‘We picked Epsilon of course,’ he continued, ‘since it allows instant marriage.’
‘Amaz! You got married at the base then?’
‘Yes,’ said Drago. ‘Marlise bribed the Colonel into giving permission. She offered him first chance at kissing the bride.’
‘I did no such thing,’ said Marlise. ‘Drago threatened him.’
‘How do you threaten a full Colonel?’ I asked.
Marlise sighed. ‘Drago threatened to strip during his next interview with Earth Rolling News, so the Colonel surrendered.’
Candace looked shocked, but I was sure Drago would never have actually carried out his threat so I giggled. ‘The laurel wreaths were for the wedding then?’
Drago nodded. ‘We were married under Epsilon law, but we had a traditional Betan clan ceremony with laurel wreaths and togas. We changed out of the togas before coming here to avoid attracting too much attention.’
‘Did you know only men wore togas in ancient Rome?’
Drago ignored that, seemingly as uninterested in history as Issette. ‘We did the whole thing in style. We had a vid link to the clan hall on Zeus, so we could recite our odes and proclaim our union for the traditional three times to bind it under clan law.’
‘What clan hall on Zeus?’ I asked.
‘All Betan clans have a clan hall, Jarra. Tellon Blaze founded our clan, and he was from Zeus, so our clan hall is there. I know you can’t visit it, but there are plenty of vids in the family archives that will show you what it’s like.’
He paused. ‘Incidentally, clan council asked me to mention they’d like to formally welcome you as a clan member as soon as possible. They didn’t want to pressure you into contact after your parents’ death, but they’re currently in an awkward situation. They get automatic notification when you have a serious accident, but have no right to offer help. This is the second time it’s happened, and they’re getting a bit restless.’
I frowned. ‘I’d no idea they’d be told, but … They can’t really want me in the clan, Drago. My Betan classmates have to hide the fact they have a Handicapped baby, because it would make their clan lose status. I’d just be an embarrassment to the Tell clan, so …’
‘Our clan doesn’t have to worry about status, Jarra. We’re not just patrician, but of the
Drago sounded as if he believed what he was saying. I’d grown up a ward of Hospital Earth, with no knowledge of my family. Despite my prejudices against Beta sector, it had been amaz to discover I’d been born into a Betan clan and was descended from Tellon Blaze. I’d gone from having a blank canvas, to having a whole family heritage, but I’d never thought it possible my clan would want contact with me.
‘Drago, that’s … that’s zan. I can’t do anything right now, but …’
He nodded. ‘We couldn’t hold the ceremony yet anyway. We have to wait until the period of formal mourning for your parents is over.’
I was going to have a family. I’d had that dream held out to me before when I contacted my parents, only to have it snatched away when they died. Now it was back. I’d be part of the huge extended family of a Betan clan.
‘I don’t understand why my Betan classmates, Lolia and Lolmack, never mentioned my clan,’ I said. ‘They’ve known my name is Tell Morrath ever since my grandmother’s Honour Ceremony.’
Drago laughed. ‘Those names … They’re plebeian, Jarra. They belong to a gutter clan that doesn’t even have the right to use a true clan name. They probably think you’re generously ignoring the difficult social situation.’
‘Really?’ I obviously didn’t understand the rules of Betan society. I’d have to learn them and …
‘I’m sorry to cut this short,’ said Marlise, ‘but we’re due back at the base soon.’
‘Of course,’ I said. ‘You mustn’t go absent without leave.’
‘It wouldn’t be a bad idea,’ said Drago. ‘They might slap me back down to Major.’
Marlise sighed. ‘Behave yourself, Drago. You may want to get demoted, but I don’t.’
I laughed. ‘I wish you a long and happy marriage.’
Drago grinned. ‘It had better be. I’m no poet, so writing the required ode in praise of the virtues and beauty of Marlise nearly killed me. If I divorce her, I have to write another ode, and I couldn’t stand that again. Marlise got the rest of our team to help with hers, but that’s cheating. As an honourable Betan, I had to write mine solo and not include sarcasm.’
Marlise stood up. ‘My ode wasn’t sarcastic.’
‘Really? It sounded sarcastic to me. Ten thousand women falling in love with me!’
Marlise giggled. ‘That was just an estimate.’
‘Based on what exactly? Given the amount of time I’ve spent on assignment, living like a Deltan …’
She grinned. ‘We were allowing for the number of women who’ve seen the devastatingly handsome Drago Tell Dramis on Earth Rolling News.’
‘Stop calling me that!’
Drago kissed both my hand and Candace’s in farewell. The two laurel-crowned Military went out of the door, the sounds of their amicable argument receded down the corridor, and Playdon shook his head.
‘Your cousin seems … quite a personality, Jarra.’
Candace was watching me anxiously. ‘Jarra, whatever you’re planning, please don’t do it until Fian is awake.’
Playdon frowned, glanced at Candace and then at me. Candace obviously caught the byplay, because she turned to him.
‘I’ve had eighteen years of this, Dannel. I know the warning signs. The eager look in Jarra’s eyes, and the furrow in her forehead while she works out tactics. She’s got one of her wild ideas, and once she starts on one of those she gets totally carried away.’
She looked back at me. ‘Jarra, please don’t do anything until Fian is awake and you’ve talked it through with him. You grew up without a family, I did too, and I understand the attraction of being part of a Betan clan, but everyone knows about their sex vids and Fian is from Delta sector so …’
‘Candace, I promise I’m not going to make sex vids, and I won’t do anything without Fian’s agreement.’
‘I know you wouldn’t make …’ Candace broke off, interrupted by urgent chiming from her lookup. ‘Oh no! I’m urgently needed in Hospital Earth Europe Maternity.’
‘Go!’ I said. ‘I don’t know who’s having the baby, but babies don’t wait.’
‘No they don’t and I promised I’d be there.’ Candace hugged me and headed for the door. ‘Remember, Jarra, talk to Fian first!’
Candace was gone almost before she finished saying the words. She was right that Drago’s visit had given me an idea, and I was making plans, but she had no need to worry about me doing anything before Fian was out of the tank. I couldn’t get married without him.
21
Fian’s eyes opened. He lay perfectly still for a second, with a grim look on his face, then saw me sitting by his bed and smiled. ‘We’re both alive then.’
I had problems replying. I’d existed in a weird limbo since I woke up yesterday. Now Fian was back and I felt a sudden release of tension. I wanted to say something emotional, but there was a doctor hovering beside me. I could only manage a single word.
‘Yes.’
The doctor dived in between us for a moment, waved a scanner over Fian’s stomach, nodded, and then retreated out of the door.
Fian watched him go and then turned back to me. ‘The last thing I remember was my sled exploding. How
