T-47 Book II (Saxon Saga 6)
Page 68
“You’re planning on more kids?” Amanda asked, a hopeful frown on her forehead.
“Yes, a daughter, for sure.”
Ilene smiled. “How soon for that?”
“Oh, sometime in January.”
They did the math. “Six months? Lori, you’re pregnant?” Ilene said, looking down at her daughter’s stomach.
“Yes,” Lori said, putting a hand there, and patting it. “A girl. Or so the tests say.”
The radiant smiles of the other two women were as warm as their simultaneous hugs. Looking past Lori, they saw Hunter smiling at them.
“The husband–father–looks pleased.”
“Indeed he is. Thrilled, actually. Again.”
“When we heard how you’d been hurt, we, well, we wondered, worried...so much.”
“Eagle One saved my ass. Twice. At least. With Hunter. If not for him, and that air car...”
“Yes, we know.” Ilene looked at her daughter. Then at her mother. “None of us...” She left the thought unfinished, everyone there knew how it ended.
“Eagle One was wonderful, doing what is was made for, and doing it so excellently, I can hardly believe it. We never could have done all that we did on either planet, without it. The only reason I hesitated to think about settling down, is that the air car might be bored.”
“Lori, it’s a machine. It doesn’t get bored. I mean, look at the time in space, going and coming. And even the days and nights there. It hardly ever is active for more than a few hours at a time. And I’ll bet you’ll keep it busy here, too. And Eric–how’s he...?”
“In love with that machine. He already can speak Selat as well as English, and Eagle One helped him plot out the descent path to Earth.” Lori paused. “But I worry about that too–a boy, in charge of Eagle One. I mean, it’s always been the first born, right, with dibs to the air car? Always a girl before. And now not. How will a boy handle it?”
“Oh, I suspect he’ll go off and shoot up the ocean and raise a ruckus...” Amanda looked at Lori, sternly. “Or maybe run off world for years, scaring us all half to death...”
Lori, chagrined, said, “Yeah, well, I guess it can’t be much worse than that, could it? But mind you, I don’t plan to give it up any time soon, and maybe daughter will become more attached to it than Eric is. We’ll see. And maybe we can head off some of the trouble, before it starts. I’ve got a little experience...”
They all thought about that for a moment, nodding and smiling at her.
“Think it’ll still be getting in trouble back here, after all these years, and all the off-world adventures?” Lori said, her voice concerned.
Hunter had joined them, and said, “Eagle One? Why not put a positive spin on it when they interview you for TV?”
Closing her eyes for a second, Lori said, “Yeah, I’ll have to go through all that again. We’re deluged with requests already. What will they call me this time–Napolianna?” She shook her head.
“Heavens, no. Now you’re the ‘Well know planetary explorer Lorelei Saxon Sloane’–sorry Hunter,” Ilene said. “There’s nothing about being responsible for the battles, that seems to be expected, they come with the process of exploring a new, inhabited world. And you’re famous all over the world for your escape from that prison. Man.”
“I still worry most about Eagle One.”
“So, put in good words for it whenever you can. All the news and opinion shows have already been calling us, too. And Spencer wants you on his show, you know. Right away,” Ilene said.
“He does? Any more Lori jokes?”
“Heavens, no,” Amanda said. “He’s been skewering your detractors for two weeks straight, you should hear what he’s said.”
“Really? Oh, OK then, that’d be a good place to start.”
“I can call him,” Hunter said, showing his phone.
“Now?”
“Sure, hold on.”
In a minute, Hunter handed the phone to Lori. She took it and heard the well known voice say, “We’re taping. This’ll go out tonight. Lorelei, Darling, you return in triumph! A new world, a huge new world. Billions of people and you found it. A new son, born in Williams Space. Imagine. A heroine, to boot, an escape from that dreadful prison. And a huge battle to save the downed lighter. What courage! When can you come on and tell us all about it?’
“Um, soon as I get back down to Earth. I’m still on the station. Next week? Early next week?”
“Too late. How about Friday? Friday coming up? Three days. You’ll be back by then, right? That OK?”
“Are you open then, do you have a little time open on your show?”
“I’ll have the whole show for you. We were going to do a re-run, but we’ll go live for you. You’ll do it then? Tell us everything?”
Seeing Hunter and everyone else nodding, she said, “OK, sure.”
“Great! Excellent. Bring some of the new people, too, from that new planet, OK, and Tarue and the kits, they’re bigger now, right? And your family. And Captain George. Bring everyone?”
Lori giggled. “I can’t do that, but I’ll see who I can bring, Tarue for sure. And her husband and the kits–they’re nearly grown up, and quite independent. Maybe Borrelia...”
“The husband? The new ambassador? Excellent, for sure, we’ll give them a great New York City welcome. And it’ll be wonderful to see Tarue and her husband. Now that’s news. So much, too much for one show, we’ll do two, maybe three. Friday for sure, all afternoon, if you can.”
“OK, I’ll try. And my son, too, I have a boy now, you know?”
“Oh, yes, of course, wonderful. He was born in space. What a story. We can’t wait to meet him. I’ll have my staff call you soon as you’re back home, make all the arrangements.”
“Good. And I’ll bring the real hero of the second trip to 47 Tucana again. I’ll bring my air car. I’ll bring Eagle One.”
End of Book VI
End of Saxon Saga II