Then the platform wasdescending into what was ordinarily the new fighter hangar of theMouse. The room was the size of a large cathedral and, inaccordance with standard imperial design, it looked like one as well.
The new Human ships,like the corvette that John had shown to Frank as proof of his story,were less ornate but even they had more flourishes than he would haveexpected.
This ship was aspoil of conflict, built to imperial standards and the coding stillcontrolled the look and feel of its spaces. Forty bays along eachside were separated by ornate columns andhuge amber-colored light fixtures, each the size of an automobile,gave the place a vaguely Victorian/industrialfeel.
The fighters hadbeen cleared from the upper bays, sent out to patrol the region whilethe leadership was focused on the ceremony. In their places,platforms hovered, carrying the more than three hundred colonists.All of them had nervously crossed nanite boarding bridges between theKuphar and the Mouseearlier in the day.
Frank was barelyaware of his fellow colonists, completely unaware of the stirring,orchestral-choral piece thatechoed throughthe chamber as his platform drifted toward the front of the impromptucathedral.
He could see theplatform where Trisha stood, looking like a goddess in her dress.Something borrowed, he thought, and something… yellow? Itlooks good on her. His knees twitched.
Stay on your feet,Frankie, he thought firmly. Desperate for a bit of distraction,he let himself notice the view out the shielded openings that ranalong the back of each bay and met in a graceful curve behind thebridal platform.
Ragnarok hung there,behind his bride, the blue and green curve filling the top half ofthe windows.
Now they were at thefront. He returned her radiant smile with one that he hoped didn’tlook idiotic. He leaned along with his party as the platform came toa halt and knit itself together with hers.
He had to admitit; Terrywas right. From the moment his platform melted together withTrisha’s, the rest of the day was a whirlwind. He knew Hennessy wasconducting a proper service, he knew the lord and lady of the specieswere standing with them, heknew how proud Vikram was to give his mother to Frank (being theeldest male available in her family), heknew he was getting married to an amazing woman but it all seemed toflash past him in a blur.
And then he was holdingher, giving her that first kiss, though they’d shared more than afew by now. He was exhausted but happy. He was moved by Terry’senthusiastic congratulations, surprised at how happy the young manwas for him.
And he wasn’t sotired that he failed to notice the look on Mrs. Naidu’s face whenTerry saw the intricate henna tattoos on Trisha’s hands andforearms.
“That’sincredible,” he’dsaid in quiet wonder yet not so quiet that Mrs. Naidu didn’t catchit. “You didn’t have this yesterday. How could anyone makesomething so beautiful in such a short time?”
She held out her handsso he could get a better look. “Kiara did this last night. Thewhole thing took her two hours.”
“Kiara,” herepeated, still looking at the patterns. “Man, she’s all kinds ofincredible, isn’t she?”
For the life of him,Frank couldn’t figure out if Terry was innocently unaware thatKiara’s mother was listening or if he was deliberately telegraphinghis interest. The kid did stupid things but that didn’t mean he wasstupid.
And Frank wasjust too tired to spend anytime untangling Terry’s motives. He placed his arm around Trisha,resting his hand on her waist. Too tired but not tootired...
They’d beencirculating among the colonists, moving among the platforms which hademerged from the fighter bays, apparently like the barges at ThroneWorld. It had probably only been an hour or two but it felt likethey’d been on their feet for days.
Gleb and Lunaapproached and the crowd cleared a path for them. Gleb leaned inclose to Frank. “How’d you sleep last night? I was falling asleepon my feet by this point last week in California.”
Frank nodded slightly.“Y’know, the only reason I know I got any sleep at all is becauseI had a dream. Woke up thinking someone was trying to call me.”
Gleb gave him astartled look. He leaned in a little closer, eyes focused intently onFrank’s then he shook his head. “You need some rest,” he toldthe groom. “And we need to get you two out of here before restis all you have the energy for!”
Luna must have beenhaving a similar conversation with Trisha. They already looked readyto go when Gleb and Frank turned their way.
By this time, armoredguards had formed a cordon leading to a more ornate platform and thenew couple began moving toward it.
The guards snapped toattention and held their weapons across their chests as the smallprocession passed. They boarded the small barge and moved off, thesound of cheers fading behind them as they ascended.
“We’ve takenthe liberty of having a special suitecreated for you, here on the Mouse,”Gleb told them. “Probably best if you stay here. There’s thatcouncil meeting tomorrow so it would save you having to get back overhere.”
He turned when Luna puta hand on his shoulder and leaned over to listen as she whispered inhis ear. He looked back at the new couple. “Don’t know what I wasthinking,” he said with a grin. “We’ll push that meeting backtill afternoon.”
They slid to a haltagainst a wall that dissolved out of the way, revealing a large,nicely furnished room. “Your things were moved here from your roomson the Kuphar,” Gleb said. He coughed significantly and thenheld out his hand, palm upward.
Luna snorted, thumpinghim on the shoulder. “Where did you even learn about bellhops? Youdidn’t even know about Earth a few months ago and now you’refishing for a tip?”
Gleb’s eyes widened.“Tip? I thought that gesture meant something like ‘enjoy yourroom’.”
She rolled her eyes andpulled Gleb back from the room. “We’ll leave you in peace,” shesaid as a seam opened in the middle of the barge’s deck.“Congratulations!”
Sections of thewall began to regrow, leaving a doorway in the middle. Frank turnedto his new wife.“Not to rush you, but Ithink we should go inside before we end up stuck out
