by Speer, Flora
“We do our best for those who have retired from active duty,” Almaric said. “The Jurisdiction owes to loyal Service personnel the dignity of continued employment for as long as they wish, or for at least as long as they are able to sit at a desk. Nor is such a job a matter of pure charity. The experience of such personnel is frequently useful.”
“I am not so old, or any longer so disabled, that I can only perform a desk job,” Halvo said.
“Yes, I am happy to see that you do appear to be restored to your usual excellent health,” Almaric said. “My own eyes confirm the medical reports I received of you from the Krontar.”
“Then give me an active man’s job to do,” Halvo demanded.
“Halvo, my boy, surely you understand that any officer in the Jurisdiction Service would be embarrassed to have the former Admiral of the Fleet serving under him, to be forced to give orders to the man who was once his commander-in-chief. Nor am I willing to disrupt the Service order of promotions by removing the present Admiral of the Fleet and reinstating you. Such a move would be too destructive to morale.”
“I have no desire to be Admiral of the Fleet again,” Halvo said. “But I absolutely refuse to remain here at Capital in a desk job. I belong in space.”
“Almaric,” said Kalina, who had been listening to the altercation with growing concern, “I have a suggestion.”
“I would be grateful to hear it, my dear,” Almaric said.
“Since you became Leader of the Jurisdiction, I have been your only personal ambassador, the one person you trust to travel throughout the Jurisdiction, and sometimes beyond it, to help in settling disputes in an unofficial way. We have both complained that, while my work is vital to the smooth functioning of this extremely disparate organization of planetary governments, there is too much work for one person, and I am far too often away from you.”
“I believe I understand what you are getting at, Kalina. With his vast experience of the many Races of the Jurisdiction, Halvo could serve as my second unofficial ambassador. I say my second ambassador, for I do not delude myself that you will ever be willing to give up interplanetary travel, my dear. Like our sons, you love space too much to remain on any world for very long without becoming restless.
“Halvo, what do you think of your mother’s idea?” Almaric turned back to his son. “I assure you, this would not be a made-up position designed to keep you happy. It will require hard work and a lot of travel, and it will sometimes be dangerous. But it would be a way for you to continue to serve the Jurisdiction without tying you to the desk job you appear to dread. If you say yes, I will begin by sending you to the Famorati, who are presently embroiled in a bloody dispute with their nearest neighboring star system over who first invented that new material for spaceship windows.”
“The Famorati?” Perri said, unable to restrain herself at the mention of the intriguing name.
“Yes,” Almaric said. “Do you know anything of that Race?”
“Only what Halvo has told me. The Famorati live too far from Regula for the Race to be familiar to me.” Perri hoped she was not blushing. She knew Halvo was looking at her in a peculiar way, as if he were considering a fascinating possibility he dared not discuss with her in front of other people.
“I will consider your proposition,” Halvo said to his father, “but only after you agree to several conditions. First, when I travel as your personal ambassador, I want to use the Space Dragon.”
“That wretched little ship?” Kalina cried. “Halvo, we can provide a larger, better-equipped vessel for you.”
“I like the Space Dragon, Mother. She holds special memories for me.”
“Can she be made space worthy again?” Almaric looked from Halvo to Jyrit for confirmation.
“Easily,” Jyrit said at once. “For all their governmental faults, the Regulans are master shipbuilders. It won’t take much to repair the Space Dragon and make her comfortable for long distance space travel. She already has a Star-thruster device.”
“Very well, Halvo,” Almaric said. “You shall have the Space Dragon. In fact, now that I think about it, a smaller vessel will be more appropriate for your work. Wherever you go, you won’t upset the official Jurisdiction ambassadors by upstaging them.”
“I also want Rolli to go with me,” Halvo said.
When Perri would have protested that condition, Halvo, who had risen to stand behind her, put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed tight, signaling her to remain quiet. She sat in her chair, but not without sending a questioning look in Halvo’s direction.
“I have found Rolli useful and easy to work with,” Halvo said.
“Thank you for the compliment, Admiral, but I prefer to remain with Perri,” Rolli said.
“Once Perri’s trial is finished, I see no reason why the robot should not be handed over to you.” Almaric spoke right across Rolli’s words, as people frequently did when robots offered unsolicited remarks.
Perri was further annoyed by Almaric’s attitude toward her old friend. She was about to make a complaint on Rolli’s behalf when Halvo’s hand on her shoulder squeezed again so hard that she almost cried out in pain.
“There will be no trial for Perri,” Halvo said.
“The woman has admitted kidnapping you,” Almaric said. “Her conviction and sentence are inevitable.”
“Not only do I refuse to press charges against Perri on my own behalf,” Halvo said, “but I will not act as witness against her if the Jurisdiction presses charges.”
“You cannot prevent her trial,” Almaric said.
“I can and I will. I intend to marry Perri. I call everyone here in this room to witness that I do so freely. What surer sign could there be that I forgive whatever minor mischief she has committed?”
“Minor?” Kalina gasped. “You could have been killed! If it had been left up to Elyr and the Chief Hierarch, you would have been killed.”
“Not only do I remain alive,” Halvo said, “but my life has been revitalized and I am happier than I have been since I was a boy.”
“I do not understand why you have chosen to do this,” Almaric said, “but I remind you, Halvo, that once you marry this woman she can no longer be prosecuted for kidnapping you. Are you absolutely certain you want to take this path?”
“I have no doubts at all, Father.”
“This is beyond my comprehension.” Almaric shook his head in perplexity.
“He loves her,” Kalina said to her husband.
“With everything that’s in me,” Halvo said. “I knew you would understand eventually, Mother.”
Throughout the discussion Perri sat, still with Halvo’s hand on her shoulder, unable to move for sheer amazement at his declaration. She was not certain she could believe what he had said. She knew he desired her. She thought he took pleasure in her company. But love? Or was this a ruse, Halvo’s way of saving her from prosecution? Would he see to it that she was set free and then desert her?
“I cannot say I fully approve,” Kalina said to Halvo, “but I will accept your choice.”
“I do not approve,” Almaric said.
“You will,” his wife said, “once you understand how happy she makes Halvo. I was greatly prejudiced against her, Almaric, but the weeks I have spent observing the two of them have begun to change my mind about Perri’s character.”
“But to have my son, the former Admiral of the Fleet, marrying an accused felon—”
“You could say that she didn’t kidnap him, that the abduction was in fact a cleverly planned elopement,” Dysia said. “People might laugh at them for a short time, but the explanation would help to defuse a serious interplanetary incident if any Jurisdiction Member planet should decide that Regula ought to pay for its part in Halvo’s abduction.”
“No! Dysia, I thought you were my friend.” Perri was on her feet, throwing off Halvo’s restraining hand. “How dare any of you arrange my life for me without even asking me what I want? Tell me, Halvo, did you imagine I would be so gra
teful to escape a future on a prison planet that I would be willing to marry you instead of facing trial?”
“Actually,” Halvo murmured, “I was hoping you might agree to marry me because you are eager to see more of the Jurisdiction. Or did I misunderstand your interest in space travel and in learning about new worlds?”
“You didn’t ask me. You just told everyone else first!”
“I am asking you now. Will you marry me?”
“No.”
“Why not? Is it because of my age? Do you think I am too old for you?”
“Age is only an excuse for something you don’t want to do,” she cried. “If you don’t know my reasons for refusing, then I am right not to marry you.”
He caught her hands and drew them up to rest on his chest. When she tried to pull away he kept his larger, stronger hands around hers, holding her fingers flat over his heart so she could feel it beating. He looked down into her eyes, and his own eyes flamed with the silver light of desire.
“Are you refusing me because I have never said aloud that I love you?” he asked.
“Your mother had to tell me, at the same time she told everyone else in this room!”
“I thought you knew. I thought I had been saying it with every act and every kiss since we first escaped Regula. I do love you, Perri. Without you, my life would be empty and unbearable. You have made me young again. You have given me laughter and warmth and hope. Now I have a universe of love to give to you in return. Please, please marry me. I don’t think I can go on living without you.”
She stared into his eyes, seeing there a future of honesty, love, and hope. And freedom, too. Halvo would never restrict her as Elyr once had. To Halvo, her love was valuable only if she gave it without coercion.
“Well,” she said, “if you put it that way, I can scarcely refuse, can I? You are right. I do want to see as much of the universe as I can, and marrying you seems to be the best way of achieving that particular dream.”
“Now I begin to understand,” Almaric said. “Kalina, she is very like you when you were young. I suppose I could remand her to Halvo’s custody for long-term rehabilitation.”
Perri and Halvo were not listening to him or to the laughter of the others in Almaric’s office. Perri and Halvo were locked in each other’s arms, mouth to mouth, heart to heart.
“Excellent.” Rolli’s blue eyelights were blinking merrily. “Precisely the outcome for which I hoped. I would remind you, Perri, that despite all the changes recently made to my programming I am still capable of caring for children as I once cared for you.”
“If they intend to have children, they will need official permission,” Almaric said.
“They already have permission from a far higher power than you,” Rolli told the Leader of the Jurisdiction. “They have love’s permission.”