“Okay, gentlemen. We need to be ready if these aliens come back. What do we need that we haven't tried already?” The silence was a shock after the angry words.
Schmitt finally voiced a reply, “We need Daniel Karpinen here to look over every bit of information we have. And we need him to tell us where to go next."
Holcum, “We can't. We will have no control on him. He has shown us before he just tolerates us."
Major Burrows had been standing at the back of the room. He had been brought in as a liaison between the research work at Karpinen's farm and the current project. “Karpinen might just tolerate us but he has always been willing to help. What would be worse, the aliens coming back before we are ready or Karpinen telling the world about a few of the secrets they don't already know? We all know that the press has printed most of the information we have discussed."
Riley made a decision. “Get me Harry Zimmerman on the line. I want the FBI to bring Karpinen ...
Where is the nearest base that we can secure for a meeting of most of the researchers?"
Holcum replied, “Grand Forks is large enough."
“Bring Karpinen to Grand Forks. I also want Ole Swenson there. We need a strong applied engineering presence at the meeting."
* * * *
The small church was packed. My oldest friend from Chicago couldn't make it so Tabitha's brother was my best man. There were a few college friends for Tabitha but the rest of the church was filled with friends of both Tabby's and my parents. Erma and her husband sat up front next to Oggie and her husband Tom. Erma was my mother's best friend and Tom was my father's. Both couples had decided that I needed a parent today so they had kept me busy all morning giving me advice. I am still not sure what they said to me but they did keep me from worrying.
The music started and I saw Tabitha for the first time today. She was beautiful. She gave me the sauciest smile coming down the isle. Her dress was hot. Most brides dress for themselves or their mothers in white lace and frills. Tabby had on a simple white satin full-length dress that clung to her figure. She was fully covered but she would have had only slightly less of her figure revealed if she had worn a bathing suit.
I don't remember much about the ceremony. I do remember that my voice cracked every time I tried to answer the minister. And Tabby was laughing at me every time I stumbled.
The reception was also a blur except for our first dance together. I felt every move Tabitha made through the thin material of her dress. She leaned in close to me and I discover for sure what I had suspected earlier. She had on nothing underneath her dress.
Finally, we were able to leave. We had come in separate vehicles. I parked my pickup away from the church and Tabby parked her car next to the church. Her car was covered in shaving cream and streamers but my truck had been left alone. We took my pickup. We had an escort of one FBI car. The car stopped at the entrance to the farm. Just as soon as we got into the woods, Tabby slid across the seat next to me. When I stopped by the cabin, I pulled her close and ran my hands over her body. She leaned into me and I felt something hard between her legs. Curious, I bunched her dress and slid my hands between her legs. Attached, to the inside of her leg with a garter belt, was a throwing knife. Her hands had found my puukko hanging underneath my arm. We laughed and ran to the bedroom. We made love. Sated for a time, I traced her curves using the cold steel of the knife. After leaving a trail of goose bumps down her back with the hard blade, she pushed me away and we had sex. There is a difference between making love and sex. I am usually exhausted after sex so I fell asleep.
I woke later to the smell of food cooking. I found Tabby in the kitchen. She was wearing my wedding present to her. It was a large dark red silk robe. When she moved, a white limb would flash out from under the darkness. We burnt the food while we had sex on the kitchen counter. Much later, we watched the sky grow light listening to the water tinkling in the great room of the cabin.
Knock, knock, knock.
Tabby had her throwing knife in her hand. She stood to the side of the front door while I opened it. “Felix. Nice to see you've recovered. But what are you doing here?"
“Sorry Mr. Karpinen."
“Daniel."
“Sorry Mr. Daniel ... Dan. But I have been ordered to bring you to a meeting."
“I see the hand of Zimmerman here. Well, was he the one?"
“Mr. Zimmerman was the one who ordered me to come here but he just passed along the orders that came from the NSA."
“This is my honeymoon. You go back and have Harry tell Riley to call me in an hour and to ask me politely to come to the meeting.” Felix nodded and closed the door.
“What do you think?"
“You will have to go. They will not let us be until they get what they want."
“It is not just me going. You are going with me."
“I am? Well just how are you going to convince me that I should come?” I had just slipped my hand between the folds on her robe when Move-over announced that he was hungry. He had to wait twenty minutes for his food.
There were three large dark SUVs in the convoy that drove us to Grand Forks. Felix was in the middle
SUV with us.
“How are you feeling?"
“I am fine."
“Talkative aren't you."
“Dan, stop teasing the poor man. He is just a peon. He doesn't know anything about what is going on." “Thank you ma'am."
“Now don't you call me ma'am. My name is Tabby."
“Yes maa ... Tabby."
“Now I packed just one dress. Do you know if I need to buy another for this thing we are going to?"
I let Felix suffer as Tabby pumped all the information she could out of him. I had seen her do it before. The lisp in her voice and her hearing aids made the person talk more the he should. This was followed by her sex appeal if she was talking to a man. Before we were an hour into the drive, we knew that the meeting would be with scientists, engineers, and the military. The press would be kept out as well as most of the politicians.
A hanger had been cleared out at the airbase. Riley greeted us at the door and introduced us to the 50 or so men in the conference and explained about the support personal and computer connections. Riley had just started explaining the basic problems when I interrupted.
“We haven't discussed my salary yet."
“What?"
“I am not going to do this for free. And you will need to pay my wife as well."
“Your wife?"
“My wife. She has helped me with most of the work I have done."
I could see Riley hadn't stopped to think what my price would be to help. “How much do you want?"
“I want a spaceship."
“What?"
“I want—a—space—ship. After I fix things up here, I want you to build a spaceship to my specifications. Before you go crazy, think about it. You are going to need to build a completely new line of spacecraft. My ship will be a perfect way to test new designs. It is a no lose situation for the government. My ship will be a perfect foil to hide your own spacecraft development.” I could see he was thinking.
“And you Mrs. Karpinen. What is it you want?"
“Call me Tabby. I want the ground and personal support required to take the spacecraft for a spin or two across the solar system and beyond."
“Good going dear. I didn't think about the support."
“I know. Should we set up while they are talking?” Riley had walked to the corner of the hanger with General Holcum and a few other men.