by J. P. Larson
“I’m on to you, Liz,” Alex told her after a moment. “Step by step, you’re trying to indoctrinate me into your society.”
Elizabeth paused. “Alex, you’re the one who told me you wanted to stay here. Do you want me to stop having these talks with you?”
“No, Liz. I like talking to you. I just want to win once in a while.”
Elizabeth laughed. “Alex, do you want to win the battles, or win the war?” She didn’t wait for him to answer. “Who did I come to when I needed help? I’m about to help you lull that woman into a sense of security. I know, absolutely know she’s going to make a try for you and Pamela after this. I’m terrified, Alex! That’s my daughter we’re talking about. And my son-in-law, who I love like a son. Alex, you gave my daughter a merchant vessel! And I somehow suspect that Letter of Marque is going to get some use in the next couple of months. Do you know how much faith I have in you? Even like this, when you can barely walk, and I’m trusting you. Win one once in a while, Alex? I think you win when it counts, and you let us win when it doesn’t.”
Alex looked at her. “Thank you, Liz. So she’s going to be here?”
“I’ll introduce you.”
“Is there any way you can sit Ms. Leider next to her? Or somehow get the two of them together a lot?”
Elizabeth smiled. “Yes, Alex. Do you want Ms. Leider to know?”
“I’ll tell her tomorrow.”
“Alex, Pamela says the guests are arriving. I’ll send Ms. Anders in to keep you company. You should make an entrance in about a half hour. Tell Pamela when you’re coming.”
Alex nodded assent while Elizabeth rose to her feet. She gave him another admiring look, straightened his clothes slightly, then quietly left, leaving the door open. Ms. Anders immediately came in, took a look at Alex, and froze.
“Do you like the clothes, Ms. Anders?” Alex asked her, holding his arms out for a complete inspection.
Ms. Anders closed the door. “Yes, Mr. Grey. You look very nice. Ms. Grey is very lucky.” She came in and sat in one of the chairs. “I understand we need to kill some time. What would you like to talk about?”
“How well do you know the history of Dawson’s Star, Ms. Anders? Can you explain how it was founded, that sort of thing?”
“Certainly. Where would you like me to start?”
“On Earth, if you could.”
“Well, Mr. Grey, it all started with a woman named Patricia Dawson and her college roommate, Jane Morris.”
“Wait. Jane’s Gift?”
“Yes. Named after Jane Morris. It’s all part of the story.” Ms. Anders launched into the story of the founding.
“We’ve been summoned, Ms. Anders. Perhaps we can take this up later?”
“Certainly. Just let me take a little peek at you, make sure you’re all presentable.” She got up and walked around his chair. “Well, everything seems to be where it belongs, you’re all straight. Now remember. You are going to be very charming and polite. You aren’t going to shock anyone. You especially aren’t going to push your mother-in-law’s little buttons. Shortly after dinner, perhaps even before dessert, you are going to get Ms. Grey’s attention and subtly ask to be excused. You will apologize to her for getting so worn, but not to the Prime Minister.”
“Yes, Ms. Anders,” he said. “Why are you helping us so much?”
“Because I like you, Mr. Grey. And because we’re related.” He gave her a puzzled look. “Doctor Tate is my mother-in-law.” Alex still looked puzzled. “Doctor Tate is your mother-in-law’s cousin. Or second cousin, or something like that.”
“There sure are a lot of cousins on this planet,” Alex replied after a moment.
“There certainly are,” she answered. “Time to go.”
She giggled in his mind.
“Ms. Anders, how can I possibly be upset with my wife when she keeps saying such sweet things to me?”
“I don’t know what she said, but that’s a very good attitude, Mr. Grey.”
Alex felt another giggle.
They turned the corner, and Alex saw that the door to the main house was closed. As they approached, the door was opened from the other side -- Alex caught a glimpse of Jim -- and Alex could see Pamela stationed across the room from the door. She was standing next to Elizabeth, the room was filled with people, but there was an unobstructed path between Alex and his wife. Ms. Anders rolled Alex towards his wife. Pamela stepped forward and took over for Ms. Anders, who stepped into the background. Pamela turned him around, then backed up to stand beside Elizabeth again.
“Ladies,” said Pamela. “I would like to present my husband, Mr. Alexander Grey.”
There was polite applause.
Pamela held up her hand briefly, and the applause subsided.
“Thank you,” Alex told them. He spoke loudly, but didn’t project. The people in back probably couldn’t hear him. “I’m very pleased to get a chance to meet you. I’ve looked forward to this for a long time.”
“I hope you all forgive my husband for his somewhat unusual entrance. As you no doubt know, he’s had a few difficulties lately. But he’s been so looking forward to this, that Mother and I just couldn’t disappoint him by postponing it any further.”
“As you all know,” said Elizabeth. “Alexander is a new arrival to our society and seeks his wife’s guidance and blessing. I do hope you will help welcome him to Dawson’s Star.”
There was another round of applause, then several of the women came forward to greet Pamela and meet Alex. Alex smiled politely, said very little, and tried to remember names.
Alex had gotten through six or seven women when Elizabeth interrupted. “Alexander, this is my dear friend, Susan Borman.”
“I’m very pleased to meet you, Ms. Borman,” Alex told her.
“How do you like our planet so far, Mr. Grey?” Susan Borman asked him.
“Elizabeth keeps a beautiful home. I’ve been somewhat sheltered, you understand, but your planet seems lovely, and most of the people have been very nice to me.”
“Pamela has applied for citizenship for her husband,” Elizabeth said. “He wants to live here with us.” A shadow crossed her face. “Of course, Pamela will be leaving on her ship soon. I’ve asked her to take Alexander with her, until the current unpleasantness is over. I couldn’t stand the thought of him getting hurt again.”
“This must all seem very strange to you, Mr. Grey.”
“I wish I could stay here and get stronger, but I’m very happy that Pamela will be taking me with her. I wouldn’t want to be apart.”
Ms. Borman turned to Elizabeth, dismissing Alex. “He’s not at all what I expected, Liz. He’s very polite and charming.”
“Well, he can be a handful sometimes, but with all the recent events, he relies on Pamela.”
Pamela pulled Alex away to introduce him to someone else. Alex said something polite, then pretended to pay attention when Pamela and the woman talked about Pamela’s new ship.
Elizabeth laughed. It felt like a trill.
Eventually, dinner was announced. Alex continued to smile and be polite after dinner, but slowly let the smile fade, let himself appear less animated.
Dessert was just about to be served.
Pamela looked at Alex. “How are you holding up?”
“A little tired,” he said. “I’m sorry.”
“Mother, would you mind if Alex was excused? All the excitement has worn him out.”
“Alexander, of course you may leave,” said Elizabeth. “Would you like the cook to send dessert to your room?”
“Thank you, Elizabeth. Do you think they could save a piece for me?”
“Of course. Good night, Alexander.”
“Good night. Pamela?”
“Ms. Anders will take you back to your room. I’ll stop by in a bit and check on you.”
“Good night, everyone. It’s been very nice meeting you all.” Ms. Anders appeared out of the woodwork and whisked Alex away.
Once clear of the guests, Ms. Anders spoke to him. “You were perfect, Mr. Grey.”
Alex grumphed. When they arrived at his room, he let her roll her in. She closed the door and started to sit down.
“Good night, Ms. Anders. Thank you for your help tonight.”
“Don’t you want company?”
“What I want is to get out of these clothes and into something reasonable. For me, ‘reasonable’ means something I can sweat in. And then I am going to start sweating. I imagine I will still be sweating when the guests have left. Once I am done sweating, I will probably clean up, then write letters home or something. I have been polite for hours, and I don’t think I can keep it up much longer.
“Mr. Grey, I can’t let you overdo yourself.”
“Then I believe you’ll need to get either my wife or her mother to come stop me. Please leave now, Ms. Anders. I am going to start pulling clothes off.”
He didn’t wait for her answer, but started to unbutton the clothes. Ms. Anders looked at him for a moment, then fled. Alex undressed, He thought about throwing the clothes in the corner, but hung them in the closet. He picked some workout clothes, then began exercising.
He was just getting warmed up when Pamela dropped in a half hour later.
“Hello, Pamela,” he said after a moment. “How’s the party?”
He continued his exercises.
“It’s going fine,” she told him. “You were perfect.”
He took a few breaths, paused, and looked at her. “You’re proud of your husband?”
“Yes. Very much.”
“Good,” he said, returning to the exercises.
She looked at him. “You’re not upset?”
Alex shook his head, but continued to exercise. “Why would I be?” he asked after a moment. “It worked, didn’t it? Ms. Borman is convinced I’m a nothing. You got to show off your husband. And I got out of it early so I could work on getting healthy again.”
“How did you know it was Ms. Borman.”
Alex stopped and looked at her. “That part was easy. I want to know who that quiet little blond was. How come your mother didn’t mention two of them?”
“What?”
“Ms. Borman isn’t alone.”
Alex looked at his wife and continued to exercise. Pamela didn’t say anything, but took a chair. Elizabeth arrived after a few minutes and looked at him.
“Alex says Susan Borman has an accomplice,” Pamela said after Elizabeth closed the door.
“Who?”
Alex finished the set he was on before he answered.
“I didn’t catch a name. Can I send a picture?” Elizabeth nodded, and Alex envisioned the woman in question.
“Impossible! She’s nobody. The younger daughter of a minister from a minor province.”
“In other words, she’s someone who knows she’s nobody, and knows that everyone knows she’s nobody, and desperately wants to be someone. In this case, the woman who helped topple a popular Prime Minister.”
Elizabeth looked at him.
“While we’re spending so much effort making sure they underestimate us, let’s not make the same mistake.”
“I’ll take care of it, Alex.”
Alex started doing stomach crunches.
“Alex, did you ask Ms. Anders if you could do this?” Pamela asked him.
“You were very charming tonight. I know how hard that was for you. Thank you, Alex. It meant a lot to me.”
He stopped again. “Okay, I’m going to say two more things, then you are both going to leave and let me have a nice, long, hard workout. First, Pamela, you are welcome. Please give me more warning of these little traditions, however, okay? And second, would you send Ms. Leider and Jimbo in here? I want to talk to them.”
“Okay, Alex.”
He sighed. “And I suppose you can tell Ms. Anders I’ll let her check the bandages periodically to make sure I’m not doing any damage, if she thinks it’s important. Or, if she’s at the party, let her stay there. I’m sure I won’t hurt anything too badly.”
“Okay, Alex. Come on, Mother. Let him work off his energy.”
They left with smiles, and Alex turned the pace up. There was a knock sometime later, and Ms. Anders came in with Gina and Jimbo.
“Hey. You looked real cute tonight, Commander,” said Jimbo.
“Did you like the disguise? Well, I made Pamela and Elizabeth very happy, and I put on a real good show of a complete invalid. Perfect.”
“It was very effective,” Gina told him.
The three of them sat down while Alex continued his exercises. “Jimbo, how would you like to get back at me for all those training exercises?”
Jimbo gave a big smile. “I think I would like that a lot, Sir.”
“Ms. Anders, I am done being cared for. Starting tomorrow, I’m done being an invalid. Your physical therapist is a complete wimp. These two, on the other hand, are scary.”
“What did you have in mind, Commander?” Gina asked him.
“First, we have to quit with the military titles. I’m going to lose mine the next time Dad sees me, anyway. But you people aren’t supposed to be military! Gina, Jimbo, I want you to get me back in shape the best you can. There are obviously going to be limits. Don’t kill me. And we have to stay inside. Ms. Anders knows the territory. Work with her. We start tomorrow before breakfast.”
“Just general toughening up, or do you want weapons and stuff, too?”
“Toughening up. I’m flabby.”
* * *
The Grey Ghost left Dawson’s Star nine days later. The entire crew met several times during that period, and Alex spent a few minutes alone with each person, including the women from Dawson’s Star.
Most of the crew headed for the ship the night before departure. Alex and Pamela had a nice dinner with Elizabeth, then they walked back to their room. Alex held his cane in one hand, Pamela’s hand in the other. “When we get back, we can do this outside,” he told her. “Your mother promised to have it all cleared up by then.”
They sat up and talked for a while. Alex packed up a few things, then asked if Pamela was tired.
“Alex, I’m so excited. My first ship! I won’t be able to sleep tonight.”
“Come to bed with me. I’ll
give you a nice back rub.”
Matriculation
Alex rolled over, checked the time, and climbed from bed. He got dressed and looked down at Pamela. He sat back down and began caressing her cheek.
