Chapter 232: Family Breakfast

Thursday, August 5, 1971

“Oh god, my head,” Larry moaned as he collapsed into the chair and cradled his head in his arms on the table.

“This younger generation just can’t handle their liquor,” Captain Tab smirked as he sat down beside his nephew. “Present company excluded.”

“Good morning, gentlemen,” I said as they joined Kip and me in the hotel’s dining room. “And for the record, I can’t handle it very well either. I just seem to know when to quit.”

Tab looked at Larry and shook his head.

“Sadly, it seems to be a lesson that my nephew here hasn’t learned,” he said. “Yet!”

“How did you sleep?” I asked politely.

“Better than I have in a long while,” Captain Tab offered. “And it wasn’t because of those plush beds. I think you are a man of your word, Prince Michael, and I think that maybe it was a fair wind that blew us your way.”

I didn’t respond, but simply laid a packet of eight envelopes on the linen tablecloth beside the Captain.

He looked at the stack and then at me before he reached for the one on top that bore his name. Breaking the Royal Seal, he first scanned it and then went back and read the royal pardon completely. When he looked up at me, there was just the slightest mist in his eyes. The relief on his face was obvious. He didn’t say anything, but just nodded his head once in acknowledgment.

We were saved from one of those embarrassing “man” moments by the sudden cry of “Daddy!” echoing across the dining room. A small yellow missile, fired from the lobby, made its way around the other tables and diners and landed right in my lap.

“I missed you!” Sunny cried as she hugged me tightly. “Mommy says that we’re going to the fishy today. Wanna go with us?”

“That’s fish-ERY,” her mother quickly corrected. “It’s where the baby fish are born.”

“I’ve missed you, Daddy!” Sunny said again.

“I’ve missed you too, Sunshine!” I told her as I hugged her tight. Then I planted a raspberry on her neck. Sunny recoiled in peals of laughter, then turned and settled into my lap.

“I’m hungry! When do we eat?” she asked me.

“I was going to eat soon, but I don’t know about you,” I teased. “They may not have enough food in the kitchen to feed us both.”

“Awwww, Dad-dy!” she cooed. “Can I have pancakes?”

“Good morning and I’ve missed you too,” Kathy Lynn said as she stooped to kiss me tenderly on the lips.

“Me too,” I managed to mumble around her passionate kiss. When she broke off the kiss she looked at me and I started to open my heart to her.

“Yew-w-w!” cried Sunny.

“Not here, Michael!” she cried softly. “You have guests.”

“I’m sorry, let me introduce you. Captain Tab, Larry, this is the absolute love of my life!” I said as I squeezed Sunny to me. “And this is her mother, Kathy Lynn Stephenson, from the great state of West Virginia. Kathy Lynn, Sunny, these are my new friends, Captain Tab and his nephew, Larry.”

“How do you do, Sunny?” Captain Tab said. Then to Kathy Lynn, “Pleased to meet you.” To me, he added, “You have a fine looking family.”

Kathy Lynn snickered, her hand over her mouth trying to hide it. Sunny just looked at him for a moment and then back to me. Then she returned to playing with my silverware while we awaited breakfast.

“Did I say something wrong,” Captain Tab asked quietly.

“It’s not your fault,” I told him. “You’re just not completely informed.”

“Yeah, Michael and I aren’t married,” she told him. “Leastways, not yet! Just wait until you meet his other wives and the rest of his family.”

“I see...” Captain Tab replied. However, it was apparent that he did not see. I thought I detected a smile cross Kip’s lips, but I could have been mistaken.

Fortunately, I was spared any more explanations as another “Daddy!” echoed across the dining room. This time it was from a much older daughter who mimicked Sunny’s earlier entrance, differing only in that she ended up on Captain Tab’s lap.

After hugging her father, she whispered in his ear. Whatever she told him, it seemed to reassure him for the moment. Then, still on his lap, she turned towards us and said, “Good morning, Sunny. Michael, is it true?”

I had started to scan Barbara, when she added, “I mean, is what they all told me true? About sharing your love and knowing how I feel all the time and everything?”

I went ahead and scanned her, then said, “I’m not sure what they told you, but I can feel that you are excited, and scared, and more than a little bit horny.” I’m not sure who was more embarrassed hearing that, Barbara or her dad. But Barbara jumped quickly to her feet as she blushed.

“She’s just like Mommy!” Sunny stated. “Hey! Does that mean I’m getting ANOTHER mommy?”

“I don’t know,” I told her. “We’ll just have to see.”

By then we were surrounded and so I began the introductions.

First, my wives, Ileana, Abby, Sandy, and Hanna. Then, Hanna’s sister, Allie, and Abby’s sister, Deedee. My administrative assistants, Vickie, Adriana, who was actually able to say “Hello” aloud, and Grace. My attorney, Izzy. My sister, Nicky, and the other employees of the foundation, Amy, and Shelly. My biographer, Shelby. The Omugi Princesses, Rose and Eve. My security team, Karla, Luisa, and Beth. My Alien, Narvenia. And my gift, (I teased her) Aida. Oh, and my new ward, Lydia. I think that’s everyone.

Then I saw Rachael sitting at the end of the table, pouring over her notes. Ever since the cavern, Rachael had been absorbed in studying the codex we had found.

“And that beautiful lady at the end of the table is my friend Rachael Dixon,” I added. By this time, Larry’s eyes were glazed over and Captain Tab was just nodding at everyone. I think the part about “my alien” must have gone right over their heads.

After they were introduced, my family grabbed a seat at one of the two long tables the restaurant kept just for us and the staff began bringing bowls and platters of all kinds of breakfast foods to the tables where everyone simply dug in. If you think that my family introduced the restaurant to this kind of serving, often called ‘Family Style’ back in the States, you’re wrong. Tapatoans have been serving this way for centuries.

Currently, my plan is to bring a bushel of grits with me when I come back. Then I’ll teach them how to fix them right, and have them serve the grits for breakfast. Who knows? Maybe I’ll even get the Tapatoans interested in grits as well.

We had just begun eating when chairs started scraping the floor all over the dining room as patrons, mostly Americans with the State Department and a few reporters, rose to their feet. Servants paused in their tracks, setting aside the dishes they were carrying to bow reverently.

It always amazes me that Kalani doesn’t merely enter a room, she possesses it.

Dressed in a comfortable looking, gray, wrap-around sheath with minimal accessories and what I knew was her “working” crown; she smiled and mouthed a word to her people, who quickly resumed their tasks. To the Americans, she simply nodded, not stopping to speak as she moved through them.

As she neared me, I saw that she had Catherine and David in tow, but no Mikeya. I was not surprised. My darling Mikeya, alas, doesn’t do mornings well. Stopping next to me, Kalani stood on tip-toe and kissed my cheek, then turned to face Captain Tab and his family.

“Prince Michael, why don’t you introduce me to your new friends?” she asked me. From the way she said it, I knew she wanted full titles for some reason. But I didn’t bother to scan her to find out why; I just did what she wanted.

“Your Majesty, may I present Mr. Thomas Beauchamp, his daughter, Barbara Beauchamp, and his nephew, Lawrence Grimes, all of San Diego in America. Lady and gentlemen, may I present your hostess and benefactor, Her Majesty, Queen Kalani Kapaemala of the Sovereign Nation of Tapato.”

Captain Tab bowed deeply while Barbara did a respectable curtsy. Larry just looked confused as to what to do.

“Welcome to Tapato, Captain Beauchamp,” she said with a smile that was totally disarming.

“Thank you for you kind hospitality, Your Majesty. And your generosity,” he replied. “Do I detect a bit of a French accent?”

“Oui,” Kalani replied.

“I’ve spent a little time in Hiva Oa, Huahine, and Tahiti. And while I developed an ear for the French lilt, I never mastered the language,” Captain Tab explained.

“I hope that the Prince’s faith in you has not been misplaced, Mr. Beauchamp. Tapato greatly values her prince,” Kalani told them. Her message was quite clear. Then to me she said, “Michael, you haven’t introduced your grandmother or David.”

“Certainly,” I replied. Then turning to the others I said, “Grandmother, David, may I present Mr. Thomas Beauchamp, his daughter, Barbara Beauchamp, and his nephew, Lawrence Grimes from San Diego.

“Ma’am, sirs, this is my grandmother, Catherine Wagner, of Seven Oaks, and her fiancé, Mr. David Combs. I may be the President of Wagner Industries, but it’s really Grandmother who’s running the show.”

Catherine and David chatted with us only a moment before moving to an empty spot at the other table, next to Nicky, while the chatter and laughter continued unabated. It warmed my heart to see everyone so happy. I only wished the others could be here.

“The others?” thought Barbara.

“Yep! She can hear him,” Vickie said with a smirk. Of course, that started another round of questions and explanations as the girls tried to explain who the ‘others’ were.

“Just how many, er, friends, do you have with you?” Larry asked.

“Michael has forty-eight members of his family, friends, and staff here with him on Tapato. Then there’s one in Colorado (Dawn), two in North Carolina (Natalie and Tommy), four more (Robert, Cindy, Melanie, and Jimmy) back in Texas, and another ten in Tennessee (John, Sarah, Randi, Julie, Jenny, Jeff, Debbie, Mandy, Candy, and Jessica). That doesn’t include his Security Chief, Penny and his full time security detail. They’re en route and will be joining him tomorrow,” Grace explained.

I thought I detected the beginnings of a smile forming on Kip’s face. I’m sure he was thinking of Unevia.

“Don’t forget Liz,” Catherine spoke up. “She’ll be arriving with Penny tomorrow as well.” Liz Randall was Catherine’s twin sister and the new United States Consul-General for Tapato.

I paused with the fork halfway to Sunny’s mouth. I had forgotten that Liz was coming. I hadn’t been willing to cough up the quarter-million dollars that Nixon’s White House demanded (under the table) for an ambassadorship these days, so Tapato wasn’t getting an embassy yet. However, Liz’s appointment as Consul-General had been recently approved by congress and she must have completed the A-100, a six-week training/orientation course at the FSI (Foreign Service Institute) in Arlington, Virginia, along with a background security check in order to be here.

“Daddy!” Sunny cried, “C’mon. I’m hungry!”

Suddenly, Kip scooted back his chair and quickly stood, almost at attention. I saw his right arm stiffen and begin moving upwards, and then I heard a voice boom. “At ease, sailor!”

“Daddy!” came another scream as everyone in the dining room looked up at the new commotion. And like Sunny and Barbara entries before her, Sandy went sailing through the dining room to hug the figure standing in the door.

After things calmed down, Sandy laced her hands through her father’s arm and headed my way.

“Almost forgot, didn’t you?” the General teased Kip.

“Old habits are hard to break, Sir,” Kip replied somewhat stiffly.

“Well, you can break that one, Palmer. You don’t work for me anymore,” the General said with a laugh as he reached across the table to shake Kip’s hand.

“Hi Dad,” I said with a grin.

“You can break that habit too!” the General intoned gruffly to me. “You DO STILL work for me!”

It would have gone over better if he hadn’t grinned back at me at the end. Then just for good measure he added, “How are you ... son?” He knew I hated to be called son.

Ignoring him, I introduced my guests.

“General, this is Thomas Beauchamp. During World War Two, he was the Executive Officer on board the USS Cable (ARS-19), a Navy Rescue and Repair ship. And this is his daughter, Barbara, and his nephew, Larry Grimes. Folks, this is my father-in-law, Brigadier General Norman Carter, US Army Retired, and Deputy Director, CIA. He’s my wife, Sandy’s, father. He’s also Dr. Carter’s father. She’s the one who fixed Barbara up yesterday,” I explained.