Confirming Carter Bk. 02 Daedalus Ch. 07

"Lady Tammy, I mentioned my grandson Phinnar." Pharris said, then she looked at Bra'tac. "Master Bra'tac, my grandson is five, and in need of guidance. His mother died in child birth, and his father is away much of the time."

"Then they have much in common." Bra'tac said. "Geraan comes from similar circumstance. The lady Tammy offered to care for and tutor him, and his love for them grows by the hour."

"What did you learn today, Geraan?" Tammy asked, holding him so Pharris could see him.

"Dog paddle! Keep head out of water!" He laughed, making swimming motions.

"What else?" Sam asked.

"Dang-gu." He said, with much less enthusiasm.

"Two excellent lessons for one day." Pharris laughed. "Very good, Geraan."

Tammy and Sam both looked at Geraan. After a moment, he said, "Dang-gu."

"You're welcome." Pharris said. She looked at Tammy.

"We can talk later." Tammy said.

"Ladies and gentlemen, dinner is available on the buffets." Samuels said as she stood at the head of the table. "We have Athosian, and a variety of foods from the nations Earth, so please, try some of each, and save room for dessert!"

Interior-Kitchen

0110 hours

"I have to put him down, I'll be right with you." Tammy said as she moved toward the bedroom. "Kitchen?"

"Yeah, that's fine." Sam said as she took Pharris' hand and led her down the hall to the kitchen.

She took three glasses from the cabinet, filling one with water, and sitting it at Tammy's place. Opening the fridge, she held out a glass to Pharris, then grabbed two cokes and filled her glass with ice.

"We're kind of self service." She said as she waved at the fridge. "We have a selection of juices and soft drinks, or alcohol and spirits in the other fridge. Ice is in the dispenser."

"What was that you took?" Pharris asked.

"Coke. A sweet, carbonated beverage from my home country. It has bubbles in it." Sam laughed. She leaned closer to Pharris. "It's one of my vices."

"I'll try that then." Pharris laughed as she took a coke and moved to the table.

"You'll want ice." Sam said, taking her glass and filling it from the dispenser, then sitting it on the table in front of her.

"Her other vice is ice cream." Tammy said as she came in and opened the freezer. She tossed Sam a carton of chocolate ripple, took a rocky road for herself, and held out a carton to Pharris. "We'll start you off on french vanilla. A good choice for beginners." She said as she got spoons from a drawer.

Tammy slid spoons across the table to the other two women as she sat down. Sam picked up her coke, turning toward Pharris as she popped the tab to open it, then poured it slowly down the side of the glass. Pharris imitated her, then took a tentative sip. Her eyes lit up at the first taste, and she took a bigger drink, then finished filling her glass.

"I'll send a few cases with you when you go." Sam laughed. "But don't tell anyone when you get home, or you won't have any left."

Pharris was watching as Tammy dipped ice cream out of her carton. She took the lid off her own and dipped out a small spoonful. She broke into a broad smile as she got a bigger bite.

"Try this." Sam said as she held out a spoonful. Pharris tasted it, then shook her head.

"That's bitter. This is smooth and sweet. I like this." She said. "But your Earth foods were all so delicious! I especially liked the meats with the thick yellow sauce on bread. I had two of that."

"Bacon cheeseburgers. They appear to be an intergalactic favorite." Sam laughed.

"You surprised us." Pharris said as she scooped up ice cream, and held the spoon in front of her mouth. "Our scouts reported seeing the explosion, and identified your ship. We did not know that there were two."

"Daedalus' cloak was damaged when the blast wave hit them." Tammy said. "Apollo came in and was flying cover until they could go to hyperspace."

"We had expected you to ask for our assistance, as you did with the Replicators." Pharris said, looking between them.

"We discussed it." Carter said. "But we decided that it would be safer for us to do this alone. We didn't know how long that gathering was going to last, and I wouldn't have allowed you to go without cloaks anyway. There just wasn't time."

"We also thought to minimize the risk by doing it alone." Tammy said. "If our ships had been discovered, we would be the only ones blamed. "We're better equipped to defend ourselves. There was no reason to have the Wraith come after all of us."

"I came to speak of Phinnar, my grandson." Pharris said. "I spoke to Bra'tac, and he tells me that you are long time friends."

"Almost ten years, yes." Carter said. "He's only known Tammy a few days."

"So he said. But he trusts her implicitly, and he looks on her with a fondness it takes most people ages to achieve." Pharris said. "But I feel the same thing, after only hours. The way your men asked for the blessing of both their queens. That was not for Waleen and I. That was for you, and to make them feel complete."

"We take it seriously, as do they." Carter said. "Each of our knights was rewarded for specific deeds in our service, even though each had performed many worthwhile deeds before entering our service."

"My son was not meant to be a father. A breeder, yes, but not a father." Pharris said. "You may not know that because of our population problems, not all of our people are allowed children."

"We didn't know that. But not everyone that can produce a child can raise one." Tammy said.

"Do you have children of your own?" Pharris asked.

"No. Neither of us, not until after the coronation. We've already selected the father, and have his contribution." Tammy told her. "I want several. Sam's not sure yet, but has to have at least one."

"I keep trying to ask..."

"Bring him. Or send for him, it's late, and I was going to suggest you spend the night." Sam said. "We'll care for him, and teach him as we are Geraan. Geraan is with one of us every moment he is awake. He's teaching us how to be mothers. Phinnar can help him."

"He's teaching you how to be a mother. I'm a natural." Tammy said.

(-)

That's all for Chapter Seven. Please read Chapter Eight for more of this story.

I hope you liked this episode. Please post a comment so I know if I'm the right track with this...