GROUND / CH. 24:RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OFFICE
A week later, Rachel handed over a piece of paper to the university receptionist who dealt with external visitors. “In case some of your students and researchers near the end of their contract might be interested. Or academics wanting to branch out, of course, we're open to all sorts, really, including collaborative research projects.”
The receptionist read.
Research opportunities.
Research posts are available on the planet Ground (formerly designated 34-98-C, approximately one week's bubble-ship travel from the solar system),in:
Planetary geophysics
Geology
Exo-planet atmospheric modelling
Archeoology
Paleontology
Ecosystem dynamics and collapse
and related subjects, under the joint auspices of the Extra-Solar System Contact Group (ESSCG, a collaborative venture of the University of Mars and Atlantis academy, with support from the Restored Kingdom, the Imperial House of Russia, and GemSmith Interplanetary) and the university of Ground.
Ground has a single sea, covering approximately 3% of the surface. The ESSCG research team is expanding its field of research to investigate the causes for reductions in sea-level by approximately 1cm per annum observed over the past two centuries, historic fluctuations in this decline and the past and likely future consequences to ecosystems and the entire biome of the decreasing supply of water.
Postings are indefinite in length, (but not less than 2 years, barring exceptional circumstances) and would suit physically active researchers not averse to subsistence farming. Young families are welcome (currently the oldest children are aged 6), parents with older children will need to consider educational options and impact of no network connection to the solar system. The air is breathable and surface radiation levels are Earth-normal. Gravity is Mars-normal. There are three tool-using species on the planet, one of which is considered dangerous and the other largely unknown, even to natives of Ground, as there is no overlap in inhabited zones. Several other local creatures are considered highly dangerous, but do not inhabit the area where the research base will be sited.
Mer law applies to ESSCG ships and facilities, local law applies in dealings with locals and at other locations. Suitable candidates for the posts will not be oath-breakers, and will be fully able to integrate into a team where the humans are mostly evangelical Christians and the local population either honour the same trinitarian God as revealed in their scriptures or have no faith.
Adherents to other faiths are not excluded, but will undertake not to proselytise in either community, or discuss their beliefs with locals except on a case-by-case basis with the prior approval of both the University of Ground and the Government of Ground. The Government of Ground warns that while they are not a theocracy, their long-established laws on disseminating unapproved religions, philosophies or prophetic utterances dictate that violators are condemned to imprisonment with a full stomach but nothing but water for 50 to 100 days. As we have no control over our metabolic rate, and cannot store food in our stomachs, this would amount to a death penalty by starvation for humans.
Orientation to other aspects of local law and custom will be given to applicants passing initial pre-selection interviews.
The ESSCG routinely holds meetings in English, however Merish translation is always available and may be preferred in some sub-meetings. Language learning skills will be a big plus for most candidates, easing collaboration with the local university staff.
It is anticipated that transferrable skills will be taught in both directions and that colaborative papers will be jointly authored and published, both by the University of Ground and the ESSCG in peer reviewed journals.
Transport, food, medical care and lodging will be provided by ESSCG, and a small stipend paid (amount depends on citizenship and employment laws in force). The ESSCG has a full surgical team and regrowth specialist in case of accidents.
Under agreement with the Mars council, participants in the ESSCG are deemed to be contributing to the public good of Mars, and receive a grant of 5 improved hectares per annum.
Under agreement with the high council of Atlantis, ESSCG participants in good standing who learn the Merish language and are not otherwise barred from residency in Atlantis may apply for full Mer citizenship, with all associated rights, after four years. Those banned from Atlantis may apply for a reconsideration of their case and/or apply for limited citizenship.
Her Majesty's Government of the Restored Kingdom has decreed that ESSCG participation is fully compatible with the vows of civil service. Civil servants should, however, first discuss application with their supervisor. Successful applicants may also apply to join the civil service.
Initial applications for the research posts describing your citizenship, health, past research, qualifications and suitability for the post should be made to Dr Rachel Ngbila, care of your nearest GemSmith office. Couples/families should submit a joint application, listing everyone.
A number of non-research positions are also available and priority will be given to suitable spouses of research staff. Be aware that safety rules dictate that no Bubble ship travels so far from the solar system without at least one thought-hearer on board. If you possess such an ability and do not mind it being known, please mention it on the application or at a subsequent interview.
“That is one of the longest position adverts I've seen in a while,” the receptionist said. “And I hate to make it longer, but you don't say that applicants to the Restored Kingdom civil service would need to be citizens, or what the non-research posts might be.”
“Non-research posts are really quite flexible, and Her Majesty's government don't demand that people be citizens. Or rather, if they pass our interviews and want to join the civil service, then they'll happily grant citizenship.”
“Really? I'd heard that's quite a hard test, normally.”
“I'm afraid our tests are probably tougher.”
“OK, I'll make a note of that. Will there be truthsayer-conducted interviews?”
“If there's someone who has a problem with that, then I'd like a full and frank discussion about what their objections are, but I won't say they are 100% required. But they will be required to work with thought-hearers, since that's a large portion of the staff.”
“You say 'related subjects' what does that mean?”
“It means 'explain to me how your expertise can help, and I'll listen.' ”
“And you're not specifying if this is postgraduate work, postdoctoral or what.”
“No, we're not. That's because attitude and aptitude are far more important than paperwork. I'm not going to reject an excellent candidate just because she failed to submit her PhD in time because of complications in her pregnancy, for instance.”
“Oh.”
“Sorry if this is getting too personal, but I like to know who I'm talking to. I think it's a crying shame they didn't take circumstances in to account.”
“No thesis, no doctorate,” she said.
“No compassion, not much respect.” Rachel retorted. “The decision not to let you submit sounds like it was fundamentally flawed, and you ought to have appealed. You still could, actually.”
“Who to? I took it up to the vice-chancellor.”
“University chancellor, or failing that, her majesty.”
“I was quietly informed that that counts as bringing the university into disrepute.”
“I think that anyone saying that knows someone has made a bad call and are just covering for them or for themselves. But it's not my decision. What I can say is that if you and your husband want to apply, then I'm going to consider you has having attained your doctorate. Which is why I thought I'd come in person.”
“Thank you for saying so, Dr Ngbila.”
“Do you miss research?”
“Yes, but not enough to scrape and grovel or slog though writing another thesis on a totally unrelated subject.”
“Will you allow me to make a call on your behalf?”
“Who to?”
“My boyfriend's mum. Very sharp mind, and quite influential, has been known to persuade your chancellor to reopen things he thought were done and dusted. I presume you've not shredded your thesis?”
“I had it bound, even. In the prerequisite number of copies.”
“No grovelling, I promise.” Rachel said, and rang a single-use number. “Hi, Ursula? It's as you expected, they're holding 'bringing the university into disrepute' over her head. Her thesis is bound in the prerequisite number of copies, for crying out loud, they just wouldn't let her submit it.”
“You're with her now?”
“Yes.”
“Pass me over will you, Rachel?”
“You're on speaker.”
“Oh, well done. So, let me confirm, your are Anabeth Colier?”
“Yes.”
“Is that your full name?”
“Anabeth Rhianna Colier”
“And was it your initial submission or your corrections that were late?”
“The corrections were half a year late, according to some measures.”
“And that was because of a medical emergency?”
“You want the full story?”
“Yes please.”
“I was pregnant when I had the defence. We had a week's holiday afterwards, in relief, and then I got down to the corrections, part time, because I had this receptionist job I still have too. And I was tired from the pregnancy too. And then maybe a bit extra-slowly, because mostly it was what the internal examiner called grammatical mistakes and I called my normal way of speaking. That's not exactly a thrilling change to have to make, to make it all sound like someone else. Then I got food poisoning and my pregnancy went into crisis. My husband asked if I could have extra time and they gave me a week. He complained, saying that wasn't enough, and they gave me three months. He wanted to work on it for me, but I wouldn't let him because it all had to be my work. Then my boy was born. He was early, very early, and I didn't have time to think about the thesis. My husband went to the office and asked if I could have more time, and they said, in the circumstances, they'd be able to give me another three months. He said great, and left. They claim they gave him an exceptional cirumstances claim form, but either he left it there by mistake or they never did and it wasn't in the papers they gave him. But they did give him a piece of paper that gave me a new date. My lovely boy was just out of intensive care, at home, and I was nursing him, and working on getting the corrections done. My husband took it to the printers. Then they lost it in a computer failure. Then they did it, but my boy was back in hospital, on the critical list. The last date on that slip of paper, I left my baby, with all the tubes there, to take the thesis to the office.
"They said I didn't fill in the form. I said, look, my baby's in intensive care, I'm submitting my thesis on the due date specified. You'll have to fill in this form, they said, Oh, sorry, the computer's down, come back after lunch. I said, 'My baby's in intensive care. I cannot be away from him', and left the thesis there. Three months later, after the funeral, and after I'd got my mind back in order, I went back to the office. They'd left my thesis exactly where it was, with a note on it, 'unsubmitted thesis, to be collected by owner for disposal'. I said, 'my baby is burried, you didn't say when after lunch, where's that form?' And they took one look at my face and let me fill in the form, and took the thesis. The next week they delivered it back. Six months and a day past the original extension, second extension deemed invalid, past the time in which appeals can be made by a day. So I checked back into the psych-department for a month or so, because I realised I wasn't really sane, and then went back to to Church, because I realised I really needed God too.”
“Thank you, Anabeth. I'm sorry if retelling this has been hard on you, and I'll pray for you. Were there any substantive corrections, or all just minor ones?”
“Just minor.”
“In other words, purely at the discretion of the internal examiner?”
“I guess so.”
“Thank you for your time, Anabeth. You ought to hear from the university quite soon. If you don't hear by tomorrow, then get in touch with Rachel. Are you happy with that Rach?”
“Very happy. Thank you, your majesty.”
“Rachel you're going to make me cross.”
“Sorry, Ursula.”
“Much better.” The line went dead.
Anabeth looked at Rachel in shock. “I've just been talking to her majesty?”
“Shhh, you're not supposed to know that.”
“You're really going out with prince Albert?”
“I've known him for a long long time, I thought he was interested when I was sixteen, but then he never followed up. Turns out he thought I'd turned him down. But talking about history reminds me. Does my surname ring any bells at all?”
The receptionist glanced back at the advert. “Ngbila? Not that I can think of.”
“What about the word 'clan', in connection to your mother?”
“Clan?” Rachel heard the recogniton
“Yes. As in, 'ran away from the clan.' ”
“Because they were too scary.”
“Sorry you think that, Anabeth. I don't think we're scary.”
“You can phone up the queen and you're not scary?”
“Don't blame me that royalty married in. We're just a mixed up bunch from all walks of life as ever. Please tell your mother about my visit, and remind her that we remember her, we pray for her, and she's still welcome to come back to the clan whenever she wants to be. There's a gathering at Blackwood on Saturday. She's welcome to bring you and your family along, and as always, there's a cabin in her maiden name..”
“So where were you when I was going through something like hell?”
“We didn't even know you were born, Anabeth, your mother cut us off and we respect that sort of decision, however much it hurts. It's only because I read your paper a few days ago and wondered about your maiden name that I read what you'd posted about yourself, and asked my grandad.
Ursula might guess, but I've not told her. She's just involved because of the injustice of it. Oh, you probably don't know it, but you've got cousins.”
“Mum said she was the black sheep of the family and had been kicked out.”
“Not true by a long shot, according to the version I've heard. More like 'if you don't stop going on about Fred being no good for me, then I'm off'.”
“Who was Fred?”
“I presume no relation to you. Your mum left the clan, left home when she was just eighteen.”
“She was thirty when I was born.”
“Exactly. I guess Fred had left her a long time earlier.”
----------------------------------------
BLACKWOOD CABINS
Anabeth's mother, Daisy, looked around the station. “Not much has changed, I see. Lets get this over with.” She walked up to the courtesy desk, and said “I'm told you have a booking for Daisy Quy.”
“We do, maam,” the young man said, doing a bit of a double-take. “That's me, or used to be. This is Anabeth, my daughter and her husband.”
“May I phone ahead, maam? Grandma doesn't handle shocks well.”
“Grandma?”
“Yes. Your aunt Rhianna.”
“You're clan?”
“Yes. Gap year job.”
An elderly lady got to her feet, “Heather always said you'd come back to us one day. I didn't think it'd take this long. We've missed you, Daisy. Thank you for coming back.”
“Maggie?”
“In the flesh.”
“And you... took over from your mother?”
“I didn't want the job I assure you.”
“Anabeth, this is Maggie. If there's anyone who can box the queen round the ears, you're talking to her.”
“You're confusing your daughter and son-in-law, Daisy. ”
“Well, I'm right aren't I?”
“I don't think I ever boxed anyone's ears, Daisy, you're confusing me with someone else. And I wouldn't dream of telling Ursula what to do. Not these days anyway. She's not turned out too badly, has she? I seem to remember her screaming at you quite a lot.”
“I think she screamed at everyone except your mother.”
“I wonder why that was. I screamed at mum quite a lot, especially before I met Heather.”
“Who then whisked you off to Mars.”
“Fun days. Pushing back the frontiers of human knowledge and all that.”
“Keeping secrets, you mean.”
“Do you have any idea what a badly built, cheap copy of a bubble ship could do to a planet you know and love?”
“See, Anabeth? I told you the clan was full of scary people. Maggie here designed the bit that stops bubble ships turning into black holes.”
“Helped design. Don't make it all my work, please.”
“Frank died, you know?”
“I know.”
“And I blamed you — the clan, I mean.”
“Daisy, you know what he was doing, don't you?”
“When he died, you mean? Yes. He was trying to break into the bubble lab, and the security guards killed him.”
“No.”
“No?”
“That was the official story. Sorry if no one told you the truth. I thought you'd have been told.”
“Then what?”
“He was a very professional spy. I know you loved him. I know he loved you, at the end, even though he'd set out to trap you to get at one of us. Me, or more probably Mandy, she would have been the real coup, if you ask me, since she had all the design parameters and everything. But he wasn't outside. He'd got inside, and was trying to make one of the robo-probes jump to China, and probably would have succeeded too, but for two facts.”
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“Which were?”
“He gave himself away, made a phone call. He also didn't know middle Mer. He'd got the coordinates written in old Mer, that's how we know where he wanted to send it, but middle Mer doesn't use cuniform. He was seen in the lab puzzling over the control panel.”
“And shot.”
“Not with bullets; darted. But as I said, he was a very professional spy. Mer muscle relaxant drugs work on the major muscles first, he must have known and was prepared. He swallowed, and he was dead before they realised what he'd done.”
“I've always wondered.... I guess if you know all this, you know more. The meteor strike in China....”
“The Mer concept of justice is quick, and proportionate. Someone was expecting a device to materialise in a certain place, they were trying to steal part of a ship, which is to say Mer military technology. A device did arrive there.”
“Booby-trapped?”
“They sent an empty probe shell, one which just had the Boris drive and the a self-destruct device, they all have, and it also had the antimatter store the bubble drives use. It was marked in multiple languages 'extreme danger, do not open. If found return to Atlantis.' It would have been perfectly safe if whoever picked it up had obeyed the notice.”
“They sent an antimatter bomb?”
“The probes all had a self-destruct. They all had antimatter on board. The Mer reduced the amount of antimatter to ensure that the Chinese research site was destroyed, but no more. It was, and the Mer ambassador delivered a note that said,
'You thought to risk all live on this planet from foolish pride and greed. Do not think I will let you try that again. I know who you are and where you are, and there will be no escape from my rigtheous anger against those personally responsible. We have plenty more antimatter if you seek to shelter underground, and I vow we will risk total war and the destruction of our city to save the planet from ignorant meddling that risks a black hole on Earth. You know we do not bluff, nor break our vows. Karella Farspeaker, Sovereign of the deeps and shallows, Empress of space.' I think a copy went to the United Nations.”
“You've got that well memorised,”
“We all did. It's not often that a Mer ruler swears an oath threatenning total war, after all.”
Anabeth turned to her mother, “Mum, you said Frank was a boy you ran off with.”
“Sorry 'Beth. Too many lies and false names. Your dad the reporter, Frank the computer programmer, Wen Chu, the spy. All the same man.”
Maggie turned to Anabeth's husband. “Samson, I think its almost time for Ursula's train. Why don't you take Anabeth and Daisy up to the cabins? I'm not sure Anabeth needs more company right now, or surprises.”
“There are more coming? Other than strange old ladies knowing your name, Samson?”
“I guess there are a few more coming. I don't know how she knows my name though, or that there are more surprises.”
“No? Well if you'll get out of the mud, young man, then I'll explain as you drive all of us up to the cabins.”
“It's automatic,” Anabeth said, “Samson always hides from thought-hearers.”
“Come on, the car's this way.” Maggie said over her shoulder. “Saying it's an automatic reaction doesn't mean he can't control it. And sometimes it's just plain needless. Now, one little surprise I'd like to gently break myself is to ask Samson if he's noticed how beautiful Anabeth is looking these past few days?”
“I have.” he said, enjoying the pleasure of looking at his wife, “She's a lot more relaxed since she had the apology from the university.”
“Hmm. Then, young man, since you're in a romantic beauty spot with a private cabin, you'd better make sure she keeps taking these.” Maggie said, handing over a little bottle of folic acid supplement.
“Who are you?” Anabeth asked, getting the implication of Maggie's words and actions, even if Samson didn't quite.
“I'm Maggie.” Maggie said simply. “Not to be confused with Magdalena. Sometimes I'm also known as Mystery, but really I'm Mystery the second. And, yes Samson, this vehicle is entirely secure, neither Anabeth nor Daisy are going to tell on me giving away class delta state secrets about myself, and you don't need to stun anyone.”
“I don't understand,” Anabeth said, looking at her husband, who she thought was an accounts clerk.
“Let me guess,” Daisy said. “Not content with Anabeth's dad being dead, and not trusting him not to have somehow hypnotized her into being a secret agent for China when Anabeth thought all her life he was from Luton, their majesty's secret service used the same trick on Anabeth as China pulled on me?”
“Not quite,” Maggie corrected, “They just said 'excellent' and reassigned Samson to other duties when he admitted to falling for the client he was supposed to watch over as a friend. Samson was always more of a guard than a spy-catcher. You see, they weren't worried about you husband having made her an agent, one glance told Heather that wasn't true, but they were worried about the Chinese trying to recruit her. For good reason.”
“The break-in?” Anabeth guessed.
“Yes. You realise that sleep-gas releasing security systems aren't exactly common?”
“Dad's work... as a foreign spy?” Anabeth asked,
“And as an investigative journalist. He was a good one. There are a great deal of similarities in the work, really.” Samson said. “The gassed criminals weren't just thieves, and they'd seen that you had access to the house computer, Anabeth. I got asked to make sure you didn't know anything, and be there in case anyone thought you did know something.”
“But how would you know any of this?” she asked Maggie.
“Sorry... Mystery Voice is the name used by the gifted person who lends a hand to the civil service. I argued with God a lot about not wanting the gift, but in the end He asked 'who knows best?' I admitted defeat and then something like two decades later the original Mystery asked me to take over. My kids had grown up by then and I could see the positive side of having it. God did know best, see?”
“Sorry, what's your kids growing up have to do with it?” Daisy interrupted.
“My parents — both of them — had the gift as I was growing up. If you think growing up with a pair of thought-hearers for parents was hard, Daisy; it really doesn't make for a normal childhood when you know your mum could well still see reading your mind as the perfectly normal thing to do if she's wondering what you're up to, rather than, say, going to the trouble of asking.”
“So,” Anabeth said, “You have the gift, and you also knew about me and Samson.”
“Yes. And I knew about your PhD and your baby too. Samson poured his heart out to me because he knew he could and I wouldn't say anything to anyone.”
“But a few days ago Rachel said the clan didn't know I existed,” Anabeth said.
“The clan didn't. What I know as Mystery is very distinct to what I know as matriarch of the clan. And how would people trust their matriarch if she couldn't keep secrets?”
“And you don't pass what you know on to the queen?”
“Not except in a few specific cases, no. In the case of your doctorate, number of people in danger, zero, number of criminals going to escape justice, zero. Number of people turning to God as they realised how humans can't be relied on, one. Number of injustices that wouldn`t be resolved without me intervening.. ”
“Zero” Anabeth said, in resignation.
“Maybe, but I couldn't resist pointing Rachel at your paper, and also planted certain ideas in her mind by my comments on the first draft of that research advert.”
“Are you saying that God wants us to be part of that team?”
“No, I'm not. The thought occurred to me that you might be useful additions to the team, that's all. If God wants you there, he can make it clear without me sticking my oar in.”
“Can I ask a bit differently?” Samson asked. “If we asked you if we should be going, would you see if God puts us in that category?”
“If you get through the various interviews, prayed through it with your church leaders, and still can't think of an over-ridingly good reason to go or not to go, or you're coming up with different answers, then I'm happy to talk, pick holes in arguments, or suggest other people to talk to. But I hate using this gift as some kind of Gideon's fleece. As I told you before you got married, Samson.”
He grinned, “Nothing helps like a little confirmation, though.”
“You asked her if you should marry me?”
“I was in love with you, and interested in finding more about God. I asked her if marrying you would be a sin.”
“What did you answer?” Anabeth asked Maggie.
“If remember right, I told him if he waited to be a Christian before he married you, then he'd have to wait until you were too, that that was the best option, and that it would have been better to think such thoughts a lot earlier in the relationship, not to mention talk them through with you. Welcome to my Earthly paradise, Blackwood cabins. It's a ski resort in winter, by the way. Very competitive prices if you book early.”
“You sound like you own shares in it.”
“Only ten percent these days. I handed the rest over to Hannah, my daughter, decades ago. She's much better at business than me.”
“That's Rachel's mother?”
“Yes.”
“I had the impression her father was the long-standing clan member,” Anabeth said.
“Oh, he's got more generations of clan memership that me, but they were both born clan members, and before you ask, not relatives back for umpteen generations. We're not all genetically related, not by a long shot.”
“So people can just... ask to join?”
“Quentin and Rhianna did, a bit before I came on the scene. You do realise you're a relative of Rachel's, from her dad's side?”
“I've gone from assuming I was related to everyone to assuming I wasn't related to anyone.”
“Quentin Quy married Kara Ngbila. Kara was Timothy's middle daughter, so that's two generations down from Mama Ng, so you're four generations down from her. Now.. ooh, this is complicated, Zach was Edwin's daughter Kayla's son, so he ought to have been a Winner, not an Ngbila, but for some reason he and his wife chose to use his mother's surname, and I never did get that straight, it was just de-facto before my time. Then Zach's boy Rupert married my Hannah. So that makes Rupert your fourth cousin Anabeth, and Rachel's your fourth cousin once removed.”
“You manage to keep that level of detail in your head?”
“Memory balls are a very useful. Now that I've got the gift I can actually keep them separate from my own memories, too. Now, my cabin is this one here, so I don't need to walk too far. Daisy, you've got the same one as ever, if you remember that far back.”
“You're not going to tell me the daisy's still painted on it, are you?”
“It's faded a bit, and the outline has been re-painted a few times, but yes.”
“Maggie?” Daisy asked, close to tears, “Why did I leave?”
“Because you didn't want to hear the truth about why Frank was being so charming, Daisy.”
“But when I found out, when he told me? Why didn't I come back? Or when he died.”
“Force of habit is a powerful thing. Especially a habit of thinking that you're not welcome somewhere, or that you had to choose between him and us.”
“One last question. Are there more surprises coming?”
“Rhianna's not very healthy, and is staying with me. There's one more for Anabeth and Samson, which is private, and not urgent. Oh, but they can either stay with you or the twin cabin just up the hill is booked for them, which ever you prefer. Come and say hello to Rhi, Daisy, introduce her to your lovely daughter. She's been praying that she'd be able to see you come back for a long long time.”
----------------------------------------
BLACKWOOD CABINS
The sun had risen over the woods, and the birds were in full song when Anabeth and Samson knocked on Maggie's door.
[Come on in,] Maggie sent to Samson. [I've been talking to Daisy and Rhianna most of this morning, and I've just sat down for a cuppa.]
[We can come back.]
[Don't you dare go away. I want to talk with you two, and then pray with you, too. Go on, open the door, man!]
“Maggie says to come in,” Samson said to his wife.
“I did.” Maggie said, “Now, Anabeth, stand there, and let me look at you. Yes, I was right. You're bunching yourself up, girl. Take it from me, it gives you really bad back trouble. Stand up properly and be as tall as God made you.”
“Yes, maam.”
“There, that's better. Now, in case you don't know, you've got a lot of ancestry in you. Well, don't we all? There's been a lot of thought-hearers in your past, quite a few of them Mer. Karella Farseer knew what was happening to Daisy, how Frank twisted her into being his happy accomplice, and for all that we weren't allowed to interfeer in his plots, the last thing you needed, Anabeth, was to learn about your father's double life. So when you were born, she saw you could hear thoughts, and she and I prayed a rather unusual prayer for you, and God answered it.” Maggie focussed her eyes on the young woman.
“Anabeth, to protect you from a lot of evil, to protect your innocence, God took away your inborn ability to hear thoughts. That danger is past now, and He tells me that if you want me to, I should ask him to let you have it back.”
“Oh Anabeth!” Samson said, amazed, “we could share thoughts!”
She looked at him, and said “I would learn about my husband's double life, wouldn't I?”
“Samson's double life does not involve murder, extortion, blackmail, computer crime and the like. He honestly does do a lot of paperwork, he does work for the civil service, just not the bit of it you thought he did, and he does train his branch's sports squad. It's not actually just the sports club, or in football, but hopefully you'll accept that little fib. Certainly, when he comes home wet and muddy, that's because he has been training people in a wet muddy field, not because he dragged someone into some woods and threatened to carve out their girlfriend's eyes if he didn't give him his password. Yes, you'd learn about his double life, but you can also learn about that by asking Ursula to tell him he can tell you about it. She'll probably want an oath from you that you're not going to break any official secrets laws, of course.”
“But you won't?”
“God didn't tell me to. But His word does say to obey those in authority, and you know it. So I assume you're not planning to break any laws anyway.”
“I'd be happier if you took that oath, love, anyway.” Samson said.
“And happier if I ask Maggie to pray for me?”
“Absolutely, thinking together... knowing what's on each other's mind....”
“Can be really embarrassing if you get sidetracked in the middle of kissing each other.” Maggie said.
Anabeth looked at Maggie, “Will it also help me know God's thoughts better? So much of my life's been surrounded by lies... I'd like to know some absolute truth. Absolute peace wouldn't come amis, either.”
Maggie closed her eyes. “Thy will be done, Lord. You know my thoughts, I'm not going to argue with Anabeth, or you, father. Lord, you know what I said, and didn't say not wanting to tempt, and you know her thoughts better even than I can, and you know the future. Release her, Lord, from that protective silence and help her know the truth of her husband's love for her. You know my reluctance to pray more, but your will be done. Enable me to teach her what she must learn from me, and give her good teachers, a loving family, as many kids as she would wish for and teach her to rejoice in your love and just as you loved us first, to love you with all her heart and mind and strength. Amen.”
Anabeth said amen, and looked at Maggie. “That... sounded like you were almost arguing with God, Maggie.”
“Bad habit of mine, I said. Hold hands with Samson, he's still wondering if God's answered. Samson, you've heard of feedback. It feels like getting soaking wet, if you can't wait to get back to your cabin.”
Rebelliously, Anabeth sat on her hands. “What didn't you want to ask God for, Maggie?”
“One thing at a time, Anabeth. Can't you see how Samson desperately wants a kiss? Don't mind me, I'll just go get a bucket of cold water.”
“Why?”
“Because we love each other, Anabeth,” Samson said gently, and caressed her face. She felt his love in his touch, and more, she felt his anxiety, his hope, his joy, and their emotions intertwined together.
[This is feedback, beloved.] Samson thought to her [Nice]
[I'm told it can get nasty if there are negative emotions involved.]
[Why was Maggie talking about buckets of water?]
[We've had our honeymoon, this intimacy doesn't blot out thought, plus of course I'm holding back a bit, observing, making sure you're safe.]
[As always] she nestled into the warm blanket of his care.
[Since it changed from my job to to my joy to, yes.]
[hmm, that early?] she said. [It took you a long time to tell your boss, didn't it?]
[I didn't think that to you,]
[Am I prying too much?]
[You, can't pry without the gift, love. I just didn't expect you to hear those thoughts,]
[Layers of thoughts. Some on the skin, others deeper, like geology, only more dimensions, more complicated.]
He heard the detachment in her thoughts, the patient observer. The scientist he loved was dissecting his thoughts, like Mystery could, but how?
[You're right, Samson. I know what she didn't want to ask God for.]
[Please learn how to avoid overheating.]
[Yes. Joy! I'm not going to worry about you being late home any more.] Anabeth said to him as she gave him a final mental caress. Opening her eyes she said, “Maggie? God has given you a student. And fascinating as Samsons thoughts are, I don't want to die from gazing at them.”
“Hmm, You mean I might need that cold water anyway? Let's check. Instead of examining Samson, examine peace. Samson, she'll go comatose, catch her.”
“I don't know how I ended up examining Samson.”
[Like this]
[Oh, yes, I let go and snuggled...]
[Well, you don't need to snuggle anyone but Samson, but you do need to focus and relax your grip on your physical senses.] Maggie had a thought and called, [Rhianna, come and look what our Lord has done.] Maggie thought.
[Do I need to move, youngster?]
[ I just thought you'd like to see your granddaughter at peace. Hmm maybe.....]
[You're thinking you can take me too?]
[Special occasion. Hold on.] Maggie held on to Rhianna's thoughts and carried them to Peace, just as she might connect them to another thought hearer. She'd never tried it before, and was
mildly surprised that it worked.
[Still pushing at boundaries, and experimenting, Maggie? ] the infinite Lord of peace asked.
[You made me, Lord. Did I do wrong to bring Rhianna?]
[You have done well, daughter, to sense Rhianna's distress. Be welcome, Rhianna, and Anabeth. Soon you will be in a better place than this, Rhianna. Have no fear of the future or regrets for what had to be. Anabeth, daughter, this is a place for healing; lay down your burdens.]
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OLD YASFORT
[Magdalena, this is Maggie.]
[Hello Maggie. Long time no contact!]
[You've been busy. Daisy has come back to us.]
[That's answered prayer!]
[And she brought her daughter Anabeth. Who I knew about, Karella knew about, Heather knew about, too, come to think about it. Heather you secretive woman, you didn't say.]
[Me? Secretive? You must have got the wrong person.]
[Anabeth.]
[Urm, remind me?]
[Daisy's girl.]
[What didn't I say? Innocent, ignorant....]
[Fully Trustworthy]
[Coming from you that's quite a compliment.]
[I mean every syllable. ]
[You think I can see that?]
[Ah hmm?]
[I saw you next to Kevin, that's different. But she wasn't even a thought hearer.]
[You knew Karella prayed for her to keep her ignorance about her father, surely? She has her power back, and the gift. And Rachel is going to be sending the two and a half of them in your direction.]
[Oh?]
[Effects of binary twin stars on exoplanetary atmospheres, comparison of model results to recent bubbleship measurements.]
[Sounds like a worthy study programme.]
[Its even understandable, too.]
[It's written? I thought you were saying it was going to be her topic!]
[Written, examined, corrected and not accepted until a few days ago, because someone thought they would ruin her carreer to get back at her for getting the job they wanted.]
[Nasty.]
[Yes. Unemployed now too. So, she's never been off Earth, newly gifted, new to thought hearing at all, and suspects I've been dropping a hint or 3 that she's pregnant but hasn't been brave enough to ask me yet. When do you want them?]
[What's he?] Maggie asked.
[A challenge for you. Heather interviewed him, and made sure they met, if I remember correctly.]
[Samson?] Heather asked.
[Yes.]
[Do you mean we're going to have to beg Ursula for one of her civil servents?] Magdalena asked.
[Serving there counts as civil service, as of last week. But what job do you want to put him in? ]
[Oh that sort of problem! What's he good at?]
[He might fit your desire for a reporter, actually.] Heather said. [But it's rather under-using his skill set. Oh, vaguely connected, has Rachel shown off that fabric she took?]
[Albert's eyes almost popped out of his skull.] Maggie chortled.
[Albert?] Magdalena asked.
[Oops, Rachel's message didn't say? They are very much a pair these days. The press haven't been in the right spot to see them together, but it won't be long, they're not hiding it. Well, maybe they are. But not from family, at least. You're going to need a new second in command, and that cloth is goingto get a lot of publicity, because Rachel turns out to be quite the dress-maker. I wholeheartedly expect her to be on the front pages wearing a gorgeous irridescent dress sometime soon.”
[I'm getting more confused every sentence,] Magdalena complained.
[Rachel has a plan for some trade-links.] Heather said [Starting with the wall hanging fabric, and making use of a little line in the contract I signed with Maggie's mum for her support that GemSmith would be able to have space on bubble ships for fairly traded goods. The wall-hanging fabric is a cottage industry that's starting to fall apart due to lack of demand, so Rachel took some rolls home for her Mum to look at. I guess she got creative on her way.]
[Oh. What did she trade for it?] Magdalena asked.
[You know she was carving those crystal coasters in her time-off?]
[Oh! Right. And the wall-hanging sales person was happy to swap fabric for exotic alien craft?]
[Entirely. Except she went with the sales-person to see the producer, and had a little chat about billions of people on Earth and Mars, and every expectation there'd be a high demand for the fabric, but it would be limited by how much could be shipped there, and how few people on the planets were able to make the things she was offering, and how long it took to make, but that they were smaller. But local market for the coasters was going to dry up long before the export market did for fabric, but of course the first few samples in each direction, properly sold, could be extremely valuable, and there were plenty of other alien trade items that could be offered. So what was a fair exchange rate given it was going to make them rich if they handled it properly?]
[So that's where she and Lana went that evening?] Magdalena asked
[Yes.]
[I thought I was the one who was supposed to be descended from Karella Iron-trader.]
[So's Rachel,] Maggie said, [didn't you ever hear about why so many GemSmith companies are called Emerald this or that?]
[Oh! That's right!] Magdalena agreed. [So, as the only company with transport rights to alien markets GemSmith's fortunes are looking up?]
[So are ESSCG's. Heather said. They get a shipping fee. I think it's three percent of sales price.]
[That's not much.] Magdalena said.
[Given how much cash GemSmith have invested over the years,] Heather thought,
[I think it's very generous. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that Rachel's first bolt of cloth sells for more than gold.]
[Is it really such an impressive material?] Magdalena asked. [Mick thought it looked pretty but the pictures I've seen didn't look that great.]
[But you've not actually touched it?] Maggie asked.
[Feels nice?]
[And changes colour.] Heather said.
[What, with temperature?]
[As far as I can work out, it's some kind of mechanical, or piezo electric color change,] Heather said. [In other words if you move, it changes colour, and if there's a breeze, it changes colour, and if there's a loud noise it changes colour. And, according to Rachel, if you're somewhere quiet an not moving, it even responds to your heartbeat. The changes move too quickly to see in one direction, but ripple from the point of contact in the other.]
[Ripples?]
[The blue-green looks rather like sea, if you ask me. Miscellaneous other colours apparently available.]
[Well, that does sound like it'll sell. And it's now a GemSmith exclusive?] Magdalena asked.
[The relevant bit of the contract says: to all goods shipped for trade and related activities, Atlantis trade law applies,] Heather said, [with ESSCG as shipper, GemSmith either recognised as an enabling agent for the deal or the market developer if there are GemSmith associated people involved in the initial trade.]
[So Rachel's inheretance gets even bigger.] Magdalena said [Fair enough, she put in the work, and GemSmith has been wonderfully supportive.]
[Yes they have, thanks Maggie.] Heather said, [Oh, I've just remembered, there's also a bit about Svetlana's heirs getting part of the first shipment, I can't remember how much, though. Oh, also, Mick has been recorded as enabler, as has Lana.” Heather supplied.
[Good,] Maggie thought to them, [I was hoping she hadn't forgotten their role. But Rachel looks like she's on the way to being queen consort, so GemSmith needs someone else to be heir apparent or caretaker.]
[That'll set the cat among the pigeons. No, wrong metaphor.] Heather thought. [It's Hannah's choice entirely?]
[The one you're probably thinking of is reopen ancient wounds, but yes, I've left it all up to her these days. There are loads of options. She could decide to put it in a trust for a descendant, she could break up GemSmith among the non-voting shareholders, theoretically she could even sell up to someone she trusts to look after the workers...]
[I imagine that idea goes down fairly well with everyone except you, the workers, Rachel, and Hannah.] Magdalena thought.
[Less people that that, actually. No, it's a trust or family member, for a given value of family. And a series of failed businesses doesn't exactly inspire workers' confidence, no matter how much we love someone.]
[George?] Heather asked, naming Maggie's youngest son, who was thirty six.
[Still going with gut feelings rather than doing all the homework, yes. This last one was a gradual decline rather than a crash, so he managed to recoup his investment before he had to shut it's doors. But it wasn't the dramatic turn-around the workers might have hoped for.]
[Are you saying no one could have saved the company?] Magdalena asked.
[I'm saying that it just wasn't management, like George thought, it was the competitive market, and the fact he basically had no control over his key costs. I wouldn't have been able to make a massive success of it as a separate company, without entirely modernising the equipment.]
[Is he letting you talk him through what went wrong?]
[Claire is, so there is some hope.]
[Urm, who is Claire?] Magdalena asked.
[The one very positive in the latest takeover fiasco. George has finally met an intelligent godly woman who can see past the rather flamboyant mask he hides behind, and actually connect to his heart. She was the accountant there, so she knew there was trouble, she also saw what he was trying to do, and wants to know why it didn't work. He actually told her to talk to me.. So I count that as a very a positive sign for the future.]
[And there are wedding bells in the future?]
[There's a distinct possibility.]
[She's his age?]
[A few years younger. Cautious, as you might expect in an accountant. This is her first clan gathering.]
[I hope she survives the experience, then. But we've wondered off topic a bit, it's only Albert taking up the crown, that triggers this, isn't it?] Magdalena asked. [So if Ursula lives until Albert and Rachel's children have grown up, Rachel could inherit as planned, couldn't she?]
[It's a bit more complicated, but yes, almost,] Heather replied. [And that's not the topic. The real topic is what role Rachel should be offering Samson. You think reporter? Unless Ursula wants to make him a reporter- ambassador like my mum was?]
[Want me to drop some hints?]
[No. What else might he do? Teacher?]
[Well he's been instructor in practical sneaking and such tasks, plus he's got good people skills And he's good with the occasional admin tasks too.]
[Record keeper and official archivist?]
[Don't stick him in a dusty office. ] Maggie warned.
[I was more thinking of getting people to say what they're up to. So I know about trade goods going to Earth, for instance.] Magdalena said, somewhat archly.
[Any objections to me putting you in touch with Anabeth?]
[None at all. Have you introduced her to James and the others, yet?]
[Not yet. One at a time is best I think.]
----------------------------------------
[Maggie? Samson's asleep. Did you see that I'm pregnant?]
[I made an exception and peeked ahead. I don't know anything about any adventures on the way, but when you're packing, assuming you're going, that is, you need to know that you'll be breast-feeding in nine months, Anabeth.
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