Governor's Tribute

by Sharon L Reddy

Chapter Ten

  Venida left the ship before the governor's family did. The emperor knew they were waiting for her to 'get out of cam focus.' Once she gave the cab instructions to take her to the university, no one paid much attention. She smiled when the shuttle headed back up and added, "Professor Emeritus Morrisid Torriallim's residence." She stepped out of the cab about forty minutes later and smiled at the woman who was obviously leaving her home. She was coming down the walk toward her and checking the contents of the case she was carrying, not looking where she was going.

  "Well, you look in good health."

  "What? Do I know you?"

  "Probably, but I'm sure you don't know me as well as my husband Anverd knows you. He knows you're about to retire and get married, Tori. Shall we go back inside and discuss it?"

  "Yes, I think we should, Doctor."

  "Ven. I like your books, all of them. Anverd said tell you the 'bit of insulation' he stuck in isn't going to 'keep the spark from jumping and making the connection' very much longer and he thinks you spending the rest of your life writing two words and accepting awards you don't think much of is a real waste of your time. Boer said tell you the way they got to Hominia was terrific."

  "I'm fifty-three."

  "In eleven days and still a citizen of Rinder. How much of what the Treaty of Relatross doesn't say have you read? It's very interesting reading."

  "So is what the governor did on Nunture."

  "He's read one of your texts too."

  "I still don't know why me."

  "Because Via chose you to be in the marriage when she made the choice to only be in the family and all of us know she's right."

  "I think I want to read what section six of the treaty doesn't say again."

  "Since we need to get you packed very fast, I'll point out the relevant wording that isn't there."

  Boer gave Jobe a hug and he smiled. He was 'dressed like a prince' and barefoot. He was also a bit nervous. Most of them were, not about meeting the emperor, because of all the cams focused on the shuttle hatch. Boer wasn't worried. He'd seen Ganthin and Larim both in the newscam views of the crowd. Ganthin was beside Larim and he did attract them. He led his family out of the shuttle and grinned when Ganthin whooped and ran forward. Larim didn't whoop or run, but he was smiling and walking fast. The marine guard didn't stop them.

  Misty grabbed Via's hand and tugged. Ganthin was 'rewriting' and she was sure he knew exactly what he was doing. Via looked at the man behind him and the two ran out of the group together. Boer grinned and changed direction a bit. He completely trusted the rewrite too. He was rather sure Tam had done it. The marine escort didn't 'get lost' either.

  "Misty!"

  "Ganthin!"

  Boer got to them just as Ganthin set Misty back on her feet and kissed her. He cleared his throat and Ganthin looked up and blushed. Boer burst into laughter and gave him a hug. He'd really liked the 'ad-lib.' He watched Via stop in front of Larim, smile, then run into his arms. He looked extremely surprised, but he caught her, turned her face up and kissed her forehead. He noted Boer was a great deal bigger than he was and waiting for the process to be complete to do more was probably wise. She smiled up at him, nodded and they walked, side by side, to where the group had stopped. The cam-ops were delighted. The newscasters were trying to figure out what to say. Audio people focused pick-ups on the governor.

  "Gant, it isn't official quite yet. I intend to introduce her to the emperor as part of the family before you change what part."

  "I wish we didn't have to wait until official word comes from O'Dona, Boer. It gives my father and mother a great deal more time to think of people to whom to send wedding invitations. Misty, I don't want to wait for your family to come from O'Dona, but we will if you want."

  "I don't want to wait for official word to come, Gant. However, it does give me time to find the right gown. You see, Via, I told you he'd be waiting for you."

  "And feel as though I have been a very long time, Misty. Boer, tell Anverd I may strangle him the next time I see him. I'd have preferred this be a much more private meeting."

  "He's expecting it, Larim, but I don't think he expected you to be... here."

  "I decided arguing the point with your large and impetuous young cousin would probably result in my arriving over his shoulder. You've done that to me once and I remember it quite distinctly. I didn't think a second such experience, this time in front of several thousand spectators, was really needed as an anecdote, should I ever write my memoirs. I was very surprised I hadn't read the treaty as carefully as I'd thought."

  "I needed them on Nunture, Larim. None of us were expecting what we learned when my bride was healed and could tell us. I don't consider Via no longer in the family, just no longer in the marriage. I really never expected to find a way to get you in the family and I'm delighted."

  "So am I, Boer, and completely amazed."

  "But still might strangle Anverd when you see him. I want to introduce you both to the others of my family with me, but the emperor is waiting for an introduction to them."

  "You, of course, know who the selections are."

  "Those O'Dona and Rinder wisely selected because they belong in our marriage, as they wisely selected Misty and Androvia because they were the ones needed to help free the Nunturi. It just... had to take less time than we expected. Yes, I know who."

  "We'll go with you."

  "I told you he was impetuous, Boer."

  "Standard transport for fifteen is four vehicles, Larim. He knows there's room for two more and it will definitely be easier than getting there by private car."

  "Oh, I planned on coming along. I just thought a complaint I'm not really prepared for this was in order. I may never be prepared for anything but a court session again. At least I'm sure what the schedule is for them."

  "I know it's a surprise it happened this fast, Larim, but I don't plan on a big wedding, not more than about four hundred and not more than about a thousand at the reception on Grainland."

  "Via, I think we should discuss our obviously differing view of the relative terms fast and big."

  "You agree we did the job on Nunture fast?"

  "Definitely."

  "You agree this crowd is big?"

  "Assuredly."

  "It won't be a big wedding."

  "I think I just lost an argument."

  "I've always loved arguing with people I agree with, Larim."

  "It's the only kind one can really have, Via. With those with whom one truly does not agree, one can only agree to disagree."

  "Or stop."

  "I don't consider oppression of a people as an opinion, or it's immediate halt a debatable point."

  "I thoroughly agree."

  "And did a superb job of demonstrating it. I read the constitution you constructed for them."

  "Misty and I spent a lot of time working on the safeguards in it. Because of what happened there, the people needed them a great deal more clearly stated than in the constitutions of either Rinder or Grainland. Some of them were adapted from those of O'Dona and Dereva because they specifically delineate limitations on personal power. The previous constitution contained clauses which were intended to do that, but were too limited in their scope. The formation of the oligarchy within the bureaucracy wasn't something that just happened. It was carefully planned to take advantage of the limitations of those clauses. It was a real challenge to both give them very strong safeguards and still make it... a framework within which to build their own society, not an imposition of one."

  "Yes, there must be 'room to breathe' within a constitution or the society begins to suffocate at the moment of its ratification."

  Boer smiled, put an arm around Jobe's shoulders and pulled him in a little closer. He felt him relax a bit when he did. He'd been trying very hard not to 'lean on' him. It was very different than they'd originally expected. He was a hero, not an unknown Nunceon and an
oddity, but it was still a very large crowd and a great deal of attention, even if Via and Larim were moving the focus of the cams a bit.

  Misty and Ganthin were drawing some of the focus too. The young Imperial Lord and the Lady from O'Dona were hand in hand and not really paying attention to anything else. Imperial society casters were giving background on their families and their cam ops were dutifully recording the inattention to their surroundings. Boer, Jobe, Dirda and Eddy got in the first car waiting for them and three sighed in relief.

  "We won't have to run that kind of gamut at the palace. The shuttle port is about as close as the news people can get with just documentation that's who they are. From here on news crews are by invitation only. How did they do, Eddy?"

  "Incredible, especially Larim and Via. They made the point she and Misty had been chosen for the task on Nunture extremely well by delineating exactly what that task was. Who wrote the script?"

  "My suspicion is Tam gave them an outline and said ad-lib. My favorite piece was the unplanned bit. The toss in the air probably was, but Gant's blush was 'Oops, I got a bit carried away.' The kiss he gave Misty was rather ardent for public, even if he had planned on one."

  "They're both so happy and Larim is so surprised."

  "Yes, Jobe, he is. They have a very large number of people trying to figure out when they met."

  "She's already campaigning for him. Notice the constitution of Grainland was mentioned, Eddy?"

  "Yes, Dirda, I did. I thought she managed to fit it in with great skill. Boer, your reputation as a matchmaker may be something you should have mentioned. He didn't really have any doubts."

  "I've worked hard not to have a reputation for it, so when I did do it, people didn't, Eddy. I'm not sure that sounded like it made sense, but it's true. I've only played matchmaker twice before. He knows it. I've introduced several people to people I thought they'd like and been delighted when love blossomed, but there were only two couples I was just plain sure belonged together and worked to make sure they met. The other couple is my first captain and her husband of thirteen years. He's my mother's cousin and she let me change her hotel reservations when I told her she wanted to go to Froslea, not Martinsong, for ten days' leave."

  "You made sure she was too curious not to."

  "It worked. I don't really know what's coming next. Tam is doing re-writes for a reason. We could be rushing off to change into things prepared for us for a very formal presentation or he may head for us to get hugs all around, yell for someone to bring refreshments and lead us into his apartments. I expect something somewhere between, but have no idea how close to either 'end' it will be."

  "Hmm, I think the introduction will be informal, but structured, then 'family' and some kind of social occasion to put us in a reception line later."

  "Ordinarily I'd agree, Eddy, but he's moving fast to get us out of the cam focus for a reason. He's got something he thinks we're the ones to do. I'm sure of it. Show you why. Comm driver. Bosk, brief us."

  "Anverd sent your too-normal selection program to Colonel Loesterreich, Governor. Buzzers went off and flags popped up. Flags don't look concentrated until planetary classification is added to the selection program. What do you want in a ship?"

  "I want five of them. I added to Jobe's list and the difficulty. Fast and small here with a crew for Eddy. A nice family-size yacht with a rather large crew for a yacht on Valer. I want a ship with room for us all that doesn't say 'Governor.' It's going to be busy, have about six normally in family quarters and about one hundred forty-two as crew. I want a yacht that screams credits comfortable for about six in extremely luxurious surroundings with a few cabins for guests. I want small, fast and disguised as a reasonably successful luxury goods trader, silk and satin, not gems. The last two have to fit in the third, not dock with it. We'll take care of fast ourselves, but want very good to work from. The two small ships need to have on-planet transport in them."

  "I think the fleet may be about to sell some 'surplus' ships. Who do you want to do them?"

  "You have an idea?"

  "Klosstergan should retire. Tierney Gravis Ship Construction would probably be able to talk her into it if they gave her 'free rein' on ships for you to be done at their Tooverty Station facility. It's not big enough for anyone who wouldn't be working on that project and they'd let her pick her construction crew. They'd also give you a good price because it's not a heavily booked facility and giving it the identity of the place to have a custom refit done will help change that. It's where we can slip in more help and more ships. I think you buy three yachts, but one quietly after she tells you how big it can't be. A charter with luxury and vacation cabins would refit for the one on Valer easily."

  "Tell Klosstergan she's retiring. Where?"

  "Yarrow and Forester sectors, call it along the border. There are some planets in both that have more 'trade' with each other than one would expect and a trader's association, which seems to be a bit more difficult to join than is usual, has a number of members who make some odd skips in routes. We're passing what we know to Anverd, but that's mainly a feeling you're right about something smelling too well-washed not to be dirty."

  "You know who Thomin Prave is?"

  "Hale said she couldn't decide whether to yelp or sigh in relief. She said she'd considered asking him to work for us, but wasn't sure we could reassemble Boniface after he hit it. He's scary and totally committed to what he believes, which is why he's scary. The commitment doesn't leave any room for go slowly and carefully. She's been watching him grow up."

  "She finds people to be... secret hunters?"

  "Basically, Jobe. Bosk works for the non-military intelligence service."

  "I'm a spy, but my job is telling the right people what the other spies have learned. I drive a lot of cars."

  "Do you know what the emperor plans?"

  "Beaming proudly on you for the rest of the people of the empire. It's part of the job. Other than that, it's think on our feet and try to keep up."

  "Shopping may take much less time than we had expected, Boer."

  "Yes, Dirda, we may be doing it by comp."

  "Not baby things, Boer. We will all go together to places where they sell them and buy many, but they will be the right many."

  "Yes, Jobe. If you think that's important, I'm delighted to have it as an excuse."

  "Eddy will be here, Mim and Nora will be home and we may not be either place. It's important they have your smiles when you held up tiny clothes to remember."

  "Ow. Eddy, I want you home to have the baby."

  "Ven may not be there either, Boer."

  "Ow again, but I still want you there, and far enough in advance the ship crew isn't extremely nervous the whole trip. I'll try to get all of us there in time, but I can't get there for Nora's, here for yours and there for Mim's. If some of us can't be there... Ow. Make lots of recordings."

  "Ow."

  "Ow."

  "I'll make it unanimous. Ow. I'll also make it home in time, unless baby decides otherwise. You know there will be someone on that ship who knows exactly what to do in the event he decides he's waited long enough to see the wide universe. I was like that. There was absolutely nothing wrong with mother or me, but I wasn't due for about eight days. My mother said her doctor told her that was the only possible reason for it and no amount of advance in medicine will ever change expecting ends when baby decides it's time to be born, even if that's sooner than you expected."

  "Ven said about the only time you can be sure a baby won't be born is exactly when expected."

  "That was probably in her course notes, Jobe, and I mean the ones she took when she was a student. You heard where we are, Bosk."

  "Yes, Boer, the only thing that could take priority over the needs of your family right now is the needs of a couple million of them."

  "Exactly. Close comm."