by J. P. Larson
Elizabeth warned him.
“Captain, I will promise you will have no cause for complaint against my behavior as a member of your crew. And if you allow me to perform a proper introduction, you will have no complaint against the other Random Walkers. However, without that introduction, they may follow your orders long enough to find out what happened to me. Or they may politely ask for the first available transport back home.”
“At which point I need to find six or seven more cousins. I think I can do that.”
Alex looked sadly at her. “Eight, Pamela. You can’t take me on an all-DS crew. You know that. If you leave me here, I’ll go home. I’m sorry, Liz.”
“Pamela, I don’t understand why you’re so upset about this. It’s just a letter of introduction.”
“It’s my ship, Alex. It has to be my crew. I can’t have them looking at you every time I give an order they don’t like.”
“If you allow me to grease the skids, I can promise that won’t happen. I understand exactly what you are saying. Pamela, I would never do anything to damage your enjoyment of your new ship!”
Pamela looked at him, cocked her head. “No, you wouldn’t, would you? But what an odd way to win your argument. I will carry your letter, Alex. And I won’t bark too many orders until they’ve had a chance to talk with you.”
“Thank you, Captain. I am convinced you will be pleased with your crew.”
“I had better be, Mr. Grey.”
Ms. Anders had witnessed the entire conversation, sitting quietly in her chair. “Is it always like this at mealtimes around here?” she asked.
Elizabeth laughed. “No. Only those meals that include Alex. He has such an effect on people.” He looked at his wife and son-in-law. “If you two are done, I think the staff has been hovering for ten minutes waiting to bring in lunch.”
“Sorry, Mother,” Pamela said meekly.
Lunch was served, the staff disappeared, and everyone dug in. The meal proceeded in peace for several minutes before Alex looked up.
“Oh no!” he said suddenly.
“What’s wrong?”
“Liz, would you tell me why you took today off? You’re a workaholic!”
“I wanted to be here when you got home. To thank you again for saving my life.” Alex just looked at her. “Besides, Pamela and I are going shopping this afternoon. Something we haven’t done in quite some time. I’m looking forward to it.”
“As if I didn’t have enough reasons to hate someone, Liz, now there’s this. Are you sure we can’t just kill her?”
“Alex! You’re shocking Ms. Anders.”
“I’m sorry, Ms. Anders. Are you shocked I would want to do in the person responsible for my current condition?”
“No, Mr. Grey. I know some interesting poisons. Quite undetectable.”
“Ms. Anders!” said Elizabeth. “I will ask you to please not encourage him. He’s bad enough already.” Ms. Anders didn’t look the slightest bit contrite.
However, Alex still didn’t smile. “You two are going shopping,” he said, reminding them of the point. “You’re going to buy clothes for me, aren’t you.”
“Oh yes, Alex. We’re going to spend hours shopping for you.”
“We’ll hit all the fashionable stores, Alex,” Elizabeth assured him.
“You’ll just love what we pick out for you, won’t he, Mother?”
“Oh, most certainly. Your wife has such excellent taste. How could you not love what she chooses?”
“Very fashionable, Alex. You’re going to look so darling.”
Alex didn’t say anything, but played with his food for a minute.
* * *
Alex allowed Ms. Anders to roll him back to his room after lunch. “Alex,” Pamela told him before he disappeared. “We’ll check on you before we head to the stores. Let us know if there’s anything in particular you would like.”
“Ms. Anders is going to wrap my hand back up, bundle some blankets over me, and let me have a bit of fresh air. A little fresh air would be good for my constitution, wouldn’t it, Ms. Anders?”
“Yes, Mr. Grey, I believe a short trip outside would be okay. Then off to bed with you.”
“We’ll catch you outside then, Alex.”
Back in his room, Ms. Anders silently wrapped his hand and found some blankets. Then she looked at him. “You’re going to come back to me all broken again, aren’t you?”
“I’m doing my best to avoid that, Ms. Anders. But there is that possibility. Or that I might not come back at all. But please don’t pursue that line of thought any further. And especially not around my wife.”
“I expect to be here for that race next year, Mr. Grey. Please be sure you’re there, too.”
“I appreciate that. Are we ready? I’ve got serious cabin fever.”
“This is a short trip outside, you understand. We come in when I say we come in, with no back talk. And then you go to bed for a nice nap. I’ll wake you in plenty of time to write your letter before dinner.”
“Okay. I’ll be good.”
Pamela and Elizabeth found them in the back gardens. Alex was sitting in his chair, positioned in front of a granite park bench occupied by Ms. Anders. They were dressed to the nines for an afternoon of shopping. At a word from Elizabeth, Pamela wandered the garden. Elizabeth sent Ms. Anders to join Pamela. Elizabeth was carrying a file folder with her.
“I have a bank account set up for you.” She gave him the details required to access it. “But Alex, there’s a small complication regarding your Letter of Marque. I have a solution, but you might not like it.”
“What’s the complication?”
“I can not legally give one to a foreign military officer. You would have to be a citizen of Dawson’s Star.”
“You can give a Letter of Marque to a man?”
Elizabeth smiled. “I have checked that very, very carefully. There is absolutely no terminology that prevents a man from holding a Letter. I guess that one just kind of slipped through the cracks.”
“The solution?”
“I can issue the Letter to Pamela. Or you can apply for citizenship.”
Alex paused and frowned.
“It’s her ship, I guess. And the prize reverts to her name when we return with it.”
“But you wanted this part for you, didn’t you? Part of your rebellion.”
“Not enough to give up Random Walk citizenship, Liz.”
Elizabeth smiled. “Your mother and I negotiated a treaty. It’s a very simple treaty, allowing for dual citizenship. It’s been signed by both of us and we were both able to work it promptly through our parliaments. We each pulled some strings.”
“Ms. Prime Minister, I would dearly love to apply for citizenship. What do I have to sign?”
“Nothing.” Elizabeth looked to where Pamela and Ms. Anders were hovering out of earshot. Alex nodded, and Elizabeth called them over.
“Pamela, my wife, there is something I hope you will do for me.”
“Of course, Alex. But it must be awfully important to you if you’re being so polite.”
“Your mother has some papers I am hoping you will sign.”
Elizabeth withdrew a single sheet of paper from the file folder, glancing at it to make sure it was the right one. She handed it to Pamela. Pamela glanced at the top, checked the names and details, and her eyes got wide.
“You do know what this is, don’t you?”
Alex paused to consider making a joke, but decided to play it straight. “Yes, Pamela. It’s an application for Dawson’s Star citizenship.”
“Which I will expedite through the standard process,” Elizabeth added.
Pamela gave Alex a very large smile. “Are you sure about this?”
“Yes, Pamela. Will you do this for me? Your mother says I can’t do it myself.”
“I love you, Alex.” She threw her arms around him for a moment. When she released him, Elizabeth was holding out a pen. Pamela sat down on the bench Ms. Anders had used and signed the application. She handed it and the pen back to her mother. Elizabeth signed and dated the document, then slipped it back into the file folder.
“Congratulations, Mr. Grey,” she said. “You are now a citizen of Dawson’s Star. I hope you understand you are now legally required to be polite to your mother-in-law.”
Alex laughed. “Just like that? Isn’t there some long, drawn-out process?”
“Yes, there is. Background checks, character checks, financial status checks. Then the paperwork filters through the system before it arrives on the desk of someone authorized by the Prime Minister to approve citizenship requests. In accordance with our laws, Mr. Grey, you have submitted to a long, careful, and detailed analysis of both your background and your character by a ranking member of the DS government. The investigator has held several long conversations with your parents and has observed you closely for a period of several months. She is convinced you will be a productive, useful citizen. Furthermore, although not strictly required for a man married to someone such as your wife, your finances are very respectable. So the paperwork has filtered to one of the people I authorize to approve these requests and been signed by that person.”
Elizabeth smiled. “There are days I love my job. Alex, I’ll hold onto all your legal paperwork for now. I’ll get you a passport and anything else you need before the Ghost flies.”
“Thank you, Liz. I appreciate this.”
“I’ll bet you do. Pamela, I have another paper you should consider. Alex doesn’t know about this one.” She pulled out another single sheet from the folder and gave it to Pamela. Pamela read it very slowly. She looked back and forth between her mother, her husband, and the paper in her hands. She stared for a moment at the folder in Elizabeth’s hands, then held out her hand for the pen again.
“What is in, Pamela? If you don’t mind telling me.”
“It’s an application for Random Walk citizenship.”
“Oh.” Alex smiled. “Well, hang onto it then. If we ever go visit my parents, you can decide what you want to do after you’ve seen my home. Um. My other home.”
Pamela smiled. “I’m happy to sign this now, Alex.” She paused when he frowned. “You put a lot of thought into this?”
“Well, I’ve put some thought into citizenship. I put a lot of thought into deciding if I like it here.”
She handed the paper back to Elizabeth unsigned. “Mother, I’ll take that with me when Alex and I go to Random Walk.”
“I think that’s an excellent suggestion, Pamela. Now, shall we shop?”
“You’re going to look so cute tomorrow night, Alex.” He groaned at their retreating backs.
Ms. Anders sat back down on the bench. “You’ve made them both very happy.”
Alex smiled while he pulled the blankets back around him again. Ms. Anders looked at him carefully. “Had enough fresh air?”
He nodded quietly, and she got up and started pushing him back to the house. Alex remained quiet. “You are healing, Mr. Grey, slowly getting better. Hang in there.”
* * *
Alex wrote a brief letter immediately before dinner.
Random Walkers --
I am sorry I can not meet you tonight. The person carrying this letter is Ms. Pamela Grey. You should call her ‘Captain Grey’ unless she specifically asks you to use a different address for her. You may already know this; the Captain is my wife.
Please remember we are guests on this planet. As such, we should strive to remain respectful of their culture. Be very polite, follow orders, and everything will go smoothly.
Again, I apologize for not meeting with you. I hope my wife can briefly explain further. I’ll see you all in the morning.
Signed,
Commander Alexander Swanson, RWN
Alex allowed Ms. Anders to roll him to dinner. They ran into Pamela on the way. “I was just coming to get you. What’s the matter?”
“He’s just a bit worn down, Ms. Grey. He had his walk at lunch, so we decided he could let me push him to dinner.”
“I could have walked.” Most of the way, he added silently. Pamela heard him anyway, patted his hand, and took over from Ms. Anders.
During the short trip, Alex inquired after the shopping trip, and Pamela asked about his afternoon. They quickly arrived at the dining table, and Pamela headed to his place.
“I’d still like a regular chair,” he said, projecting an image of himself in the wheelchair, with the wheelchair morphing into a child’s highchair. Pamela stopped the wheelchair, and Alex slowly stood up. Elizabeth pulled chair into place for him, and Alex sat down.
“Dinner is informal tonight,” Elizabeth said when everyone sat down. “Pamela needs to leave immediately afterwards.” She signaled, and the staff quickly brought in a salad and said the main dinner would be ready in just a few minutes.
Alex looked at the salad for a moment, then slid the note he had written across the table so that it rested in front of Pamela. “If you would read that quickly, Captain, and let me know if you prefer changes. Otherwise, we should put it away so we don’t spill food on it.”
“You used your military title and former name, Mr. Grey?”
“Pamela, some of these people know me, and it’s by that title and name. The rest will have heard of my reputation, I think. Also under that name. They may suspect me of having turned a bit native, but I don’t think we need to drive that point home yet.”
Then he smiled. “You know what your name is going to be on Random Walk, don’t you?”
Pamela looked confused, but Elizabeth caught on. “I think you’re under a misconception, Alex. You agreed to a Dawson’s Star wedding. You signed all the legally required papers, including a change of name. Those papers are legal everywhere, not just here. You are Alexander Grey now, legally, whichever planet you are on. Of course, Pamela keeps the Grey. She doesn’t become Swanson.”
Alex looked chagrined while Pamela smirked at him. Then he brightened. “I’m going to get Linda. Oh, am I going to get Linda.” He paused, then got serious. “I think we should keep the ‘Swanson’ in that letter.”
“The letter is fine, Alex,” Pamela said, putting it away. “Very diplomatic.”
They quickly ate dinner, and Pamela started to get antsy. “Alex, I have about five minutes. Just enough time for you to tell me what you’re going to do this evening, then I can kiss you and go.”
“I’m going to change his bandages,” said Ms. Anders. “Then he’s going to be a good patient and go straight to bed. If he behaves, I’ll let him read for a few minutes before turning out the lights.”
Alex ignored her. “I’m going to have a real good workout.” He gave Ms. Anders a pointed look. “I feel very lethargic, and that’s not good. So I’m going to have a nice workout. Then a hot soak. Then I’m going to sit up reading for a little bit before going to bed.”
“I don’t have time to officiate an argument between you and Ms. Anders, Alex. Do what you’re told so I can leav
e.”
“Fine, Pamela. Put me out and the servants can carry me to bed. I can’t stop you. Otherwise, we’re doing it my way. However, given the obvious care being displayed, I will agree to make it a short workout and not do any exercises that might startle Ms. Anders.”
“Short by whose standards, Alex?” Pamela asked him pointedly.
“Mine. It won’t be more than an hour.”
“Don’t worry, Ms. Grey. He won’t last an hour. It’ll be okay.”
Alex smiled sweetly. “Pamela, please wake me when you get back and let me know how things went. I know it’s going to be late, and I know you’re going to be tired. Just a minute or two.”
“Okay.” She came around the table and kissed him quickly. “Bye.”
* * *
“Mr. Grey, you have been at this for over an hour. You promised us you would stop at an hour.”
“First ten minutes,” he said between breaths, “don’t count. I was only stretching.”
“It has been an hour and ten minutes, Mr. Grey.”
“It has? Oh. Well, these last ten minutes won’t count either, then. You understand I have to do a cool down or I’ll hurt tomorrow.”
“You are very manipulative, Mr. Grey.”
Alex stopped what he was doing and looked at her. “Are you really upset? You challenged me to exceed an hour. Or at least that’s what I thought you were doing. I thought you were giving me tacit approval to actually get my blood moving and letting me set my own pace. I’m mostly just doing light stretching exercises. Nothing strenuous.”
“Please finish what you’re doing. I’m very concerned you may have pulled some of your stitching.”
Meekly, Alex did a quick cool down. When he was done, he sat, breathing heavily, before looking at her.
“I’m sorry if I’ve upset you.”
“No, Mr. Grey. You’re operating in these odd spurts. You were happy to let me push you to dinner, but then you wake up and burn energy like this. I try to judge your energy and guess what you are able to do, but I can’t.”
He paused. “Doctor Tate changed my drug schedule when I was shot, didn’t she? I was getting a dose right after lunch and another right after dinner. But it shifted. You gave me one while I was napping, didn’t you?” The nurse nodded. “And you’ll give me another sometime after I’m in bed?” She nodded again.