also fairly sure several of the recent attempts on her life could be traced, if not to the old man’s door, then at least to his next-door neighbor’s.
Was it possible for Kris and Vicky to bury the hatchet between their two families?
And survive the experience?
Kris was willing to give it a try.
While keeping a careful eye on her back.
To her two great-grandfathers, Kris gave a noncommittal shrug. “Nelly, send my regards and compliments to all three flags, and tell them . . .” Now it was Kris’s turn to do some quick math. “It would take a good three days for all the different squadrons to finish their approaches to High Wardhaven station. Crossie, you invited them. Can you arrange to have them all docked somewhere close to the Wasp?”
“I can do that,” he assured her.
“Then, Nelly, tell them that they should feel free to call on me one hour after the last of them ties up.”
“I’m doing that, ma’lady,”
“Ma’lady?” the king said.
“Yes. Nelly is studying etiquette and protocol,” Kris said.
“A gal’s got to know how to fit into polite society,” Nelly announced for herself.
“A polite computer,” Crossie observed. “I wonder how that works.”
Kris was glad that none of the black-hearted seniors present extended that observation to the logical conclusion. The line between tactful diplomacy and bald-faced lying was often a thin one. Kris now had to watch that line very carefully with Nelly.
Not for the first time, Kris wondered if Nelly’s latest upgrade had been all that good an idea.
And not for the last time, she told herself that Nelly was Nelly, and her life would be a whole lot less fun without her pet computer/BFF.
Maybe if she kept telling herself that, it would get easier to believe it.
With a regal, if a bit limp, wave of the hand, King Raymond I dismissed Kris.
By Kris’s own count, there were still a whole lot of issues hanging fire between them. Still, she took the dismissal and moved out.
With luck, he’d be in a better mood the next time they butted heads.
4
With three days of hurry up and wait ahead of her, Kris found she had a little time on her hands.
The Wasp had already been moved into space dock before Kris got back from her little confab with her great-grandfathers. With dockworkers crawling all over the ship, Kris moved herself and her staff down to Wardhaven. Nuu House was waiting for her.
It was also empty except for the old family retainers. Harvey, her driver since first grade, and his wife, Loddy, the cook, made Kris and her staff feel right at home.
For a change, Kris did the dutiful-daughter things. She called to see if she could have supper with Father . . . the Prime Minister . . . and Mother.
Unfortunately, both of their schedules were too full to make room for the prodigal daughter.
No surprise there.
She did call her brother, Honovi. She was dutifully invited over to hold the new baby. Brenda, named for Kris’s mother, allowed her newly minted aunt to hold her, then promptly spit up on Kris’s blues and was removed by a nanny for cleaning.
Honovi was on a slow burn; he had not forgiven Kris for being included in the meeting with the Iteeche while he was given the bum’s rush by Grampa Ray. What with a small fleet of ships headed for Wardhaven, he and the prime minister had finally been brought fully up to speed. Still, he was not happy to be so late to the party.
Kris left after barely fifteen minutes.
“Oh, sis, I hear you’re leaving to explore the very heart of the galaxy,” Kris muttered to herself in her brother’s voice as Harvey drove her back to Nuu House. “I hope it won’t be too dangerous. Do take care of yourself, little sister,” she finished with a sigh.
Brother had mentioned that Father had been forced to call for new elections. The opposition insisted the present Parliament could not ratify the constitution the old Parliament had negotiated.
To Kris, that seemed quite reasonable, but somehow Brother made it all sound like it was Kris’s fault.
Given a choice between helping Brother and Father run for reelection and hunting the galaxy for bug-eyed monsters, Kris found BEMs winning by a nose.
Chasing pirates was a runaway favorite.
Family duties fulfilled, Kris looked for other fun. Taking a now-thirteen-year-old shopping sounded like just the ticket. Besides, Kris had been promising Cara a trip to the malls. Kris remembered what it was like to be young and have a