Chapter Seventeen
The picnic was great fun. Several of their neighbors noted they hadn't really understood how "the bunch" had done the job on Nunture as fast as they did until a flyer port had "appeared" in a very nice spot for it. They all grinned widely and didn't notice Tommy and Jobe disappeared for awhile again and this time Tori and Dona were missing too.
About nineteen-thirty, people began to leave. At twenty, Chelse offered a ride to Ven and Anverd and the Faiths' car boot was stuffed with bedding, supper and a book reader. The car itself was rather stuffed too, but Ven and Anverd didn't mind riding to Brossom with five kids who had shopping as a destination. Boer noted Mallin got several pats on the back not long after they left and grinned. It had obviously been his idea. By twenty-fifty, Mallin, Glonda, Merne and Barb were the only ones still at the house. They were just finishing polishing up the kitchen when Ven and Anverd commed.
"It's done! The house is done! The whole inside is finished!"
"What?!"
"We noticed the windows were in when we drove by on the way to get the car, Boer, and talked about how fast the builder was doing it. The outside isn't, but the inside is finished. The plumbing, power, walls... The appliances are in, the carpet is laid and the comm is on."
"Someone hung drapes. That had to be done after we went by. Is Mallin still there?"
"He is and he's wearing a very wide grin, Anverd. So are Glonda, Barb and Merne."
"We all wanted to say thank you, Boer. We didn't have any trouble figuring out how to say it. I just figured out how to get them there tonight. The builder did it. He just had a bit bigger crew than usual a couple days and rearranged the order in which it's usually done a little. Welcome to the neighborhood. It's a bit more spread out than most, but that's how we think about it."
"Thank you. Thank you all very much. You did pick the right way and it was more than a couple days, or a very big crew. He just started it ten days ago. Ven, Anverd, we'll help you move in tomorrow."
"We won't need any help until mid-afternoon, Boer. We have shopping to do and that's probably about when we'll get furniture delivery. I'd say you didn't need to, but I know you want to."
"Oh, I want to come back an hour ago and tell everyone thank you. Girls, please do it for us."
"We will, Ven, and for ourselves as well."
"We'll tell them all it's real nice to be home, Dirda."
"Yes, Nora, it certainly is."
"Have a good night, you two."
"We definitely will, Glonda. Goodnight. Out."
"Finished their house."
"Just the inside, Boer. The builder said it's still about ten days from being done, but he will get started in the barn sooner than he expected."
"He said we were supposed to have good weather long enough for them to get the walls up and a roof on the house, Merne. I almost told him do the quarters in the barn first and I'd pay for idle time if he had to wait for good weather to start on the cottage, but I realized that could still cost him, because it might make it too late to start a project at the end of his season. I stopped worrying about how soon the quarters would be done the day you had your sale and Mallin stopped by. Was that only six days ago?"
"Yes, Boer, it was, but we feel like you've been part of the neighborhood for awhile too. Feel like this house has been waiting for you to come home for about thirty years, like Marver was borrowing a piece of it until you did. This is done and it took just long enough for us to tell everyone how excited Ven was and how surprised you were, and we didn't even have to stall. Girls, these things usually last until sleepy kids are being carried to cars and Merne falls asleep in a chair if they start after eleven. We'll never forget being neighborly and showing up a bit early to help put together got us invited to your wedding. This isn't the only marriage that got started before the wedding took place by a stretch, but that really doesn't make any difference. It's time to leave the reception so the honeymoon can start. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Barb. We won't forget you pitched in to get our 'chapel' ready in time either."
When they heard the car go down the drive, they suddenly realized they were finally alone and all together. Boer whooped, 'tossed' Jobe over his shoulder and ran for the spa. He towed Tommy. He was laughing so hard he just hung onto Boer's hand and worked to stay on his feet. He hadn't seen the toss before and was rather sure he'd yelp and giggle just like Jobe had. He didn't have any doubts Boer would decide he belonged over his shoulder, someday. The girls giggled and ran after them. They were all home and all together and they had one more night than they'd hoped for.
Tommy burst into laughter and Jobe giggled when Boer's stomach growled and woke them. They were the last to make it down to breakfast, but the kitchen was full. They all wanted to spend as much time together as they could. Dirda told them the people building the barn were taking a day off and would be starting a bit late the next. Boer grinned and said they should probably still wear something to play in the fountains and the yard.
They played until Ven called and said there was a furniture delivery hauler in front of the house and the two people in it looked very surprised. Boer laughed and said they were on their way.
They ran for the barn and cars. Anverd noted the delivery people didn't look less surprised when fifteen in swimwear showed up to help unload and arrange the furniture. Ven giggled and told him surprise didn't really describe it and she was thinking of offering Aura a shirt, so the two men remembered where they were supposed to go next. Anverd sank onto the couch they'd just 'positioned' and Ven dropped beside him.
Boer grinned widely as he went by on the way to get another load. Cal was on the comm in their kitchen making arrangements for a shuttle delivery of the things they'd packed to move to the house when it was done. They'd come in cars and not the big transport for specifically that reason. Jast and Urber arrived with a loaded transport just as the hauler pulled away.
"This one says kitchen. Point me."
"That way, Jast. Ven, Nora says one of you have to figure out what goes where in there. The other is on drawers and closets."
"I'll take closets and drawers, Ven. I've done a lot of them. I've used a kitchen, but I've never arranged one."
"Well, I'm not sure once makes me experienced, but I do know I want cups close to the brewer. Nora! I need you available for consultation!"
"Anverd, what don't you have?"
"Nothing but food that we could think of, Boer. We've got linens and some toiletries out in the car. Well, we have dinner for tonight too. It's the cook-in-the-container type. We got disposable plates and utensils for it. The bath had paper."
"You have pans and dishes?"
"Ven had sets of both she really liked in her condo. She left the odd stuff there, but packed those and the utensils she picked to go with them. We bought a set of nice kitchen knives this morning. They're in the kitchen. We brought them and cleaning things in. We got here just ahead of the delivery."
"Do you want any of the paintings you hung in your quarters on the ship?"
"No. They're home too, Boer. Like a home in the country and a condo in the city. You expect to be in the city condo most of the time because that's where you work, but the country home is... peace you know is waiting for you. I know they belong here this time, but I still want to take them all with us. If I wasn't sure you weren't going to be on the ship most of the time, I think I'd have argued we should."
"I'd have listened and been pleased to say you thought so. I think Tori is debating a last minute change."
"Ven said she's the one she most hopes has a positive scan in the morning. She isn't worried about her age, yet, because it's younger for her than most, but she is running out of time. If it's not positive, she has two good reasons to pack fast. Meanwhile, she's had Cal and Lola both busy adding to the library and dictated a lot of briefs on cultures outside the empire in that area. One is a great deal longer than the rest,
but she prefaced it with she had a feeling the society was important, not responsible. I worked on it and came up with wait and see."
"I knew they'd been working hard on it."
"You were working hard on everything else. Those aren't the only three who were working on prep for you, Boer, just the ones who organized it. There's a very understandable method of looking for 'niches' and what it means if you don't find what you'd expect in them. I'd say Dona, Tori and Barri teamed on that one since some of the niches are societal. There's a settlement chronology with anecdotes and a brief on interstellar money markets and exchange outside the empire. There's also a description of some vegetables and grains I'd never heard of before and where and why they're important. There's one of recreational sports and one of tech. Since it's everything I can think of you might need, Dirda has been busy too."
"I've... been sleeping late."
"And needed it. If you need a measure of how much you've accomplished over the last few days, look around you. Your neighbors gave you one and they expressed it very well."
"I feel guilty."
"Because?"
"I just needed a place to park a flyer."
Boer left Anverd laughing and went to get a load. He took Jobe's and he took Li's. She took Eddy's. Eddy went back to the transport and asked Urber if there was something small enough she might get all the way to the house with it. Urber told her Mim, Nora, Lou and Dirda had about cleaned her out of small. Eddy took a medium and sighed when Tommy took it before she got three meters. She gave up and went in to see how kitchen arranging was going. She sat down and giggled when Aura lifted the box of 'silver' out of her hands.
"What's so funny, Eddy?"
"I never got farther than four meters from the transport carrying anything, Nora. I got in the house with one reading lamp from the furniture truck. You saw Aura take the utensils."
"Sorry, Eddy."
"If I was complaining, I wouldn't be giggling, Aura. I know I'm not the only one. Urber said the other pregnant girls had already gotten everything that qualified as small."
"I asked for small because Li grabbed a load I was carrying and I was afraid she was going to strain something, Eddy. Tommy took it over before she got very far or I'd have probably taken it back."
"I thought about it when she took one from me, Nora. I know she's stronger than she looks, but she looks so little."
"She's probably stronger than you are, Eddy. I've seen her grab a piece of tech that I know weighs near what she does and just move it out of the way. Of all of you, she's in the best condition. Nora's next."
"Thank you, Aura. I basically get my exercise the same way she does. Hunted for things to do that used some muscle when we were on the ship. Mine changes to fat fast. I know that's not what really happens, but you know what I mean by it."
"I've been thinking about this a bit. I think I want to give you all an exercise program designed specifically for pregnant women."
"I was thinking about it too, Ven, but they'll probably prefer your idea of exercise to mine."
"Oh, I don't doubt that a bit, Aura. I've been tired after watching you do a light workout."
"Yes, Eddy, I do a great deal more than most even in a light one, but that's why I'm the one to go with Boer, Jobe and Tommy. Lola knows it. She told me to put her together a program that will get her to the point she can do a full workout with me by the time we get where we're going. I told her we could just make it, but she wouldn't be sure it was worth it for about fifteen days. I've got schedules for Li, Boer, Jobe and Tommy too. They all know it."
"Boer?"
"He hasn't been working out regularly, Eddy. He started at about the age of fourteen. By then he knew he was going to be ready for the academy at sixteen. I know he had a program he did at least three days out of ten, until the emperor appointed him governor."
"He said he's been working out in sporadic bursts of guilt as opposed to regularly, Ven. He also said he can feel it and we'll all be spending a great deal of time in the company of Chief Larkenscho. My unarmed combat training is in about the same style, but not very advanced. Li, Lola and I know he's not going to let us do more than put together info for him until it is. Basically, not land on a planet except with them and not go anywhere or do anything that he thinks could get dangerous."
"Dangerous. I've been avoiding thinking the word, Aura. It brings back the terror I felt when he was poisoned."
"That wasn't danger, Eddy. It was attempted murder. You're aware and paying close attention when you're doing something dangerous. There are things that have to be done on a farm that are dangerous. My father nearly lost an arm clearing a jam on a drik-fiber harvester, but he knew it was dangerous and my brother was right behind him with a pole to shove in if the blades started to spin when he got the fiber loose. It was the closest we ever came to having a really bad injury, but not the only close call, even that year. They'll be aware, paying attention and prepared. But I think they need to change their names, or at least what they call each other."
"You think they'll be recognized."
"Not if that name association isn't there too, Aura. The physical resemblance might be noted, but there are a lot of people and a lot of them look a lot alike. There are enough of them even the size of the two together and their coloring isn't more than coincidence. Working out like you plan will change Jobe's body shape some and reduce that. But if you add the names, many people will make the connection, even if they're in an unexpected place, especially the ones we don't want to recognize them. You're about the same. Lola and Li aren't. Even Li isn't extremely unusual in size and the names are common."
"Hi, I've been listening. Nora's right. I've been thinking about it too, when I was thinking."
"I figured you had been, Tommy. If I can see it, it's more than obvious to you. I don't have any suggestions though. I hit resistance to the idea when I even think of calling Jobe something else. Yours doesn't need changing."
"It already was and Tommy is even more common than Thomin. It's the nickname for several others as well."
"Let's all work on it. Let's all come up with a name, put the ideas on slips of paper and draw one for each of them, including Aura. They're going to need some form of identification to get identification on Silvern."
"I could make us all a full set of documents, Eddy. I'm sure Anverd can."
"Yes, and what he makes will be legal. He's got an Imperial document embosser that he was specifically told to take with him when he left marine intelligence. He was told his resignation didn't cancel his authority to use it as far as they were concerned. I'm sure you've all noticed Boer hadn't put on his coronet since we left Boniface."
"Yes, we noticed he put it on just for the wedding too, Ven."
"Our marriage is a legal union because he's Relatross sector governor, Aura. The records of his appointment, the presentations, his acceptance and the bio monitor of consummation in imperial court records are the only documentation of it. Group marriage is not illegal on empire worlds, but it also isn't performed on most of them. Tori!"
"Yes, Eddy?!"
"Kitchen!"
"Oh, my, you've obviously been having serious discussion."
"Is Silvern going to need a marriage contract on file to cross-check identification?"
"No. At one time all contracts were filed with them. However, all Shadill are not citizens of Silvern any longer. Silvern requested they be allowed to keep their own records of them and file them with the empire. They did it nineteen years ago to reduce their cost of documentation checks and such, but it effectively made Shadill marriage Shadill business. Silvern is still the primary choice for issuance of licenses, but those are fee-based and more a way the Shadill say thank you for giving them a chance to build the culture than anything else. Since it actually makes, not costs, Silvern credits, they make it as simple as possible for them. Because they have, a large number of people who aren'
t Shadill take their proof of empire citizenship and the logs saying they have the required hours, to Silvern Docking to take standard tests to get ship operation licenses. Proof of purchase or construction of a ship makes it simple to get it registered. It's quite expensive to substitute testing for logged training hours, but there are facilities for it on Silvern Docking. The tests are extremely rigorous and some are simulation and hands-on. There are other places that do it, but the reputation of being the most difficult is a form of credential in itself. Sometimes people choose to do it even though they have the logged hours. The little silver star on their licenses can improve their chances of getting a job."
"You've been busy."
"So have you, Tommy. Since I was one of those keeping you busy, I thought it appropriate I help find answers to some of the questions you haven't had time to think about asking."
Tori was told how the discussion began and thought the idea of drawing names was interesting. Barri was consulted and agreed it was a good way to overcome their resistance to changing Jobe's. Lou joined it when she came to the kitchen hunting the cleaning supplies Anverd had said belonged in the bathroom cabinet. She surprised them with her statement they already had one name in common they didn't use. Tori smiled and said she hadn't thought of it, but it did solve the problem of clan name.
"What name?"
"Hadlain, Nora. The form of imperial names places that of the highest family first and it is given to their children. If Boer was not in an imperial family, his parents would have chosen which of their surnames to give him or given both in the order they chose. On Valer, common practice is a couple uses the surname of one of them and it's given to all their children. Most often the choice is the simplest, not the man's or woman's, but the choice is theirs to make for whatever reason."
"Being the Hadlains would be an asset here too, Tori. They're the Harvens, Faiths and so on. We're the governor's family. It puts us a bit off from them. They work at just thinking of us as neighbors and treating us as such, but it is work and that doesn't make it simpler."
"It would help our children fit in too, Nora."
"I thought you'd see it, Barri. It hadn't occurred to me before this, probably because we hadn't exchanged vows and stated we were more than a family created by a treaty."
"Anverd!"
"Yes, Ven?!"
"How deep are you in closets?!"
"Done with them. A meeting?"
"They exchanged marriage vows yesterday. In this community, people who do choose one surname for the family. They've chosen Hadlain. It gives them a 'clan' name to start with as well. They're all going to put a suggestion for each one on slips of paper and draw personal names for Boer, Jobe and Aura."
"It's good. We can just add a name. I need my embosser. We also need two containers."
"The two in our closet in our quarters. We didn't tell anyone about them after we packed them."
"I didn't even think about them until Boer asked if we had anything to go in essentials drawers yet."
"You packed clothes to leave here?"
"Quite a few, Nora. We went shopping both days we stayed at the apartments. We sorted what we wanted here out of what we had and what we bought and stored them in the closet."
"I'll go up and come back. I've a little work I need to do before morning, about three hours' worth. I don't think you really want to come along."
"Actually, I'd like to do a little more shopping. This time in U-town. There's no reason not to buy some non-perishable food and the market there isn't expensive. I might look around at the student art sales gallery too."
"You've obviously been to U-town. None of us have yet. Seemed like most of what we wanted was more likely to be the other way."
"In general, it is, Nora, but I like the type of small business area that serves a university campus, especially one deliberately out in the country. It was a nice drive in my new car. We were close to the road on the east side of the city and had about four hours before the tailoring was done on an outfit I bought, so we went down to look around."
"Had a great lunch at a nice price. Had a terrific ale to go with it."
"I'll see if I can find some for after dinner for you."
"You take hints so well. Dinner is going to be a bit late. Have a snack."
"Mmm."
"I still don't know what they were, but they were good. They're ready to head up. I'll be back in about three-and-a-half hours."
"So will I."
"I'm interested in good."
"They call them 'U pups,' Nora. They're fried something, stuffed with something, dipped in something. I don't know what any of it is, but I'd have gone back and asked if we weren't on the way back to Brossom when I popped the first one in my mouth. If I thought they'd be good warmed, I'd get some to bring home for Anverd. We got some from a little kiosk close to where we'd parked because they were obviously quite popular and they smelled good. That's not the only place we saw selling them, but it was the only one where we smelled them."
"We have a lot of cars here."
"We're not dressed, Nora."
"Jobe! Grab a couple people and run get shirts, shorts and sandals for all! Not Cal!"
"Tommy!"
"Coming!"
"Nora!"
"We want them quick, Cal! Sending you with them to visit fifteen bedrooms just didn't seem to fit the idea of doing it fast!"
"Oh, as long as you had a good reason. So what is the reason?"
"A treat called U pups that had Ven licking her lips."
"And a visit to U-town to go with it. Let's have dinner there."
"Dirda, you may not be interested in getting back home, but I am."
"Cal, Tori and I both know how you feel, but we're all getting a little silly about it. Frankly, if we aren't pregnant when they leave, they may feel guilty for leaving before we are. Dinner somewhere and at least part of an evening without one after the other of us dragging them off to a bed will at least help some."
"Ow. Thump and I deserved it, Barri."
"So did I, Cal."
"I didn't think about it until I had about the same response to Dirda's suggestion as Cal did, Tori."
"It was about time you all thought about it, Barri. There's no reason any of you aren't pregnant yet, except you just aren't. It's not really surprising. Nine out of nine, even over a period of one hundred twenty days, would be. I rather hope Tori is, just because of her age. She wouldn't be too old in two years, but it would bother her, and Boer because he knew it did. It bothers him to leave you and hurts them all they probably won't be here when Nora, Mim and Eddy give birth. Adding four more pregnant to the general worry load is a weight I don't think you want him to have to carry, and I think you know it. You two and Dona are sure you want to become pregnant, but I don't think you're really sure you want to be now. You're all rather protective. Look at your chosen careers. Cal, I'm not excluding you in that. Anverd says you usually get a lock and scramble on before he can. I think, subconsciously, you intend to watch over the five who are pregnant and that may be why you're not. I've noticed Tori usually chooses Tommy when she grabs a hand and disappears for awhile. I think most of you do. You're trying to assure he has a child in this first... bunch, though you're keeping Jobe rather busy too. I think the main reason you are is because it would make Boer very happy, and Jobe as well. None of you really have a preference. That's what you said you wanted. Well, you've got it. If Tommy doesn't sire one of your children for several years, it won't make them any less his children. I could tell Dirda who sired the child she's carrying, but it's not important to her. It's not that she doesn't want to not know, it's just irrelevant. Tomorrow morning I'll scan you all. If one of you is pregnant, I'll check to see if Tommy is the father, for Boer. If he's not, I won't say who is and it's the last time I'll tell any of you because it's the last time any of you will find it of any importance. Hello, Dona."
"I didn't miss the lecture, Ven. I was standing outside the kitchen wincing and nodding. Tori, I hope you're pregnant more than I hope I am. It would be a nice bonus if Tommy was the father. The scan tomorrow morning won't tell us if one of us gets pregnant tonight, just if one of us was by... yesterday, Ven?"
"Approximately, Dona. I could find out within minutes if I took you up to the ship and did a search for cell multiplication, but you might get pregnant tonight tomorrow afternoon. Tomorrow morning, we'll find out if one of you did some time in about five of the last seven days, or the three before."
"I just realized I really want one to be Tommy's more than I want one to be mine, too, and primarily because it would please Boer and Jobe."
"That's what I needed to hear, Tori. They're all going to be all your children. I doubt Nora plans on one calling her 'Mommy' and the rest calling her 'Nora. She may plan on all of them calling her 'Mommy,' but not just those she gives birth to."
"Hadn't given it any thought, but you're right, Ven. I suppose I'll have to put up with Nora. Twelve answers when any of them yell, 'Mommy' would probably be confusing and I don't think we want Mommy Nora, Mommy Barri, Mommy Aura."
"Thank you, Nora."
"You, Lola and Li may be the ones who are most sure all the children are all of ours, Aura. You know, I've been married over a quarter-year and never gotten to go dancing. I don't want to go out fancy, just the bunch of us some place fun."
"Nora, you're going to like U-town. I think it's a great idea and a memory they need. Boer loved shopping with you all. He's careful not to mention it because it ended so abruptly and terribly, but there was still one who wasn't with you. You had great fun shopping for cars, but one wasn't there. Hit U-town as the Hadlains and just have a good time."
"Comm Faith residence. Oh, I put a bunch of codes in your comm directory."
"Hello?"
"Mallin, Cal. We did Faiths, Harvens, N'gangtos, Bullocks, Mandermans and hit 'the governor's family' with a thump. We had our wedding yesterday. We're the Hadlains. It's Boer's father's surname and a lot easier to spell and say than Thiretesses."
"True. I like it. So will everyone else. Don't think I heard Ven and Anverd's surname."
"Johnson. Mallin, you should have seen the expressions on the furniture delivery people when they pulled up in front of the house. Then, about two minutes later, the Hadlains, all in swimwear, pulled up in five cars and jumped out to help. Two men and they were still blinking when they left. "
"Oh, I can't imagine why. Great story, Ven. Hope you don't mind I spread it around."
"Not at all. Anverd and I spent most of the time the Hadlains carried in furniture giggling on the couch Boer and Aura brought in first. I'm headed to do grocery shopping in U-town and I told them about U pups. Tommy did think about getting something over swimwear before they went hunting for them."
"U-town was closer, I'd be addicted. The kiosk on the corner of Stadium and Aggie has the best."
"That's where Anverd and I got them. Dinner suggestion for them. Good not fancy."
"Pards. Buffet style and they expect big bunches with big appetites."
"Thanks. Out."
"I heard 'U pups' and dinner suggestion."
"Boer, I think you'd hear talk about food if you were at the house."
"I might if I was hungry, Nora, and I'm getting that way fast. I like Hadlains too."
"They're back!"
"Coming, Li!"