“Could be youhave a point,” Eric said, tightening something in the motor. Hestood and looked at Gleb speculatively.
“The real question iswhat will you do if I refuse to give you my blessing?”
“I’d marry her,”Gleb said instantly.
“You wouldn’t letme stop you, huh?”
Gleb shook his head.“No, sir, I wouldn’t and it’s as much for yourprotection as anything.”
Eric stared at him inshock for half a heartbeat then he burst out laughing. “Oh dearGod!” he wheezed, half bent over. “You know my girl, alright!”
“That’s it?” Noahprotested. “Dad, I thought you were gonna rake him over the coalsfor an hour at least.”
“You can grillhim if you want,” Eric set the socket driver down and wiped hishands on a rag. “Just remember your sister’s inside the house andshe’s always been able to run you down.”
“Never mind,” Noahsaid quickly.
Ericshook Gleb’s hand.
The door at theback of the garage opened and Gabriella came out, eyes sparkling atGleb. “I have a messagefrom Abuela,”shesaid, “so these words are hers,not mine.”
Eric noddedgravely at his granddaughter. “Let’s hear it, kiddo. Don’t holdback just ‘cause I’m a frail old man.”
Gleb had seenfrail old Humans before, even on Kish where the enslaved populacewere supported in their elder years. Ericwas anything but frail. He could probably pull my headclean off.
“Abuelasays,” she began, emphasizing her grandmother’s title yet again,“that if you boys are finished pretending you have a say in any ofthis then you’d better get inside before the food gets cold.”
“Hah!” Ericfolded his granddaughter into a hug. “You understand what Gleb gotright, Noah?” He let Gabriella squirm loose. “It’sa parliamentary system. I may be Prime Minister but your mother’sthe Head of State. She can suspend parliament.”
Noah frowned. “Whatthe hell does that mean?”
“You don’t stillbelieve I sometimes fall asleep on the couch because I was watchinghockey, do you?”
Gabriella snorted.
“Lead the way,”Eric waved her to the door.
Gleb figuredthere would be a large spreadlaid on, given that they’dclearly figured out why Luna was bringing him here on short notice.He expected to findAdelina inside,seeing as her daughter was here.
He didfeel justified, however,at being surprised to find thehouse packed with cousins, an aunt and two uncles.
The tactical partof his conditioning took note of the fact that there weretwenty-three people there. The newly engaged guy-under-scrutiny wastoo nervous to care.
Everyone was standingin a large crescent, paper plates of food in their hands andexpectant grins on their faces. Luna took a look at her dad’s face.
She clearly sawwhat she expected there and she stepped to Gleb’s side. “Wehave an announcement…”
The packed roomerupted in cheers. As soon as she could be heard again, Lunacontinued. “… I’m taking a new job atthe launch center in Texas. Gleband I will be co-workers!”
Therelatives went silent. They looked at each other, mouths hangingopen. Most of them looked very uncomfortable and Gleb was nearlysquirming with eagerness to flee the room.
Her mom seemed to knowbetter. She nudged her daughter and said something in Spanish,something stern.
Luna giggled, holdingup her hand to show the ring they’d bought a few days ago. “Andwe’re also getting married!”
The noise-levelwent back up again but it was like a warm blanket after her stunt.She needs to warn me about ‘shenanigans’ like that,he thought.
A hand fell on hisshoulder and he turned to see his future father-in-law leaning inclose.
“She’s gonnaput you in situations like that,” Eric warned quietly. “Andyou’ll piss her off too. It’s something you both need to learn tonavigate. Don’t forget to work on it. Welcome to the family and maythe good Lordhave mercy on you.”
Eric moved overto hug Luna and Noah gave Gleb a light punch on the shoulder. “Thelook on your face just now!” herolder brother said. “I hope someone got a recording!”
Noahgave him a half hug and got out of his mother’s way.
“It’s all sofast!” Emila said, still holding onto her future son-in-law afterher hug. “But I understand.You’re going off to Texas to start a life together!”
Gleb didn’t need toread her to pick up on the reservations she was keeping to herself.He couldn’t say he blamed her.
This wasgoing fast.
The Send-Off
The Kuphar, Earth Orbit
Frank dried his faceand dropped the towel in the laundry chute. He looked down at themetal receptacle, wondering if the laundry process was hot enough tohandle the occasional… mistake.
He sighed, turned backto the mirror and splashed on a little aftershave, wincing at thesmall cut beneath his chin. He gave his hands a quick rinse and driedthem on another towel that he left on the rack to air dry.
The walk to the messhall was a short one but it was crowded. More than three hundredpeople were attending the official departure ceremony featuring thelord of Earth himself.
Frank felt a flare ofindignation at the concept of having a lord, a fierce resistance bredinto all Americans from birth. He let it run its course, coming upagainst the unassailable fact that he wasn’t in the states anymore,nor was he likely to return.
Open mind, Frank. This is how their republicworks and our lord makes us an important part of it.Even though he now hadan actual lord, Frank intended to live free on his new farm, lordor not.
Herounded the corner and almost stopped, except the push of the crowdwould have simply carried him along if he had. The corridor wallswere gone.
They’d been there anhour earlier but they’d disappeared while he was in his stateroom.He shuddered at this reminder of how ships were built in both theempire and the republic.
Intellectually, heunderstood how reliable the logic control nodes were and that thissystem could repair hull damage almost instantly. Viscerally, though…
He couldn’t help butimagine a glitch causing the hull to melt away and expose them all tothe vacuum. Knowing and trusting were two different things.
Now he was wishing he’daimed for a spot in the middle of the newly enlarged open space.Instead, he’d gone with the flow and ended up near the large planeof shielding that served as a window on the port side of the room.
Earth was
