Chapter 35
Pako, Yiis, Mosk, and Carmen greeted them at the terminal. Zul and the Omari Triad watched with indulgent tolerance as the two women embraced and began chattering.
“Where are your boys?”Ursula eventually asked as they walked as a group toward the exit.
“Gil’s watching them,” Carmen answered, linking one arm with her friend’s and resting her other hand on her baby bump. Zul eyed the bulge in suspicion. “You know, he’s surprisingly good with children.”
Ursula smiled. “I don’t think it’s all that surprising. Gil’s good with people.”
“A good Second is,” Yiis commented.
“Stop listening, you big oaf. I wasn’t talking to you,” Carmen retorted with a smile.
“Then speak more softly,” he whispered.
“Oh, you!” She smacked him on the arm, and he feigned injury just to make her smile.
Ursula’s eyes were wide and her mouth gaped. Bending close to Carmen, she whispered, “Yiis made a joke? Who knew he had a sense of humor?”
“Yiis has hidden depths.” Carmen giggled. “Now, Pako” —she used the Spanish pronunciation of “Paco”— “is more of a ‘what you see is what you get’ kind of man.”
“Whizzy-wig,” Ursula verbalized the abbreviation, WYSIWYG.
“I wasn’t sure you knew that term. You are a generation younger than me.”
“My folks used to use that and other terms,” Ursula replied. “Hearing them brings back memories.”
“Good memories, I hope.”
“Yes, mostly.”
A beast-drawn carriage picked them up at the curb. Ursula shook her head in disbelief after everyone climbed in and seated themselves. She commented, “I’ll never get used to the weird combination of high tech and ancient tech used on this planet.”
“I think it’s the Urib way of preserving their history and culture,” Carmen replied.
Ursula shrugged. “I don’t recognize these beasties.” She inhaled. “They don’t stink like the numpties.”
The driver slapped the reins over the beasts’ backs, and the carriage, which hovered above the ground, eased forward. The six-legged animals were larger than the numpties, scaled (unlike the hairy numpties), and appeared to be of a similar phlegmatic temperament. Ursula wondered why they didn’t use these strange beasts instead of numpties in Fangrys, and asked.
“They’re not native to that part of the continent,” Pako answered. “The capital is several thousand leagues north of Fangrys and Omari, so flora and fauna are adapted to the different climate here.”
Ursula nodded, accepting the explanation, recalling that even in the USA, animals and plants at similar latitudes differed from East Coast to West Coast. Southern California didn’t have alligators, but Georgia certainly did.
Ursula pressed her lips together at the widespread destruction and said nothing about it. The evidence of violent revolution needed no explanation. Instead, they discussed inconsequential topics during the ride to the large house where Gil and Bran andthe Omari Triad were staying. It wouldn’t have done for the driver or anyone else to overhear anything important or incriminating.
“Papa Gil!” Crow shouted when they arrived. Gil stood in the open doorway, Carmen’s children peering from behind him.
Pako descended from the carriage first, then Yiis who handed Carmen to his Prime. Gil emerged from the house and nodded in greeting to them. Suvesh handed Crow to him then climbed down to again take charge of the youngling. Uncaring that Mosk and Zul were watching, Ursula flung herself into Gil’s arms. He caught her with a low grunt and buried his nose in her hair, concealing his surprise when he noticed how thin she’d gotten.
“I missed you so much,elska’adir,” he murmured, lips brushing against her hair. He raised his eyes to meet Zul’s black gaze, conveying his gratitude for having taken good care of the two people most precious to him over those long weeks.
Mosk and Zul descended from the carriage and followed Gil and Ursula into the house.
“How is Bran?” Ursula asked, her lower lip trembling.
“He will be better now that you, Crow, and Zul are here,” Gil assured her as much as he assured himself.
Ursula pressed a kiss to his palm then said, “Take me to him.”
