James did a weird little guilty shuffle-left shuffle-right undulation that told Max he was right.
“Come on James,” Dee said. “You can explain how you hacked the communication network while Xander did the heavy lifting of translating.”
James still had his tentacles curled unhappily, but he made a honk of agreement.
“I require elimination of bodily waste,” Kohei announced before he raced up the ramp, passing James halfway up.
“I require food,” James said. “If I cannot sell many many weapons, I will eat.” He raced after his brother. Max was not an idiot. He suspected James would try to pressure Kohei into telling him everything he had found out about the Hidden ones in the city because he was still focused on selling weapons, but at least all the kids were in the ship. Xander didn't even bother making an excuse before he went after his brothers, leaving Max and Dee standing at the top of the ramp.
“How was it meeting your in-laws?” Dee asked when Max got to the top. She leaned against the side of the hatch, her eyes scanning the spaceport. Even in the ship she was like that, constantly on edge. Then again, while Max was busy building a happy family, she had been isolated and working for pennies as she tried to figure out a way back home where none was available.
“I didn't meet any in-laws. Hidden ones don't form families like that.”
Dee scoffed. “Those three kids think the sun rises and sets with you. I am pretty sure that's called fatherhood.”
“I'm not exactly a Hidden one, am I?”
Dee frowned. “Sometimes I think you're not entirely human, either.’
Max stared at her, uneasy at that comment.
“So, what happened to your leg?”
“Hidden ones don't understand the structural fragility of boned tentacles,” Max said with a shrug. “It was a genuine accident, although the Hidden one who broke my leg is still an ass. He just isn’t an ass who intentionally broke my bones. Good news, Hidden one medicine is better than human, so I will be out of the cast in a week or so.”
Both eyebrows went up. “Impressive. I wonder how much our military would pay for that sort of technology,” she mused.
“I assume that all the governments of the world would be willing to come together and trade for Hidden one technology.”
She stared at him blankly, and Max grew increasingly uncomfortable. “So,” she said, drawing the word out, “is that what took you so long to get back?”
“No, that would be the ball that the Hidden ones threw to celebrate Rick coming home.”
She snort-laughed. “A ball?”
Her laugh was infectious, and Max relaxed for the first time since they’d landed on the planet. “That was my reaction. I thought they didn't like him. But apparently, that was a misunderstanding or something because as soon as they figured out who he was, they tripped over themselves to impress him. Apparently he created the interplanetary net that disrupts navigation and keeps outsiders from flooding this part of space.”
She blew a long, low whistle. “Impressive.”
“His official name is Great Thinker, and they threw a big ball to welcome him home.”
Dee angled her body so that she could look toward the interior of the ship. “That did not look like an octopus who has been welcomed home as a returning hero.”
“Yeah. Something is going on with him.” That was an understatement. Max wished Rick would explain what was going on. Sometimes his husband was a grouchy, introverted, testy octopus. Cute, but the annoyance levels broke the damn chart. “I think it is safe to say he has a difficult relationship with his people.”
“Difficult how?”
Max shrugged helplessly. If he knew the answer to that, he would be a lot less worried.
“Difficult as in we need to look at exit strategies?” Dee asked.
Max ran his fingers through his hair. “I have no idea. Something is going on, but Rick is buttoned up tighter than a submarine.”
Dee stood stiffly, her gaze still drifting across the garage, but now she had an air of wariness. “That does not make me feel better.”
“It doesn't make me feel better either,” Max said with frustration coloring his tone. “He's my husband, but he won't talk to me about whatever is going on.”
She laughed so hard that the corners of her eyes crinkled. “Welcome to married life. It's good to know that marriage pretty much works the same no matter what species are involved.”
