Lyon's Pride (42 page)

*   *   *

The news was all over the ship before Thian finished the further report and the orders he was to relay from Earth Prime. It didn't matter that Rojer and Clancy had been instrumental in its dissemination. The promotion was official and everyone went about their duties grinning: Ashiant was a popular man.

“So, our orders are to make our quadrants of this great galaxy safe for us harmless Human and 'Dini colonists,” Rojer said when they were all back in their quarters. Thian was grooming Mur and Dip, a pleasant task he enjoyed but had had little time to do.

“We signed up for a five-year mission,” Thian reminded him.

“That could have some dangerous moments, too,” Clancy said in a hopeful tone. “But Cousin Raven's correct. There's a lot more to be done to see if we can't alter the Hivers sufficiently to reduce the threat they pose.”

“Did those boffins at Phobos Base discover how to communicate with the Spheres?” Rojer asked, remembering that unresolved line of endeavor.

“Who knows? We destroyed all the Spheres they could have talked to. But there's got to be some way to establish contact. Communication might even explain to them—in a much nicer way—that what they're doing isn't currently acceptable social behavior,” Clancy said facetiously. “That would settle the problem and we'll divvy the available M-5s equally among us.”

“Only the Hivers would want to be more equal than the rest of us,” Rojer said. “They breed faster.”

*   *   *

By evening everyone knew of Ashiant's promotion and he had to tour the messes on all the nearby ships to take the toasts due his new rank. When Alison Anne got off duty, Rojer insisted that he could as easily 'port the Admiral wherever he needed to go, so Thian should go enjoy dinner with Greevy and Clancy.

“You know, don't you,” Alison said, a certain remonstrating tone in her voice as she fixed Thian with what she called her “nurse glare,” “that
you
should have had the promotion? You're the one that thought of the idea that got Ashiant his promotion.”

“Come on, now, honey,” Thian said, putting his fingers on her mouth and trying to make it curve up into a smile. “Ashiant deserves his admiral stars. Don't deny him.”

“But does
he
realize that without you Primes,” and she included Clancy in her gaze and rattled her fingers at Rojer in the ready room, “he'd be in deep kimchee right now with Spheres doing billiard balls with him the eight ball.”

“Honey,” and Thian's voice rose above her unexpected championship of Talents. He patted the chair beside him for her to take. “We're all in the same boat, win or lose. We did win, if that's what killing all your enemies is about.” With a deft snake of his arm, he pulled her to his lap, though her body resisted him, tense and unrepentant. He kissed the nape of her neck and felt her give just a little. “Look at it from my point of view, hon. I'm just not supposed to be a combatant at all. I'm supposed to 'port and 'path and that's all I did.”

“Yes, but that's what won the war for Ashiant…”

“…and all of us, love. And that's the only time in my life I hope I'll have to do
that
! Don't you?”

He tried to turn her head toward him so he could look her in the eye. And then, those tactics unsuccessful, he tried another one.

I've asked Grandfather to send Rojer to the
Columbia
and Asia. He's really missing her.
…

“Oh, did you, Thian darling!” She was suddenly supple in his arms again and twisted to put hers around his neck.

Neither noticed Clancy's discreet withdrawal, with Mur and Dip, through the ready room.

“Oh, what a marvelous idea. I mean, we've still got years of this mission and I think Rojer's really and truly in love with her…”

Thian was more interested in cuddling Alison's pliable form than her opinions about his brother's love.

I know it hasn't come up between us recently
, he said, kissing her lovingly to end the unprofitable conversation,
but isn't it nice to be able to talk together the way we are and still be able to kiss?

Hmmm
, was her response as he picked her up in his arms and, deftly managing to maintain firm contact on her mouth, carried her toward their room.

Grandfather also approves of us, you know
, he said.

She broke the kiss and stared at him, wide blue eyes incredulous. “The Prime of Earth approves of
meeee?”

With reference to your complaint about who should get the credit for all this, as long as I have you, Alison Anne Greevy, I won't complain
.

I guess
, she said in a dreamy contemplative voice as he laid her gently on the bed,
maybe I did have just the tiniest bit of precog when I first met you…

Did you now? And what did your precognitive Talent tell you?

That I'd be doing this with you a long time!