33
ComStar First Circuit Compound
Hilton Head Island, North America, Terra
19 August 3028
As Tamara Allard joined the depleted circle of Federated Suns citizens, she raised an eyebrow as she saw the two mugs of stout in Dan's hands. He motioned with one mug toward the balcony. "This one belongs to Colonel Kell, mother."
Ardan shook his head. "No way you can escape it, Dan. My mother still worries, too, even though I'm piloting a desk, for all intents and purposes."
Tamara turned to Ardan with a look of reproval. "Shame on you, Colonel. Your mother is most proud of you, and you know that."
Ardan winked at Dan, then nodded to Tamara. "You are most correct, Countess. Believe me, I dearly cherish my parents, and I know that Dan does as well." Ardan smiled slyly. "In fact, when we last met, about a year and a half ago on Pacifica, he spoke to me of you . . ."
"Wait a minute, Colonel," Dan broke in. "Let's not start anything I can't handle here."
Riva poked her brother in the ribs. "Come on, Dan. Let the Colonel finish."
Dan firmly shook his head. He turned toward his mother and met her severe expression with a mild chuckle. "Let's change the subject," he said. "Where's dad anyway? I have something to ask him."
Tamara shrugged. "He's still back at the bungalow. Some late dispatches arrived and he said he needed to go over them." She glanced at her chronometer. "I expect him soon."
Dan saw Riva whispering in Ardan's ear. I've had it now. Ardan will tell Riva the story of my 'Mech being shot up on Paci-fica, then she'll needle me about it.He thrust both mugs toward his sister. "Here, Riva. Hang onto these." Nodding to his mother and Ardan, he added, "If you'll excuse me, I'll escort my father back here. Colonel, I entrust the Allard women to your care."
Ardan smiled. "An honor and a pleasure."
Dan cut a path through the crowd and ducked out the door into the cool evening air. Light sea breezes rustled the fronds of palm above his head and set the dark cone-shapes of pine trees dancing in the night. Setting off along a ferrocrete pathway lined with dim lamps alternating sides every twenty meters, Dan thought about how peaceful and beautiful it was here.
He took a deep breath, filling his lungs and nose with the salt air. I can see why Terra has always held a cherished spot in the hearts of wandering mankind. No matter where one is born, or on what worlds one has dwelt, Terra feels like home.
Dan shook his head. Maybe it's just the romance of Terra that's gotten to you, Dan. Or maybe it's Jeana who's given you such a cheery new perspective? Yet all you know about her is that she comes from the Lyran Commonwealth, is close to the Archon-Designate, and probably once trained as a MechWarrior. Aside from that brief encounter on Tharkad, you've really only known her for the past thirty-six hours. It's not like you to let a woman get under your skin so quickly and completely.
Dan smiled as he recalled the time they'd spent together. He remembered fondly their aimless wanderings over the island the day before and how they'd begun to anticipate the other one would finish sentences. Hell. Half our conversations ran unspoken, yet fully understood.Then when they'd rummaged through the shops and galleries in the small civilian village ComStar allowed on the island, they discovered how parallel were their tastes.
And their lovemaking. At first urgent, but always gentle and loving, it was more than just the joining of their flesh. They hungered for each other and yet hungered to please. Wants and desires, spoken or unvoiced, were met eagerly as each partner physically shared the love that was welding their spirits together.
Dan sighed. I'm so happy it scares me. From these emotional heights, about all I can be sure of is that eventually I'll fall. I hate to be apart from Jeana but, like tonight, I have no choice. I am a mercenary and she serves the Lyran royal house. I have her heart, yet I seem to need to cling to something more solid. . .
Dan turned off the main path and carefully made his way along a flagstone pathway heading east. Silhouetted against a background of moonsplashed ocean, the bungalow was set amid a stand of pines. A wide porch surrounded the squat building, with pillars at each corner to support the steeply pitched roof.
Dan mounted the wooden steps, quickly crossed the wooden deck, and knocked on the wooden door. "It's Dan, dad."
Quintus Allard smiled as he opened the door. "Didn't expect to see you here, Dan."
Dan shrugged. "I saw mother at the reception and she said you'd soon be joining her. I thought I'd take a chance at finding you here so we can talk." Dan glanced down at his boots. "I mean . . . well, I assume that if any place on this island is secure, it's this one . . ."
Quintus nodded and waved his son into the bungalow's huge parlor. The center third of the back wall was made of glass, giving both father and son an excellent view of the ocean and a stretch of white beach. The glass wall extended halfway up the roof to form a partial skylight that provided the added spectacle of the brilliant, crescent moon.
The cream-colored carpet matched the walls, giving the room a light, airy feel. A lazy fan turned slowly on the room's cavernous ceiling. Dan flinched as he saw the various neo-cubist paintings decorating the walls, but he realized they'd been selected because their colors matched the more subtle and subdued rose and blue tones in the overstuffed chairs, couch, and loveseat arranged in the center of the room. A huge hearth of roughly finished stones dominated the exterior wall, and across from it, a short hall led deeper into the bungalow.
Dan looked at the papers scattered on the couch, then spied a tumbler half-filled with amber liquid on a glass-topped table between the overstuffed chairs. Pointing at the glass, Dan said, "I hope I didn't interrupt anything."
"Not at all, son. I had just poured myself a drink when you knocked." The elder Allard pointed toward the hallway. "I've got a fully stocked bar in the kitchen. Want anything?"
Dan shook his head. Someone was here. You don't drink alone, father, and you don't drink whiskey."You're a lousy liar, you know."
Quintus Allard gave his son a wry grin. "Taken to calling your father a liar now, Dan?" He shook his head with exaggerated remorse. "I guess it must be true that being a mercenary does sap a MechWarrior of his moral fiber."
"Touche," Dan laughed. He pointed to the drink. "You don't have to finish it to convince me."
"Thank God. Scotch is awful."
Dan nodded sympathetically as he seated himself in the nearest of the overstuffed chairs. He turned it to face the chair his father had taken, which also gave him a partial view of the ocean beyond. As he sat down, Dan heard something scrabble its way onto the roof.
Quintus noted his concern but waved it away. "Racoons. This is one of the last few places you can see the real thing in the wild. ComStar reintroduced them from zoo stock about a century ago."
Dan smiled. "They really have changed Terra, haven't they? Coming in on the DropShip, no one could have guessed how bad things must have been in the wars before ComStar took over the planet."
Quintus nodded. "I assume you did not come here to talk about ComStar's successes at terraforming Terra herself."