Somebody Else's Space Program
---
Chapter Thirty One
Dinner was animated, as Ross and Drum caught up the years' separation. Drum talked about his family and his work, especially the problems he was having getting funding. "On the other hand, I have some really good people working on my computers -- I'll bet you we're years ahead of you on them."
"How many rockets do you blow up a month?"
Drum scowled, and sighed. "Too many. We have to sit down and compare notes. You might be able to see something I've missed."
Talk late into the night in Drum's office. Drum poured for both of them. "To getting our birds off the ground in one piece."
Ross laughed and drank, then said, "Oh, have you given up on staging? That might be your problem."
"You know what I meant."
The years apart were gone. Still... Drum toyed with his glass, not looking at Ross. "You didn't say anything about your family." A quick glance up, "Are you with her? Mairyonven?"
"I'm not involved with anyone. Mairyonven's a friend."
"I guess that's an answer. Actually, finding you with a wife and kids would have surprised me."
"Me, too. I've been way too busy."
"That's not what I mean, and you know it." Drum sat the glass down on the desk with perhaps a bit too much force, and his eyes came up, facing the problem. "Were you making a pass at me, out there?"
Ross toyed with his glass, swirling the liquid around inside gently. "I don't know what answer you want from me."
"I'd like the truth."
Just a faint hint of a smile, "No. I wasn't making a pass. I remember what you said about Jheraind courting me. I don't offer where I know I'll be refused."
That bit of teasing flooded back into Drum's memories. "Did he make you what you are? _Did_ he seduce you?"
Drum expected anger, or laughter. Instead, Ross took a large gulp of alcohol. "No. No one made me what I am. As for Jheraind... he died, shortly after I went to work for him. He never touched me." Deep sadness in the voice.
"Not because he didn't want to."
"Not because he didn't want to. He was waiting for me to become an adult." Ross looked up, "Did you _want_ me to make a pass?"
A bit too emphaticly, "_No_." Ross grinned at Drum. More calmly, "No. I want to be able to trust you, and I'm not sure I could if I thought..."
Ross actually giggled, which startled Drum. "I'm going to let you worry about it. You're safe from me, Drum, until you approach _me_."
Drum stared at Ross for a long moment, then laughed. "That isn't going to happen."
"I didn't think it would."
---
Drum woke up with his head pounding. He rolled over, "How much did we have to drink last night?"
The body on the other cot just drew the covers up over his head. "Mutered, "More than I have had since I left home."
"Oh, the hruss don't drink?"
The cot creaked warningly, "_I_ don't drink, not any more."
"Wise man." Drum staggered to his feet and headed for the washroom, where he plunged his head under cold water.
---
Coffee and orange juice and muffins. Mairyonven tasted the foods gingerly. Ross passed her a small bowl of honey. "You're used to more sweetness."
She smiled at Ross. "Yes. I remember how you reacted to our food the first time. Have you ever gotten used to it?"
"It's still more than I care for, but it isn't startling."
Patricia arrived with the morning mail. She looked at Ross, then over at Drum. "You're awake already? You were still yowling at four in the morning."
Ross rolled his eyes. "_That_ explains why I was drinking so much -- throat lubricant. Yowling?"
"A charitable description, at best," she said. "I couldn't understand a word of it, either."
Ross spread honey on one of the muffins, took a thoughtful bite. "War chants. It had to be. What got me started on _those_?"
Drum blew on the fresh cup of coffee, took a sip of it. "I told you to stop singing love songs."
"Ah. Right." Bite of muffin, "They weren't aimed at you."
"I know. They weren't aimed at _anyone_ -- I think that's your problem. You're just floating there."
"Right now, yes. That will change." Ross picked up another muffin, looked at it appraisingly. Then he threw it at Drum, barely missing a hastily lowered coffee cup. "You're not on the list."
"The more you tell me that, the more I wonder if you believe it."
Mairyonven giggled. "Ross, behave. Or are you trying to provoke him into hitting you?"
"If he hasn't by now, he won't unless I actually grab at him."
Pat looked from Ross to Drum and flushed furiously. She handed Drum an envelope. "I'll file the rest of these."
"You'll leave them on my desk until I look at them." Drum opened the one envelope, read the contents. "Well. That renders the question moot. We're being reassigned. The Army is taking over the project." He carefully folded the letter and put it back into the envelope. His hand was trembling.
"You knew it was going to happen, eventually."
"I was hoping to slide under their field of vision until I had something less usable as a weapon and more as a vehicle."
Ross looked over at Mairyonven. "You could come to work for us."
"No. Not while it's still weapons we're working on. Arthulais is at peace with Trafford, yes. Right now. I'm not risking my country's safety just..."
Ross's hands came up, stop, enough. "You're angry because I left."
"Your aunt and uncle would never have paid for your school. I don't see how you had any other choice."
"No matter how I paid my tuition?"
This time, _Drum_ blushed. "I didn't think that."
"The thought crossed your mind. You chased it away. And it isn't true. I'm still not sure why the hruss _did_ foot the bill, though... Mairyonven?"
Her hand came up. "Jheraind made the arrangements. No one ever asked him 'why', at least in this matter."
"Who's paying for it?"
"The royal family -- from a different source than the national budget. It's a private project, not part of the government."
Drum took another sip of coffee. "That's interesting."
---
Pat, talking to Mairyonven. "You weren't kidding me when you said he wouldn't be interested."
"Did you think I was keeping him for myself?" she laughed.