She returned his smile,just a little.
Outside, the Earthblurred and disappeared as the ship began shifting the Universe outof its way.
Neither of themnoticed.
Power Couple
Something Called a Church
Noah opened thewindow of the small room towhich they’d been assignedby the priest. It was just off the sideof the altar and, as far asGleb was concerned, dangerously low on oxygen. “How did you guysmeet?” Noah came back over to adjust Gleb’s tie.
“I’m betting sheknocked you on your ass at some club somewhere,” Luca said, “andthat made you seem more like family.”
“Yeah, well I…What?”
“She’s ascrapper,” Noah shrugged. “If she didn’t get through for apilot, she probably would’ve gone for the Marines.” He grinned,stepping back from working on the tie. “Did that happen? Did sherough you up?”
“No.” Gleb paused,wondering what was appropriate to say. “We lived in the samebuilding. I just… noticed her on her balcony.”
“Noticedher…” Noah glancedsidelong at his brother. “Adelina would have a few things to sayabout that, I’m sure.”
“Yeah,” Lucadrawled. “Our big sis has a lot to say about Luna’s wardrobe.”
“Seems like a normalwardrobe to me,” Dexter said. “Pretty standard stuff, especiallyfor a hot girl…”
“You talking smackabout my sister?” Noah said, his handsome features suddenly takingon a predatory cast. He leaned in toward Dexter.
Who’d met Scylla.
Gleb had made sure hisHuman friends were rewarded for their support. Dexter’s head wasfilled with all sorts of useful info, including a full range ofcombat patterns. Then he’d been introduced to the ‘highpriestess’.
Hecould read people like abook.
Noah was doing agood job of sounding aggressive but he was just messing with Dex.“Not talking smack,” Dexsaid casually. “I’m just sayingthere’s nothing wrong with a gorgeous woman dressing sexy. Thatbikini she had on at Dex’s pool...”
“Dude!” Lucaexclaimed. “That’s our sister!”
“How about atruce, then?” Dex asked. “’Cause this can get reallyuncomfortable, fellas.”
“Especially ifAberdeen gets wind of this,” Gleb added.
“Hey...” Dexspread his hands. “She was the one who pointed out how Luna lookedin that little bikini. Iagreed, of course, which only amused her. Abby knows how lucky Iam...”
Theyall turned at the sound of approaching voices, talking in somethingother than English. Luca stepped back from the door at the sound of abody slamming into it.
Gleb sighed. Ialready explained this. “Turnthe handle!” heshouted.
The handle turnedand Eth burst in, Noa in tow. They wrapped Gleb in what he now knewwas called a bear-hug onIrth.
“Nervous?” Ethasked in English, stepping back to admire Gleb’s tuxedo.
“I’d be lessnervous if we could get these ties fixed,” Gleb said.
“What?” Eth tuggedat the tie he’d wrapped around his neck like a scarf. “This isnot the proper wearings?”
“Guys,” Glebgestured, “these are Luna’s brothers, Noah and Luca. These,” hegestured again, “are my friends from back home, Eth and Noa.”
“Hey,” Noaexclaimed, “cool namings! I didn’t expect to come all this way tofind someone with the same name!”
Gleb was trying not tolaugh. Did my use of English really improve that much? These guysactually sound like they’re from some other country. “Noah,can you give your namesake a hand with his tie?”
He moved to helpEth but Luca stepped in. “No offense, Bro,but I’ve seen the job you did on your own tie.”
“Yeah,” Noahagreed. “Don’t let Dadsee you wearing a tie like that mess you walked in with earlier.”
“Hey, I did OK,”Gleb protested.
“Don’t you Russiansdo ties?” Luca demanded. “I know your presidents usually haveties on.”
“Yeah, well…”Gleb shot a look at Eth. “We’re from Kazakhstan – Roscosmosbrats.”
“Roscoe bats?” Lucafrowned as he finished Eth’s tie.
“Roscosmos,” Ethcorrected, proving he’d memorized the briefing material his lordhad sent him. “Our parents were part of Russian space program atBaikonur. We grew up there.”
“And… no ties?”
“It became a,how you say, backwater?” Noa said. “After Vostochny Cosmodromecame online, our town started to shrink. Mostly a place where careersare sent to die – professional gulag.”
“But Gleb got post atVostochny,” Eth said proudly. “He wear the hells out of thatclip-on tie, yes?”
“That’s whatset you up for your current gig?” Noah asked. “Working for theRussian program?”
Gleb and Luna hadresearched a detailed background, so he was itching to use it. “Theydo good work here but sometimes sophistication can get you intotrouble. Maeve brought me on because pragmatism is practically anational sport for us.
“If it works just aswell with simpler parts, we toss the more advanced stuff. That’s myjob here in California.”
“And in Texas…”Luca prompted.
“Yes,” Glebconfirmed. “Texas as well.”
But Texas would be alot farther away than the Morales family expected.
They all turned at thesound of someone knocking on the door. “Everything is ready,” avoice said. “If you gentlemen can take your places…”
Gleb took a couple ofdeep breaths.
Eth put his hands onthe groom’s shoulders. “The first of us to get married,” hesaid in tones of wonder.
Luna’s brotherslikely assumed he’d meant the first of their circle of friends.Gleb knew he was referring to the first Human from their side of thegalaxy.
“Alright,” Glebmade a shooing motion with his hands. “Let’s just get out therebefore I start hyperventilating.”
They filed out to standon the small pieces of masking tape that marked where each of thembelonged. Gleb looked up at the rows of seats. The Morales family wason the left side, many of them casting curious glances to the right.
On the right, Gleb’sfriends from the empire… the republic now… were smiling andwaving to him. The men all had ties wrapped around their necks likeEth. The women…
Gods! Glebthought. Are some of them wearing their dresses backwards?It seemed that those who’d received dresses with full backs wereable to work out, from the uncomfortable fit, that they had them onthe wrong way.
Others, with looser,deep-cut backs, were more of a problem. He could see at least fourthat had those dresses backwards. Oliv was sitting in the front rowwith her front open down past her navel.
Nothing had fallen out…yet, but it looked like just leaning forward to stand would give theattentive male crowd a magnificent view.
Two young Moralesmen, sitting in the front row with Eric and Emilawere gazing her way. Sheleaned forward to adjust a shoe that probably wasn’t quite hersize, and theyboth leaned in her direction
