Chapter 28

"Married?" said Meiersdottir in surprise.

She was on the communicator with Igwanda, who with Heisinger had alone remained on the surface. The others, together with both landers, had repaired to the Ark as soon as what had been intended as the final loading was finished for a much-needed night's sleep. It was now early afternoon planetside in what was their first day of inactivity since they'd arrived at Eden.

"Al and I originally planned it when we started," Igwanda told her. "We knew you and Granddad were married here, Pops was born here, and we thought it would be really neat to get married here ourselves. It was one of the things we had to shelve when time became a factor, but after what you said last night about the 'honeymoon cottage' we got to thinking, we've got a whole day free and why not?"

"Well, I think it's a lovely idea, Carlie!" she said.

"The only thing is, we'll need Captain Cromartie to marry us. I know it's regs that somebody able to pilot the ship has to stay on board, and other than him there's only MacPherson"—there was a clear sound of distaste in his voice as he said the name—"and we certainly can't trust him."

It occurred to Meiersdottir that her grandson and his intended still didn't know about the reversion of command. She hadn't wanted to tell them over the communicator, they'd both avoided him after the confrontation now so many weeks ago and had made plain their disapprov­al of her friendship with him. Even the surprising events of the day before hadn't seemed to entirely still their suspicions. And now certainly didn't seem the moment to broach the subject.

"But anyhow," Igwanda was continuing, "Al pointed out that if we do get stranded somehow down here there's really not much point to the Ark going home anyway, and it's a pretty small risk compared to the ones we've already taken. We won't order him to do it, that's not right since it's just us and not part of Eden Rescue, but would you ask him if he would?"

She smiled to herself. "I can guarantee he will," she said. "Do you want everyone else, too?"

"Yes, please," he said. "Well, everyone except ... Grandmother, I know he's your friend now but..."

"Not Angus?"

"We'd rather not, do you mind?"

"No, not at all," she assured him. The point was moot anyway; MacPherson had busied himself non-stop at the bridge console ever since she'd restored him to his rank, running simulation after simulation in hopes of finding even the slightest advantage to cut back on the time they'd need to reach worm speed. He'd made, she knew, some headway, but he was still at it and she knew he'd be loathe to interrupt his work for even the two hours or so this would take.

"Thanks. And one last thing, even though I'm sure you've thought about it. Can you make sure Captain Cromartie locks down the controls? MacPherson will be all alone up there, and we sure don't want him firing up the Ark and leaving us and the Edenites both marooned here to wait for the nova."

"Oh, Carlie, don't you remember he didn't even have that laser charged? He wouldn't kill us."

"Grandmother..."

"We'll take care of it," she lied.

"One more thing," he said. "Alicia wants to talk to you a second."

"Hi, Amanda," came Heisinger's voice. "I know this has to come as a surprise."

"Not a bit of it, dear," replied Meiersdottir. "Maybe a little more on the order of it's high time. I mean, you've been living together now for, what, four years? Under my roof, I might add."

The younger woman laughed. "And we'll probably stay right there when we get back," she said. "But what I wanted to ask you, would you be my matron of honor? Carlie's asked Aikun to be his best man, he remembers about his grandfather having an Edenite as best man when you got married here, but I want you. If you will?"

Meiersdottir glowed with pleasure. "How lovely of you, Alicia. Yes, of course. I'm honored."

Time was a bit short; it would be sunset on the surface in only about five hours. It took her most of one of those to gather together the ship's company, many of whom were only just awakening after a long and at last restful sleep, and assemble them in one of the landers.

There was one minor glitch; as Cromartie reminded her, he was no longer captain and thus had no status to preside over a wedding. After a little brief research, which uncovered the fact that even the legality of a captain officiating at a marriage was a little murky, they agreed that he could delegate whatever authority he might have to his first mate. MacPherson did so grumpily, clearly impatient at the interruption, and the lander headed down.