Earth Star(73)

Marlise stood up. ‘My ode wasn’t sarcastic.’

‘Really? It sounded sarcastic to me. Ten thousand women falling in love with me!’

Marlise giggled. ‘That was just an estimate.’

‘Based on what exactly? Given the amount of time I’ve spent on assignment, living like a Deltan …’

She grinned. ‘We were allowing for the number of women who’ve seen the devastatingly handsome Drago Tell Dramis on Earth Rolling News.’

‘Stop calling me that!’

Drago kissed both my hand and Candace’s in farewell. The two laurel-crowned Military went out of the door, the sounds of their amicable argument receded down the corridor, and Playdon shook his head.

‘Your cousin seems … quite a personality, Jarra.’

Candace was watching me anxiously. ‘Jarra, whatever you’re planning, please don’t do it until Fian is awake.’

Playdon frowned, glanced at Candace and then at me. Candace obviously caught the byplay, because she turned to him.

‘I’ve had eighteen years of this, Dannel. I know the warning signs. The eager look in Jarra’s eyes, and the furrow in her forehead while she works out tactics. She’s got one of her wild ideas, and once she starts on one of those she gets totally carried away.’

She looked back at me. ‘Jarra, please don’t do anything until Fian is awake and you’ve talked it through with him. You grew up without a family, I did too, and I understand the attraction of being part of a Betan clan, but everyone knows about their sex vids and Fian is from Delta sector so …’

‘Candace, I promise I’m not going to make sex vids, and I won’t do anything without Fian’s agreement.’

‘I know you wouldn’t make …’ Candace broke off, interrupted by urgent chiming from her lookup. ‘Oh no! I’m urgently needed in Hospital Earth Europe Maternity.’

‘Go!’ I said. ‘I don’t know who’s having the baby, but babies don’t wait.’

‘No they don’t and I promised I’d be there.’ Candace hugged me and headed for the door. ‘Remember, Jarra, talk to Fian first!’

Candace was gone almost before she finished saying the words. She was right that Drago’s visit had given me an idea, and I was making plans, but she had no need to worry about me doing anything before Fian was out of the tank. I couldn’t get married without him.





21





Fian’s eyes opened. He lay perfectly still for a second, with a grim look on his face, then saw me sitting by his bed and smiled. ‘We’re both alive then.’

I had problems replying. I’d existed in a weird limbo since I woke up yesterday. Now Fian was back and I felt a sudden release of tension. I wanted to say something emotional, but there was a doctor hovering beside me. I could only manage a single word.

‘Yes.’

The doctor dived in between us for a moment, waved a scanner over Fian’s stomach, nodded, and then retreated out of the door.

Fian watched him go and then turned back to me. ‘The last thing I remember was my sled exploding. How long ago was that?’

‘Four days. You were unconscious when Playdon and the class took us to the evac portal. We’ve both been in tanks, but they decanted me yesterday. Playdon and Candace were here yesterday, and your parents are arriving today.’ I hurried on, eager to tell him my good news. ‘Drago and Marlise came to visit yesterday too and …’

‘Drago’s been flirting with you while I was stuck in a tank! That’s positively …’

I giggled. ‘Don’t be a nardle. Colonel Torrek sent them to check we had everything we needed. Anyway, Drago’s just got married to Marlise. On Earth, in a traditional Betan wedding ceremony, and we can do it too!’

I ended on a note of triumph, but he didn’t look as thrilled as I’d expected, just confused.

‘What?’

‘We don’t have to have a Betan ceremony of course,’ I added hastily. ‘We could do, because my clan are going to make me a proper clan member, but we can get married with a Deltan ceremony if that’s what you’d prefer.’

‘Married?’ Fian stared at me for a moment, and gave a little shake of his head. ‘Jarra, we can’t get married. Earth law says a couple need a minimum of three Twoing contracts that add up to at least a year before they can get married.’

‘Yes we can!’ I grinned at him. ‘Military regulations say personnel unable to travel due to medical conditions or because they’re on active service, can get married at their current location under the laws of a sector of their choice. We’re Military now, and my Handicap is a medical condition that prevents me travelling, so all we need is Colonel Torrek’s approval and we can get married under Epsilon law right away.’