Chapter 187: Aida

Sunday, June 27, 1971

Clio’s lilting little laugh still rang in my ears as I realized what she had said. Of all the things their father could have given me, why had he given me another woman? The question just wouldn’t go away, even as Grace and Vickie led me to the far corner of the room.

This was not my first press conference. I had done an impromptu one a few weeks ago at Harry’s party. However, it was my first one as the President of Wagner Industries. I understood that the idea of a sixteen-year-old running one of the largest privately held corporations in America was too good to pass up for most of the local media, even if it was on a Sunday afternoon. However, I was surprised at the attention we were getting from the national media.

I was also surprised to see Charli and Leah when they entered. Charli waved as she and Leah immediately went into a whispered conference with Grace, Vickie, and Adriana. I was glad that my assistants had called in the experts.

As Vickie had reported, George Herman, the long-standing moderator for ‘Face the Nation’ was there for CBS news. David Brinkley, the co-anchor for the ‘NBC Nightly News’, had also made the trip up from Washington, DC just for this news conference. I noticed that both were being prepped for their appearances on TV, and I wondered if I would have to wear make-up as well.

“Of course!” came Vickie’s quick reply. I should have known she would be monitoring my every thought. I settled into the chair she indicated and closed my eyes as they began applying the make-up for the television cameras. It was one of the sacrifices I knew I must make.

“We prepared you a script to make sure you cover everything,” Charli said from behind me as she placed a sheet of paper in my right hand. I took it without opening my eyes. I didn’t want to get makeup in them.

Besides, at the moment, the press conference was the farthest thing from my mind. So as Vickie applied the pancake, I sat there considering my gift from the gentleman at the farm in Vermont who had never bothered to introduce himself. Absently, my fingers brushed over the new ruby in the hilt of my sword.

“Why would he give me a girl? And why the implication that she would be my wife?” I wondered again.

“Because the gift of a mate is considered the most worthy gift to give to someone you admire,” Celeste replied. “And it was not an implication.”

“Huh?” was my response to the unseen sister.

“Men can be so stupid, sometimes,” Melody sighed in exasperation.

“Please, you guys. Don’t be hard on Michael. I think he’s wonderful!” I smiled as I recognized Polly’s young voice.

“We know! You haven’t shut up about him!” Tally said.

“You’re just jealous,” was Polly retort.

“So...” Tally replied wistfully.

“Michael, our father scattered those weapons long ago. So of course he was amazed when he discovered that they were now all in your possession. Or within your grasp,” Celeste explained. “He has studied your actions since you came to this time. He was particularly impressed with how you defeated Mirthos in the Obrelausten test. He was also pleased with how you faced the Narexxian warriors. When he decided that you might be worthy of the Thesan’s armor, he had us arrange his ‘gift’. It is a great honor, Michael, and Father would be displeased if you refused it.”

“But I don’t need another mate?” I whined.

“Do you not believe your own words?” Cali asked.

“My words?” I asked. But before she could reply, I had already figured out where this was heading.

“Did you not say that love was without limits? And that the more love you shared, the more it grew?” Cali asked.

I hate it when people use my own words against me, but I had to admit that they were right. I was behaving poorly. I did believe that love was both powerful and limitless. I made up my mind to quit bellyaching.

“See..., I told you he wasn’t stupid,” Polly said. “Now tell him about OUR gift.”

“It’s on the hilt of your sword, Michael,” Cali continued. “As muses, my sisters and I are at the whim of our father as he gifts us to others, so we are not always together as we are now. However, if you are ever in need, just touch the ruby with the hand bearing the rings and one of us will be there for you.”

“Yes. It is our reward for how you treated our father,” Desirée said. “And for what you did for our sister.”

“Although we all enjoyed it,” Charmaine added. “I haven’t felt love like that in ages!”

“That’s enough, Charmaine,” Cali said. “Michael, we must leave now. Please trust in our father. He would not burden you with frivolous gifts.”

Her final admonition was followed by a chorus of goodbyes, and then silence.

“Michael?” Aida asked softly. “Are you awake?”

I grinned without opening my eyes. The makeup they had applied felt heavy on my face.

“I have to tell you that I simply cannot believe that your grandfather picked me to be your wife. I mean, I never even met the man. At least, not that I can recall. At first, I was upset. I’m not really old enough to be someone’s wife, well, I mean I am old enough, but I hadn’t thought about it. Not like that. I mean, of course I’ve thought about it, but not exactly who. You know?” Aida said. “And when your grandmother said my name was on your deed and that we had the same last name, well, I was just overwhelmed for a minute. I hope you don’t think I’m some brainless idiot. I mean, I felt like one for fainting and all. And I’m sorry I didn’t get to go with you to Vermont. Did you find what you were looking for? I hope you did. But we need to talk about this deed thing. I mean, are you ready to get married? I don’t think I am. Oh, wait! I forgot. You’re already married. Twice. I met one of your wives, the princess. She seemed so sweet. And I may have dreamed of getting married one day, and you’re a cute guy and all, even if you do wear that overgrown Boy Scout knife. But I never dreamed of marrying some guy that is already married. Your sister and some of the others tried to explain everything, but I think we should just work out the deed stuff and leave the marriage for later. Okay?”

Opening my eyes as she finally ran down, I touched my ring finger to the large ruby on the hilt of my ‘overgrown Boy Scout knife’. “Tell your father that I will get even with him,” I thought sardonically. I was sure I heard a giggle as I removed my finger from the ruby.

“Are you deaf or something? I asked if that was okay,” Aida repeated. “Did you not hear me?”

“It’s time, Michael,” Grace told me. I turned to Aida as I stood.

“Yes, I heard you,” I thought to her as I stared at her. I hoped that she realized that I hadn’t opened my mouth for my reply.

“Well? Can we just settle this deed thing...” Aida started as it suddenly dawned on her what I had done.

“How? How did you...?” she started again. I didn’t stay to answer her. I figured Vickie or one of the others would explain it to her.

The press conference was fairly routine, at first. After the flashbulbs quit popping, I read the statement the girls had prepared, then opened it up to questions. Most of it was posturing, but if they asked something about the company I didn’t know, Adriana seemed to be able to supply me the answer.

Finally, to signal that the press conference was almost over, Leah said to the assembled group of reporters, “His Highness will take one more question.”

“Er, Your Highness?” said a gravelly voice from the back of the room. “What do you know about Hughes Airwest Flight 706 that crashed on June sixth?”

Up until this point, I had only been doing a general scan, searching for hostile emotions. However, I immediately scanned the questioner, seeking his intent. What I found was disturbing.

Earl Wilson, the noted New York gossip columnist was truly in pain. I had revealed my knowledge of the pending disaster to him the night before it happened, at Uncle Harry’s party. I’ll admit, part of the reason was showing off, at the time. The other part of the reason was that I had desperately hoped he might have been able to stop it somehow. I had finally admitted to myself that, even with all my powers and foreknowledge, I couldn’t prevent it from happening. And truthfully, I had forgotten all about Earl Wilson.

“Mr. Wilson, I will be glad to discuss your question in private. However, I will not discuss it in an open press conference,” I thought to him.

Then, I asked him aloud, “I’m sorry. Is this something to do with Wagner Industries?”

“Uh ... er, no. I withdraw the question,” Earl said softly.

“Thank you all for coming,” Leah said, ending the event without me having to say anything else. As I followed her off the stage, she added, “Michael, if you’ll follow me, I promised Mr. Herman and Mr. Brinkley you would speak to them.”

Of course, I couldn’t do one interview with both of them, so I had to sit through the same questions twice, once for each network.

“Remember, Michael,” Adriana reminded me. “This is for the company.”

Finally, it was all over. As the crew from NBC broke down their equipment I looked around the almost vacant room.

“They all headed back to the house to get ready for your party,” Kip supplied in response to my unasked question.

“And yes, they took her with them,” Adriana supplied.

About that time, Mr. Wilson approached me. He was alone. Apparently his wife didn’t escort him to Sunday afternoon press conferences.

“Sorry kid,” he started. “I wasn’t trying to blind-side ya up there. But I’ve gotta tell ya that your little stunt at the party really bummed me out. Are you gonna tell me how you knew about it?”

“That depends. Are you asking as Mr. Wilson, the gossip columnist? Or are you asking as my friend, Earl?” I asked.

“Look, kid. I told you. There’s no such thing as off the record with me,” he replied automatically.

“Too bad, then,” I thought to him as I turned to leave.

“Wait!” he cried. “How do you do that? How do you get in my head like that?”

“Let me know when you’re ready to talk off the record,” I thought to him as I followed Adriana and Grace out the door.

You could hear his curse all the way to the elevators.

“I really appreciated all you did for me this afternoon,” I told Charli and Leah. They were riding back to Long Island with Adriana, Vickie, Grace, and me.

“That’s what you pay us for,” Charli said happily. “Although we didn’t know the networks were going to cover it too. That was priceless. I think Leah and I are going to have to reevaluate your situation going forward.”

“That’s for sure,” added Leah. “I have a sneaking suspicion that you are going to keep our small firm very busy. By-the-way, what was that conversation with Earl Wilson all about?”

I started to dismiss it, but decided that as my public relations company, they really should know, so I replayed my memories of everything, starting with our exchange the night of the party.

“How DID you know about the crash?” Charli asked.

I wasn’t ready to go into my time-travel experiences with them yet, so I shrugged it off as a vision I had received. Charli and Leah were not totally convinced, but they had already seen enough oddities about me to make my claim plausible.