Chapter 1

I was staring at the single piece of paper when Weena got home.

"Guess what," she began.

"OK, what?"

"I'm pregnant!"

"Great. Practice makes perfect!"

"I just had a feeling, so I had one of the girls run a test. A real one. Not one of those kits."

"When?"

"I'd guess four or five weeks. So most likely May ... possibly late April."

"Wow! Can you take a few days off?"

"What for?"

"Fly to Queensland. Otherwise I might have to go on bivouac."

"What?" I handed her the letter.

Dear Dr. Hollister,

At the request of the Minister of Defence, the CSIRO has agreed to permit your cross-appointment to that Ministry at the brevet rank of Lieutenant in the Royal Australian Navy. Said appointment shall take effect 1 September 2005.

Signed,

"It's a joke ... right?"

"No, but I smell an Evans."

"Yes. Do you think this is the 'plan' he mentioned?"

"Part of it. Anyway, I don't see anything to fret about. No duties, no salary and a totally meaningless title."

"Maybe. But there's something fishy."

"Anyway, should we go out to celebrate?"

"Sure. But I'm off alcohol."

"Not entirely? I thought just not in excess."

"Current trend is none. But maybe I'll have a half-glass of something fizzy for New Year."

"By New Year you might know gender."

"Let's not get too far ahead. Anyway, today's Tuesday. I'm going to phone daddy."

She came back in ten minutes, grinning. "I asked him whether I should stop calling him 'daddy' and start calling him 'gramps.' It took about half a minute, but he figured it out. I let him babble a bit and told him to tell Mary. I told him 'probably May.' OK?"

"Whatever you want. You're the incubator."

"I'll get fat."

"If anything, you'll put on barely more than you took off since April. I'll call my folks now. They'll be done with dinner cleanup." I did, they were both happy, of course. But they were grandparents several times over, so this wasn't overwhelming. I told them to tell David. I also asked whether we could come for a few days if Weena got leave from the Royal Perth. They were overjoyed.

We went to Matilda Bay and I drank too much. Weena drove us home.

In the morning I phoned the Commander. "Captain Evans' office. May I assist you?"

"My name is Hollister, I wanted to speak to Commander Evans."

"Yes, sir. One moment please."

"Evans."

"What the hell is this game?"

"Gordy? How nice of you to call."

"And what's this 'Captain' stuff?"

"Well, first, I was promoted. So I'm now a captain. I doubt whether they'll ever make me Commodore."

"Commodore?"

"Next rank up."

"And do I owe this 'brevet' letter to the former commander or the current captain?"

"The former recommended and the current confirmed."

"And it means?"

"It means that if you don't screw things up over the next four months, you're getting a 'Distinguished Service Commendation' in January."

"Are you kidding me?"

"No. I wanted something better than the PSM, but the 'distinguished' awards are reserved to the military. After your service at Monkey Mia and your instant analysis of that fellow in Queensland, I persuaded the Minister's secretary that I needed you on board as a consultant. At the New Year you'll have been in rank for four months, so you'll get an award on Australia Day, the 26^th."

"Devious bastard!"

"Is that a way to talk to a superior officer?"

"Superior conniver!"

"True. How's everything else?"

"Fine. Weena's pregnant."

"Great! Wait till I tell Willy, she'll be ready to buy gifts."

"Tell her to wait till April or May."

"Of course. And you'll keep me posted?"