Chapter 25

The shipboard jubilation over Meiersdottir's and her baby's return unharmed far surpassed any concern for the injured Miller. Given the major's preference for isolating himself and his troops from contact with the civilians, he was little known among them; and the few who'd had any significant interaction with him hadn't liked him. His passage to sick bay, now on a gurney wheeled by two of the technicians, evoked but cursory concern.

On the other hand, all wanted to fete the homecoming hostages as well as Igwanda, who they quickly learned had engineered the rescue. The colonel and his wife were required to spend considerable time gladhanding and accepting welcomes from all and sundry; only by pleading weariness, aided somewhat by little Meier's increasingly vocal complaints, were they ultimately able to make their way to their compartment and shut the door behind them.

Shaw himself had offered no comments about the nature and condition of the returnees, other than to add his congratulations to the general acclaim. But he quietly took Igwanda one side for a brief moment. "I won't trouble you tonight, Carlos, you've earned your rest," he said. "But at your convenience in the morning please report to my quarters." So long as the Gardener remained in geosynchronous orbit over the aliens' village he rarely visited the bridge, preferring the greater comfort and comparative seclusion of his private compartment.

Once they were settled in their own compartment and Meier had been fed and put loving­ly to bed by both parents, and they had showered and made long and enthusiastic (albeit quiet) love, Meiersdottir stretched languorously and then turned in the bed to face her husband.

"Carlos, what really happened to that major?" she asked. "Did you have a fight with him?"

He shrugged. "It was no more a 'fight' than what happened in that small town back on Earth," he said. "Merely an exertion of will, and mine, as then, proved more potent than his." As she continued to look at him, he made a face. "It is really rather an ugly story," he said. He proceeded to tell her exactly what had transpired.

By the time he'd finished she was shaking her head in perplexity. "Unbelievable," she said. "His job is to protect us, and instead of doing that he sees it as an excuse to run amok down there regardless of the consequences to me and even the baby, and he actually tries to cut you down so he'll be free to do it."

"It was a thought in my mind when I chose to cripple him," said Igwanda bluntly. "I could have subdued him less ... forcefully and still been sure of implementing my plan, but he was going to be a detriment to the entire mission. And, well, I was angry."

"I don't blame you, sweetheart," she said. "If the situations had been reversed, if it had been you and Meier stuck in that damn hole in the ground and me up there, I don't know what I would have done when he wouldn't even listen, but it sure would have been something my dad wouldn't approve of."

"Yes," the colonel responded. "As I told you there, your father asked me to be sure to look after you and Meier. I told him something about a soldier's job being to avoid violence when possible and to emerge victorious when avoidance was not possible, and that I would try to be a good soldier in all respects. It seems that both were required more or less simultaneously, but I think I honored my promise at the last."

"You did, darling. Even in my darkest hours down there I was always sure you'd find a way to get us free. You've never let me down yet, and I know you won't when we go back down. Since you're kind of running the military end again, by the way, when will that be? I think we need to go soon."

"The pacifist re-emerges like a phoenix from the ashes of incipient warfare and personal travail both," observed Igwanda with amusement. His face quickly sobered. "That, I am afraid, is a question that requires serious consideration and discussion," he added. "May we defer both to tomorrow? If you slept as poorly as I last night, we are both far too tired to explore it productive­ly now."

"Yes, sugar. Ookey-pookey," she added mischievously. She slid smoothly into his arms and within minutes both were asleep.

Sleeping in is a luxury few parents enjoy, especially those with infants. Despite his ordeal—of which he'd, thankfully, understood little—Meier awoke not much later than his usual early start to the day and immediately set about demanding attention. Meiersdottir responded promptly while Igwanda, in the way of all fathers, lounged briefly in bed. But he roused in sharp surprise as the baby, just as Meiersdottir first took him up, demanded "potty!" in an imperious tone.

"My God!" he said in a still sleep-filled voice.

"See?" his wife said, smiling brightly. "Told you so." She carried the boy over to his tiny toilet, stripped away his overnight diaper, and they both listened with bemusement as he loudly made known how much he'd been able to hold his water.

They took their time about coming fully awake. Meiersdottir offered to take the child elsewhere so that he could sleep further, but he declined with a smile. "I think I am ready to meet the day," he said. "Coffee?"