve never been the uncle of a brand new baby, is all. It’s kind of a big deal for me.” He sounds deadly serious.
Mattie closes her eyes and shakes her head. “Nonny is right: you’re a dummy. But I still love you. Also, brand new babies are no fun. Jojo was a huge drag for ages. But ok.”
“Can you explain it properly to Jojo?”
She sighs. “Sure. But you owe me one.”
She gets the bear-hug I passed up, then Luke gets up, wheels around, and wraps himself around Quinn, whose eyes are streaming.
“I’m going to be an uncle.”
; “Me too.”
They flicker briefly out of sight, then they come back and let go of each other. Luke comes over to my chair, slowly this time.
“So I can’t hug you?”
“You can. You just can’t crush me. Come here, kid. I’ve missed you.”
“Me too.”
Even though his clothes are baggy on him, probably because they used to be Quinn’s, he’s bulked up a lot. I can’t feel his bones anymore. He feels healthy. He looks happy. He’s acting like a twelve-year-old on speed.
He pulls away from me with a hopeful smile. “Raj is here too?”
“Yup. He’s barely left my side ever since we found out. He’s getting kind of annoying, to be honest. He went straight to Kolya’s. He wanted to be the one to tell him.”
“Can I go see him?”
“Not up to me, is it?”
“I’ll run straight back.” He gives me another comically careful hug, gets up, and crushes Quinn. “You coming?” He rushes out without waiting for an answer.
Quinn shakes her head like she’s trying to reorganize it, then shrugs at us and charges right after him.
I shake my head too. “Are they always like this?”
Gwen grins. “They’re quiet when they’re asleep.”
“Sorry ‘bout that.”
“Heh. It’s a bit like living with two tornadoes, but it’s cute, too. Did you spot how they disappear when they kiss?”
“That’s what that was?”
“Yeah. I think so, anyway. I can’t remember ever being that young.”
“I can’t remember Quinn being that young, either.”
“Yeah. It’s good for her. She’s never had the chance to be a teenager.”
I want to say that Luke looks good, that I’m glad to see him like this, but I can’t speak. If I do, I’m going to end up crying. Damn kids.
Gwen looks at me, tenses up, jumps off Asher’s lap, and shoos him off.
“Go find somewhere to be busy, husband. You’re in the way.”
“May I point out to milady that I’ve been quietly sitting here in lieu of a cushion for her dainty ass, not saying a damn thing, including giving any kind of congratulations to the mother-to-be?”
“You may, but it’ll do you no good. We’ve got to talk shop – women’s shop. It would make your dick fall off and then I’d have no use for you. Begone! Take the kids with you! Don’t feel obliged to bring them back.”
