Family Law 3: Secrets in the Stars (48 page)

The Maître D', having followed her, advised her, "Give it a little twist."

"On which axis?" Lee wondered.

The fellow couldn't hide his amusement. "Rotate it about the stem," he clarified.

When it came off in her hand it was surprisingly heavy. Lee rubbed it and sniffed it.

"Break the skin with your nails," he suggested.

"Oh! So strong," Lee said surprised when she inhaled again.

When they returned to the table the host summoned an attendant who brought a blender on a cart with ice loaded in it. He added sugar and the juice of the lemon, explaining what he was doing, shaving a little of the skin off with a special little tool. Then he surprised Lee by adding a dash of salt. The mix was blended briefly and the slurry presented to her in a small glass.

Lee thought she'd down such a small serving it in a few gulps, but was surprised at the intensity of the flavor. It was much better than any lemonade mix they'd carried exploring. She ended up taking small sips, and offered it to Gordon but he declined to taste it.

"We ordered our own while you were playing Farmer John," Gordon teased her.

"Thank you. That was fun," Lee told the host.

"Well if you get stuck on Earth again perhaps you can make your own way as a fruit picker," Gordon suggested. "It has to be pretty much the same, apples, lemons... whatever."

"Ah, I hate to shatter your dreams, but most fruit on Earth is picked robotically now, " Gabriel informed them. "In fact the trees are trimmed flat, like a lollipop," he illustrated with his hands, "and spaced closer together to let the machines harvest more efficiently. We harvest more by hand here than Earth, because we do dual use, putting them in parks."

"I'm going to get some trees like these," Lee vowed, "and put them on my island when I get around to building a house."

The Maître D' looked delighted and fussed with something on the cart before the man took it away. "Here is a start on your grove, my lady."

Lee looked at the napkin and the little pellets on it, uncomprehending.

"Those are the seeds from your lemon," he explained.

"Oh, they're, uh alive? I mean, I stick them in the ground?"

"Indeed you do," Gabriel confirmed. "I'm sure you can find detailed instructions on the web."

"Thank you," Lee said. She was really touched. The Maître D' just nodded, pleased, and went off.

Lee folded the napkin up and sealed it in a pocket. Dinner was Middle Eastern and very good. Lee had never had several items and even Gordon admitted a few things were new to him. They must have fed Derf before, because they filled Gordon up.

Chapter 29

Gabriel delivered them back to the hotel safely and showed them how they could access the hotel, including their private elevator, from the lower levels. He took his leave there, and thanked them for their company. Lee was quiet going to their rooms.

"A Home Bit for your thoughts?" Gordon inquired.

"Instead of a penny? Is that what a Bit is like, a penny?" Lee wondered. "I see pennies mentioned in a lot of old books, but I don't think I've ever seen one."

"I was just being cute, because the saying has stuck in the language for so long. Most early pennies were copper, not silver, so the Home Bits are really more like a dime. But they're all about the same size. I'll get you one of each while we're here," Gordon promised. "It's educational."

"I'd like that. I guess my thought is a question," Lee admitted. "Why did Gabriel just take us on a tour of Armstrong? Do you think he really decided to do that on his personal time? Or do you think April sent him?" Lee asked.

"Ah, I love a bargain. I get three questions for my one Bit," Gordon said.

"Well, they're pretty closely related," Lee said.

"Very well, I'll be equally generous with my answers," Gordon said. "Yes I think he came of his own initiative, on his own time. I think he's interested in
you
."

Lee looked shocked. "He's
much
too old for me!" Lee protested.

"How very interesting that you seem to have some specific standards in mind," Gordon said. "How young would a suitable Human male be for you to feel comfortable dating or receiving him as a suitor?"

"Closer to my own age I'd think!" Lee said, alarmed. "I'm not sure I'm ready to date anyone. I'm still trying to figure all this social stuff out. Some days I think the whole species is stark raving mad and despair I'm human. Anyway, isn't it looked down on in Human society to have an interest in a minor?"

"Yes, it is," Gordon agreed. "Does that mean you still self identify as a minor? Or just in this particular instance, not while doing business or exploring the Beyond?"

"I'm not at all confident how to handle such attention. So yes, I wouldn't go off on a date with Gabriel, any more than I'd take the comm on the
High Hopes
and start ordering the fleet around." Lee readily admitted.

"Hmm, interesting," Gordon said.

"I am not an
'interesting'
specimen of an alien species," Lee said, irritated with him. "You're supposed to be giving your me advice and encouragement. I believe one of your objectives was to socialize me to Human society?" Lee reminded him.

"Oh, it's
advice
you want? Well, I honestly think you have no idea how different you are. I can count the number of teenage girls who own starships and discover planets on one hand," Gordon said, raising a single digit and wiggling it. "With plenty of spares," he added, wiggling the single finger again if she didn't get it. "So if he regards you as adult I have to give him points rather than fault him. You do come to him wearing weapons and conducting your own business affairs.

"I'd guess Gabriel is impressed with what you've accomplished. He seems to worship the ground his Lady walks on, and I'll bet you are the closest thing to her he's seen in a long time. Maybe ever. Remember he even addressed you the same, quite naturally. I found that more telling than you seem to.

"I do know he's attracted to you. His eyes dilate and he smells different on meeting you, but I thought he was remarkably gentlemanly about not being too obvious. Unless you're an observant predator with keen senses like me."

"I really don't want to hear that," Lee said, uncomfortable.

"It's a necessary part of my advice," Gordon insisted. "I'm also guessing that when you live to a hundred and thirty three, and by all appearances still look forward to a great deal more life, it alters your view. The fact you may need to mature a little, both physically and socially isn't all that big a deal, because the time he'd invest waiting is no big deal. He has
lots
of time. Indeed, I imagine he'd regard waiting a decade for you to be able to return his interest, with the same patience I can have for something happening the day after tomorrow.

"In all honesty, I think you'd be bored to tears with a sixteen year old boy. You have no idea what teenagers talk about," Gordon said. "And you'd terrify a boy your own age with your interests and experiences. He wouldn't know how to respond at all. You simply don't
have
peers of your own age.

"These people must have very little regard for how old their friends and business associates are. What would it matter after a certain point? You don't even have the physical signs of age to mislead you about how wise or experience somebody
should
be," Gordon decided. "They have to have a completely different set of social standards and responses than short-lived Humans. I have to imagine how you
act
means more than your actual age."

"We're rich, and we know about life extension now," Lee said. "I guess we'll have the same advantage soon. Even if they don't have it all worked out for Derf yet, you're just middle aged. They should have it figured out before you're much older."

"Yeah, it feels weird. I was getting used to the idea of – OK, I've used up about half my life. Now I have to learn to think a completely different way," Gordon admitted. "This is going to terrify the Mothers as much as the Earth politicians. This will destabilize the clan system. I'm not sure I want to be the one to tell them."

"So, you don't think somebody as old as Gabriel is going to automatically think I'm naive beyond being anything but a source of humor?" Lee asked, backtracking a bit.

"I think he looks at you and knows that in an instant, to him, you
will
be old enough for him. If he likes what he sees in you now it's a safe bet you'll be even more interesting in just a few more years. Why not make sure you'll remember him and establish a relationship now? In a hundred years he'll be two hundred and thirty three, and you'll be a hundred and sixteen. And what will it matter then?" Gordon asked. "The longer you live the smaller the difference matters. If they get this life extension tech to work well enough, the differences will tend to become insignificant in time."

"OK, I'm not sure I can understand how that
feels
yet," Lee said, "but I understand it in the abstract. So there's no
rush
for me to feel comfortable or not, with him, is there?"

"I'd be very surprised if these folks
rush
at anything they don't have to. They're probably deeply suspicious of anything that requires rushing," Gordon speculated.

"Good then. I'll worry about Gabriel in a few
years
," Lee decided. "If that doesn't work for him he has the wrong motives. And by that time maybe I'll have some idea whether he's the sort of person
I
like or not. If I can ever get all this social stuff sorted out."

"I can teach you all sorts of things," Gordon said, "but you'll have to see to your own
tastes
."

But privately, Gordon liked Gabriel just fine. Not that he'd ever say that, and give Lee a reason to reject him just to be contrary. He wasn't a hundred percent sure about Human psychology, but the surest way for a potential Derf romance to be nipped in the bud was for the Mothers to give it their
blessing
.

They settled in to relax in their suite a bit. Gordon a little tired form the expedition, and Lee eager to get into the data she collected and search it for details of what April told them. Talker and Singer were consulting privately, and it appeared events had overwhelmed them so much they were forgetting to be adversarial. That amused her somewhat. It was good Gordon had given them a strong shove in that direction already.

* * *

Their lawyer John Bennett called, and looked distressed on com. "Gordon, I have Commissioner Bertrand on hold. He's running into some significant problems and called me as the principal writer of your claims and sought my advice. I'm sure this is not some
ploy
or political device. My assessment of the man was just like yours, he's scrupulous to a fault. However, he is terrified you will fault him for the problem."

"Go back to the man and assure him I won't bite his head off," Gordon instructed. "Then bring him in a conference call. If it seems wise I'll bring the alien spox in too."

"I'll rephrase it," John said. "I doubt you realize how graphic that expression is, coming from a Derf. He's on the edge of a meltdown already without that visual. But yes, I'll be right back," John promised.

"Lee honey, You'll want to hear this," Gordon called over his shoulder eschewing com.

Adrian Bertrand appeared on the split screen. He made John look calm by comparison.

"No need to be upset, Adrian," Gordon said, trying to calm him. "We'll talk things over and see if we can't help you with a solution. What's the matter?"

"You are aware I have to form a consensus for how I am going to administer a find?"

"Yes I remember you explained that went you oversaw the bidding for Providence," Gordon said. "I was impressed with your determination to keep everybody happy and still develop the find in an orderly manner. I felt you served us, and everybody else, marvelously. That's why we asked for you again."

"Your kind words are very much appreciated," Adrian said, but looking down. "The problem is not my own people, as perhaps you'd anticipate, but rather a rebellion of the smaller states. Not the charity cases who get an allowance from all the spacefaring nations, but the ones who have one or two armed starships. I never thought they'd object, but they're quite adamant we demand too much."

"There's so much there, we'll be exploiting it for generations," Gordon said. "I'm not at all disposed to argue if they want to have a bigger share, however you can arrange that without bending your rules too badly. Lee and I already have more than a sane person can need or spend. We don't have to grub after every centum."

"Ah, if only it were that simple," Adrian said. "Their objection isn't their portion. As you say, I could adjust that. They see this multitude of claims and know they are have pledged their ships to the defense of the whole. They can see they will all have to send their vessels for
months
just as escorts. None of them have budgeted for such extensive operations. We have perhaps unwisely encouraged that by sending the ships of the larger partners more often than not. Especially where more than one escort was called for and it seemed easier to send two ships from the same command, sharing a language.

"Now they see they'll be asked to send their ships and crew for long voyages, and likely be asked to service them and send them back out again, as soon as they return. We've never really asked them to fully hold up their end of the bargain before. Worse, the conflict among starfaring aliens you met and brought back complicate it. They might be asked not just to make long expensive tours, but if things go badly, to actually fight. They have very little appetite for it."

"I have to get Talker and Singer in here to hear this," Gordon decided. He got the aliens in physically behind him, not in the feed, and brought them up to speed on the difficulties.

"What does this mean if they refuse?" Talker asked. "Who has rights to the claims if the Claims Commission fails to guarantee it and parcel it out?"