Starlight Gleaming Ch. 20

"Fair enough. And thanks for the update. Unless you have anything you need to talk to me about? All right, I'm heading home. Take care, Lady Lovyanchiti."

Blushing, she grinned, shaking her head at me as I left.

Collecting my gear and my escort, I asked Hanami to use my charge card and order two meals for thirty people from the Commissary and have them delivered to my home. Then, she was to contact Supply to get issued two dozen pillows and twice that many blankets to be picked up and delivered to my house tonight. If they needed a mission authorization number, they were to contact the Base Commandant's office. I then said goodnight to Hanami and went home.

Since I was later getting home than normal, Calia informed me she had led everyone through the snake katas, so that Terra, Sowitwee, and my girls kept up with their practice.

The girls were in the front room watching a children's show. Seated nearby were Sowitwee and Nariya. She lay with her head on his lap. The surprise was the presence of Ramilla and Leetsi in the living room, talking with their father -- and surprise again, they were smiling.

Calia and Terra worked in the kitchen, prepping dinner.

When they saw me, I was greeted by two exuberant girls and cries of "Tenant!" and "Up, Daddy! Up!"

Laughing in delight, I scooped up Mina who gave me a hug, then knelt down for Sisi's hug and kiss on the cheek. Sisi wore her Air Service clothing. I thought she looked good, and if she one day wore the uniform for real, she'd leave behind a lot of broken hearts. She was still my little girl, though, and I was definitely not ready for her to grow up anytime soon. Dresses and pantsuits would look just as splendid.

In contrast, my youngest was in a jumper covered with large flowers and hummingbirds. Mina was apparently satisfied by the brief exchange as she said next, "Down, Daddy, down." After releasing her, my youngest waddle-walked back to watching her show without a backward glance. Totally focused in the moment.

As I let Sisi back down, Calia wiped off her hands on a towel in her apron, then moved in for her own hug and kiss from me. She held on and laid on a little tongue with her kiss, which I happily responded with. Calia sighed and burrowed into my neck.

I noticed Sisi had watched the exchange with great interest. "What's up, Sisi?"

Instead of answering, she said to Calia, "Tenant's a good pick, isn't he."

"The best," Calia answered, pulling away with a delighted smile.

Setting down my oldest, I raised my eyebrows. "Good pick for what?"

"For picking a husband, Tenant," Sisi answered. Raising her hand, she got a serious look and counted out. "Handsome, strong, brave, smart, and most important, nice."

Calia headed back to the kitchen, followed by Sisi.

No way was I going to let that lie. "What are you two talking about?"

"Aunt Calia helped me make a list for when I grow up so I get a good husband."

Raising my eyebrows, I said, "She just turned six. She's too young to think about a husband."

Calia lifted the lid on the pot and stirred. Terra stood close, watching Calia get a spoon and taste it. Then she offered it to the servant girl. "Think about it, Terra. Is the taste suitable or does it need something?"

Calia then glanced at me before answering. Though she rarely used it with me, I sometimes heard her lecture voice when she was teaching my daughters or the servants.

"I respectfully disagree about her being too young. Little girls barely able to walk get dolls to carry around to get them used to the idea they will bear children and be responsible for their care. They get culture and socialization through the stories they hear, the shows they watch, and by watching the adults around them -- especially their parents. In a hundred ways, they are told what sort of man to look for. There are exceptions of course, but children will imprint on the parent of the opposite sex as to what they should look for in a mate. Even if the woman knows in her mind the man is flawed, it was still the model they had to measure with, and as an adult it takes a lot of hard work to break that conditioning.

"Your oldest Sisi had one set of models. A docile mother and a father who sometimes beat his wife and child for whatever reason that is beyond my comprehension. Sisi has a new family, with one man who has many women who welcome him with open arms and joy on their faces. She sees how Sowitwee and Nariya interact. She also sees Nariya, Terra, Salvia, and me as women who take care of others. A wife, two servants, and me, a slave who dearly loves her master."

That was going to change soon, but I let it slide for the moment.

I grabbed my usual seat at the table.

Calia continued. "There are four more women in this household, all of whom serve in the military. Fine examples of strong and brave warrior women. The captain, her Mama Zinja, her big sister Ixma, and her Aunt Cholan. The other men in this house, their Uncle Wit and his father -- they defer to you as well."

"Your point, Calia?"

"From the time a child is able to understand language, they are observing and learning. The most important lessons are those of character, and a child learns them -- or not -- by the time they are six. Even when Sisi acts selfish or is cranky, you have never hit her."

"Of course not. She's a child!" I answered tersely. "I'm the adult, and I'm supposed to teach her what to do, even when she acts badly."

"Just so," she replied with an approving nod. "Would you say she's a good girl?"

"Both of my girls are good girls." My daughter, who was listening, gave me a happy smile.

"Would you say she's smart?" Calia asked.

"Yes, she is a pleasure to talk to and to teach."

"Indeed she is. She's also very observant." Checking the casserole in the oven, Calia turned down the temperature before returning to speak again. "Sisi loves you a great deal. You are her dad. You spend time with her, hug her, and you make sure she's safe and well-fed. It makes her feel good that she's so important to you."

Turning to Sisi, I said, "You are very important to me. I love you, Sisi Kandikan."

Holding out my arms, Sisi came to me. I picked her up and sat her across my lap. Laying her head against my chest, she gave a contented sigh. "I love you, too, Tenant."

"Over the past few weeks, your daughter has been asking questions. She's trying to understand the differences between what she lived with before, what family situations the other children have, and her new living situation with you." Calia retrieved a bottle of water from the refrigerator and, popping the top, set it down in front of me.

"She knows that men and women being together is a thing, and that being married is important. She also knows that people who are married have children, and that in most families, there is one man and one woman." Calia gave me a pointed look. "She also knows that you, the most important man in her life, are not married. So after school today, she announced that when she grows up, if you aren't married, that she will marry you so that you won't be lonely."

Oh, gods above.

Calia smiled at Sisi before focusing back on me. "She's too young yet to understand what that means. She loves you and is concerned that you are happy, too. But the fact that she's aware and asking questions? Do you still think she's too young?"

Sisi looked up at me, her face wanting an answer, too.

"No, my very bright girl is not too young after all," I said, leaning down to kiss the top of her head.

"I've already talked to her about why she can't marry you when she grows up," Calia said gently. "I think she understands. But that led to what qualities a man should have, and what she wants in her own husband when she grows up."

Turning to Terra, she asked. "What does the soup need?"

"Salt."

Calia nodded, pointing. "Look at the size of the pot and how much I'm putting in. A pot half this size should get half as much. You can always add more salt, but it is difficult to remove it. Cut potatoes will absorb excess salt, but you have to remove them rather quickly or they'll get too soft to easily extract."

As Calia poured in the salt, Terra slowly stirred it in. "Should we test it again?"

"Give it a moment to fully dissolve," Calia answered. "Otherwise you might add too much. Besides, it's better to use less salt and let those at the meal add to their taste."

Satisfied for the moment, Calia sat down at the table. "Did you know that because of who you are, some children at her school are being encouraged by their parents to become her friend? Not for her sake, but because of you, my lord. It's all right. We've already talked about that, too."

I sighed. Seven hells.

"Sisi? Of the five qualities, what's the most important to look for?"

"Nice!" she answered immediately.

"Why is that the most important quality?" Calia prompted.

"If he's nice, we can be friends. Nice and mean are opposites."

Curious, I asked, "Do you know what opposites mean? Can you give me an example?"

Sisi nodded. She shifted, then held out both her hands, palms up. Then she closed one hand. "Calia showed me. This hand is open. It can hold things. That one is closed. It can't hold anything while closed. They are opposites."

"Very good," I said, impressed. "Can you give me another example?"

"Yes, Tenant. Calia said when you are here, her heart is full. And when you go away, her heart is sad and empty because she misses you. When you come home at night, her heart is full again 'cause she's happy. I understand, Tenant. I miss you, too, when you are gone, and I'm..." Then she corrected herself, glancing at Calia before deliberately saying, "My heart is full when you come home."

She nearly destroyed me.

Overwhelmed with love, tears spilled as I held her close, breathing into her hair.

"I'm glad you picked me, Tenant."

Suddenly laughing, I said, "Sisi, your Mama Zinja picked you. She said you were special, that you needed a home, and that she was determined she was going to take care of you, no matter what anyone else said. She wanted you that much! Because I know she is very wise, I said I would help her keep you. You know what? Your Mama Zinja was exactly right. You are very special."

"But you wanted to be my dad, right?"

I hadn't even thought about it. I'd just adopted them both.

"I did. It occurs to me that I never asked you if you wanted me."

"It's okay, Tenant. I'm not mad. I like being your girl."

Just like that, she devastated me again. All I could do was nod and hold onto her. I might not have sired this wonderful child, but I had picked her, and just as important, she had picked me right back.

She grinned up at me. "I'm glad you picked Mina, too."

"So am I, Sisi." A hug, and a wipe of my eyes. "I love you and Mina-beena both so very much."

Then I heard the muted sound of chain and gears pulling hard to lift the main garage door. Sisi's face lit up. "They're home!"

She bounced off my lap, moving to wait flush by the counter.

A minute or so later, we heard vehicle doors opening and closing. I got up to wait beside Sisi. She looked up at me and gave me an anticipatory grin, her large brown eyes alight with glee.

Seconds ticked by while we waited for the door handle to the garage to move and... they were taking longer than expected.

The single gunshot from the garage, though, changed everything.

"Sisi! Stay here!" Pushing her behind me, I drew my weapon, and flipped off the safety. Crouching down, I carefully opened the door, for a quick glance, dashed in and pulled the door closed behind me.

Cholan glanced at me, but remained where she was, standing next to the rear passenger door of the parked ChoCac.

I stood up and made my way around.

Zinja stood at the front of the vehicle, looking alarmed. "You all right, Captain?"

"Yep. Just waiting for the fucker to finish dying."

Behind Janetta stood Ixma, her eyes huge.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I reset the safety before holstering it.

Outside, in the driveway were two cruisers with four startled troopers moving quickly toward the garage. "What happened? Everyone all right?"

Janetta calmly said, "Zinja, grab that broom hanging on the wall and hand it to me. It's still wriggling a little, and I don't want to reach under bare-handed just yet."

Zinja complied, and Janetta bent over, working the bristle end under the HueCac parked in the next space. Then she reached down before standing up. In her hand hanging by its tail was a water moccasin in its final death throes. Planted between its eyes was the end of a fleshette.

"Janetta? Did it bite you?"

She shrugged. "I stepped out, then moved back a step to close the door. I felt something slap my ankle. Saw the snake getting ready to strike again, so I shot it."

The ever able Zinja collected the wash bucket and Janetta dropped the dead reptile into it.

Hearing the door behind me open, I turned. Calia peeked out. "Is everything okay?"

"Apparently so," I told her. "Snake got into the garage somehow. Tried to bite Janetta and paid for its hubris. We'll be inside momentarily."

Cholan burst into giggles, and both Janetta and Zinja grinned at me.

"Hear that, Captain? Snake died from hubris," Zinja commented.

"Damn straight, Sergeant."

One of the troopers took the broom and used it under the ChoCac. His partner took out an evidence bag and crouched down. When they stood, the clear bag held the single ejected casing. Both had big grins on their faces.

I went to my lover, opening my arms to envelope her in my arms. "Welcome home, Janetta."

After a nice kiss with a flicker of tongue, she leaned back to look at me with a pleased grin. "Nothing like a little danger to get the blood pumping. Nice to see you, too, Ranji."

"You sure you're okay?"

"Positive. Didn't penetrate the boot leather. Worth every credit I paid for them. Have to wash and oil them, though. Don't want any residual poison on them." She leaned up for another quick kiss, then pushed me away.

"Hey, what's the rush to get away?" I asked.

"Lavatory stop. Needed to use it since we left the hangar. Besides, you need to deal with that supply vehicle out front." She headed inside, calling out, "Make way! Talk later!"

The troopers had Zinja lay out the dead snake, and one laid out a folding measuring stick while the other took pictures.

I strode out the garage and spied the vehicle. A corporal sat in the front seat. When he saw me approach, he got out, carrying a tablet. He saluted and I returned it. My bodyguards flanked me.

"Commander Kandikan?"

"That's me, Corporal. What do you have here?"

"I have an order for blankets and pillows for use on an away-mission. If you'll sign here, I can start unloading."

"Hmm. Why don't you back up to the garage. We'll just transfer them directly to the back of my ChoCac wagon."

He shrugged and climbed back into the driver's seat. A little maneuvering, and he had it parked almost snug to the garage. Cholan and Ixma came out, watching as I stood by.

"What's going on, Commander?" Cholan asked.

"The heaters in an Albatross are decent, but on the flight tomorrow, we're going to have people who will probably want to sleep, and I thought blankets and pillows would make their flight easier."

She nodded, and Ixma said, "That's our Ranji. He's so thoughtful. Captain told us what you two are doing tomorrow."

As I opened up the back of the ChoCac, Ixma and Cholan reached in and removed the large family blankets from the back end. I recognized one as a more worn version purchased a year ago, when we first got Mina, when Ixma had stayed with both girls in the vehicle.

The corporal lifted up the rear sliding door and climbed inside. Using a hand-truck, he moved stacks of blankets sealed in bundles of ten to the edge of the cargo bed. Ixma helped me load. The four stacks nearly filled the back end. The foam pillows were small, being vacuum-sealed in their bags, and were contained by two large canvas bags. These were shoved in over the top of the packed blankets. Once the back hatch was closed, I took the tablet, reviewed the items, then signed for it while he closed up his vehicle.

The corporal smiled. "Good night, sir." Then he hopped into the large vehicle and drove off.

Just as another vehicle, this one a ChoCac wagon sporting the logo of the Commissary Diner, pulled in front of the house.

At the looks from Cholan and Ixma, I said, "Lunches and snacks and drinks for every one."

With so large a household, near the washer and dryer were three large appliances that Calia had added on her return to High Guard. One was an upright freezer and two were spare refrigerators.

I met the driver, and with his help along with Cholan and Ixma, we got everything into the garage. While I checked the tablet and signed for delivery, Cholan and Ixma worked on shifting things around to make room for all the boxed lunches. It took some doing, but we managed to get the doors closed. The cases of drinks were simply stacked outside. Hanami had thoughtfully ordered three coolers for storing the boxes in-flight as well.

"There's no room to carry the food tomorrow morning, Ranji," Ixma observed. "Mama's riding with you in the ChoCac tomorrow, but then she's bringing it home. You and the captain will have your gear for your trip. There's not enough room in the rear seat for her, all three coolers, and all the drinks."

I shrugged. "What doesn't fit in the ChoCac will go in the back seat of the security cruiser escorting us to the airfield in the morning."

With that, the garage was closed, and the troopers assigned to Janetta and her crew departed. The evening shift arrived, relieving the ones guarding the house. Before they left, however, the newcomers were informed about the snake and shown its corpse as well as the evidence bag with the shell casing.

Corporal Cooma and Private Quico followed us into the house.

The rest of the evening was remarkably quiet in comparison. It was a full table, and we squeezed in Sowitwee's sisters between me and Daydo. We ate dinner, and Calia made sure both troopers ate, too.

After the meal, Janetta went to the garage and retrieved the snake. She cut off the head and started skinning it.

Trooper Quico looked alarmed. "Don't we need that for evidence?" he hissed to Cooma.

She snickered. "What are we going to do? Arrest it? It's dead, Quico. Can't get punished any worse than that."

Zinja came back and announced the grill on the deck was warming up. I was surprised at Janetta's actions, then remembered our visit to Chingli Point the year before. That had been our second encounter together. She was honoring the spirit of the animal by putting its body to use as food.

Janetta carefully gutted the snake into the open bin as she split it open.

"This may work out," Calia grinned as she got up from the table. "The girls will like this treat. They had some a few days ago."

She retrieved three large plastic tubs from the pantry. Placing them on the table, she popped the lid on the topmost one.

Mina exclaimed, "Mallows!"

Sisi followed up with a "Yay!" and clapping.

Zinja and Ixma looked puzzled, and Janetta gave a wary look as she finished preparing the reptile for cooking. Zinja produced two long skewers and Janetta worked them through the snake, one at each end.

Sowitwee and Nariya looked delighted at the storage bins, however. Terra grinned, too.

Calia put her hand on Terra. "I know she had a fever this morning, but will you see if Salvia is up to sitting up with us? If she doesn't feel up to walking up the stairs, I'm sure we can ask one of these big strong men to carry her up and down."