The Council of Hhearn Trilogy Box Set

by P F Walsh

  “Hello Mark, he said to his son, his first contact in weeks.

  “Dad, it’s great to hear your voice. I can’t believe what you’ve been involved with. Did you really go to another planet in a starship?”

  “Yes, twenty-seven light years away to be exact. It has been unreal and very busy. There is so much to learn about all these other worlds we didn’t even know existed. Y’know you’ve heard me whine about not having anything meaningful to do in my retirement. Well, this is way more than I planned on, but it has been very rewarding. It definitely gives me the ‘Traveler of the Year’ award. How are you and the kids?”

  “They’re all fine Dad, jumping up and down over their grandpa on TV. Will you be coming to visit any time soon?” Mark asked.

  “I can’t be sure but my guess is not for a while yet. There’s a lot of issues to settle and some other classified stuff that needs resolution. I don’t yet have any ideas about how to handle some of them, so it will take time. In fact, there may be some long intervals coming up like this last one where you won’t hear from me for quite a while. But be assured, I am in very good health, never felt better or more energetic. I’ll let you know if I’m coming home for a quick visit.”

  Sean continued with a long conversation with his son and with his daughter in law, successfully avoiding questions about parts of his recent experiences, shunting them aside for story telling later when he was with them. He really didn’t know what he was going to do next, he just knew it would be something extraordinary and it would take him far away from this world. Besides, he still had the formal State dinner, and there was no guessing what might come of that. Now, it was time to go and get fitted for his white tie tuxedo, a first for Sean. He picked up his jacket and with his security team was driven to a formal wear rental store in Bethesda, Maryland. The press would be anticipating attendees to go to a local Washington DC formal wear shop, and he wanted no part of that circus.

  Sean envied Nasht-Mer and Doris, they would both be provided gowns for the event by one of the three major houses of fashion that went on the presentation trip. They clamored to stay in the spotlight and burnish their brands over the rest of the world’s designers. Their gowns would be seen by billions of viewers the world over. No one could buy advertising like that. It was priceless.

  The night of the State Dinner, Sean slipped on his tailcoat and inspected himself in the mirror. Not only did everything look properly assembled, but he was surprised at how much he approved of the image. “Formal white tie certainly improves a man’s image immensely.” He thought.

  “Definitely want to send pictures to the kids, there will be lots of TV coverage, but an 8X10 is forever.” He thought.

  Somehow, he would manage that on his cell phone camera. He then filled his pockets with his wallet, handkerchief, and cell phone. He left his house and car keys in the room safe and proceeded to open his door, walk down the hall to collect Doris and the Security team.

  Doris meanwhile had just finished putting on her gown and recalling the surprise when she tried on a strapless gown and the fashion consultant from one of the design houses suggested very strongly,

  “A long-sleeved high-necked gown to cover your tattoos would be soooo much more acceptable.”

  All said with a scrunched up facial expression conveying disgust. Doris was speechless, but could see the conflict in the mirror image and how out of place it all looked. This was the first time those tats were not part of her defense image, and she could see they definitely didn’t fit. So, she followed the fashion consultant’s advice and now viewed herself in the mirror in her room.

  “Perfect,” she thought, “I look like I will blend in very nicely in this twelve-thousand-dollar black gown. Love it.” And then, she thought two things at the same time. One,

  “Where would she wear her gun, and what will Maja say when he sees me?”

  Her second thought was, she wouldn’t need her gun tonight!

  “Security will be four feet thick, but I really should buy a small automatic, maybe a PPK to wear under a gown with a thigh holster.”

  She then smiled at the surprising affect she might have on everyone, especially Maja. Her hair and makeup had been done by an expert sent to her room hours earlier. In a way, she didn’t know who the woman in the mirror was, but tonight, she was eager to find out.

  Sean and Doris were escorted down to the entrance and sidewalk canopy with security and police lined up that were creating an unobstructed path for them to get to their cars. As they were walking down the line one of the Officers in the line spoke out,

  “Hey Moosey, looking good!” Surprised, she turned to look, and there was Jimmy ‘Crackers,’ Tommy Watson, and Ginny Pulaski, full of big smiles, all officers from her precinct in LA, in full dress uniform as part of the security detail.

  Doris broke into a huge smile and replied,

  “What are you guys doing here?”

  Jimmy ‘Crackers,’ whose real name was Crocker, said,

  “We got sent as a courtesy contribution to security. The Lieuy thought some of us ‘real’ cops might be handy to have around to protect our favorite pal. Place is going to be full of cops from all over. You look great, what an undercover outfit. Wow.”

  Ginny said,

  “Find me a boyfriend, willya? Where you hidin’ your piece?”

  Doris answered laughing, “Thanks guys, it’s really nice you’re here, I feel safer, but I’ll never tell where my piece is hidden... no promises on the boyfriend Ginny!”

  The Security detail prodded them on and they all moved to the row of black SUV’s outside.

  Sean tilted his head over to Doris and whispered, “Moosey?”

  Doris snapped back,

  “Shut up, and get in the car.” Sean Laughed.

  Nasht-Mer was in her room getting dressed with the assistance of a lady’s maid to help her into her gown and advise on proper accouterments. Earlier in the day, a call was made to Tiffany from the fashion house of the gown she was wearing. As a result, Tiffany sent over a diamond necklace, pendant earrings, and a bracelet set to augment the gown, making it all harmonious, and dazzling.

  Nasht-Mer was fascinated and speechless as she looked in the mirror. The overall affect was magnificent. She could not recall when she had ever looked more beautiful and knew the answer. Never. She turned from side to side and saw how the diamonds sparkled and enhanced her silver hair. Tonight, her hair was worn up as would be the preferred style for a Formal State Dinner on Earth. She wondered why they didn’t have diamonds on Hhearn, surely there were similar stones there? She knew the ladies would all want these. It was amazing how they all sparkled.

  The phone in her room rang, but she didn’t know what it was. The Maid picked it up and answered. She listened, put the phone back in the cradle and told Nasht-Mer,

  “The President is now ready to make his entrance into the dining room and requested that you join him in the hall outside your room.”

  Nasht-Mer took one last look in the mirror completely satisfied. She picked up her clutch purse which contained her translator now set to send to an earpiece hidden by her hair, and went to the door which was being held open by the maid. She went out to join the President who took her hand and they descended the stairs to the Dining Room. He remarked that she looked absolutely stunning. She reacted with a huge smile.

  Tonight, the State Dinner arrivals at The White House were very scripted and precisely timed so that guests arrived generally according to their importance, or at least The White House’s ranking for that night, depending on who is in favor and who is not. Sean and Doris’s entourage were one of the first cars scheduled to arrive at the East Portico of The White House. As they arrived the security detail got out first and held the doors open for them to alight from the SUV. A White House Protocol officer was there to greet them and escort them to the State Dining Room which can seat one hundred and forty persons.

  Invitations to tonight’s dinner could have been sold for milli
ons. Select leaders from friendly countries, major industry players, leaders of both houses of Congress, a few key Senators and Congressmen, The Prime Minister of Britain, and as an afterthought, like adding bitters to a cocktail, the President included both Ambassadors from China and Russia.

  All of these arrived with a partner, so the night was going to be filled with an abundance of continuous glitter from diamonds and sequins all moving and alluring watchers. After all of the guests were shown to their table and seated, waiters quickly provided the chosen libations for each guest. After a sip or two to mellow the process of greeting whoever had been seated next to each guest, always a tricky process, conversations and introductions filled the room with buzz.

  The foreign diplomats spun their heads from side to side trying to take measure of who was there, and what message was being sent by the guest list. This was a game they all played in Washington and was akin to magical incantations since sometimes the White House deliberately included some random guests to throw the interpretations into chaos. Tonight, was one of those nights.

  The White House Usher announced.

  “Honored Guests and Ladies and Gentlemen, The President of The United States of America and the Director General of Interplanetary Affairs of The Council of Worlds, her Highness Duchess of Mer!”

  At that announcement, the military band played Ruffles and Flourishes as the two entered the Dining Room and repeated the bars until they arrived at their table, a span of just less than a minute or so The President preferred they not continue with ‘Hail To The Chief’ since the Director General was entering with him. The President proceeded to introduce the Director to those who would be sharing the head table. Sean and Doris were seated at a table to the immediate right of the President’s table.

  Nasht-Mer kept her clutch purse held high so those persons being introduced could hear her response in English.

  “This is a bit clumsy.” She thought.

  “I will have to learn to speak English soon.”

  She and the President took their seats. The Secretary of State was sitting to Nasht-Mer’s left and leaned over to extend his welcome again and introduce her to his partner for the evening Joanna Russell who was a fashion designer. Both the President and the Secretary were bachelors and considered by the available ladies in Washington as very desirable catches.

  Ms. Russell leaned past the Secretary to say in a very low voice,

  “Your dress is just perfect. All eyes are on you tonight.”

  Nasht-Mer smiled, and thought she may have just found a lady friend in Washington who could school her on Earth fashions. She made a mental note to cultivate this relationship later.

  Sean watched Nasht-Mer enter with the President and heard the murmurs go through the guests as they perceived how strikingly beautiful, she looked, and not the slightest bit alien. “She is beautiful.” He thought as he watched her smile and greet the guests nearby. Later, when they had all been seated for a while and the conversations thinned as the first course was placed on the tables, Nasht-Mer casually scanned the room and immediately found Sean and Doris. He was staring at her with a smile, and she could feel the blush rise up across her face and she sent him a dazzling smile back.

  Nasht-Mer thought,

  “That exchange was sure to have been noticed, there will be speculators on how to leverage this. Damn this Sashpet, this is getting more difficult to control. It will only get worse; I will have to tell Sean.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Book One

  Dinner proceeded through several courses, all of which Nasht-Mer enjoyed but couldn’t decide which she liked most, it was all so delicious. As the dinner dishes were being cleared and wine glass refills were happening, the band began to play again and The President got up with the Vice President’s wife and moved out onto the floor and began moving around the floor together in some kind of pattern. She didn’t know what this part of the ceremony was. Joanna sensing her confusion, leaned over and said,

  “This is an Earth custom of many centuries. It is called ‘dancing’ and the two partners hold, each other, sometimes closely, and move to the beat of the music. It is very pleasurable. It’s definitely something you should learn to do.”

  Nasht-Mer nodded affirmatively as she watched other couples join the President and his partner. Soon, the floor was filled with dancers. It looked wonderful, and the music was so smooth and languid, creating a dreamy atmosphere as she realized the lights had also been dimmed. Nasht-Mer was a bit startled when a soft voice near her ear spoke,

  “May I have this dance Madam Director?” It was Sean.

  She answered quietly,

  “I don’t know how to do this.” A bit flustered.

  Sean took her hand to have her get up, and after a moment’s hesitation, she rose and said,

  “You will have to show me what to do.” The blush began again.

  Sean led her to the floor among the other dancers.

  He said quietly to her,

  “Just follow me, we will start with just a shuffle, no pattern steps, shift your weight back and forth to the music tempo and you will be fine.”

  As he put his arm around her waist and held her other hand, they began to move. Nasht-Mer picked up the tempo and the pattern and soon they were moving together easily, and as though they had done this before. Nasht-Mer could feel the heat building in her body as Sean held her, not too close, but close enough to send her blood racing. She held her clutch purse close to her mouth feigning a hair adjustment and spoke quietly,

  “Private commo link to Sean.”

  Now she could talk in Shrep which no one could understand, and only Sean would hear the translation in his embedded commo device. Allister had schooled her on this method which he was sure would come in handy during diplomatic discussions.

  “Sean, I have something I am compelled to disclose to you.”

  Sean could hear her translation in his embedded commo device and realized that this was going to be a very private conversation. She began to describe to him the involuntary experience almost every woman on Hhearn had endured. The ‘Sashpet,’ an uncontrollable fixation on a specific man that a Hhearnian woman is stricken with, compels her to select him as her mate. It is then her duty to ask him for a mate bonding which he could turn down. In the woman’s case, there will only be one Sashpet in her life brought on by an attraction to one man and no other mate will seem acceptable. She rambled on describing how this might affect her professional demeanor and awkward behaviors and just couldn’t seem to come to the point.

  Sean finally squeezed her right hand he was holding to get her stop. She stopped, slightly embarrassed at her rambling. Sean spoke to her very quietly in her right ear.

  ”I know what that is, I have read all about it, I can tell how you feel, I feel the same way, and I accept!”

  Nasht-Mer snapped her head back to look at him wide eyed and surprised.

  “You do?”

  “Yes, of course I do. I have been attracted to you from the very first, there is an electricity between us that is rare and should be cultivated.” He whispered. “However, we must keep this between the two of us until the charter discussions are over and it is signed and sealed, otherwise foreign powers will perceive deceit on the part of my country, and we need to avoid that.”

  Nasht-Mer nodded in agreement and smiled with a tear sitting at the corner of her eye.

  “I never thought this would happen to me, I am in the senior of my years and past child bearing. I never expected to find a mate this late in my years. Are you sure? This cannot be reversed.” she sent.

  “Nasht, my expectations were aligned with yours; I did not believe I would find a love either.” He paused and then said quietly,

  “I am your Mate!”

  When he said that, a shiver ran down her body. as he drew her a bit closer since they were being squeezed by the throng of dancers around them.

  Doris had thoroughly enjoyed the dinner and the admiring attention she wa
s getting all the while noticing that Maja kept trying to assert himself in the front of the social onslaught. There was a minute when everyone else was talking to the partner on the other side of them, leaving her alone for a minute. A man bent near her and a voice quietly said into her ear,

  “Would ten million dollars interest you?”

  Doris turned and stated,

  “My Dear....” holding out her open hand expressing that she didn’t know who the Hell he was.

  “I am Li Chang Ambassador from China.” He replied to her gesture with a slight bow.

  Doris began to rise from her chair and followed his introduction with,

  “My Dear Mr. Chang, you are the abysmally low bidder. Now, if you will excuse me, I am going to try to teach my associate here how to dance.”

  Doris reached over to Maja, and taking his hand dragged him out of his chair and toward the dance floor as he protested in Shrep that he had no idea how to do this strange behavior. Li Chang was left with his mouth hanging open and nonplused. As Doris moved toward the dancing crowd, she caught the eye of a Secret service officer and nodded slightly back at Li Chang with her head and her eyes. The Secret service officer gave a barely detectable affirmative nod and repositioned himself closer.

  The next day, the Charter meeting began at The White House with all the members of the Security Council of the UN. The president did not invite anyone else from the UN, just those ten who presently sat on the Security Council. The President opened the meeting with very terse words, describing the two choices that were posed to them, the successful application for an independent world member, or indentured servitude as a vassal state. In typical fashion, most representatives sitting there were more concerned with complete loss of state power under vassal status than the effects of indentured servitude of its peoples. No one appeared inclined to vote to refuse membership.