“What?” Rogitel demanded. “Can’t you revive him?”
“Not from that sort of a fit,” the young veterinarian said, exhibiting only a clinical detachment. “He burst a blood vessel. Embolism. Instantly fatal. People with high blood pressure are prone to it. Probably had it coming for years.”
“You can say that again,” said a new voice, and Ali Kiachif pushed his way to the group looking down at the Admiral’s prone body. “No one had it coming to him longer, stronger, or wronger than he did, if you know what I mean.” He pulled at Todd’s shoulder. “You might as well stop that, laddie. It won’t do him a bit of good. Don’t waste any more breath on him. I know a deader when I see one.”
Kate Moody arrived a moment later and confirmed young Solinari’s and Kiachif’s diagnoses. “There’s nothing I can do for him. Here, some of you help me get him out of here. We’ll take him to the Health Center. My skimmer’s outside.”
“Commander Rogitel,” DeVeer said, laying a hand on the assistant’s arm and bringing him to his feet. “If you are not going to indulge in a medical emergency of your own, I have a list of charges that have been laid against you. Will you come with me now?”
Rogitel rose silently. DeVeer turned back to the Reeves. “Oh, and save me some punch, won’t you?” he asked with a twinkle in his eye. “I’ll be back as soon as I shut this fellow up.” He marched his prisoner away toward the grid, accompanied by Hrrula to operate the controls.
“I don’t believe he’s dead,” said Todd, watching the stretcher team leave the Hall with their burden. Someone had spread a tablecloth over Landreau’s body before they carried it away.
“Believe it,” Kiachif said firmly, slapping him on the shoulder. “Well, that’s that, if you know what I mean. The end of all your troubles, trials, and tribulations. Well, this set! Third’s gone, Landreau’s sputtered his last, and the Treaty’s signed. Nothing to stand in the way of you living happily ever after, is there?”
Todd and Hrriss exchanged meaningful glances. “Now that you mention it, no,” Todd said, “particularly the ‘happily ever after’ bit. C’mon, Hrriss, Hrruna’s had our girls far too long.”
“We owe you so much, sir, for coming in when you did,” Hu Shih was saying to First Speaker Hrruna as Todd and Hrriss approached.
“If it is not an imposition, honored sir,” Hrriss asked Hrruna politely, “I would like to dance with my betrothed.” He reached out a hand to Nrrna.
Nrrna glanced appealingly at the First Speaker, who patted the female’s hand. “Yes, of course. Such a charming young lady. You are most fortunate, young Hrriss.”
“You are so kind, sir,” Nrrna said, lowering her eyelids prettily at First Speaker.
“And when is the joining to be?” Hrruna asked.
“Soon!” Hrriss said emphatically.
“Very soon,” Nrrna agreed, looking lovingly at Hrriss. “Possibly tomorrow.”
The old man sighed as the couple slipped through the crowd. “Ah, if I was thirty years younger! But it is always the lady’s choice, isn’t it? I must say, he is a fine young cub.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Second Speaker Hrrto said, watching the couple swirl gracefully onto the dance floor. “He is one of the hopes for Hrruba’s future.”
“Kelly?” Todd asked, bowing to her. “May I have the honor of this dance?”
“May I, sir?” Kelly asked Hrruna sweetly.
“Yes, do. Enjoy yourselves, young ones!” Hrruna said, jaw dropped. “Ah, youth.”
“That’s a very pretty dress you have on,” Todd said as with a firm hand he guided Kelly out among the dancers.
“Almost have on,” Kelly grimaced, tugging at the filmy swags of cloth and settling them more securely across her nicely developed chest. “Red’s not really my color.”
“I think you can wear any color,” Todd said with genuine gallantry.
“But I’m really not sure I should be dancing with you,” she said, with such a firm arm around his neck and such a firm grip on his other hand that he stared at her in surprise. “For one thing, you’re not really suitably dressed for the occasion.”
“Kelly, that’s not fair ...” he began, and then saw the merry devilment in her sparkling eyes. “All right, I’ll bite, how should I be dressed?”
Suddenly she took the lead from him and danced him over to a window ledge.
“You’re not wearing tails,” she said, waving a coil of rope in front of him that she must have somehow secreted on the ledge. “Imagine you forgetting an old Rraladoonian custom like that!”
Enchanted by his lover’s gesture, he let her tie the rope around his waist and proceed to tie the other end around hers, completely ruining the line of her gown.
“Hey, that’s not how to make a rope tail!” he said, laughing.
“No, it’s to keep you from going off somewhere without taking me with you!” Now she backed him into the curtains of the window and whirled a length around him, before she pulled his head down to hers and kissed him long and lovingly. Not at all surprising, especially since he had never hoped to see her again, he responded passionately. Kiachif had been right—there was nothing at all to stop them living happily ever after.
* * *
“Friends, feasting, and fine firewater,” Ali Kiachif said, carefully enunciating each word to Ken Reeve, swigging the last of the mlada from his glass. “That’s the elements that make the best parties, if you know what I mean! No, don’t take that bottle away, Reeve,” he implored Ken as he swept dirty dishes off the table in front of him so he could prop up his elbows. “Pour me another portion, if you please.”
“Nothing left in it, Kiachif.” Ken upended the crock to show that it was empty. “See?”
Kiachif looked mournfully at the bottom of his glass. “You couldn’t find another bottle somewhere nearby, could you? I always thought you were a merry mate of mine.”
From long experience, Ken judged the old captain was only a few minutes from falling asleep when the power of the mlada hit. “Oh, I suppose there’s one more in the kitchen. You wait here, Kiachif, and I’ll see if I can’t find it.”
“That’s fine, fair and friendly of you,” he said with satisfaction, and propped himself up to wait, tapping his fingers to the slow dance music and watching the couples swaying rhythmically. Ken went into the kitchen and peeped out through the door until he saw the old spacefarer sag over onto folded arms at the table. It had only taken a moment when he wasn’t moving or talking for the liquor to relax him completely.
“Hrrestan, give me a hand, will you?” Ken asked, getting under one of Kiachif’s arms and heaving upward. “We’d better put him to bed.”
“With pleasurrre, my friend,” the Hrruban said, taking the other arm. Together, they hoisted the Codep captain upright and started to walk him toward the guest cabins at the far side of the common.
Kiachif woke up partway there and glanced at each of his escorts in turn from under his bushy brows. “That’s what I like to see,” he said, nodding approvingly. “Cooperation between happy Human and Hrruban. Long may it continue.”
Ken and Hrrestan got Kiachif onto the bunk in one of the rooms and considerately pulled his boots off. “So long as we can help it,” Ken said, glancing at his old friend, as they lowered the lights in the cabin behind them, “it always will.”
They left the old pilot snoring and went out together to rejoin the celebration.
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