Chapter Nineteen
They shopped a bit more and picked up their purchases at the tech store. Boer noted they were going to need room for five extra people around the table for the packages. He suddenly found himself nearly under a load. It wasn't heavy, but it was big. Aura had added hers to his and was running down the street. Jobe said her car was close and she was probably going to get it closer. Eddy steered him through the restaurant doors. They were about five minutes ahead of five minutes early.
Boer had just gotten unloaded when Cal said, "There she is." Several of them reloaded him fast and then everyone rushed for the back door. He followed a bit more slowly. He had to watch where he was going around the load. He didn't get all the way to the door with it. Several dashed back in, grabbed things 'off' him and ran back out. He shook his head, turned around and headed back for the big table the staff of the restaurant had set up for them. Suddenly he had packages again. He turned around and watched Cal and Lola run back out the door. He wasn't really worried his family wouldn't get back in time to get in line for the seafood. The staff were all laughing too hard to carry anything out and the customers were, basically, laying on the tables giggling. He'd almost gotten to the table when Tommy ran in the front door, tossed a package up on the stack he was carrying and ran back out.
He'd just set the packages down, sat down, leaned over and started to look to see what was in them when his family came through the doors from both directions. Packages were grabbed from under his hands and went with various of them to their chairs. He began to laugh and people applauded. Then Li asked him what he'd done. He looked at her a few seconds and said, "Got married." The girl headed for them with a stack of salad plates just sat down on the floor. No one in the restaurant complained when the Hadlain family were led to the salad bar and the seafood was brought out and put on it for them.
Boer took a little of the seafood. Three of the staff rushed out and heaped his plate. He grinned and started for the table with it. Two came around the salad bar fast, one took the plate and the other put an empty one in his hands. Boer began to laugh and leaned against the salad bar. Jobe yelped and hands grabbed it. It was moving. The people in the restaurant cheered and applauded.
Boer finally got the story of what they'd been doing. The restaurant lot was full, but the fee lot no longer was. They'd filled the car Aura was driving with packages they didn't want things out of and Jobe's with what they didn't want out of packages that had things they did want. Then they'd noticed they were a package short.
Lou had stood in his parking place while Jobe drove to the fee lot with more people than his car held and several had gone through the packages there. Several others had headed for the places they'd been. Tommy had found the package in the dim corner of the bar, saw Boer was the only one in the restaurant and run back out to find the others looking for it. He'd commed Jobe and he'd driven slowly back with more than his car held and parked.
Those running from the lot and the ones Tommy had gathered had just happened to all get back to the restaurant at the same time. The packages held new 'dancing' clothes for those who weren't making the run home. Theirs were in the cars they'd be taking.
Jobe jumped when his wrist beeped. Boer told him to answer it and the whole family giggled at his expression, then "Oh!" It was Anverd. Did the girls want maiden names in, hyphenated or dropped. He heard the chorus of "Dropped." Jobe told him it was unanimous. He asked if they had the other three yet. Jobe told him no, but there were napkins being torn and some styluses had appeared on the table. He told him he'd get started and to call back. He'd decided to do it on the ship and just "bring a stack." Jobe looked at Boer.
"He checked and has good enough images and identification scans in comp records, Jobe. That thing is big, heavy and a very large number of people would find it extremely useful. I'm abstaining. I have no ideas."
"I only have one."
"Some of us don't have three either, Jobe. The idea is make a suggestion, not just put down something."
"I'm not sure it's really a name, Dirda."
"Put it in. If it's drawn, it's a name."
"Aura is a thing, Jobe, but it's the word my mother picked as my name. Misty is an adjective. People have been using both as names a long time, but someone decided to use the word first. Whatever you pick, someone has probably used it before. It's just not one a whole bunch of people copied. If it's a long word, you use a piece of it anyway."
"Since Boer is abstaining, he draws. We have three small bags."
"U pup bags!"
"I asked for three clean ones while I was asking questions. I noticed you didn't have any trouble getting your fingers all the way to the bottom of one and figured that was a good indication they were big enough. They seem even more appropriate now than when I got them. I've got mine. Who needs a stylus?"
"Label the bags with it first, Tommy. We'll pass all three at once. Put your suggestions in them below the table. We don't need to know who had one for which one."
The bags went around and then to Boer. He had Li "stir" the suggestions in them. He suddenly realized he was nervous and hunted for why. When he found the reason, nervous disappeared. None of them would suggest something inappropriate for any of them. They all knew them very well. He told everyone he would not tell anyone if he recognized the writing and the suggestion would go back in the bag after he read it. He didn't look at the labels, just picked a bag to start with. When he pulled out the suggestion, he looked at the bag and smiled.
"Aura, the suggestion is Mandala, Mandy."
"I like it."
"So do I. Next. Uh... "
"Read it, Boer."
"Shelter, Dirda. It's for me."
"It's very appropriate, Shel."
"Oh, it does have a short way to say it. I liked it. I just hadn't thought of that. I'd sort of come up with someone yelling, 'Shelter' and everyone running for some place with a roof."
"Silly. Now for Jobe. Oh, my, look at that smile. Tell us."
"Talisman, Tal."
"I got goosebumps."
"So did I, Li. I think we have an epidemic of them. The names are extremely appropriate for the association with the Shadill you wish, as well. I didn't mention it before because I didn't want to influence anyone's suggestions."
"Don't say if they were yours, Tori, or if they weren't. Boer probably knows who, but he'll work at forgetting it, won't you, Boer?"
"No, Dirda, but I won't tell anyone else. Shel. Shelter Hadlain. I really like it. Do I need more, Tori?"
"That's up to you, Boer. Shel. The situation is the identification is a legal document. The choice and addition of a call name and exclusion of one which has been previously used are neither uncommon. One does it on a form and files a small processing fee for court approval and changes on most worlds and in imperial records."
"You think we should just have Anverd do one set for each of us and file them 'sometime,' or just with Imperial Records, not two."
"Boer, it's actually less likely the connection will be made if it's done that way."
"Why, Tommy?"
"The documents check out, no matter how good the person doing the checking is. Boer isn't real common, but it's not terribly uncommon. It's more common as a surname than as a first. If you joined a Shadill marriage, you'd probably keep your original surname as middle and add the clan name."
"If you were the one who decided to start a clan, you might have picked a Shadill name to go with both your parent's surnames. The Shadill don't say who was in, joined, or started a marriage, just refile the contract with more names. People make guesses, but they don't ask because the Shadill don't answer. They're all Shadill period. Parents constructing a large marriage contract, especially one with exceptional assets, may decide their children should become the start of a new clan. Shadill marriage contracts are very secure documents because they're financial in nature. You can find out how ma
ny of them there are, but you can't read them. Opening one requires an Imperial Court order. Anverd might be able to do so, but he'd have to give an authorization code and a reason. The Shadill requested it because they had people looking to see what marriages had both wealth and unfilled places. Silvern had a bit of trouble keeping people out of them. The imperium does not. Your marriage is complete. Three men and twelve women is unusual, but the Shadill choose people right for the marriage, not because they're the right sex. You will not be expected to volunteer the information, but there is no reason you need keep it secret if someone asks. If they do, a cool stare and curt answer, either with a number or the statement it's none of their business, is appropriate."
"I thought most were sex balanced."
"Lola discovered there were more marriages with odd numbers than I had realized, those usually being the larger ones. She found a monograph done seven years ago by a rather good anthropology student, who is Shadill. The intent, of course, was to increase understanding of the culture among others. I forwarded the reference to the Anthropology Department of the Imperial University on Boniface. I told them, if a university on Valer had it, they should, and not including it in the reference library because it had been done by a student was academic bigotry. It was included with four others of like nature. I'm rather impressed with the university here in general."
"Tori, I think Tommy's giggles are probably the best comment on what a good job you and Lola did. Jobe, my Talisman, contact Anverd."
"Why don't you do it, Boer?"
"Because you jumped when your wrist beeped."
"Oh. Um... through the house. Comm ship, Anverd."
"Hello, Jobe. Got three?"
"Yes, but I'm going to stick my wrist in front of Boer to give them to you. He's decided how."
"You probably got a more thorough version of the brief we got from Tori. One each and file them when and how you think appropriate. Mandala Aura, Talisman Jobim, and Shelter Boer. Mandy, Tal and Shel."
"I don't know why I'm surprised."
"Shelter surprised me. Dirda gave me Shel. I'd had this image of people running for it and looking for hail."
"She said you were silly."
"Quote. They made me draw because I said I had no ideas. The number of slips in each bag said no one made one for anyone for whom they didn't have a real suggestion, which is what they'd decided was the right way to do it. If I did recognize writing, I'm not telling anyone. That's how they want it. All right, you've had time to think."
"File. No association. As long as it's in Tam's head, it doesn't need to be anywhere else. You can file it there next time you see him. You can't file on Valer. They all have to remain citizens of their birth worlds."
"It keeps us out of their politics. We could swing too much opinion with who we are. Our neighbors will know what we think about issues, but we won't be quoted as authorities. We have no opinions on candidates unless we're sure something is wrong with them and that's a matter of proof, not opinion. This is our home of choice, but we aren't citizens. I don't want that seen as precedent by you or the marines. I'd love stories of Harschen or Bermesson yelling playgrounds were more important than statues in city council meetings. Ven said you're the Johnsons."
"She told me. I said she was a stinker. She liked it. About a half-hour. Recommendation on vehicle reduction stands. That area gets full of people who need vehicles to get there again at night. Also rec one not be Jobe's, just because he'd be very nervous about having anything to drink and wondering if all those who weren't were walking. You've got five who shouldn't anyway."
"Uh... "
"Boer?"
"I'm going to say this without scramble. Not human; Nunture the first plan; the fleet the reason."
"I... see. Out."
"Put your chron back on, Jobe."
"My arm got tired."
"You thought I had more to say than just names and I might not say it. You were right. Thank you. Now, transportation. We have one six, three fives and Jobe's with us. I go with Anverd's suggestion on Jobe's. Do we want to take them all home and bring the transport back?"
"You want to drive it?"
"No, Dirda, I want Nora to drive it home with fourteen of us making a racket and her with a big smile thinking about noisy babies in it too."
"Too much noise and I'll threaten a spanking. Thank you, Boer. I love you too."
"Five home, one back. Who's driving?"
"You, Jobe, Tommy, Lola and Li."
"Thanks, Dirda."
"You haven't driven any since we did test drives!"
"Drive wasn't really what I wanted to do with them, Boer, and I was pretty sure driving wouldn't decrease the temptation, but I do want to drive one home. Lola's only driven one once and so have Tommy and you."
"I've driven a lot."
"Jobe, we all smile every time we see you in that car. Drive it home, put the top up and the cover we got for it on it, so it doesn't get dusty when they begin building in the barn. It'll still be your new car and still make us smile when you come home."
"You sure you don't want to drive it, Lou?"
"I have plans to drive it, Jobe. I intend to drive it when you're not sure I'm going to fit behind the controls and sure you're going to have to pry me out."
"He obviously likes the plan, Lou. I like it too."
"Thank you, Cal. It sort of formed itself when Boer dropped him in it."
"Anverd said a half-hour, but I think I want another helping of whatever that was, several whatever that was. Lola, call Ven and tell her we're telling her instead of him, so he doesn't come up with several things he could get done since he's there anyway."
"I kept expecting to run into her somewhere today, or at least see her."
"Jobe, the student sales gallery is on campus, the market is basically out of town and she probably hit the kiosk for U pups while we were in the bar."
"I guess I was just wishing we'd run into someone we knew, Dirda."
Several began to laugh and Tommy told Jobe to turn around. The Borscham brothers had just walked in the door and were headed for them. Since they looked surprised and pleased to see them, it was a coincidence.
"All right, what's funny?"
"Jobe wished we'd run into someone we know today and Tommy told him to turn around, Holman. You'd just walked in the door."
"I'm beginning to wonder if there's a fairy who's sure he's one of them, Boer, and keeps him sprinkled with fairy dust just in case."
"Tori, that's great!"
"Thank you, Cal. I'm about to start a book. You're proofreading."
"Yes! Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you."
"I'm jealous."
"Eddy, about the third time she reads the same chapter and finds things she's missed twice before, you'll probably all be enlisted in the effort. No computer program can actually do it. Only a person can see a sentence is correct, but not clear. I usually catch all my own logic errors by about the fifth proofread, but those sometimes escape me. I'm looking forward to only reading chapters four or five times not eight or nine, Holman. I realize that's a somewhat unusual reason for being pleased one is married, but it definitely is one."
"Tried it. We both hated it. She didn't hate it the second time, so I was the reason we both did."
"You look about done."
"Actually, I was just about to go get more of whatever, Gerro. I warn you. If you two sit close, you'll probably be asked to identify."
"I think we can fit a couple more chairs in here."
"We'd like the chairs, Nora, but we're not big on 'identify.' We can tell if the green is panleaf or spinach, but that's about it and I'm sure you can do that. We eat out a lot and here a lot."
"Holman, weren't they selling a recipe book about a year ago?"
"Closer to two, Gerro, but they were selling one. We'll check when we pay, Nora. If they've still got a copy laying around, we'd be real pleased
to get it for you. Don't offer, Boer."
"I'm closing my mouth, Holman. Thanks, even if they don't."
"We'd enjoy it. Enjoy flirting with your wives too. Married women are the only ones it's safe to flirt with on a regular basis. They're the only ones sure we don't have intentions."
"Flirt with a few who know we do too, but we're real careful they have only the same ones. See you in a few."
"They're... happily single, but I don't think they'd be as happy if they were single single. I mean... "
"We know exactly what you mean, Jobe. I've known several people who were very happily single. Issiddi, Anthew and Garis all are, but they're... married to the marines, I guess, even if no longer the Imperial Marines. I've also known some happily single people who weren't, but they all had one or more really close, usually very long-time, friends, often a roommate, close neighbor or relative, like the brothers. I've known a lot of people who were single and happy who didn't, but none I'd call 'happily single' like those were."
"I wasn't, Boer. I wasn't unhappy, but I also wasn't absolutely sure marriage was not for me. In some ways, being Tori Morris kept me from ever becoming sure. I'm extremely glad it did now. Your subconscious almost corrected Anverd when he said five. I'm sure of it because mine did. I'll get a scan tomorrow morning, but I don't need it to tell me I'm pregnant and Tommy is the father. Neither do any of the rest of you. We all know Jobe made a wish, and as always, it was for all of us. No, Jobe, I do not wish Boer was the father in the slightest. If I did, I think he would be. Your wishes are extremely perspicacious."
"Um... "
"Insightful, Jobe, with a feeling of very precise."
"Thanks, Dirda. Tori uses words because they say exactly what she wants to say and most people just use ones that say close, so I look up a lot of them."
"Thank you, Jobe. I think."
"I... guess I know the number both of you thought of was six. I guess I know my subconscious said, 'not yet.'"
"Cal, you're eighteen. My subconscious may have said, 'not yet.' I know Nora just turned twenty, but... "
"I know what you mean, Boer, especially about Nora. She's like twenty going on thirty-eight. She's sort of 'Mom' and probably has been since she was two. I think she works at just being 'big sis' to the rest of us, including Tori. I'm just disappointed because I love you so very much and it was... such a surprise. I was picked for the job. I said I could deal with the rest of it to work with Anverd."
"Cal, it's not time yet because you want Boer's baby. You love us all, but you need... to tell him special. You kept saying mine, but that was for him too. I understand. It's not a preference for him, definitely not that you love him more. It's... a very personal statement to him that the job is just nice because it helps the ones you love and it wasn't what made you the right choice. You and I weren't picked by the people who picked us. I mean, we were just picked for what we were. Something else picked us for who we are. Something more put us the right place at the right time. It was just more obvious with me. When it's time, you won't have tried to make it that way, but Boer will be the father of your first baby. You won't need to have it checked. You'll know and so will he. We all will. We all know he's the father of Dirda's."
"I had successfully avoided realizing it, Jobe."
"Dirda, if he wasn't, I'd be real disappointed. You and he wouldn't, but the rest of us would be. You loved him and he loved you and you couldn't say it. We may not know who's the father of any babies after this, because it won't make any difference to any of us, but Nora, Mim's and Eddy's couldn't be anyone else's and Eddy's, yours and Cal's shouldn't be, so yours isn't and hers won't be."
"Fairy dust. Tommy, why is it you and I are the only ones who don't looked stunned?"
"You write fantasy and I had a long time on a ship to be stunned, but most of them are already recovering. Let's go hit the desert bar, so I can stuff you with gooey treats before Ven hands you a healthy diet and they all start watching you stay on it."
"Mmm, if you help, I'll take both that tall chocolate thing and the one with the strawberries all through it."
"Yum twice."
"Jobe, steer Boer for thirds. Lola and me will blow in Cal's ears and clear the fog."
"Li! Lola! Fog clear! Or at least blown back far enough I notice the Borschams are coming and we haven't made room."
"Chairs. Table service."
"You know, Gerro, I may be getting old."
"What makes you say so, Holman?"
"I watched Aura lean across and get those things from the next table and my first thought was it sure would have been handy to have her today when we were trying to get that chaff blower clean."
"Holman, you may be getting old."
"Sit down, boys. We're glad to have you as an excuse to just sit awhile longer. Five are going to take cars home and come back with the transport after Boer has a bit more whatever. Since five of us can't drink anything they don't have here, we don't see much point in going to a bar until music starts. They had one. Thank you."
"Thea grinned and said they didn't have any, but she'd seen one in the office someplace, Nora, and she thought she remembered where. She came back with that one. It was in the desk drawer where they toss things that don't go anywhere else. She'd been looking for a nail file in it a few days ago. Gerro, I'm not getting old. I'm feeling real smug about sitting here with all these beautiful women."
"You had me worried. Course you had me worried cleaning that chaff blower too."
"Nasty job and hard to reach, but not too bad if you do it right after harvest."
"True, Nora, but it wouldn't have been a real bargain if it hadn't needed a real cleaning. I'll tell you the story of why it was dirty and how we got it one of these days. It's on the long side. Boer, she's got the recipe for that meat pie covering most of that plate."
"Thanks. When I got there, I realized it was what I really wanted more of and I wanted lots more, Holman. Nora, they said the crust is made with cuppy flour."
"I don't know that one."
"Vellum-cup-seed flour, Nora. Cuppy is a brand name of a mixture with wheat flour. It's also a guarantee of quality. I suggest Merne as a reference on any like that you run across in those recipes. He'll know why they're there by brand name."
"Thank you, Gerro. Now you boys eat. There's enough of us we can let you refuel after that chore today. Oh, look at that thing."
"I'll get you one, Nora. There are still a couple on the desert bar."
"No, Jobe, but thank you. She'll give me a taste and that's all I really want and all I should really have."
The five didn't hurry. Ven had been pleased to pick Anverd up and they were sure she had a reason, so they 'dawdled' a bit. When there was suddenly a line at the restaurant door, they moved one of the tables and five chairs and headed for the house. They took packages of shorts and shirts with them. The others had gone to the rest room and changed into their dancing clothes so they didn't have to worry about any packages that evening.
It didn't take them long to unload cars, but it took awhile to put Jobe's away. They washed it, polished it, moved all the cars out, put it in the back corner and covered it, put cars back in, then went in and changed their clothes. Boer commed and told Aura what they'd been doing, then Anverd and said they were on their way. Aura said Pards had gotten busy, but the Silver Lining had been understanding about identification coming. Anverd answered the door in a silver satin dressing gown, smiled and invited them in.
Ven had 'finished' the house. Tables had figurines and vases with dried flower arrangements and walls had paintings. There was a lovely patterned rug under the coffee table and little pillows on the couch. There were coasters in a pretty rack and one of the ales Anverd liked on one of them on the table. Across the room was an entertainment screen. They'd just finished dinner and Ven said she couldn't really remember ever having enjoyed filling a dish cycler and running
it before. Boer smiled widely. It was very much a lovely little home and just what he'd wanted for them.
Anverd handed him fifteen packets of documents, then fifteen identification plaques. He told them they'd left a place for Ven's car and they'd see them too early in the morning. Ven sighed and said it would actually be easier to leave knowing it was waiting for them when they came back. He told her what Tori had said and she smiled and nodded. She didn't have any doubts she was right either.
They had a wonderful time that evening. They went from The Silver Lining to the Top Floor, then to Bear's Den. They danced in a big group, several small groups, as couples and with a number of 'kids' who knew who they were. They went home a little before midnight. They wanted to share the big spa and the rest of the night in Boer's room. There were some tears, but they'd all expected them. None of them had any doubts they'd all be together again, but they also knew it was going to be too long before they were.