by Robin Roseau
“The second most important event in our history,” Luradinine declared. “You lucky dog.”
Cecilia faded the image, and then the next appeared, and I recognized the vendart’s home. It shifted out and rotated slowly. Watching from the side, Sartine blew a kiss towards the hologram.
“That’s you?” I asked Cecilia.
“This is my first welcome into the vendart’s home,” she said. “I looked somewhat different.”
“Rejuvenation,” several said. “You went through rejuvenation.”
“Cecilia,” Sartine said, “Can you put up two images of yourself?”
“Yes.” The existing image faded, and then two women appeared, one the Cecilia Grace I knew, and one I had never met. But to me, it was nothing. People changed their appearance all the time.
“This is what happens when someone has been so deeply hurt,” Sartine said.
“My wife,” Cecilia said. “No.”
“Yes!” Sartine said formally. “Cecilia Grace left us, so hurt, that she made this change to herself, rebuilding herself into someone none of us would ever recognize. Every day I thank the universe that she came back to us.”
Cecilia faded the images, and then the we saw what this room was like during the First Planetary Congress, seven hundred people seated, and on the stage, Cecilia and her staff addressing all of them.
“The third most important event from our history,” Baardorid said.
“This is moments before the vote,” Cecilia announced.
“Resoundingly in favor,” Sartine said.
Cecilia shifted the image again, a three-dimensional view of the rejuvenation facility, slowly rotating. I muted her microphone and asked, in German, “Do you know where their First is?”
“I’ve been there,” she replied in German. She turned to me.
“Can we take them?”
She thought, then nodded. “Check with Mallory for her jumper, and preempt the other one. Tomorrow or the next day. Do it now.”
I nodded. She stood up and crossed the room to the stage, accepting hugs.
I didn’t message. I initiated a call but spoke quietly. “The governor wants to use your jumper tomorrow or the day after,” I said. “And do you know if the other one will be free.”
“Aston is due back tonight,” she replied.
“She asked me to preempt it. Which day?”
“Either day,” she said.
“Please block them both out,” I said. “And find us a pilot.”
“Erica or I could go. Where?”
“First.”
“Erica then.”
“Thank you, Mallory.”
“Of course, Maddalyn.” I lifted my voice. “Governor Grace. Tomorrow.”
She nodded then said in German, “Say nothing.”
“Yes, Governor.”
* * * *
We headed outside. A picnic appeared to organize itself, but only because the work had already been done, and the facility was well prepared to handle us. The mood was jovial, although soon everyone was talking too quickly for me. After a while, Cecilia sat down beside me. “Are you keeping up?”
“No.”
“Don’t feel bad. Neither am I.”
“Tomorrow. We won’t all fit. Erica will fly the third craft.”
“Good. Us plus ten. The vendarti and Valtine. Kalorain.” She considered. “And their children and spouses. That’s…”
“Twelve, if you include the daughter not currently present.”
“While you think about that, I have more problems for you to solve.”
She sighed. “Yes?”
“Two of my three passengers asked for driving lessons.”
“Ah.”
“I was asked if ground vehicles were expensive.”
She barked a laugh. “It’s not the purchase cost that is prohibitive.”
“The delivery fee is rather painful,” I said.
“Quite so.”
“I have been asked what a jumper costs.”
“Oh, dear.”
“Governor Grace, I believe in about a year, I could personally afford to purchase a modest jumper, used, but I could never afford the delivery fee.”
She pursed her lips. “I don’t want you to do anything about this at this time.”
“What about the driving lessons? I am not the first one to teach them. I have less experience than anyone here ahead of me. I learned to drive on Tarriton, too. And I know I can’t teach anyone to fly a jumper.”
“No, you can’t. I actually have that handled. Do you really feel you couldn’t teach your wife to drive?”
“I could,” I said. “But I imagine almost anyone else would be better.”
“When you were done with her, would she be safe? Would you trust her to drive here without supervision?”
“Yes.”
“Does she have an interest?”
“She hasn’t expressed one, but she probably didn’t know it was possible.”
“I want you to start teaching her. I don’t particularly care if someone else would be better. Can you safely teach her?”
“Yes. I’ll get her started. What about the others?”
“Are you willing?”
“Governor, you know I will do anything you need me to do.”
“What do you propose regarding Luradinine?”
“I can start while she’s here if a vehicle will be available.”
“I’ll leave mine for you. I won’t need it for a few weeks. It’s yours until I next need it. Don’t let anyone else take it.”
“And don’t scratch it? Wasn’t it rather expensive?”
“Not that bad,” she said. She turned to look directly into my eyes. “Who do we leave behind?”
I held my hands up defensively. “My title is neither ‘Vendart’ nor ‘Governor’. I am the Galatzi wife. You would do better asking my wife.”
She snorted. “Chicken.”
“Bock, bock, bock,” I said.
“I could dump this on you, Maddalyn.”
“It’s political as hell, Governor,” I said. “I am an assistant, but I’m not a politician.”
“Neither am I,” she said. She huffed. “Three Vendarti.” She held up three fingers. “Valtine. Your wife.” Five fingers. Then she paused. “Your sister-in-law.” Six fingers.
“And yours,” I said. “You can’t leave Mordain here. She’ll never forgive you.” Cecilia raised another finger.
“Balotorid is owed,” she said. “But he is gentle. I’ll talk to him.”
I nodded. “Rordano and Margotain.” That was nine fingers. “So we’re wondering about the other spouses.”
“If we leave Balotorid, it’s not fair to bring either Farratain or Larimarn,” she said.
“We have room for one,” I said. “Do you want to leave that seat empty? Chaladine wasn’t busy. She’s avoiding Luradinine.”
“That was my decision, but yes,” she agreed. “What do you think?”
“I know if it were up to me, I’d invite Farratain,” I said. “But in part because she’s a guest in my home, and I think it’s kind of shitty to take off and leave her.”
“She could visit with her family.” But Cecilia nodded. “Quietly give her a choice. Don’t tell her where. Just say ‘an outing’.”
“Right.”
Five minutes later, I had my opening. I pulled the girl to the side. I smiled. “So. The governor is arranging another outing tomorrow.”
“That will be fun,” she said.
“Discounting the star people who will go, there is room for ten. Start counting.”
She did and then turned back to me. “I’m not invited.”
“Not necessarily true. We’re working on the last seat. You have first choice of going with us or spending the day with your family.”
“I want to go, but not if someone else should go instead of me.”
“The other two choices are Rordano’s Galatzi wife and Mordain’s husband, assuming everyone the governor intends to
invite decides to go. Depending on how she announces it, I imagine they’ll agree.”
“I’m no one important, Maddalyn,” she said.
“But you want to be with your wife, which I understand.”
She nodded. “I wanted to introduce her to my family, but…”
“But there are reasons you volunteered for a Galatzi trade in the first place?”
“Yes,” she said.
“All right. Don’t say anything. Let the governor decide what she’s going to do.”
* * * *
We had an absolutely lovely day. Finally it was time to pack up. Cecilia, Sartine, Mordain, and I gathered near the vehicles. “Mordain, the honest truth,” Cecilia said. “How do you feel you did driving here.”
“I thought I did well,” she said. “I’m glad I could follow Sartine, though. I’m not ready to come alone.”
“If you follow Sartine again, will you be okay going home?”
“Yes. The scariest part was along the cliffs, but we were far enough from them, and the vehicle isn’t hard to drive. Easier than handling a horse, that’s for sure.”
“They can be skittish in the wind,” Cecilia said. “Maddalyn, Mordain, too. What we discussed earlier.”
“Of course, Governor, but let me start with Kalorain.”
“However you handle it, but I want reports.”
“Yes, Governor.”
“Me, what?” Mordain asked.
“You’ll see when I’m ready,” I said.
“I want to know now.”
“But you’re going to be mature so the governor knows you’re safe to drive home. Aren’t you?”
“Yes, Maddalyn,” she said. “Hey! You’re not the vendart.”
“She’s the vendart of driving lessons,” Sartine said. Then she put her hand over her mouth. “Wait. Should I have said that?”
“No,” I said.
“I’m sorry, Maddalyn,” she replied. She didn’t look remotely sorry.
“Cecilia already taught me to drive,” Mordain said.
“I taught you barely enough to arrive here safely while following Sartine,” she said. “Maddalyn, how long were your lessons before you drove alone, unsupervised?”
“Two weeks,” I said. “An hour a day. It was supervised before that. But in fairness, driving on Tarriton is a lot different. Handling the vehicle is the easy part. Governor, the only training programs I can find are in English.”
“You’ll have to produce one in Talmonese,” Cecilia said. “Mixed with English, as no vehicle she drives has a Talmonese version.”
“Got it.”
“All right. Mordain, are you absolutely sure you’re safe?”
“If I can follow Sartine, and she doesn’t go any faster than she did coming here.” She looked up at the sun. “And we leave soon. The shadows are growing.”
“Right.” Five minutes later, everyone was on her way.
First
We were barely in the air when Luradinine asked in a sing-song tone, “What are you doing tomorrow, Maddalyn?”
“What an interesting question, and even more interesting tone,” I said. “I am spending the day with my wife.”
“An interesting response,” Luradinine said. “Kalorain, what are the two of you doing tomorrow?”
“I believe I am spending the day with my wife and mother,” she said. “I believe it is possible there will be others in attendance.”
“I don’t know what any of you are doing,” said Margotain, “but Cecilia invited me to something but wouldn’t say what.”
And then all three pair of eyes turned to me.
“No,” I said.
“Galatzi wife,” Kalorain said.
“Don’t do this to me,” I said.
“So you do know.”
“It might have been my idea,” I said. “Please don't make me tell. She told me to say nothing.”
“Daughter,” Luradinine said.
There was a pause, and then Kalorain said, somewhat submissively, “Yes, Vendart.”
“No. But I’ll accept ‘Yes, Mother.’”
“Yes, Mother. I won’t put her on the spot.”
“Thank you.”
“Is everyone going?” Margotain asked.
“I’m sure most people on Talmon have other plans,” I replied.
“Is everyone from today going?”
I looked over my shoulder at her. “I am almost positive I don’t have to answer you.”
“I am the Vendart’s Daughter. If Chaladine were here, she could make you answer.”
“Sudden Vendart’s Daughter, it is unfair to ask Maddalyn to choose between competing loyalties,” Luradinine said. “Clearly, her first loyalty is to the governor.”
“That isn’t fair!” I said. “Luradinine, that isn’t fair at all!”
“Mother!” Kalorain protested. “You know if I push, she’ll answer me. She might even answer if you push. If I am not concerned about her loyalty, I do not believe you should question it.”
“There wasn’t room for everyone,” I said. “Other than the most obvious people, Farratain was given a choice and she asked to go with. We didn’t ask past her.”
“So my brother is going,” Margotain asked. “And his wife.”
I didn’t answer.
“Neither of them?” she asked.
“I think, Margotain,” said Luradinine, “that your brother falls under ‘the most obvious people’, and his wife would have been invited next, if Farratain had declined.”
“Mordain?” Margotain asked.
“Interesting,” Luradinine said. “Sister to Indartha Vendart, sister-in-law to the governor. If I were making the list, she would appear prior to Farratain.” She counted, and I saw her reach twelve.
And I knew she wouldn’t guess, based on twelve. And then she confirmed it. “I thought perhaps I figured it out, but I do not believe I have, after all.”
I shrugged. “I don’t know if she’ll say something more expansive once it can be discussed without those who aren’t able to come,” I said. “Otherwise you’ll find out tomorrow.”
“What should we wear?”
“I recommend clothing,” I said. “I will be dressed in my most formal daytime clothing, although with boots.”
“You are quite confusing, Maddalyn.”
“Thank you,” I said.
* * * *
Thirteen gathered of us at the airfield the following morning. Luradinine began grinning, and I was sure she had guessed. If others guessed, no one gave it away.
Cecilia gathered us together. She was wearing a smart gown, although it was tuned to the Talmonese style. Sartine wore leather, but she looked quite dashing. I couldn’t tell if Cecilia had told her where we were going, but I did notice she enjoyed looking at her wife.
I had to admit: the governor looked really quite good. But I thought we all did.
“Travel time is under two hours,” Cecilia said. “There are refreshments already waiting aboard each craft, but be careful how much you drink, as we won’t be stopping on the way for anyone who requires a break.”
She looked at me. “The flight plan is programmed into each craft already. Please follow the landing pattern very carefully.”
“Of course, Governor,” I replied.
We headed to our individual craft. Unsurprisingly, I ended with the members of my household. Cecilia had Sartine, Mordain, and Margotain. Erica had the remainder of the Vendart’s family.
We took off, one after another, with our craft last. Our fight plan was out over the ocean and then south along the coast. We turned south. As we flashed past the rejuvenation center, Luradinine asked, “How far is it from Sudden to the rejuvenation center?”
“Twenty kilometers,” I replied.
“How fast are we going?”
I knew what she was doing. I answered honesty. “Two hundred kilometers per hour.” We were still climbing, however. I didn’t point that out.
We leveled out at ten thousand meters
. At that point, Erica and I both closed on Cecilia’s jumper, flanking her on either side, a hundred meters separation, and we settled in for the trip.
“You’re really not going to tell us where we’re going?” Luradinine asked.
“I’m following the governor,” I said. “She’s right there.” I pointed to her craft.
“We can see so far,” Kalorain said. “Are we in space?”
“No,” I said. “Space officially begins at one hundred kilometers high. We’re only ten kilometers high.”
“How far can we see?”
“I’m not exactly sure. A few hundred kilometers, I’m sure. We can see as far as someone could see the tallest mountains. But the only things that would really be visible that far would be those same mountains. You can make out features like towns for about fifty kilometers if there aren’t any clouds.”
After that, they talked easily, although often in hushed tones. Luradinine and Kalorain had the best views, as they were on the right side of the craft. Darratine’s view was of the ocean, unless she looked past Farratain, seated in the middle, and Luradinine. Of course, eventually the view became monotonous.
Then Cecilia said over the radio, “It’s time to begin descending.”
We dropped to five hundred meters while still over the ocean then turned towards the coast before turning to parallel the land, a kilometer still to sea. We flew past the village, now following in a line with two-kilometer separation.
“What village is that?” Luradinine asked. I pretended to be too focused flying to answer her.
Four kilometers in front of me, Cecilia curved her path, setting up for a landing on a rocky beach. We passed, her craft now heading north, ours still south. Then Erica turned, and a minute later, it was our turn. I flared, bleeding the last off our forward speed, right over the beach, then nudged the craft forward until I approached Erica. They had turned their crafts towards the water, so I rotated ours before cautiously setting it down on the rocks. It took only another minute before I popped the hatch and shut down the systems.
“You’re really not going to tell us where we are?” Luradinine asked.
“Mother,” said my wife, “You are worse than Wenolopid with a surprise. I imagine we’ll discover soon.”
And then we climbed out.
* * * *
We were expected, which meant that Cecilia had sent a notice we were coming. She also sent notice that she wished everything to be a surprise, and so while we received greetings, we did not receive introductions, and no one gave away the surprise. Instead, they loaded us aboard several carriages, and then we had a fifteen-minute ride. I sat with my wife, holding hands and happy to relax for a while. But I leaned to Kalorain and said, “Your mother is going to be vexed with me.”