the child, but I knew he was right.
We did not talk at all during the brief walk from our quarters to the school, but just before she entered her class Marel looked up at me.
The storm-dark color of her eyes told me she had not yet forgiven us for disappointing her. "Will I stay again with ClanUncle Salo and ClanAunt Darea while you are gone, Mama?"
"That is our wish." I knelt down in front of her. "Marel, we love you, and we are very sorry that we hurt you. We should have told you first about the expedition. You are the most important person in our lives."
"I want to be like the other kids here," she told me. "They never have to be away from their families. Everyone stays together. That's what kin does. If you and Daddy can't be on Joren with me, then you should take me with you on the expedition."
"We could," I agreed. "But we will have much work to do, and this time there will be no other children on board the ship. I fear it would be very boring for you."
"Then don't go, Mama." Tears sparkled in her eyes. "Stay here with me."
I took her hands in mine. "An Iisleg woman cannot break a promise she makes, you know that." When she nodded, I said, "When we return from this sojourn, I vow that Daddy and I will take you on a special trip. We won't work or have meetings or be away from you. We will go only where you want to go, and only be where you want us to be."
"I miss my friends at HouseClan Kalea. ClanLeader Jory said the next time I visited that she would teach me how to ride a t'lerue." Clearly tempted, Marel bit her lower lip. "You promise, Mama?"
I pressed her hand to my heart. "I swear it."
Marel flung her arms around my neck and hugged me tightly. I held her until her teacher came to the entrance, and only then did I release her to join the class.
Reever stood waiting for me outside the pavilion. "Xonea signaled while you were out. He has gone ahead to check some of the engine work."
"Perhaps he can have the Zamlon fix his monitoring drones, as well." I went with Reever to the glidecar waiting at the end of the walking path. "I promised Marel that we would spend some time with her after the expedition. It is not enough, though. Soon we must decide how and where we are to live as a family."
"We can discuss it during the sojourn." Reever opened the passenger side of the vehicle for me. "For now, stop it."
I glanced at him. "Stop what?"
"Worrying about our daughter, the expedition, the new bounty being offered, Xonea, and everything else in your head." He buckled me into my harness. "We are together. Marel is safe. That is enough for now."
I envied Reever that unwavering assurance, especially when I saw the glint from a tiny lens wink at me from a corner of the interior floor covering. As my husband went around to the other side of the vehicle, I bent down and swiftly yanked the monitoring drone out of the textured material.
"This should not take too long," Reever said as he climbed in behind the control console. "Xonea has much to do to prepare for the sojourn."
"Good." I pocketed the drone. "So do I."
On the trip to the Zamlon dock yards, Reever kept me distracted from my thoughts by reviewing the crew manifest for the expedition. Many of the most experienced flight officers among the Torin had been slated to accompany us, along with a full complement of skilled nurses to serve in medical, and combat-trained militia for security. I was a little surprised to discover my husband, not Xonea, had consulted with Xonal to handpick the crew.
"Are we going on a sojourn, or declaring war on the oKia?" I tried to joke.
"I prefer to be prepared." Reever slowed outside a restricted area and presented our identifications to a Zamlon security officer.
Beyond the gated entry stood open framework enclosures built around a dozen massive star vessels in various stages of construction and repair. Surrounding them were smaller, sleeker scouts and launches perched on lifts or suspended from cranes. Zamlon shipbuilders
We did not talk at all during the brief walk from our quarters to the school, but just before she entered her class Marel looked up at me.
The storm-dark color of her eyes told me she had not yet forgiven us for disappointing her. "Will I stay again with ClanUncle Salo and ClanAunt Darea while you are gone, Mama?"
"That is our wish." I knelt down in front of her. "Marel, we love you, and we are very sorry that we hurt you. We should have told you first about the expedition. You are the most important person in our lives."
"I want to be like the other kids here," she told me. "They never have to be away from their families. Everyone stays together. That's what kin does. If you and Daddy can't be on Joren with me, then you should take me with you on the expedition."
"We could," I agreed. "But we will have much work to do, and this time there will be no other children on board the ship. I fear it would be very boring for you."
"Then don't go, Mama." Tears sparkled in her eyes. "Stay here with me."
I took her hands in mine. "An Iisleg woman cannot break a promise she makes, you know that." When she nodded, I said, "When we return from this sojourn, I vow that Daddy and I will take you on a special trip. We won't work or have meetings or be away from you. We will go only where you want to go, and only be where you want us to be."
"I miss my friends at HouseClan Kalea. ClanLeader Jory said the next time I visited that she would teach me how to ride a t'lerue." Clearly tempted, Marel bit her lower lip. "You promise, Mama?"
I pressed her hand to my heart. "I swear it."
Marel flung her arms around my neck and hugged me tightly. I held her until her teacher came to the entrance, and only then did I release her to join the class.
Reever stood waiting for me outside the pavilion. "Xonea signaled while you were out. He has gone ahead to check some of the engine work."
"Perhaps he can have the Zamlon fix his monitoring drones, as well." I went with Reever to the glidecar waiting at the end of the walking path. "I promised Marel that we would spend some time with her after the expedition. It is not enough, though. Soon we must decide how and where we are to live as a family."
"We can discuss it during the sojourn." Reever opened the passenger side of the vehicle for me. "For now, stop it."
I glanced at him. "Stop what?"
"Worrying about our daughter, the expedition, the new bounty being offered, Xonea, and everything else in your head." He buckled me into my harness. "We are together. Marel is safe. That is enough for now."
I envied Reever that unwavering assurance, especially when I saw the glint from a tiny lens wink at me from a corner of the interior floor covering. As my husband went around to the other side of the vehicle, I bent down and swiftly yanked the monitoring drone out of the textured material.
"This should not take too long," Reever said as he climbed in behind the control console. "Xonea has much to do to prepare for the sojourn."
"Good." I pocketed the drone. "So do I."
On the trip to the Zamlon dock yards, Reever kept me distracted from my thoughts by reviewing the crew manifest for the expedition. Many of the most experienced flight officers among the Torin had been slated to accompany us, along with a full complement of skilled nurses to serve in medical, and combat-trained militia for security. I was a little surprised to discover my husband, not Xonea, had consulted with Xonal to handpick the crew.
"Are we going on a sojourn, or declaring war on the oKia?" I tried to joke.
"I prefer to be prepared." Reever slowed outside a restricted area and presented our identifications to a Zamlon security officer.
Beyond the gated entry stood open framework enclosures built around a dozen massive star vessels in various stages of construction and repair. Surrounding them were smaller, sleeker scouts and launches perched on lifts or suspended from cranes. Zamlon shipbuilders
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