Valerie was back in her room, with all her old toys and all her old likes. She couldn't sleep. One night, she had tried making a nest on the floor, but that didn't seem to be what she missed. Valerie turned and looked through the pink half-light. Salome was sitting up in her bed reading an old hard bound paper novel. Her father always sent such romantic gifts, it made Salome's mother happy. Valerie took the pillow from under her head and covered her face.
There was a knock at the door presently.
"Wer sein da?" Valerie groaned.
"Ich bin es," whispered Alaric's voice.
Salome looked up from her book. "Come in," she hissed. She smoothed her hair where it fell over her shoulder.
Valerie saw her brother come in then, shirtless but still wearing his boots. His eyes passed her over. He went to Salome's bed.
"I was hoping you would come see me," Salome whispered.
Valerie couldn't stand this. Trip's family had arrived tonight, after she had been told to go up to bed. She was supposed to take a test tomorrow, so she could pass the last level of required schooling and be graduated. They treated her like a child and she was sixteen years old!
Valerie sat suddenly. "I can't be here!" she said. She took one blanket from the bed and threw it about her as a cloak. If Alaric could leave his room to visit Salome then Valerie would leave her room.
She found the hall dark and silent and crept along the carpet. A whisper came to her, the scent of cloves. "Valerie."
"Trip!" she hissed.
He found her in the dark and hugged her. "Meri told me you were sent to bed," he laughed.
"I was." He drew back into the darkness. He was only a voice.
"Mara will be missing me."
"I'll see you tomorrow," Valerie whispered.
She felt her way through the hall, found the couch along the wall and knew she wanted the next door. There was a little light here, the moon shining through the narrow window at the end of the hall. Valerie tried the knob, and the door was unlocked. She slipped inside quickly. Rozz and Tris were lying in their bed, whispering. Tris turned around and looked at Valerie.
"I want to sleep with you," Valerie said.
It was Rozz who answered. He sat up just a little and lifted the covers just the other side of him. "C'mon, get in bed."
Valerie skittered across the cool floor, onto the rug that lay under the bed. She dropped her blanket and scooted into bed with Rozz. He lay the covers over her as they inched down. It was much warmer here than in the hall, and Valerie wasn't alone. Her cold little feet rubbed each other to get warm, and then she accidentally touched Rozz's feet. Her toe slid up his leg. "You don't have any clothes on," she whispered.
The only light came from the large window behind her. Valerie could see a little of Rozz's face, his dark eyes were watching her just like she watched him.
"No, we're not dressed," he whispered.
They just lay staring. A hand touched Valerie's leg, lifted the hem of her gown. Rozz's hands were folded near his chest where Valerie could see, and when the dizziness hit she knew it was Tris touching her. Valerie wondered if Tris told Rozz about all the times he had been near Valerie knowing how she wanted Rozz. The way he was acting: it didn't seem like something a jealous person would do.
Rozz kept his eyes on hers, Valerie was melting. She could feel her outsides going tense and hard, her insides all molten and gooey. They're going to do something, she thought. Valerie wasn't sure what, but they were definitely going to do something. And she knew these two wouldn't have to ask, because with Tris there was no need.
Rozz moved one of his hands, lifted it and slid it down the bare part of Valerie's arm. She licked her lips as his fingers ran over the back over her hand, down her middle most fingers and off her nails. For a moment there were two hands on her thigh as Tris passed the hem of Valerie's gown to Rozz. But it was Rozz's hand that took her panties from her.
He rose up from the bed, still under the covers, Valerie wanted Rozz to lay himself over her, but a knee pushed against her hip just so. Valerie turned toward the middle of the bed, was drawn to Tris by both his hands. She was dizzy and wanting him. And Rozz was pressed against her back then, whispering at her ear, "Did you mean it when you said you wanted me to marry you?"
Valerie closed her eyes. "Yes."
"All right," Rozz said.
Both the boys were moving, and they were guiding Valerie. They pressed her down far under the covers where it was hard to breathe and very hot and they pressed her toward Tris. And because it was him she wanted. Rozz licked at her neck and Valerie understood. They weren't kids any more. They weren't playing a game with her. They were inviting her to join them, for life. But to be with them she had to give up a part of herself, and they would give to her.
"All right," she whispered. She nosed her way through the darkness and took Tris' penis in her mouth. She'd done this only once, with a pretty boy in Paris. Now Rozz was teaching her with licks and kisses. Valerie gave in and let them control her movement. She felt herself growing fevered.
When Tris rolled onto his back Rozz made Valerie move with him as he sucked at her neck. And as Tris came in a gush down her throat Rozz grabbed Valerie's left hand and shoved something over her ringfinger. Valerie was disoriented for just a moment, lost in the heat, sex and darkness. Tris lifted her then, she saw light. Valerie lay back against the pillows, wanting and raising her hand saw that Rozz had given her his best ring, a silver one with a large rectangular ruby in it. She would never go back to that pink room full of dolls, never. They would wake and Rozz would tell her parents that he wished to marry her, and they would not be able to object.
They couldn't object if there was a chance Valerie might be pregnant.
She felt Tris' fingers moving up the inside of her thigh, entering her gently. Rozz lay half over her, bowed and kissed her, which had had never done before. It was as if he wanted to steal Tris' taste from her. But she didn't care so long as he did it.
Tris was laying next to them, kissing Valerie's face, and she didn't feel dizzy at his touch anymore. His fingers would slip in and out of her, making Valerie aware of how slick she was, how truly ready. And otherwise Valerie could guess that his same hand was on Rozz's penis, making it hard, guiding it. It was Tris who brought them together, as if Rozz needed his permission.
A moment of pain and then the dance began. The aching Valerie had felt became something else. There was this building inside her, small intense amounts of pleasure adding up. Tris was there whispering to Rozz, and he was doing something right because with every thrust Valerie felt that Rozz was stroking her clit, and it made her want to cry that it should stop, even though she knew she didn't actually want it to stop.
Tris moved partly between them, so that it was him kissing Valerie, and that Rozz bit at his shoulders. Valerie drew up her knees and wrapped her legs tightly about Rozz. She thought then that Tris would feel left out. She found his chest and reached down along it to find his penis. Rozz already had a hand there. Valerie drew her hand away slowly, but Tris moaned and Rozz's hand took Valerie's and drew it right back. They were all tangled together then, Valerie crying into Tris' mouth at the waves of pleasure, Rozz straining not to cry out as well and biting at Tris, and Tris moaning dreamily into Valerie's mouth as they kissed.
Rozz came and then Valerie did while he was yet inside her and broke the skin of Tris' lip with her teeth. Tris drew back and whispered for them not to touch him. "You have to keep doing it," he said.
Rozz took Valerie's nightgown up over her head. Tris moved on top of Rozz and between them they worked to bring Rozz back to arousal. Valerie had the weight of both of them against her then, and Rozz was more excited than before. He toyed painfully with her breasts and bit at her mouth and neck. And after that time all three needed to sleep a while.
Valerie counted five times in the night that Rozz came inside her, could possibly have impregnated her. It would only be a matter of a week or two and she would know for sure, but by then they would be married officially.
† † †
Rozz went down to the kitchen with both his lovers. They acted casual, even Tris did not hang on his arm as he often did. Merideth was there, and Mother, Louisa, and Thierry, and a woman with wings. Thierry was sitting at the counter along one wall where a terminal usually displayed news. He was drinking coffee, the winged woman standing near him eating some kind of pastry.
"Morning, Rozz," said Mother. Rozz smiled. He sat down at the long table, Tris and Valerie sat near him. Louisa was cooking this morning, she was a tolerable cook. She asked Valerie first if she would like anything to eat.
Valerie licked her lips subtly. "Eggs, griddle cakes, whatever."
Merideth came to the table. "Salome awake yet?"
Valerie rolled her eyes. "Like I know," she said, and sounded so deliciously American. Merideth shook her head slightly. It was not unusual for Valerie to show Salome this disregard, and so the woman did not realize her daughter had not slept in her bed.
"You know you have to take that test today or you'll never graduate. I know you don't want to be sitting in front of the computer another year in schooling."
"I know, I'll do fine," Valerie said. Val was clever. She would pass the test.
"Merideth, is Alaric awake?"
"You know I don't know."
"No, I meant your husband."
"Oh," said Merideth, "Yes, he's in the office."
"Might we go see him together?"
"Why?"
"I just have something to tell you is all."
Merideth shrugged. She agreed and started from the room. Rozz leaned close to Valerie. "Follow us," he whispered.
Alaric was in his office, the office of the Leader of Goth. He was alone just then, until Merideth led Rozz inside. Alaric looked up from his desk. "Hello," he said.
"Rozz wanted to ask something," Merideth said.
Rozz made small bows to each as he said, "My Leader, My Lady," and then he looked mainly at Alaric. "I would like to marry your daughter, Valerie."
They looked at him as if he must be joking. Rozz? Rozz, awkward boy in whose absence we found out had been our son's lover? Rozz who had run off with Trip to America and come back with a boy with lavender wings on his arm? Rozz who couldn't possibly like girls?
"I'm quite serious. I love Valerie actually, and she is very much in love with me, and we want to be married. Of course I would like your blessing."
"Where is Valerie?" Alaric asked.
"Just outside the door," Rozz said with slight gesture.
Merideth opened the door. Valerie was there, dressed in Rozz's clothes, and Merideth seemed to notice this now. Rozz waved her in. Valerie came to his side. He raised her left hand and kissed it. Merideth surely saw the ring. "He told you that we're going to get married?" Valerie asked.
"Well I don't—" Alaric began. He stopped for some reason.
"Valerie, are you sure?"
"Mother, Father, it was my idea. It's taken Rozz a while, but he's accepted. Who better to marry than my best friend?"
"But, Tris..." Alaric said.
"Tris would live with us," Rozz said, "But Valerie and I will be married."
These were Valerie's parents, but they were also two of the original Goths. They understood the full meaning of this phrase. When Goths married it was for the reason that they would have children, otherwise they just lived as lovers. And living as lovers was entirely respectable, as long as you didn't have children.
"Valerie you arent—?" Merideth asked.
Rozz saw Valerie look up at him, knew that expression of complete trust, and love, and remembrance of desire. He had liked that Valerie had come to them last night. He had liked having sex with her, though he did not think it would have been so good if Tris had not been there. After all Tris was the one Rozz was in love with, Valerie merely one that he loved, though he loved her more than anyone but Tris.
"I'm not sure yet, probably..." Valerie said. She was inching up on tiptoe. She was only a little bit shorter than Rozz, but she was still growing and her parents were both very tall. Rozz kissed her lightly.
Valerie smiled nearly wickedly, and Rozz smiled back. "We really want to be married soon. And Valerie would like a big wedding."
Alaric stood up and crossed the floor. He took Rozz's hand, then embraced him. "You may have my daughter as your wife," he said.
Valerie kissed her father's cheek quickly.
"Go eat your breakfast now so you'll have energy to take that test," Rozz said to Valerie, I'll be there in just a moment to let the others know our news with you."
Valerie kissed him again and Rozz felt himself blush. A woman actually liked him. A woman who was beautiful measured next to all sorts of Goth social ideals of beauty and who might have chosen anyone, thought Rozz attractive, had actually been brought to repeated orgasms by him. Rozz wasn't quite in love with her, but he felt very pleased whenever she kissed him or touched him.
Merideth seemed to notice his blush and smiled on him. Rozz bowed under his hair. "Maybe you're concerned that I don't have a job just now," Rozz said. "I did really well in school, and I've travelled. I know the military is wrong for me, but I want to do something, something good, like my father did, and you sir, and our first Leader. I just haven't found something like that yet. Do you think I could help you in your office sometimes, just so I could meet the different sort of people you work with and see what they do?"
Alaric eyed Rozz levelly, he looked important and impressive as Leaders should. "All right. Come back here later today, I'll give you some busy work, but you have to start somewhere and work your way up."
"Sure, I understand. I'll go tell my Mother you said Valerie and I may marry, she'll be happy."
"I think your father will be proud," Alaric said. "Go on."
Rozz nodded then left the room. He hadn't even thought of that, but marrying Valerie would be just the thing to make Justin proud of his son. Rozz's parents always had smiles for Tris, but they were shallow smiles.
Valerie and Tris were sitting together at the table eating pancakes and scrambled eggs. Louisa pushed a plate to Rozz as he sat down. Valerie looked up across the table and mouthed the words, "I only told Tris."
"Mama," Rozz called. His mother looked up from her seat. "Mama I have to tell you something...you know I just went to talk to Alaric."
She was looking at him expectantly, fork lain on her plate, hands folded on the table's edge.
"I'm going to marry Valerie."
"Marry?" Mother asked. Her wild dark eyes were beginning to water. "You're going to marry her?"
Rozz got up and walked around to the other side of the table. His mother got up from her seat. Valerie got up. "You are going to marry my son?" Mother asked.
Merideth came into the kitchen then. Rozz's mother looked up at her as if to question her. Meri's smile said everything. Elzbieta embraced Valerie tightly. She was talking in Polish, and Valerie's Polish wasn't very good. "Calm down, Mom, Valerie doesn't know if she's going to have a baby."
Valerie blushed and looked to Tris as if he could help her.
"Yes, she might be," Rozz said to his mother.
Tris was whispering something to Valerie, and she giggled very quietly. Val stepped close to Rozz then, gazed into his eyes as if amused. "I must go take my test now, My Love, I'll be thinking of you." She snaked her hands about his neck and kissed him. Valerie lifted her fingers to his hair and tugged at it so that it hurt, She tilted her head another way, reached her tongue into his mouth before her lips pressed his. And Rozz realized then that this was mainly to make his mother happy, and it was Tris' idea.
Rozz moaned just so as she left him, looked devastated.
"You must tell your father," Mother said as Valerie left.
"I will," Rozz said. He went to the counter to read the news. Thierry and Monique were still near the terminal, but they weren't using it. Rozz looked over the local headlines. New factory was to open outside Köln for building aircraft. France had renewed it's agreement that it would join the states of Goth when its internal problems were better settled. A new type of Darkling related to First Leader of Goth. Rozz called up the story. It was about Trip, and how the Sidhe had accepted him, and about his daughter. It told that he was the son of the first leader of Goth. And it said that Trip was visiting the Leader's castle outside Frankfurt.
"Did you see this?" Rozz asked Thierry.
"Yes," Thierry said without moving and sipped coffee. Rozz thirsted for some coffee.
"It seems a little slanted, slanted against him, makes Trip sound like he's making a political move."
"I know," said Thierry. "They been in the global news as well."
Rozz looked over the global headlines. Sure enough one of them was about the new type of Darkling. And this story stressed that the new Shi vampires were much stronger than humans and could live on normal food. And it didn't sound like a good thing, the fact that they did not need to take human blood, but a bad thing, as if they were competing with humans for food, these two creatures. The story also pointed out that Thierry Ravenstar-Pelolobo-Jewel had engineered the birth of the young one. The reporter speculated that the young one might grow and be able to give birth to children naturally.
"They make it sound so horrible," Rozz said.
"Yeah," said Thierry.
Tris appeared and handed Rozz a mug of coffee. Rozz took up his hand and squeezed it. He saw another headline. There was a global conference on the future of cloning scheduled preliminarily for next year. The story mentioned Thierry, and his two living creation without naming them.
† † †
The sun was setting as they walked by that room with the windows. Trip carried Sadian in, heard shouting. Tris was suddenly before him, "Trip, I don't know what to do, should I stop them?"
Trip put Sadian down on the floor. Rozz and Aric were fighting, it looked pretty violent. Trip moved toward them, they were shouting, well mainly Aric was. "Rozz is actually going to marry Val?"
"Trip, stop them, Aric will only be more angry if I do it. Look at him, if he pins Rozz he'll kill him!"
Trip studied their movements quickly. Aric was bigger, Rozz already had at least one bruise showing, but Rozz was fast, and he was small, Aric couldn't pin him anywhere. Trip knew Rozz tho, knew him real well. "Aric pins Rozz, Tris, and Rozz is going to pull a knife," he said.
Tris kissed his fingers and made some gesture to the air above, "Goddess stop them!"
Trip moved toward them, instantly.
"My sister?" Aric kept yelling. "Fucked my sister!" He wasn't even fighting because he thought his sister taken advantage of, he was jealous of her.
"If you hit me one more time I'll kill you!"
Aric began to laugh.
Any second Rozz would pull the knife from under his skirt, he wasn't going to be beaten by Aric any more. Trip slipped behind Aric and snaked an arm about his throat. Aric screamed and struggled. Rozz staggered back a few steps and straightened his clothes.
"Get off me!" Aric screamed.
"You don't really want to get into it with Rozz," Trip said, "Trust me."
"Actually he does," Tris said from Trip's side.
"You're not helping," Trip said and wrestled Aric to the floor. "Be helpful and cancel me."
Tris stepped close to Aric. Aric didn't fear then, he was just plain angry.
"Don't even try it with me, Aric," Trip said.
Aric kicked and Trip let him get up. He turned on Rozz again. "You fucked every man in this room, Rozz, and it wasn't enough, you had to fuck Val too."
Rozz stood smoothing his hair. "Do you want me so badly that you can't stand for your sister to have me?"
Aric said nothing.
"Be serious, Aric, you wouldn't have stayed with me. You would have found a woman yourself and got married...Salome. But Tris and Val are going to stay, and neither of them ever hit me, so don't you blame me for anything, if you were smart you'd do just the same thing in my place."
"Oh, yes, smart like you, Rozz. So smart you're working in my father's office? Do you think marrying Val will make you the next leader?"
"Do you think marrying John's daughter will make it you?" Rozz asked.
"Who said I would marry Salome?"
"Well she's your lover, and you never liked her before."
"Just like Valerie's yours?"
Rozz tossed his head and crossed his arms. "Go to your sister, ask her if it wasn't all her idea. Anyway, it's not the same. I always liked Val, I was always the one who said she should go hunting and camping with us, we always got along."
Aric rolled back his shoulders and walked from the room.
"Congratulations, Rozz," Trip said.
"Oh, thanks a lot."
Trip shook his head. "I don't want to fight with you, Rozz. But you do know the peace of this house is destroyed."
"I'm sorry," Rozz said. He held his bruised cheek and turned to Tris. "I think this room would do for my wedding."
"Can I be the best Man?" Tris asked.
Rozz nodded. He looked shyly at Trip. "You'll stay for the wedding?"
"I'll try," Trip said.
"The reporters outside the estate won't let you leave," Tris said.
† † †
All the bright colours were making Sweet giddy. A delirium still came over him from time to time, drunk on blood, surrounded by bodies and small sources of light. It was the eerie music also. The newly married couple were secreted away somewhere while all the guests filed into the long room of stone and coloured glass where they would later receive the couple. Sweet felt the soft pinch of Quickening's nails in his palm, her hand was laying over his, fingers folded into his. The pain reminded him of her presence of things at hand, the world. Flesh. The Devil.
The parents of the bride and groom stood a short distance inside the room, all finely dressed. They were all so beautiful, warm and human, glowing. Sweet loved them, remembered that he had been that boy who took both Alaric and Elzbieta as lovers, thought he might still love them all. "It was a lovely ceremony," Quick said. It had been a Goth ceremony, performed by their guide, Karyn, who was aging to look a real wise woman.
"It was," said Sweet, but he wished it would have been something Catholic. He wanted to bow forward and kiss Alaric's face. He wanted to say, "you're still beautiful and I'll love you when you're bent and grey." Sweet only touched Alaric's shoulder with his left hand, skin scraping the wool jacket, but Alaric wouldn't feel or hear that.
Sweet looked at Justin a while, tall and strong, golden brown hair that was worn long and tended to curl at the ends so he looked like those angels...it was brushed back over his left ear, but not the right, the right had been lost in the war and Justin didn't like the small electronic earpiece to show. Elzbieta was smiling up at him. "John," she said and that had been his name for a time. Sweet loved her eyes, feral, that was the word, dark and wild. Rozz had her eyes.
Quick was kissing Merideth's face. "She was so beautiful," she said.
Yes, Valerie. Valerie and Rozz had both worn black and red and white, bodice and jacket had been trimmed in gold cording, Goth colours. "They were both handsome," Sweet said.
Quick drew him into the room. There were tables set up toward the end of the room where the hearth housed a roaring fire. Velvet was there, with Daerick, Sweet thought Daerick probably hated being in this big windowed room, and so the fire would comfort him, if he didn't have a fit and crawl right into it. Louisa was there, smiling uneasily, thinking that there was no perfect way to divide the guests between tables. She gave them each a card.
Orchid and David were seated at their table already, Sweet didn't know anyone who remembered to call David Treasure any more, except for Orchid in certain moods. Quick sighed and sat Sweet beside Orchid, sat down next to him so that she was not near David. Opium and Morpheus came to the table then. "We switched with Velvet and Thierry," Morpheus said, and sat beside David, his mother at his side. Louis came over to the table. He sat down beside his daughter.
"I suppose they sat me here," he said.
Sweet looked to the table nearest theirs, Velvet and Thierry were at that table, and someone had thought to invite Athen, who was with them. Angel, Theo, Christian, and Gatito were there, and Shade, the Leader of the Union. Lady Anne and Lord Andrew from Alexandria, who always used their titles, approached. They stood behind the High Lord's chair, sad that both could not sit with Shade. Eventually Thierry and Gatito switched with Anne and Louis, and both tables were full. Sweet noticed such things going on all over the room as his eyes danced from gown to gown to exquisite suit.
It didn't seem all right that Gatito sat between Quick and Thierry, so Murph and David switched seats, Thierry took Opium's seat and Opium took his and friendly chatted with the boy.
Everyone stood again as the wedding party processed in. Trip and Mara were there, a groomsman and Maid of Honor. Tris the best man, Ludwig and Salome in the party, Sadian and Rozz's little sister Claudia flower girls, another maid a cousin of Rozz's from America. Rozz and Valerie came in finally as a hired EmCee announced them.
Dinner was served. Thierry and Gatito were both eating, and they had given Morpheus and Opium plates, but Opium never ate, so Morpheus took her plate and picked his favourite parts from both as Orchid wrinkled his nose and smoked. And being near cigarette smoke bothered Sweet unless he was smoking, so he did so. David spent the dinner watching Thierry and saying nothing.
"Father Kit!" Sweet said happily, "Quick, Kit's here."
"Krzysztof?" she asked, sipped from her glass of rabbit blood and scanned the room.
"There, at the table with Robbie, and Karyn, Elzbieta's sister..."
"Who's Father Kit?" Orchid asked.
"Kit was my very best friend growing up, when I was away, he attended seminary and became ordained. My mother and Elzbieta's are both close with him now," Sweet said. He leaned closer to Orchid, "You would like him."
"A priest? What? Is he gay?" Sweet didn't know Orchid best, but he'd recognized him as somene who had also been raised Catholic then fallen away from it.
"Yes, but he also harbored Darkling refugees during the war."
"Oh, then I should talk to him."
There was dancing after dinner, for those who wanted it. Thierry wandered away from the table to find someone to talk to. Gatito went back to Angel and sat with her. Opium laughed a short laugh and asked David if he would dance with her, as she had no date. And David, being such a gentleman, escorted Opium to the dancefloor.
Orchid and Morpheus just talked about dancing and complained that the music was so doomy, said it was just like the Germans to play the stuff. And Orchid listened to Sweet name all the faces he knew that had been members of the original tribe that marched into Gaul. Sadian came to the table then, poked Sweet in the ribs till he would lift her to his lap. She was getting big. She almost looked a small person, and not a thing with a huge head like babies all were. Sweet turned to the table of the wedding party and saw that Trip and Mara were leaving it. Salome was still seated, Li'l Alaric was bent over her chair, though he wasn't little anymore.
Valerie was making rounds of the room, like a gracious host. She looked very good, not like that slender reed of a creature with scraped knees that ran around with boys. Sweet thought he might actually describe her as glowing. He reached, but Valerie was in the habit of blocking. Sweet supposed it was clever of her. "She is pregnant, isn't she?" he asked.
"Two of them," Sadian said in a child's whisper, it was quite loud.
Quick was scanning the room in that way she had, her pale blue yes moving quickly from side to side the way they did when reading text on her computer screen. "Salome and Valerie both," she whispered. No one at another table would have heard, not even the vampires at the next unless they had been concentrating on it. "And Salome never meant to become pregnant."
Sweet shrugged at the news that his daughter was pregnant. The whole Vampyre thing had distanced him from wife and child. "Still, it's nice for Valerie and Rozz," Sweet said.
Sadian reached for Sweet's glass and gulped blood. Quick took the glass from her without glancing at the child. Sadian licked her lips and lay peacefully against Sweet.
A few songs later Mara came to the table alone. She picked up Sadian, wiped her mouth clean with her fingertips then licked her fingers clean in a quick casual movement. Sweet looked up, smiled. He scanned the dancefloor. Trip was hanging on Tris' shoulder, laughing, and Rozz was with them. They all seemed drunk.
Mara stepped to Sweet's other side, bowed to Orchid's ear. "We were thinking of going to Karachi," she said.
"Oh?"
"Actually, Trip and I spoke about it a long while, we'd like to be able to live in the village in your haven, if that—"
"Yes," Orchid said, "I couldn't very well refuse you as a Haven Keeper, but I would be happy to have you all there."
"Tris has told us how nice it is there, and we thought Sadian could get on their schooling net that way...I know you've done work for them."
"Yes. The children in the Village also study Darkling history apart from what they get on the school net. When were you going to come?"
"Soon," Mara said.
"Anything wrong?" Quick asked, obviously she had also been eavesdropping.
"It's not easy for us anywhere, and Sadian is going to need schooling. The Arabian net is one of the best. And unlike all the other Havens the Village itself is somewhat removed from the city. Tris has said there is a good atmosphere there, that people tried to tolerate him as best they could."
"Yes, I think our Haven's probably the best for you," Orchid said. "Ahmed Ali Jinnah was just elected Govenor of Pakistan, and it seems we'll get some legislature passed that will make it even easier on us there. Though, we've always found loopholes that we could make work to advantage in the Village."
"I remember it being very beautiful," Sweet said. "How is Joe doing?"
Orchid smiled. "He's doing very well. I tell him how you're doing whenever Quick writes us. His voice changed recently, I'm afraid we were all teasing him for a while."
"It really doesn't seem so long ago he was a little boy," Sweet whispered.
"You get used to it after a while," Orchid said quietly. The people around you, they grew up, aged, died, and it just didn't seem like much time had passed.
"Would Thierry come with you?" Murph asked.
"Yes," said Mara, "he comes everywhere with us."
"He's worried about the conference in Cairo, on cloning," Orchid said casually.
"Yes, I got that from him too," Mara said with worry in her voice, "I'm worried too."
Sweet looked around the room again. Valerie was dancing with Trip, Tris with Rozz. Sweet remembered when he, Alaric, Quick and Meri had been so happy and inseparable. He felt replaced. "Don't you drink, Mara?" he asked.
"Thierry and I don't drink much, interferes with the talent."
Orchid made a sound, nodded. "I remember when David turned seventeen we gave him a party...and he got quite drunk...broke a room full of glass and such, then collapsed and went right out of body. It was so strange, He'd never really had much power before that. And afterward he had it, but he feared it."
Sweet looked to Quick. "Will we visit Karachi while Trip is there?"
"We may," she said.
"Would you dance with me?" Sweet asked.
Quick nodded, "All right, My Sweet, we'll dance if you wish."
Sweet stood and made a bow before pulling out Quick's chair. "The Lady can make sacrifices when she wishes."
"We all make sacrifices for our children, Sweet," she said.
Sweet growled. "What a dis," he said. He heard Orchid giggle.