“Yes Mother…Yes Liam, they said”, giggling through the door. “Be good!” They were laughing out loud by now.
It was all Amanda could do to keep them from hearing her laugh.
It was several hours later with a light breeze cooling their sweaty bodies that they started putting together a plan. Liam would have to go run down Carlos; that would be expected of him. After that Liam would resign from the Federation. Liam didn’t have the slightest idea how long it would take to muster out; he had never known anyone who had done so. Amanda, Liam and the girls would discuss whether they stayed on Edge World or left. Considering the age of Tamara and Amanda, they would probably want to stay with their friends until they finished first level schooling, Since Edge world had only the minimum level of secondary schooling, the twins would go off planet then in any case. Liam did know that working for the Federation guaranteed schooling for kids as long as they wanted to go to school. Oh, there would be safeguards: students would have to maintain standing. Liam would also have to submit annual reports more or less considering travel for students. Liam would have to adopt the kids also. Neither Liam or Amanda knew what they wanted to do either but they would figure it out in time.
Liam and Amanda also needed to tell the girls about Charlie being dead and while they probably knew it, they would retain hope till told otherwise. The man with the mask whom Vera killed was the twin’s father. They just knew that he was dead and all that changed was his date of death.
It was hard to be a parent, sometimes harder than usual. Mostly a lot of decisions couldn’t be made yet, and needed to wait. It sounded like Tamara and Kristina were going to be ok with the new family arrangements. Liam was going to draft them into helping him move into their house, not that he had all that much to move, but it would give him a chance to talk to them alone without their mother. Amanda would be like a mother hen, he could see it coming, and he wanted some time to talk to the girls without having their mother listening in at the door. But that was going to be in the future. Life goes on and both Amanda and Liam were excited about it. They didn’t know where there were going but they were going there together.
Epilogue
It had taken almost eight weeks before all the members of the conspiracy were rounded up, excepting Miguel Carlos who had erroneously been allowed to board a space ship by the Acting Space Port Control Manager who thought Federal agent Smithe’s orders did not supersede Captain Miguel Carlos, Captain, Atlanta City Militia. The new Acting Space Port Control Manager had quickly brought order to the Spaceport. Between the remainder members of the scientific team, those members of the jungle tribesmen pulled into Vera’s scheme, involved members of the Traders Association, the two OSI officers involved and the few City Militia Men involved, Liam had estimated that it would be close to a year till the Federal Justices would finish questioning everyone and sentencing those guilty of Federation crimes to life on the Federation Prison Planet as it was called.
Aurora was a very nice planet that needed a lot of work until it was properly terraform and while the Federation, under its policy of examining any action performed by the Federation that was considered moral, but not considered moral when taken by an individual, did not execute anyone breaking Federation Laws. On the other hand, they did not see any reason the peoples of the Federation should have to pay for the support of these criminals, so they were placed on Aurora, give sufficient clothes, tools and food, and then turned them loose to dig for their living if they wanted to eat. Paleologists estimated that the wildlife and jungle would be conquered to the point that normal settlement could begin in about three hundred years, at which time the Federation would have to find another planet for its bad girls and boys.
It was pass midday and Amanda was anxiously waiting for Liam to come by and say a final good-by before he left to try and chase down Miguel Carlos on which ever planet he had chosen to hide. That would finalize this case and he had promised to come back to Amanda and the girls when he finished. The last months had been wonderful with him, and though they had said all the words, she wasn’t absolutely sure he would come back. Amanda knew she was three months pregnant with Liam’s baby and she also knew she would not tell Liam before he left. There was no way she would try to hold him with that knowledge. Amanda, she said to herself, that universal birth control sure isn’t what it is supposedly cracked up to be. This is the second time you have gotten yourself in this fix. Well, she had raised kids by herself before and she could do it again. But her heart wasn’t in it.
The twins had left for down town earlier, very secret and conspirator about a phone call they had received. Amanda thought they would want to say goodbye to Liam after all the time the four of them had stolen together from Liam’s investigation. But guess not, Amanda thought to herself. Maybe we three can go out on a hunting and camping trip for a few days. Certainly, after all she had gone through, she deserved a long weekend off with her girls. By gum, she would take it whether they liked it or not. This thought cheered her up a bit, but Liam’s lateness
was beginning to concern her. Was he just going to sneak off planet without saying goodbye? Granted they had sort of a long, tearful parting yesterday, but he did say he would be by and she knew his ship left in just a few hours. She wouldn’t disgrace herself by trying to reach him by comm; if he didn’t care enough that he had to sneak off, so be it. It was then that Liam’ aircar landed in front of her house. Amanda was still in a little of a snit and wasn’t going to go running out to him, but then she her girls climb out of the aircar too.
Amanda stood and stared at Tamara and Kristina. They were grinning from ear to ear. She started walking towards the trio.
The girls stood and smiled as Liam enfolded Amanda in his arms and gave her a deep and very satisfying kiss. They stood that way for several minutes, ignoring comments from their audience.
“Oh, Liam, I really wish you were not going,” Amanda cried as they broke apart. “I know we talked all about this but…it still hurts…your leaving and never coming back. And…I wasn’t going to tell you…I shouldn’t…”
“I think we all have things to talk over,” Liam said, almost laughing. “Why don’t we all go in the house and set down where it is a little warmer.”
It was cold, Amanda thought. When she heard the aircar she hadn’t taken time to grab a coat or sweater. Liam took off his jacket and wrapped it around Amanda’s shoulders as they walked into the house, Liam’s arm around Amanda’s waist. Tamara and Kristina had their heads together, whispering softly, but Amanda probably wouldn’t have heard them if they shouted to each other. Once they were inside, Amanda and Liam claimed the loveseat while the girls each took one of the over-stuffed chairs.
“I think it would be best if you went ahead and told us your news, Amanda,” Liam said, still with a grin on his face.
“Ah…I don’t know. I’m not sure it is important enough to be passed around.”
“A few minutes ago you couldn’t wait to tell us, Mom,” Kristina said. “Come on, tell us, Tamara pleaded.
“Actually, this is just for Liam. I can tell him later,” Amanda begged a little, knowing deep down that she would end up telling them. They could be very persuasive when they double-teamed her. Cuddled up next to Liam, Amanda had trouble thinking of the nice big bed upstairs. “Alright, I…it seems, girls, you are going to have a baby brother.”
You could hear the proverbial pin drop. It took over a minute before any of the three could integrate what Amanda had said with what it meant to each of them.
“You are having my baby,” Liam exclaimed before the girls could catch their breaths?
“We are having a brother,” both Tamara and Kristina practically yelled?
“Yes, he will be your brother, or rather half-brother,” Amanda said. “Glad I have two built in babysitters,” she continued, receiving scows from both girls.
“He is mine,” Liam asked somewhat tentatively? Why didn’t you tell me before?” I could have left without knowing
.
“I didn’t want that to be the only reason you came back,” Amanda said. “I still don’t want it to be. I raised the girls by myself and now I have them to help.”
The grin on Liam’s face grew even wider if that was possible. “Well, what I am about to tell you will solve several of your problems.”
“That would be great, solving my problems I mean but you are going to miss your spaceship.”
Tamara and Kristina had actually put their hands over their mouths, trying without success to stifle their giggles.
“First, I won’t miss my ship because I am not taking that ship but one in a few days,” Liam said. “I received notification that our M. Carlos had been detained on Freya when he stepped off his ship a week ago. Apparently one of our very few agents happened to be on Freya for a short vacation when he was advised by Spaceship Control that Mr. Carlos was incoming on the next spaceship. The agent had not been aware of the warrant out on Mr. Carlos, so the new Acting Spaceport Control Manager received a hefty reward for her actions. In fact, I am going to make her new position permanent while I still have the authority. I need to go to Freya soon to escort Mr. Carlos to Federation headquarters and file a final report, which allows me some time before I have to leave; a few days at the least.”
“That is great, Liam, but how is that going to solve my problems?”
“Because the trip will be short, not more than five or six weeks at the most Amanda. That means I can take you and the girls with me on the trip. I have already asked the girls if they would like to do that and they said they would be overjoyed. A free trip to Terra and back, with a side trip to Freya. Who would say no to that?”
“But…but…well I couldn’t go and I won’t let the girls go without me. They would surely be overjoyed, but it wouldn’t work out. I’m so sorry.”
“Mom… you can’t…” Whatever Kristina wanted to say was muffled as Tamara threw a pillow at her.
“Actually, you are on paid leave until you come back. Using my Federation Agent authority, I appointed Jonathan Baker as acting Captain of OSI. If you fail to return within one year the appointment becomes permanent. I also spoke with the girl’s teachers and school Superintendent. The school will prepare twelve weeks’ worth of assignments which are to be completed and returned once a month. You will be responsible to see that they keep up on their assignments. Tamara and Kristina can earn extra credit for reports on any of the new planets they visit. Does that satisfy you Amanda?”
“I…umm…Why did you design this to last up to a year when you said finishing up your conspiracy report will only take a few weeks,” Amanda inquired, not sure what was going on anymore?”
“The report is minor. The extra time we can use to decide if we want to travel, settle on a distant planet, or just come back to Edge World. As you have said many times Amanda, Edge World is a mighty fine planet. And there are many more fine planets out there. The five of us have a large choice of options, the Federation is a mighty big place.
The end, for now!
Edge World Page 35