Government House
1.3.2114 1205 h.
Christian Somers sat at his desk, a large meatball sub from
Donati's sitting in front of him, with one bite out of it. 'They're
getting better.' he thought. 'Now that I told them how to change
the sauce mix. Won't be as good as Gus', because I can't get
some of the ingredients.'
He turned to the keyboard and began setting up a private file
with Carl, the master computerplex. He set it up so that Carl
could not speak of it to anyone- not even the Prime Minister
could not get access to this file. Especially Raven- she wasn't
going to get hold of this one! When he got it set to his liking, he
activated the sonic jamming and picked up the microphone.
"This file is about my children- all of them. The ones I sired,
and the ones I raised, even though I didn't sire them.
"Let's start at the beginning. My first child is Lily Rivers. I
fathered her with Guardian back in 2032. I didn't raise her, but,
I'm proud of her, like I am all of them. Very few people know
that I'm her father, but, that's all right. She knew. When she was
growing up, whenever she needed to talk, she would contact me
and we would get together. Lily's now the U.N. Commissioner of
Fresh Water Conservation, and a consultant here in Government
House.
"The next child is Sophia Marie, my first child with Raven.
She's definitely Mama's little girl! Born back in 2088, she joined
the Marines, passed VS training, commanded a CT unit, and now,
a mother herself. Being a mother, first to Casey, then to the
triplets and Evan's son Chad, is the best thing that has happened
to her. She's happy now, and I'm proud of her, for being what
she is.
"Next, my first boy, Christopher Robin. Born two years ago,
with mastery over time itself. He's now 20 bio, taking VS
training, out on his own, and doing part-time work here in
Government House. I wish I could have spent more time with
him, because he is so much like me in temperament. He loves me,
and I him, but we just can't be as close as I would want to be. He
knows I'm available whenever he wants me.
"Now, to my two little girls, Naia and Willow. Naia is mine
and Raven's daughter, born six weeks ago by calendar, but is
about 4 �. When Raven came up pregnant, we went into her time
closet and spent five years there, raising her. She's a magician,
adept in both regular and primordial magic. Also, she has access
to the 'lavender', or creation magic. She also is a powerful
levitator, only recently getting control of it. I called her 'my little
balloon', because she floated around so much, we needed to put
her in a harness and leash, so she wouldn't float away.
"Willow is my second daughter with Guardian. When Raven
was going through the 'little death' last year, Guardian came to
me, saying that not only did I need this to help me cope with
Raven's illness, but that this girl is to be Stormlord's mate, when
she matures.
"Willow is being fostered with Sophie. I don't know if
Willow knows that I am her father, but, it doesn't matter. Both
she and Naia are aging at four times normal, so they will be the
same age. We are encouraging them to think of themselves as
sisters, which, in truth, they are. Half-sisters, at any rate.
"These are the children I have now. Tomorrow, at lunch, I'll
talk about those I had to leave behind. The ones Andrew told me
about the last time I took a heavy nap. The ones I now remember,
the ones I loved so much."
Chris stopped dictating then, because his throat was too tight.
Saving his diary by touch, he then finished his lunch and went on
with his job, that of being Deputy Prime Minister of Sagania.
2.3 2114 1205 h.
"Today, I will talk about the child who meant the most to me
uptime. This one we had together. His name was Gabriel Ryan.
He was also a big challenge to me, because I had to raise him
myself- Raven had worked herself into such a state over her father
that after Gabe was born, she fell asleep. She stayed that way for
23 years!
"Gabriel was my little boy, the one I have always dreamed of
having. We were always very close, sharing many interests. One
interest he had that I share to a degree was music. He was as good
a musician as Marty DuQuesne. I know he had an influence on
Raven- that CD she, Marty, and Remmy released last week has
some of his music on it.
"You can imagine my surprise when he appeared at the
Mardi Gras party last week. He told us that Grandmother sent
him down to us for the day, and she would send one of our
children down every year for as long as the parties last, then,
when she brought them back, they would forget that they ever
came down, to preserve the timeline.
"It was so good to see him young and healthy again- the last
time I saw him, he was on his deathbed, at a bio-age of 96. Raven
and I aged slowly, one year for every 1,000 that went by, but he,
like most of our children, aged more rapidly- one year for every
750. Also, Stephen's antigeria procedures would not work on us
or our children- something to do about an incompatible
biochemistry." Chris stopped then, to gather himself- he was
almost in tears. Ten minutes later, after downing half of his triple
grilled cheese on sourdough, he picked up the microphone again.
"In all his life, we only had one serious argument- that was
about 5,000 years in. I was Raven's receptionist and secretary,
taking in intervention requests, screening then, and preparing
reports for her decision. Well, I had just installed a new high-
speed surround-view interface, and I needed a person to take over
the receptionist duties. I wanted Gabe, because I didn't want him
risking his neck outtime. Well, eight months in, we got into a
donnybrook that sent ripples rumbling throughout TGHQ. The
result was that he did not seek me out for 55 years. I apologized
in less than six months, but, he wouldn't give in for years. We did
reconcile. Thank you, Gabe, for visiting. I love you so much. Of
all the boys, you were the closest to me."
Chris shut down his diary, went into the bathroom, and cried
openly until it was time to go back to work. He was glad his next
official duty wasn't until 3 P.M., so he could work without
looking like he had been upset.
3.3.2114 1202 h.
"Let me see- I talked about Gabe yesterday. Who today?
Gareth, that's who. Gareth Tristan Somers ap Pendragon. He was
Raven's first child that she brought back to the guild. His father
was, in that timeline, King Arthur Pendragon. Yes, that King
Arthur. Gareth was a good boy when he was growing up, not
getting into too much trouble. He was a specialist in field
leadership, low-tech lines. He really got a baptism by fire when
he was drafted to be King in his home timeline. When that
damned sword appeared in the fountain at TGHQ it set up a real
ruckus!
"When he wasn't being a leader, he was the one I drafted to
be my aide and Raven's receptionist. He was very good at the job-
better than me, but I'm not going to tell Raven that! He
succeeded me, for a time, in my post, but Jaclyn has a better
aptitude. Fortunately, Gareth realized it.
"One thing about Gareth- all our kids have at least one major
power. Gabe's is his incredible music sense, Gareth is one of the
best psychokinetics around. He could thread a needle a mile
away, or lift several tons at a time. The fine stuff he practiced
constantly, but the heavy stuff carried a price- after a minute or
so, he has to recharge his batteries- with blood. It takes about a
quart to juice him for another minute.
"Gareth is one of the kids who is nearly immortal- Laurel
being the other. He married Stephen's youngest daughter and had
five kids with her. We had a good working relationship, but, he
wasn't as close to me as Gabe was. Whenever you are, my son, I
wish you well. Long live the king!
"Robin is another child who ages slower than me and Raven,
but, he has a side effect- he doesn't stop growing! It's real slow,
but, by the time we left, he was almost 9 feet tall! Also, his wife,
kids, grandkids, great-grandkids, and great-great-grandkids are
conspiring to keep him at TGHQ instead of going outtime- they're
keeping him overfed! I remember when he was a skinny little kid-
now, I look at him, the picture of health, at 6'10" and 225
pounds, and have to force myself not to laugh thinking about him
at 8'11" and 850#, with graying hair and a huge family feeding
him up!"
Chris laughed at the memory, closed the file, and finished his
fruit salad. "This is what made me think of him. We never could
talk him into a diet!" he said quietly as he put the empty plate in
the return box.
4.3.2114 1225 h.
Chris opened the private file as he opened his brown bag
lunch- as he expected, the meeting ran long, so he prepared for it.
He took a bite of the home-cured ham sandwich, liberally coated
with hot honey mustard, and ordered his thoughts as he chewed.
After chasing the bite with a slug of iced tea, he picked up the
mike.
"Today I will discuss what may be my greatest
disappointment of all my children- the twins, Kyle and Karen.
We were past the 50K mark, but, it was too quiet around the
house. Stephen warned us that there were risks of defects, but, we
tried anyway. We had been lucky, so far.
"Well, the first thing we noticed was that it was difficult to
separate them when they were babies. They would fuss and cry a
lot if they were out of sight or touch of each other! As they grew
older, they told us that they felt very uneasy if they were apart.
We were glad that they developed telepathy before they turned 6,
but, we couldn't get them out of range of each other.
"Their real powers didn't blossom until puberty. They
became a fearsome team of fighters, working together seamlessly.
Their offensive energy-projection power, as well as their
defensive force screens, only worked if they were close together.
Plus, it became impossible to separate them by more than five
miles- if we tried, one or the other would teleport to the other's
side. It was like there was only one soul, split into male and
female bodies, which could not be divided for long. If they were
put in such a position where they could not teleport to each
other, they fell into a coma until they could be reunited.
"This problem of theirs did not keep them from rapidly rising
to the top of the Black Hand forces- they were also the best pair
of second-story people and outright thieves we in the Guild ever
had. Lefty loved them, but became so pissed off when they took
control of the Black Hand away from him in a surprise challenge
that he took Melissa and went on vacation- for almost 4,000
years! When he returned, they gave control of the Black Hand
back to him, running better than he ever managed, and told him
that they wanted to work, not rule!
"Those two didn't produce any children, having eyes only for
each other. They died relatively young, only living 20,000 years
or so before vanishing on a mission. Andrew told me and Raven
that they had passed on, giving us all the details. It was one of the
few times that Andrew barged in on us in our bedroom uninvited.
He just appeared one night, told us what happened, said that he
would see us later separately, and left. We cried ourselves to
sleep together that night, Raven and I.
"What disappointed me about those two is that they really
didn't take to me much. They took more to Raven in learning
fighting and larceny. Oh, they loved me, and said so, and were
sincere about it, but, we just operated on separate wavelengths.
Fortunately, these two escaped Raven's vampiric tendencies
completely. To your memories, Kyle and Karen. May you remain
happy together for all time." Chris said, raising his tea glass high.
6.3.2114 1245 h.
"Today, let me say a few words about a really unusual child-
Sky Fire. Sky was, well, ordained to be. She gave Raven all sorts
of difficulties both before and after birth. This led to all sorts of
engineering problems at the Guild, but we triumphed- I think
Schuyler loved the challenge. She was born for one job- to tame
Tajani Mash. She did, before he died, of loneliness is what we
suspected. But, she found her complement, and now assists my
dear mother-in-law in keeping the cosmos orderly. I know she
looks in on Raven constantly. My only wish is that I could have
enjoyed her when she was young. Helped raise her. But, if I tried,
she might have killed me permanently- what a hell kitten she was!
But, Raven is proud of her, and so am I. Be well, little kitten. Go
with my love, for whatever it means to you."
Chris brushed the crumbs off his lavender tie, the one with
the white dragon pattern. Closing the file, he plunged into his
papers- he had a VS meeting at 2 P.M., and the Gold Rose had to
be adequately prepared.
8.3.2114 1205 h.
Chris settled behind his desk, with his lunch- deep-fried fish
and chips today, with a large bottle of iced tea.
Munching on a piece of fish, he opened his private file,
activated the sonic dampener, and picked up the microphone.
"I know, I missed yesterday. Spring training opened yesterday
for the SBA, and I wanted to catch the first game down at
Petoskey Field, the New Hope Spirits playing the Klammerhavn
Blizzard. It was a wild game- the Spirits were trailing 6-3 into the
8th, scored two, then one more in the 9th to send the game into
extra innings. The Blizzard scored in the top of the 12th, but the
Blizzard reliever who came in the game in the bottom of the 12th
just didn't have his stuff. The Spirits scratched out a run to tie the
game again, then, with the bases loaded and one out, the catcher
for the Spirits, Darren Milan, who homered back in the 3rd, sent a
2-1 pitch somewhere into the parking lot! If this is just spring
training, I can't wait for the season!"
Chris paused to eat some more of the fish and chips- Raven,
though she doesn't eat anything but blood, sure could cook! He
soon resumed talking.
"Well, after that ball game description, I think I'll talk about
the one boy we had who was such an avid sportsman and
competitor, he would travel outtime to find the best competition.
Patrick Kelly Somers. 'The Adrenaline Junkie' as Raven called
him. We loved him, and him us, but, he was so driven to win that
we rushed him through T.G. training so he could use a D-hopper
and go outtime. We guided him to where his competitive
tendencies could be used for the most good.
"Many times, when he was young, I would take him to
different sporting events, to see them live. We enrolled him in
Ranger training when he was 12, to hone and focus him properly.
"Of my children, Patrick liked doing many things with me
and Raven. His special gift was a physically perfect body,
excellent eye-hand coordination, lightning-like reflexes, a self-
depreciating wit, and a devil-may-care attitude. He also got to be
close with Stephen, Penny, Alex, and the rest of the medical staff,
because he had to be snatched from the brink of death many
times and re-assembled. Andrew used to joke about Patrick being
one of the most difficult entities he ever faced- every time he
came to collect Patrick, we would snatch and heal him.
"The closest we came to losing him was when he tried to
climb the Giant Tree of Kyle Murre. His eagerness to climb to the
very top angered the guardians of the tree, so, they pushed him
off from the top. When we snatched him home, he had fallen
three kilometers, bouncing off many limbs, breaking almost every
bone in his body. It took almost two years for him to heal and
rehabilitate. It was after that when he took up orbital skydiving.
"With all that he did, what finally killed him was fairly
ironic. He was home, raising a family himself, when he took a fall
playing with his boys, breaking an arm. The regenerative therapy
went wrong, which led to bone necrosis. It took Patrick almost
three years to die, fighting all the way. Of all my children, he
loved life the most. Andrew told us that Patrick fought hard when
he was finally taken, only relenting when Andrew spoke of how
well he knew us, his parents. Be happy, Patrick, and, play ball!"
Wiping his face with his napkin, Chris finished his lunch,
sealed the file, and went on with his interminable paperwork.
"Men may work from sun to sun, but the paperwork is never
done." he muttered as he worked.
"And you wouldn't have it any other way, Dad." Robin said
from the doorway.
Chris looked up from his desk with alarm. "How long have
you been there?" he squeaked.
"Only a few seconds. Just wanted to thank you again for
taking us to the game yesterday. I'm sorry we had to leave right
after the winning hit, but, we were late. Shawn was so impressed,
he used his influence to get season tickets to the Spirits this year,
field level." Robin said, taking a seat.
"Really? That must have set him back a bit." Chris said,
settling back in his chair, breathing easier.
Robin grabbed the last piece of fish from Chris' desk and ate
it. "Not as much as you think- he challenged Buster Keyrouse for
his tickets, and won." he said after swallowing.
"Oh, really? What did he challenge him to?"
"Shooting pool. Since we got a pool table last month, he's
been practicing. The only one who can beat him is Brett. I won't
even try any more."
"Remind me not to try. I'm glad you came by, but, I got a
meeting at 2:30 with the Foreign Minister of Australia, and I have
to get ready." Chris said, indicating his papers.
"Of course, Dad. Going to come by for the beachfront
barbecue Saturday night?" Robin asked.
"We all will. Thanks for the invitation."
"Hey- it's our first party. The water's warm enough for us
regular people, so, let's have fun!" Robin hugged his father, then
disappeared in a flash of silver light.
"I'm so glad that Robin and Patrick got along so well
uptime. Knowing what will happen to him, even though he
doesn't, makes me glad for what Mentat discipline training I
could take from old Thufir Hawat after I arrived. I used to think
this job was so hard, now, I have to work hard to make it look
hard!" he thought with a soft chuckle as he went back to his
briefing papers.
9.3.2114 1208 h.
Chris, once again, settled down to lunch- a roast beef sub, on
Raven's homemade sub roll, with lettuce, tomato, onion, and
barbecue sauce. Exquisite, as usual. He thought about his
preference for brown-bagging his lunch, or ordering out, then
eating at his desk, instead of the executive dining room. 'Well,
just because I'm the Deputy Prime Minister doesn't change who
or what I am- if I'm going to do this job, I'm going to do it my
way!' he thought with a laugh. After finishing half his sandwich,
he opened his private file.
"Let's see- who can I talk about today?" he said, looking
around his office. His eyes settling on a thick law book, he came
to a decision.
"Ah, yes. That's who. Katherine Louise. Katie the
bookworm. She, of all the kids, was the only one who wasn't
physically attractive, being short, dumpy, and needing corrective
lenses to see farther than five meters past her nose. She made up
for her lack of looks by having one of the finest minds for facts,
figures, and especially the law the Guild had ever found.
"She had a wonderful personality, as many of the boys at the
Guild would have discovered if they had the patience to find out.
Fortunately, some of them did, and, one of them did catch her.
Brian and Katie had a happy life together, going on low-stress
missions designed to bring law and order to different places,
restoring order out of chaos, him as the sheriff, her as the
attorney.
"Brian had one low-level talent, one that I have as well. He
was able to cloak an area in shadow or darkness. This was good,
because it was the only thing that would calm Katie down when
she lost her temper. Fortunately, that didn't happen often. When
she did, look out, because she shifted then, changing into a Hulk-
like form, big, strong, and almost mindless. The longer she stayed
mad, angry, and thwarted, the bigger and stronger she grew,
smashing her way through anyone and anything until she calmed
down, or had her head wrapped in darkness. That calmed her
down. When calm, she would not remember getting mad. The
only evidence of it were her torn clothes and an incredible
appetite later.
"When we left the Guild, Katie was still happily married to
Brian, in charge of the library complex at the guild, with eight
children, still going on the occasional outtime mission, but not
often, because, at her age, she's getting old and quite big around.
She's one who has better than mine and Raven's aging rate, with
an aging ratio of 1:1100, instead of 1:1000, like us. Here's to you,
Katie Kaboom, Daddy's big girl! With my love, whenever you
are!" Raising his tea glass high, he toasted her memory. Then, he
rubbed his arm absently, remembering the time when his little girl
first blew up, breaking his arm in six places!
As he sealed the file, he said to himself sadly, "I wish I had
Raven's skills in drawing- I want to have pictures of them all, to
look at and hold. All I have are memories. I want something more
tangible!" He thought about Raven's painting the pit, but, that
was a 200-year project, and he didn't want to wait that long!
Finishing his sandwich, he plunged back into the paperwork-
another damned diplomatic trip was coming up next week, and he
had to get the details straight. Africa this time- three nations in
five days, all clamoring for better deals with Sagania- more access
to War Heaven, better deals for starships, more favorable service
rates. Time to break out the heavy lumber with these petty
tyrants- wrapped in velvet shadows, of course!
10.3.2114 1215 h.
"Who today, who today. Well, since I have just spent all
morning in the hospital getting my semi-annual physical, I'll talk
about Laurelyn Amethyst. Everyone else called her Amy, but, to
me, she was Laurel.
"I did not sire her, Andrew did. Andrew is the embodiment
of Death in the multiverse- not a god of death, but Death itself.
Raven met him at Munden's in Cynosure shortly after we went
uptime. 'He' is a misnomer, being a deity, but, seeing he was a
male at the time, she named him Andrew. When he takes on a
female aspect, we call her Andrea.
Well, being Death, the one thing he wanted was to create a
life, instead of ending it. Raven, having access to the creation
magic, was able to provide Andrew with what he wanted- a child.
Laurel. Raven was getting old then- she was nearing 60,000
years, but, Andrew insisted that the time was right. Seeing as the
house was rather quiet after Kay and Ky moved on to their
careers, she agreed.
"Laurel, it turned out, was the easiest pregnancy Raven had.
She was a beautiful baby, with those wonderful purple eyes
looking at me. She knew that Andrew was her father, but I was
her dad. By the time she was 20, her talents had definitely
surfaced- she is a healer, and a good one.
"She, of all the children, doesn't age at all- when we left, she
was 40,000 years old, and still looks like she's maybe 25. Tall,
willowy, absolutely beautiful, she really went out of her way to
make me happy and proud of her. Don't worry, Laurel, I am.
Very proud of you indeed.
"She is such a good healer, she can, will, and does challenge
her father over some of the people he would take. She, to the best
of my knowledge, has won every one of those fights. It is also the
only time she ever fights anyone- she is the best purely defensive
warrior anyone has ever seen- Marcus once fought her for 12
hours before giving up in disgust- he couldn't score a touch on
her, and she wouldn't try to touch him! Raven wouldn't try to
fight her, after she taught her how to fight, of course.
"Laurel, I miss you. I'm happy that you're living your life,
but, I wish you could visit once in a while." Chris put his head on
the desk and wept softly for a while, letting his grief out.
When he raised his head, there was a note stuck to his
monitor. It said simply, 'Dawson Park, Morris Crossing, 10 P.M.
Be there.' There was a mark on the note- a purple caduceus.
'Morris Crossing is the town nearest the house- I can flick
to one of the town booths and answer this call- it has to be
Laurel- it has to be!' Chris thought exuberantly.
It was an effort to get through the tedium of the day, but, he
managed. He went home, spent time with Raven and Naia, put
Naia to bed, then, saying he had a late conference call with
someone in New Delhi, he flicked out- but not to his office.
Appearing in Morris Crossing, he walked the mile to the
park. Sitting on a bench, he looked at the stars, it being a clear
night. After a time, he heard a faint, familiar crackle.
Chris looked toward where he heard the sound- as he hoped,
Laurel stood there. Eagerly, Chris got up and hugged his
daughter. "Hello, Daddy." she said, hugging him in return.
They chatted for many hours, happily visiting. Before dawn,
she said that she had to go. Laurel gave Chris a small photo
album, containing pictures of all of his children from uptime at
various ages. "Now, don't tell Mom I was here- she'd get upset.
You wanted to have many of your uptime memories blocked, so
you wouldn't be a big target. But, I knew that your memories
would torment you, so, I came back to visit. Keep up your diary,
because it is good for you." she told him.
Then, she reached in her purse. "I have one more gift for you-
promise Mom you won't tell how you got it." she said with a
smile. When he promised, she pulled out a steaming package,
wrapped in wax paper. A heavenly aroma reached their nostrils.
"Is that what I think it is?" Chris asked, salivating heavily.
"It is- a meatball sub to go from Gus' at Guild Central!" she
said. Handing him the sub, she reached back into her purse and
pulled out a large bottle of iced tea, also from Gus'.
Kissing him, she said, "Got to go, Daddy. I love you." then,
she vanished. Chris sat there for a while, holding the picture
book, sub, and tea, then got up and walked slowly to the transfer
booth and home.
Raven had been silently watching from a nearby tree- Amy
had tipped her off to the visit earlier, and had managed to
convince Ethan to watch his little sister while she watched the
visit. She knew about Chris' diary, reading it every night while
Chris slept. She knew about how badly he missed the uptime
children, after watching his reaction to Gabriel's visit during
Mardi Gras. She could smell the sub as well, and it brought back
a lot of pleasant memories from uptime.
13.3.2114 1200 local
"Today, I'm dictating this in my pocket memocorder from my
room in the Saganian Embassy in Kinshasa, Zaire. Since Laurel
gave me the photo album last week, I've finally got pictures of all
the kids, both ours and hers.
"First born was Sky Fire, the Dragon Keeper. She was born
early on, at the 3K mark. My beautiful hell kitten. I know you
still look after us. I trust your discretion. My love to you, and to
my dear, sweet, unseen mother-in-law. You were the first of her
direct assistants.
"Next is Gareth, at 6K. His majesty, the telekinetic. My
assistant for centuries, when he wasn't being a king somewhere.
He married Stephen's youngest, and is still happily married. I
sincerely hope.
"Next, Halea at 9K. Another of my mother-in-law's aides.
She has the memories of everyone who has ever crossed Death's
door. Everyone. I don't envy you your job, little one.
"Then, my firstborn uptime, and personal joy, Gabriel, at
10K. You lived a good life, son, but you died far too soon, at the
82K mark in our terms. It was so good to see you again, back at
Mardi Gras.
"Shortly after, at 11K+, Michael Donovan Somers. Raven
never told me who his father was. He enlisted in the Rangers at
the Guild when he was old enough. He rose rapidly through the
ranks, but, he died in action at the 22.5K mark. To your memory,
my boy.
"Next on the list, at 20K, was Patrick Kelly Somers, the
athlete. You died too young also, of a freak mishap with the
regenerator. You fought hard, and your sons grew up strong and
well. We made sure of that.
"15 years after Patrick, came Jarred Elias, the Chronomaster.
Jarred's father was Harry Tophet, at an early stage in his career.
He kept Harry at bay, away from the Guild. We didn't see much
of Jarred after he went to Gilliland for education, but, we
treasured his appearances.
"Then, at 37K, came our first daughter, Sydney Samantha.
She, of all the kids, didn't get much in the way of gifts, but, what
she had, oh, wow! What a looker! When we left, she was getting
pretty old, but she still retained her looks.
"At 45K, came Katherine Elaine, or, as I called her
affectionately, Katie Kaboom. Short, fat, but very smart, she's
still kicking- even when she doesn't lose her temper!
"Then, the twins, Kay and Ky, at 52K. Two of the best sneak
thieves we ever had. I still wonder what happened to them.
"Next in line, at 60K, came Laurel, the healer. Mother's third
servant. I saw her last week. Thank you for the visit- and the
meatball sub from Gus'!
"Then, our last child uptime at the 71K mark, Elisondra.
Poor Eli, dying much too young. She was only 5 when we lost
her, about the same age as Naia and Willow are now. I still cry
for you, my little angel. Be happy, wherever you are. Daddy still
misses you." Chris stopped then and put the memocorder away,
because he was crying too hard.
15.3.2114 1130 h.
Saganian Embassy,
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
"It has been a rough day. Yesterday, after lunch, I was in a
meeting in Mombasa when I got an urgent summons home. It
turns out that my twins, Kay and Ky, who mysteriously died on a
mission, died here, on this timeline, in the manor, delivering a
new power cell for the regenerator. I saw them die, in front of me
and Raven. For me to mourn them twice is three times too often.
"I have come to a decision. At the beach party on Saturday, I
am going to beg Robin to take over my position as Deputy Prime
Minister when Brett takes over the Prime Minister spot next year.
It means that he will have to take VS training part-time, so I can
train him in my job, but, he will understand.
"After being the chief aide at the Guild for so long, I find that
I have lost my taste for politics. I just want to live my life without
stress. To make only the decisions a retired gentleman has to
make. I'm not going to give up being the Gold Rose, or my seat
on the Emeritus Committee, but I just want to get out of
government. It's been fun, but the fun's gone now. I'd quit
immediately, but, the country would suffer, and that will never
happen, so long as I still draw breath.
"Raven is the wild one of us, but I'm just as determined, only
in a different way.
"Well, one more meeting, then it's time to go home. From
now on, it's no more mister nice guy. VS is going to check out
this creep of an emperor here. If he is as he appears, he's not
going to be emperor long. Demanding that the Sagans born here
be denied Saganian citizenship, to be impressed into his service at
his whim. Enjoy it now, Haile Selassie V, because you won't
enjoy it long."
Chris shut off his memocorder, shut down the anti-
eavesdropping gear, and went to his meeting, hiding his outrage
behind an impeccable mask. Personal pleasures would have to
wait- now is the time not to act tough, but to be tough.