Megda asked, “Wait—what are you talking about?”
Benson stood as well. “Outside the Federation?”
Renall looked at all of them, but his eyes came back to rest on Clara’s. He said, “I love you. I want you to wed me. I want…”
She flew into his arms. His arms went around her. She forgot all about her family and kissed him as hard as she could. Tears and laughter both poured from her. She said, “Oh yes. I…yes!”
Then she sobered. She stepped back from his embrace and looked at her family. Worry filled her thoughts. They might not want to live on that planet, and they might not want to give up the tables and the things they knew. She whispered, “Father?”
Benson said, “I think you need to tell us about this planet of which you speak.”
Joshua leaned forward. “Yeah, you do.”
Renall didn’t let go of Clara. He said, “It is a private planet, right past a grav-pull created by a collapsed wormhole. It is not on any maps. It is unpopulated at the moment. It mimics your home planet, what your home planet was once, millennia ago, in many ways. I have been busy buying it but also busy sending all the things for those who wish to go with my siblings and me. They will need it for survival. The two other planets in that system are populated, and one is well populated with several large cities, but they too are non-tech for the most part. I took tele-call equipment to them and other things as part of a pact I made with them, so they have some tech, but for the most part, they prefer to live without it.”
Benson asked, “Are we going to be at war with the other planet due to your breaking the pact?”
Renall shook his head. “There have been, over the years, a number of brigand ships either foolish or brave enough to try to plunder there as the resources are rich, but they have been repelled every time. The weapons used by those people were beyond sophistication centuries ago, and they are still capable of firing. But they train their people to combat in ways most are not trained in. So they would be fierce foes. However, we have come to an agreement that allows me to break the pact while still maintaining their goodwill.”
Joshua’s lips turned up. “How much did that cost you?”
“A million credits,” Renall said with a grin, “And it was worth every credit too.”
A million credits. He had given a million credits for her? Stunned and shaken by that, Clara stared at his dear face. She loved him, and she knew she likely had since the moment she had first seen his face.
Megda said, “So you are telling us we could live in a place where there is no Federation to breathe down our necks?”
Renall said, “Yes.”
Joshua said, “It sounds good to me, but it’s up to you Clara.”
Benson said, “It is.”
Clara asked, “What about carding? You love it so much.”
Benson threw his head back and laughed. “Love it? Child, it was just the one thing I was good at. I taught your mother because she was pretty and able to distract the players while fleecing them. I taught you and Joshua so that you would have a way to earn some currency and because it was all I had to give you. We lived in a place where our very births made us less than. I had to try to give you something to even the score a bit. I wish I had had something else, something better, to pass on.”
Her smile was radiant. “If you had not given us that, none of us would be here right now.”
Renall’s arms were on her body, holding her and shielding her and cradling her. Those arms were her anchor and her rock and wherever he went, that was where she wanted to go as well. “I guess it is settled. We are all going to the planet with you Renall.”
He picked her up and swung her around. The sheer strength he possessed thrilled her. The happiness sliding through her heart and body made her laugh aloud in real pleasure.
He set her feet back down onto the floor. His eyes twinkled. “I don’t want to rush any of you, but it seems that the Federation may be coming to jail me very soon. So perhaps we should go.”
Joshua bolted to his feet. Benson and Megda were right behind him. Clara said, “I’m ready when you are.”
Renall said, “Then we should likely head toward the ship.”
Clara’s hand met his. They smiled at each other.
Joshua interrupted the moment by asking, “So, maybe now is the time to run?”
Renall roared laughter.
Clara said, “I think yes, but I need to stop and get my credits from the safe in my room and some clothes.”
Megda asked, “What will we do for clothes?”
