Description: Liam and Kali try to figure out how to start their new life together without drawing Zo'or attention.
Authors Note: Third in the series "Thou Wert Lovely to
the Last".
Breathe Starlight
From the kitchenette of his three-room apartment, Liam could see Kali, still in her sari, sitting comfortably on the edge of the couch in his tiny flat. She cradled her glass of iced tea, sipping it occasionally and staring out the window.
“You have an absolutely horrid view,” she informed him, setting her glass down on the floor, for lack of a table. He grinned and padded into the living room/bedroom to sit beside her on the couch.
“Well, I don’t pay rent on it, so I’m not choosy,” he told her.
“See, now that’s what I don’t get!” she exclaimed. “I know for a fact that Protectors get paid a fairly ridiculous amount of money. So what are you doing living above the Flat Planet Café with practically no furniture and a view of the side of a building?”
“I give most of what I make to keep the Resistance going. Without Jonathan’s billions, it’s hard keeping the network up,” Liam explained shyly. “Besides, I’m hardly ever here.”
Kali nodded approvingly. “Good man,” she said. Liam beamed. They were silent for awhile. “Well,” Kali said finally.
“Well,” Liam replied noncommittally.
“I guess the question is, ‘what are you going to do with me?’ ” Kali said wryly.
“I am going to marry you,” Liam told her, waggling his eyebrows preposterously at her.
Kali smacked his shoulder playfully. “You know what I mean. I’m going to have to figure where I’m going to stay, what I’m going to do with myself, how I’m going to keep Zo’or off my tail…That sort of thing. And I am not marrying you until I’m on my feet. I won’t marry you because I have to. I’ll only marry you because I want to. And I do want to,” she added solicitously.
“You could stay here for awhile,” Liam offered.
She shook her head, curls whirling. “Not a good idea. You know my principles. Sex is for marriage and not before.” She caught his blush at her frank way of putting it, but continued. She was not one to beat around the bush. “If we were in the same apartment, it might prove too much of a temptation. I don’t know about you, but I know I wouldn’t last very long. Besides, with you is the first place they’ll look. I need some place they won’t think of, or be able to search.”
Liam took one of her elegant hands in his. “I think I might know just the place for you to stay for a few days, while get readjusted to…um…”
“Living?” she suggested with a laugh. The Kali he had fallen in love with was coming back. With the exception of a shadow that sometime crossed her face when she thought he wasn’t looking, she was almost entirely her old self again.
Liam kissed her hand and stood, pulling her with him. “Come on, I’ll show you.”
******
Kali wrinkled her adorable nose at the old cathedral. “It’s lovely. Isn’t this where your friend Augur lives, though?”
Liam nodded. “Yeah, underground in the old Resistance HQ.”
“I am not staying with Augur, hon,” she told him firmly. They’d met once, briefly, and Kali had liked him well enough. But the idea of living with the man, even for a day, was basically a nightmare.
“No, you’re not,” Liam agreed. “He’d love to have you around to pick your brain, but he hates having people stay with him. Even me.”
“Then why are we here?” Kali asked.
“You’ll see,” Liam replied mysteriously. He was rather enjoying having a secret from her for a change, even if it was only a small one. Taking her hand again, he led her through the beautiful sanctuary to a heavy wooden door in the back. He rapped twice on it and waited.
Silence for a moment, then Kali could make out light footsteps. The heavy door creaked open a tiny crack. One blue eye peered out at them and then the owner of the eye pushed the door open the rest of the way.
“Liam!” a short, stout, nun exclaimed. “This is indeed a most pleasant surprise!”
“Hello, Mother Abigail,” Liam replied, smiling.
The nun looked Kali up and down and her cherubic face broke into a grin. “And who is this beautiful young lady?” she asked, mischievously.
“This,” Liam said proudly, “is my fiancée, Kalinda Putnam.”
Mother Abigail took Kali’s slim hand in her own plump one. “A pleasure, a pleasure!” she said. “Any friend of Liam’s is welcome here. Come in, child, don’t just stand there!”
She ushered them into the inner sanctum of St. Michael’s convent. Kali had a pleasantly bemused smile on her face, and she raised her eyebrows in a quizzical manner at Liam over Mother Abigail’s head. He winked at her.
“Well now, if I know Liam this isn’t just a social visit,” the nun said, folding her hands and motioning for the couple to sit down on a dusty, old, wooden pew.
“It’s not, I’m afraid,” Liam said, becoming serious. “Kali here is in a bit of trouble, and needs a place to lay low for a couple of days, maybe a week.”
Mother Abigail nodded grimly. “I quite understand,” she said, turning to Kali. “My dear, you may stay here for as long as you need to. We are a small convent and we keep to ourselves for the most part. Not many people even know we are here. We can not offer you any kind of luxury, but you will be safe here. Come, I will show you your room.”
She led the way through small, winding corridors, Liam and Kali walking behind. “Are you sure this is safe?” Kali whispered.
“Yes,” he replied quietly. “I’m not even sure the Taelons know that Mother Abigail and her cloister are here, and if they do, I’m sure they don’t care. The Mother has never said anything against the Taelons, or in any way showed her disapproval of their presence. Besides, this is a place of worship. They can’t search it, even if they thought you were here. You’ll be quite safe for a long time.”
“Well, let’s hope it’s not that long,” Kali told him. “Although going into hiding has the most delicious feel of adventure to it!”
Liam shook his head at her but smiled.
Mother Abigail stopped in front of a plain door in a hallway of identical doors. Living quarters. “This will be your room,” she said kindly, opening the door to reveal a plain, box of a room containing a small bed, a chair, a Bible, and a tiny nightstand. Cramped, but habitable. “It’s very humble accommodations, I know, but it is all we can offer. All our rooms are the same. We live simply here.”
Kali smiled. “Your kindness is such that even this small room is a blessing,” she said, gracious as always.
Mother Abigail smiled back. “There is supper in an hour, and mass at sundown, should you wish to attend. I’ll leave you two alone now.” Nodding to Liam she left, closing the door behind her.
“Now who has the lack of a view?” he asked with dry humor. The room was windowless.
Kali laughed. “It’s not so bad. I don’t think I’ll mind staying here for awhile. I mean, I’m no Catholic, and certainly have no intention of becoming a nun in the near future.” She winked at him. “But there’s a sense of peace in this place that I think will do me good. Help me to recover myself. These are women who have given their entire lives to servanthood, to living humbly, and to God. Even if I don’t agree with their beliefs, I’m awed by their devotion. One has to admire their commitment and sacrifice. I think I could learn from them. Besides,” she added as an afterthought. “Mother Abigail’s a dear!”
“Will you never cease to amaze me?” Liam asked her with a grin.
“Oh I sincerely hope not!” she replied lightly. They both laughed. “You’d better go,” Kali said at last. “We don’t want people like Zo’or and Sandoval to start asking where you are until we have a good story.”
Liam nodded. “Don’t worry, we’ll make something work.”
“Who’s worried?”
“Right. Is there anything you need here?” he asked.
“Well, some clothes might be nice. Something to read. And chocolate. I haven’t had chocolate in simply forever.”
“You got it,” he said. “I’ll come by tomorrow.”
Kali smiled and leaned in to kiss him goodbye.
“You have no idea how much I missed that,” Liam told her when they broke apart.
“Wanna bet?” she returned. “Now get out of here before Mother Abigail decides to investigate what we’re doing in here.”
With a bow and a wink, Liam swept theatrically out the door. He walked the corridors back with a spring in his step, humming tunelessly to himself. He hadn’t felt so good in a long time. It didn’t matter that things were far from perfect and that they still had a myriad of problems to deal with. What mattered was that he had Kali back.
Instead of heading straight out of St. Michael’s to the street, Liam turned right and headed down the hidden lift to Augur’s place.
“Doesn’t anybody knock?” Augur demanded not turning away from his work at the computer to see who it was.
“So happy to see you, too,” Liam replied cheerfully.
“Okay, so what favor do you need this time,” Augur said, slightly grouchily.
“Nothing at all, my good friend,” Liam told him, putting a brotherly arm around the hacker’s shoulders. “I just thought you’d like to know that the only computer genius, other than yourself, that you have ever found to be worthy of your worship is currently living with the Sisters of Saint Michael, and has absolutely nothing to do…” Liam looked at his friend expectantly.
“Kali?!” Augur exclaimed, jumping up. “Are you telling me that brilliant hacker, that exquisite angel of cyberspace, that goddess is…just upstairs?”
“Yes,” Liam replied. “And since I have to go to work, I thought you might want to go up there to say hi, keep her company, pick her brain.”
“Would I! If she knows half as much about computers as I think she does…I’ll pay for your wedding!”
“Really?” Liam asked with interest.
Augur snorted. “Of course not. What are you, crazy? But I will be verrrry grateful. To Kali, at least.” He grinned with greasy charm.
“If you make a pass at her, I’ll rip your arms off,” Liam said genially.
Augur’s eyes widened in mock terror and then he laughed. “Ah, don’t worry. You know me. Would I try anything?”
“Yes.”
Augur clutched his chest. “I’m shot to the heart that you don’t trust me.”
“Actually,” Liam admitted after a moment, ignoring the theatrics, “now that I think about there is something you might be able to help me with…”
“Ha! I knew it!” Augur proclaimed triumphantly, straightening. “You have not once come in here without asking some kind of favor!”
“You used to think it was cute,” Liam pointed out.
“Yeah, well that was before you grew up and got a fancy job and a mean looking gun. Now you’re just really irritating.” Despite Augur’s words, Liam could tell that the hacker’s good spirits were still very much intact. He sighed and affected an air of long-suffering.
“C’mon, I’m not that bad. Besides, this has to do with your knowledge as a trader in the exotic…or at least the stuff you can’t find in the mall. Might even make you a buck or two.”
Augur’s ears literally pricked up. “Liam!” he said cheerfully. “Buddy! Friend! Step into my parlor.” He motioned to the couches.
“Said the spider to the fly,” Liam muttered, sitting.
“So, what do you need?” Augur asked, grinning at the comment.
Liam told him.
“Hmmm…” he said thoughtfully, getting up. Liam followed. “Should be a piece of cake. Unusual. Expensive for you. Not hard. Hell, it’s not even illegal, subversive, or immoral. Come by tomorrow afternoon, I’ll have everything. And bring your wallet. Thank you and good night!” he added, pushing Liam into the elevator.
“Wait!” Liam said, holding the door open. “I need to know where Sierra is.”
Augur rolled his eyes. “At Renee’s, last I checked,” he said, prying Liam’s finger’s from the stopper. “Adios, my friend!”
The door shut with a satisfactory “Whoosh!” and Liam’s bewildered face disappeared up the lift. Augur sighed with a relief that was short-lived. Liam would be back tomorrow. And then, Augur vowed, he would change the codes on his locks. All of them.
********
Liam rang the buzzer to Renee’s apartment and tapped his foot impatiently while he waited. Finally the door opened to reveal the petite redhead he was looking for.
“Bonjour?” she asked quizzically. “What are you doing here?” Her question wasn’t confrontational, merely curious.
“I could ask you the same,” Liam pointed out.
“Renee had to go on a business trip and she asked me to housesit, since I don’t have a place to stay yet,” Sierra explained. “She’ll be gone for at least a week.”
“But she just met you two days ago!” Liam protested.
Sierra shrugged. “Contrary to popular belief, Renee is actually a good woman.”
Liam held up his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay. You were the one I wanted to talk to, anyway. Can I come in?”
Sierra nodded, tucking a flaming curl behind one ear and standing back to let him in. She seemed different than when he had first met her. Her personality seemed much softer and she had an air of almost sweet innocence about her. It was a dizzying change, to be sure. Liam supposed that no matter who you were in reality, being in deep cover hardened you quite a bit. He decided he rather liked this Sierra.
She led into the living room and they sat. “I want to apologize for being so…abrasive the other day. When I am tense I get snappy. And having my cover blown tends to set me on edge.” She clapped a hand over her mouth, her green eyes wide. “Oh, I’m sorry! I did it again, didn’t I?”
Liam nodded, chuckling in spite of himself. “But don’t worry about it. I get worse from Renee every day of the week.” He shifted in his seat. “What I wanted to talk to you about was your future in the Resistance. We really need all the cell leaders we can get, and—” He was cut short by Sierra’s frown.
She sighed, shaking her head. “I know where you are going with this. Merci, but I must decline. Leadership in the Resistance is not for me.”
“But I saw you on the mothership!” Liam protested. “You’re a great leader. You have a real gift.”
“Maybe,” Sierra admitted with another sigh. “But I do not enjoy it. I am not a soldier like you and Hayley, or a hacker like Augur, or a spy like Renee, or even a doctor like Kali. I do not have a special skill. When the Taelons first came, I was a preschool teacher! I only joined the Resistance because I knew that something had to be done insure the future of our children. I just want the Taelons to leave, but I am not a fighter. I had a hard enough time just being second in the Quebec cell, and I loathed every moment I spent undercover. The very idea of running a cell of my own terrifies me.”
Liam nodded reluctantly. “I guess I understand.”
“But I do want to help the Resistance in any way I can,” Sierra added hastily. “Just give a me few days to figure out where I belong, okay?”
“Sure,” Liam said agreeably, though he was disappointed. “And if you come up with any ideas that’ll help Kali while you’re at it, let me know.”
“Of course,” she told him. “Don’t worry, things will work out for you two.”
Liam sighed. “You sound so sure.”
“I am,” she said shyly. “I am a great believer in happy endings.”
*********
After stopping at Augur’s to pick up a package wrapped in plain brown paper, Liam headed for the inner sanctum of St. Michael’s. A nun he didn’t know opened the door and pointed the way to Kali’s room. He heard muffled giggling coming from inside.
“Hello?” he called, knocking.
The giggling grew louder for a moment and then ceased. “Come in, Liam!” Kali called in a singsong voice.
He opened the door to find her and a Sister sitting on Kali’s little cot, trying to contain their laughter. At the sight of Liam’s confused expression, the laughter came bursting out.
“I told you!” Sister Berniece choked out. “Look at his face!”
Kali was laughing so hard she fell off the bed and rolled on the floor, clutching her aching sides and laughing all the harder. After about five minutes, the two women managed to pull themselves together enough for Sister Berniece to leave, still chuckling under her breath.
“Did I…miss something?” Liam asked, still standing just inside the doorway.
Kali got up from the floor, smoothing her hair, her sari, and her dignity, and settled cross-legged on the bed. “Oh, definitely,” she told him with undisguised amusement. “Isn’t Sister Berniece remarkable?”
“I wouldn’t exactly describe her that way,” Liam said, thinking of the kind-but-stodgy nun. He knew better than to try to get Kali back on track once she changed the subject. “Of course, I can’t say I’ve ever heard her laugh either.”
“Did you know that she was a stripper before she joined the order?”
Liam winced. “No, and I really didn’t want to. She just up and told you this?”
Kali shrugged. “What can I say? I have that kind of face. So, what’s in the package?”
“Oh…stuff,” Liam teased.
“Very funny.”
Liam reached inside the brown paper and pulled out a cloth bundle. He tossed it to Kali and she caught it neatly and unwrapped it. “Clothes! Thank you very much. If I didn’t get something else, I was going to have to start wearing a habit. As it was I had to sleep au natural last night.”
Liam lifted his eyebrows suggestively and grinned.
“Don’t even start,” Kali said, half-jokingly. “Shirts, shorts, a skirt, unmentionables…” she muttered, rummaging through the clothes. She looked up at Liam and gave him a million-dollar smile. “All in my size and personal style, something which is not easy to pull off on short notice.”
“I do what I can.”
“Right. Be a dear and thank Augur for me, will you?” she said, too sweetly.
Liam tried to look crushed, but failed. Reaching again into the brown paper, he came up with four hardcover books. He handed them to her and she took them gently, lovingly caressing their covers.
“Tennyson, Yeats, ‘Tale of Two Cities’, and ‘Tom Sawyer’. Very nice. You are definitely learning.”
“And,” Liam added, presenting her with a gold-wrapped box, “The finest Swiss chocolate for my lovely, and recently deceased, lady.”
“Just for that, you aren’t getting any,” she kidded, sticking her tongue out at him and wrinkling her nose with a laugh. She grabbed his collar and he sat on the edge of the bed. Then she opened the box and delicately selected two pieces of the creamy milk chocolate. She put her fingers to Liam’s jaw, opened it, popped one of the chocolates in, and closed it for him.
“Chew,” she commanded, popping the remaining chocolate in her own mouth and chomping it in half once with her pearly teeth. She closed her eyes and smiled. “Perfect…”
Liam chewed and swallowed his chocolate. “Glad you like it.” After a moment of silence, he got up nervously, saying, “Just stay right there. Don’t move, okay?”
“Okay…” Kali said, sitting up straighter with expectation.
“Good.” Liam put his hand in his pocket. “Now, I know we’ve already been through this, several times, in fact, but I want to get it really right this time.” He took a deep breath and sank down on one knee, taking a ring box out of his pocket and opening it.
“Kali, will you marry me?” he asked, knowing her answer but still scared none the less.
She bit her lip in amazement, staring at the ring in his hand. An exquisitely cut amethyst sparkled back at her, set on a band of the finest silver. The stone was cut to the shape of a perfect, purple rose, every petal and vein clearly visible. She had never seen a gem cut in like manner, and hadn't even known it was possible to do such a thing.
The band was so intricately inscribed with scrollwork that Kali couldn’t even see all the designs. Each time she ran her eyes over it, she saw something new, but at the same time it gave the overall impression of an elegant simplicity. She had never seen its equal.
“Liam, it’s perfect! How did you know?”
Liam blushed at her praise. “I remembered you saying that you didn’t like gold and that you thought diamonds were boring. I wanted to get you a ring you’d really love, and you admired that necklace in the park that day that was amethyst and silver…”
Kali laughed with delight. “You are so adorable sometimes,” she said. “Of course, that’s why I went out with you in the first place.”
Liam blushed again. “Would you mind giving me the answer before I lose all circulation to one knee?”
“Of course I’ll marry you, silly goose!” she exclaimed, dragging him to his feet. “You already knew that! But it is a romantic gesture.” She kissed him deeply. “Very romantic.” The fabric of her sari was soft against his skin. It still smelled of the spices her mother had used to freshen it; a piquant, but pleasant scent.
Liam took the ring out of the box and slipped it on to her slim finger and admired it as it shone. Its very presence seemed to light up her entire face.
“I missed you so much,” he blurted out.
“I missed you, too,” she said tenderly, caressing his curly head. Then her expression changed to one of barely repressed mischief. “And I,” she added, stepping back and pulling out a global from the folds of her sari, “have been doing some reading.”
“Reading?”
“Oh yes!” she told him fervently. “Thought I’d get caught up on the situation in more detail.”
“Where’d the global come from?”
“Sister Berniece, but never mind that! I think I have an idea to get me out of this mess.”
Liam’s eyes went wide. “Really? That’s wonderful!” He hugged her. “What is it?”
“It’s complicated…” Kali began.
“Go on,” he prodded, giddy with excitement.
“First, can we trust Da’an to keep a secret?”
Liam sighed. “In this case…yes, I think we can. Since you still being alive probably won’t do anything in the least to harm his species, he’ll probably be glad to help, since it will annoy Zo’or. What’d you have in mind?”
She cocked her head at him. “How good an actor are you?”
********
Liam walked onto the bridge of the mothership making an effort to cultivate a sense of barely restrained rage. It was not difficult.
“Major Kincaid,” Zo’or acknowledged coolly. “This is unexpected.”
Liam took a deep breath. It was show time. “Zo’or, I need to talk to you.”
The Taelon inclined his head.
“It has come to my attention that until recently you were holding my former fiancée, Kalinda Putnam, for experimental purposes.” Liam said this almost detachedly.
Zo’or seemed surprised at his knowledge and would probably asked Da’an about how he found out later, but Liam had already arranged for the North American Companion to cover for him. “Yes,” he said finally.
“And she has escaped.” It was a statement, not a question.
“Yes.”
“May I inquire what you are doing about this?”
“She is to be found and terminated,” Zo’or told him flatly. “She is far too dangerous to remain alive.”
Liam nodded. “I request that you allow me to head up the search for her and to carry out her…sentence.” It took effort to say this, even though it was so far from the truth as to be laughable.
Zo’or rose, his eyes wide with surprise. “Major, I was under the impression that you were…in love with Dr. Putnam.” He spoke the words as though they were distasteful. “In fact, it was my understanding that you very nearly killed one of my own Agents when you believed her to be dead. I confess, your offer shocks me.”
Liam attempted to put on an expression of hurt and betrayal. “Yes, I was in love with Kali. And I thought she felt the same way about me. Agent Sandoval told me that she had been hacking into Taelon files, but I didn’t want to believe it. Finally I did some checking.” His voice broke (he hoped) convincingly. “She was working against the Taelons. She was Resistance, and she was just using me to get info. I guess she figured once we were married, she would have just that much more access to the Taelons.”
He clenched his fists. “She never cared about me. She betrayed me, played me for a fool. And the evidence suggests that she was planning to kill either you or Da’an. She deserves no better.” Reflexively, Liam crossed his fingers behind his back. He had to do something to negate his statement, even if was only to make him feel better.
Zo’or’s gaze became openly curious. “I have heard that a ‘broken heart’ could cause humans to take actions that were wildly out of character. In truth, I did not really believe it before this. She…hurt you greatly, did she not?”
“Very greatly,” Liam lied. “For us humans, deep love can turn to deep hate surprisingly easily.”
“And you wish to…pay her back for what she has done?”
“Yes,” Liam said with difficulty. “You are right, she is too dangerous. It must be done, and it’s my place to do it, before she uses her talents to cause even more damage.” Even though it had been Kali’s own idea to play Zo’or like this, he still felt rather guilty about saying such things. But it was certainly better than the alternative.
Zo’or nodded with satisfaction. “Then, by all means, take your revenge on the woman. Truly, I am fascinated by this new side you are showing me. It is true then, that love makes one do strange things?”
“Yes. Thank you, Zo’or.” He started to leave.
“But do not take too long in finding her. If you do not take care of this problem fairly immediately, I will be forced to explore other means of disposing of her.”
Liam nodded and walked quickly out, hoping Zo’or would not catch the real emotion behind his mask. As soon as he was out of sight, he spit, trying to rid his mouth of the vile taste of the conversation. He wasn’t sure which disturbed him most: that his lie had made sense to Zo’or, or that there were probably many people who would be quite willing to kill a lover after suffering such a betrayal as Liam had detailed.
********
“Hold on, I’m not decent!” Kali called to Liam from inside her room. There was a flurry of activity from inside and the door opened to reveal a slightly disheveled Kali. “Hi.”
“Hi,” Liam replied. “Mind if I come in?”
“Oh, please, do!” she said breathlessly, letting him in while adjusting her blouse so that it covered up to her collarbone. “I was just getting dressed.”
“I can see that,” Liam said. “Your modesty is absolutely charming, by the way.”
Kali smiled and kissed him. “ ‘Modesty is proof that morality is sexy’,” she quoted cheerfully, plopping down on the bed. “So, how’d it go?”
“You seem remarkably unconcerned for someone whose future life is riding on my answer to that question.”
Kali shrugged. “I can’t change your answer by being nervous, can I? Besides, stress is bad for the heart. Now talk.”
Liam related his conversation with Zo’or in detail. Kali nodded solemnly when he was done. “So it worked,” she said flatly.
“Yeah, it worked.”
“How’s Da’an with this?”
“I think he’s actually glad to be able to go against Zo’or, even in this small way. And for some reason, he wants me to be happy, although his idea of what’s best for me is often rather odd. As long as nothing we do endangers any of his people, he’ll keep our secret.”
“Well, there’s that at least,” Kali said.
Liam sighed. “Now, we have to convince Zo’or that you’re really dead. The problem is, I doubt he’ll just take my word for it. He’s going to need some proof, I have a feeling.”
“What, did he command you to cut out my heart and bring it to him so he could eat it?” she joked.
“Huh?”
“Snow White,” she told him. “You know, ‘mirror, mirror, on the wall’. The evil witch. The kind woodcutter who brought back the heart of a pig instead of the young girl’s.”
No comprehension crossed the face of the young Protector.
“Oh, never mind,” she sighed in disgust. “I’ll educate you later.”
Liam shook his head. “Right…Okay, other than cutting out your heart, how are we going to make our favorite Synod leader think that I killed you for vengeance?”
Kali shuddered. “I hate the way that sounds.”
“Me too,” Liam agreed. “But we do have to figure it out.” He thought for a second. “What if we made a biosurrogate of you…”
Kali shook her head vigorously. “No, no, no, and no. Absolutely not.”
“But it wouldn’t be really alive!” Liam protested.
“Oh, please! Don’t even go there. Yes, it’s so easy to pretend they’re not really alive. All they have is what you program into their soulless minds. If you don’t put anything in there, there’s nothing there. Just a person-shaped sack of meat, right? Well, I don’t buy it. And I am not going to create one of them just to kill it. It’s not our place to create them in the first place, and if we do create one, we’re responsible for it. For her.” She stared evenly at Liam and he saw the fire behind her eyes.
He let out a long breath. “You’re right…I wasn’t thinking. I guess I just got so focused on you I lost sight of some things. I’m sorry.”
Kali smiled. “I forgive you,” she said warmly. “After all, I suppose there are worse things you could be than focused on me.” She struck a pose of mock vanity and they both laughed. Kali leaned back and looked thoughtful. “I think we are going to have to pull a Juliet,” she said at last.
“Juliet?” he asked.
She looked at him expectantly. He rummaged through his mind and dredged up foggy memories from Sandoval’s ninth grade English class. “Oh!” he said finally. “I see!”
Kali shook her head grinning. “You have it way too easy, love,” she told him.
“What?” he asked cluelessly.
“Those inherited memories of yours,” she said, exasperated. “Your dad read Shakespeare once and you just get to pick it out of your head and use it whenever. It’s not fair. The rest of us have to work for that info, boy!”
“Hey, you think it was easy going through puberty in less than ninety minutes?”
“Touché,” Kali replied with a grin. Liam grinned back at her. His smile faded quickly, however. “What’s wrong?” Kali asked, getting up with a look of concern on her beautiful face.
Liam shrugged sullenly. “I guess I’m just worried,” he said pensively. “What if something goes wrong, what if you’re found out, what if—”
Kali shushed him in mid-sentence with a finger to his lips. She wrapped her arms comfortably around his neck, resting her elbows on his broad shoulders and forcing him to look straight into her eyes.
“Listen to me,” she said firmly. “Everything is going to be perfectly fine, do you understand?” Liam started to protest but she quieted him again. “It is all going to turn out all right in the end.”
Liam sighed. “I wish I could be sure.”
“Do you trust me?” Kali asked him, her intense gaze still locked with his.
“With all my heart,” he assured her.
“Then believe me when I say that it will all be okay.”
Liam wrapped his arms around her girlishly slim waist. “I believe you,” he said finally.
“And we will get married,” she continued, swaying back and forth in his arms slightly.
“Yes,” he agreed, swaying with her.
“And have children.”
“Yes.”
“And grow old together.”
“Yes.”
“And never ever ever stop loving each other.”
“Never ever,” he affirmed.
She smiled tenderly at him. “See? Everything will be just fine, no?”
“Just fine,” he repeated.
“Now,” Kali said, giving him a quick peck on the lips and slipping elusively out of his grasp. “Let’s go see what we can do about this deception we will practice. Know a good doctor?”
“Other than you?”
“Flattery is always welcome, but yes, other than me.” She pulled her kinky black hair back into a messy ponytail, which only served to make her look more attractive.
“How about Dr. Park?” he suggested.
“If anyone can pull off what I have in mind, Melissa can,” Kali agreed, sitting down on the bed to pull on her ever-practical sandals.
“What do you have in mind?” Liam asked with open curiosity.
Kali threw a hand across her forehead and fell back on the bed in a dramatic swoon. “A tragic death that would please even the Bard himself.”
“Not too tragic, I hope,” Liam said, still worrying in the back of his mind.
“Oh,
only temporarily,” she assured him, rising from her brief performance and
taking a bow. “All the more reason the Bard would approve. This whole thing is
very Shakespearean. Dastardly villains, star-crossed lovers, intrigue upon
intrigue. Just like Romeo and Juliet.”
“Um, in Romeo and Juliet, didn’t they both end
up permanently dead?” Liam reminded her.
“Details!” she informed him, taking his hand and beginning to drag him out the door. He looked at her so mournfully that she stopped and laughed. He looked at her even more mournfully.
“As they say, I’m not laughing at you, I’m just laughing near you,” she told him. To make him feel better, she added, “Okay then, how about A Winter’s Tale? The beautiful queen fakes her own death to escape those who would see her dead, and then comes back to be reunited with her dearest love. Sound better?”
“Much,” he agreed.
“Good. Now let’s go. I’ve been trapped in here for three days! Even the most tranquil soul can only take so much peace and quiet!”
Liam gladly permitted himself to be dragged out of the little cell to Dr. Park’s recently established private lab. Dr. Park went white as a sheet to see Kali alive and well, and it took them almost an hour explaining before she calmed down.
“It’s so good to see you!” she exclaimed finally, hugging Kali tightly. She glanced at Kali’s ring and then at Liam. “You two are…?”
“Yes,” Liam told her, taking Kali’s hand. “We are.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful!” Park said. “Give me a hug, Liam!”
Liam happily embraced his friend and former pediatrician, almost lifting the small, middle-aged woman off her feet.
“Now,” she said, once they had settled. “What do you need?”
“Something brilliant!” Kali told her, and explained her idea.
“I think we can manage that,” Park said after a moment’s reflection. “Kali, why don’t you come with me into the lab?”
Kali nodded and followed the blond doctor into the back, leaving Liam to read the newspaper and wait nervously for their return. They were gone almost two hours. Finally, Kali staggered back in, breathing raggedly. She had a very nasty looking wound over her heart.
Liam leapt to his feet. “Kali!”
She grinned and immediately straightened, “You like? It’s really realistic, isn’t it?”
He let out a long sigh of relief and scowled sternly at her. “That wasn’t funny! Don’t do that to me! I thought you’d been shot again or something.”
“Perfect,” she said, cocking an eyebrow at him.
He frowned, but couldn’t stay mad. Dr. Park entered just then. “What do you think of my handiwork?”
Liam inspected the wound carefully. “It certainly looks real,” he said, biting back nausea. There were bits of charred flesh and fabric hanging off the ragged edges of a very convincing hole in Kali’s chest. She looked exactly like she had been shot through the heart by the type of energy weapon he himself habitually carried. It even smelled real, Liam realized with disgust, his stomach turning. He looked away.
“Isn’t it a beaut?” Kali asked, poking at it.
Liam winced. “Kali, that’s morbid. This whole thing is morbid!”
“Oh, I agree,” Kali said wholeheartedly. “But Melissa does do excellent work.”
“How did you do that, by the way?” Liam asked the doctor.
“Secrets of the trade,” she replied mysteriously.
Kali laughed grimly.
Dr. Park held up two syringes, one of blue fluid and one of clear fluid, and a pill. “Now,” she said, going into business mode. “This blue syringe contains a drug that will put you into a death-like coma. Your heart will slow to one beat every quarter hour, your body temperature will drop to about seventy degrees, brain activity will be all but non-existent, and you will cease breathing all together. For all intents and purposes, you will appear to be dead, and to have been dead for about three hours.”
“Can she really survive like that?” Liam asked, shocked.
Park nodded. “For a limited amount of time, with help from the drugs. It’s basically an extreme of a deep meditation technique that Kali’s mastered already. Everything in the body slows down and it can even appear that the subject is dead. The drug will help her attain that state and go much further with it than would be possible unaided. It will also help sustain her body during her time in the coma. The downside, of course, is that because she won’t be attaining the state naturally, she won’t be able to bring herself out of it.”
Park held up the clear syringe. “That’s where this comes in. This is a very dangerous thing you’re doing. Reducing brain activity to almost nil is not the safest thing we can do. You must inject her with this drug within two hours of the time she goes under. Otherwise, I can’t guarantee that she’ll come out of it undamaged…or at all.”
Liam clutched Kali’s hand. “And if I inject her in time?”
Park sighed. “I won’t lie to you. It’s still dangerous. But if you don’t cut it too close, there’s a very good chance that there won’t be any problems.”
“A very good chance,” Liam repeated. He turned to Kali. “I don’t like this.”
“Neither do I,” she replied frankly. “But it’s the only way. I can’t spend the rest of my life running and hiding, and cowering in fear from doing anything that might cause anyone to notice me or even remember me as anything but another face in the crowd. I can’t live like that. I won’t live like that. Zo’or has to stop looking for me, if I have to go up there and tell him I’m dead myself!”
Liam nodded finally. “I guess I understand…I just hate having you put yourself in danger like this.”
“I’m not any safer with him having a termination order out on me,” she pointed out.
“You’re right, you’re right,” Liam admitted. “But I don’t have to be thrilled about it.” He turned to Dr. Park. “What’s the pill for?” he asked.
“It’s oxygen,” she explained. “Pure and compressed about as much as physically possible. Kali, you have to take this just before Liam injects you the first time. It will slowly release the oxygen into your blood stream while you’re under. The most important thing is that we keep the oxygen flowing to your brain to avoid brain damage.”
Kali nodded, taking the syringes and pill and slipping them into her bag. “Thank you, Melissa,” she said sincerely.
Park shook her head. “Well, I understand it, but I don’t like this anymore than Liam does. You be careful, okay?”
“I will,” she assured her friend. “I promise.”
Park took both Kali’s hands and squeezed. “I’ll see you soon, then.”
“Very soon,” Kali told her.
She smiled and ruffled Liam’s hair affectionately, enveloping him in a tight, motherly hug. She whispered in his ear. “Remember, two hours, no more. And if you can, bring her back here to revive her. If the process fails, I may still be able to do something to save her.”
“Thank you,” Liam replied, giving Dr. Park a peck on the cheek and slipping his arm around Kali’s waist. They walked back to St. Michael’s in silence. The weight of what they were about to do was heavy about them, and they clutched each other tightly. They stopped at the wooden door to the convent.
“Tomorrow morning?” Kali asked Liam.
He nodded. “First thing, I guess. We don’t want to wait too long, or Zo’or will start sending his own people out for you.”
“Don’t worry,” she told him, taking his right hand and turning it palm up. She kissed it, right on the red mark, as she had more than a year ago on that fateful night.
He took her chin in his hands. “Who’s worried?” he said lamely.
She wrapped her arms about him and they hugged each other tightly, desperately. Liam buried his face in her soft, inky hair. She smelled of honey, spring flowers, and the forest. “I love you,” he whispered in her ear.
“I love you, too,” she whispered back, squeezing him as though she’d never let go. Eventually, however, she did let go, brushing a hand against his cheek and saying, “Get some rest.” Then she slipped noiselessly inside the convent and closed the door behind her.
Liam stared at the closed door blindly for a long time, feeling empty without Kali’s presence near. Finally, he shook himself and began to walk home. It was only a few a blocks, but he walked it slowly. He hated to admit it, even to himself, but he was terrified of what was going to happen. He knew he could survive having Kali taken from him again, and he knew that it was entirely possible that he might indeed lose her again, this time forever.
At long last, he drearily climbed the steps to his little apartment. Stripping to his boxers, he threw himself down heavily on the bed and lay there, staring at the ceiling. It was too hot to bother to get under the covers. He just stared at the ceiling and tried not to think about all the things that could go wrong. Eventually, his exhaustion caught up with him and he drifted off into a tortured, restless sleep.
*********
In her little room in the back of St. Michael’s, Kali was pacing. She stalked back and forth across the bare floor like a caged tiger. At least it was cool inside the stone walls of the church. She would have despaired utterly if it had been as warm as it had been outside.
Finally, she decided that nothing would be served by continually measuring the length of her room. She braided her hair loosely and pulled on the lightweight, multicolored sundress Liam had given her, being careful not to mess up the “hole” in her chest. It was so strange to look down and see this gaping, obviously fatal wound, but feel no pain. In fact, she had no feeling at all there, since the local anesthetic Melissa had given her so that she could work properly hadn’t yet worn off.
Lacing up the dress very loosely, Kali pushed open the door and crept into the hallway with a feline grace. She turned left and went down the corridor to the last door on the right and slipped into the beautiful, but small, chapel.
The chapel was where the Sisters held their daily masses, since there weren’t enough of them to justify using the huge, historic sanctuary. It was octagonal, with the ceiling rising to a point of eight, triangular stained-glass windows. There was a carved crucifix behind the altar, with shrines to the Virgin Mary and Saint Michael on either side. Kali sat down on the front pew, and drew her legs up beneath her.
The Catholic religion was far too ritualistic for her to ever be personally, completely comfortable in, but she had nothing but respect for it. She was a very spiritual person, and considered herself close to God, but had never felt the need for an organized set of rules to help define her faith, separate her from other who had similar, but not exactly the same, beliefs, or lay down a style of worship. It was just too binding.
It wasn’t that Kali disapproved of religion (as opposed to faith), in fact quite the opposite. She just supposed that she had too many bits of different cultures and faiths and religions inside her that there wasn’t a mold that she could fit into even vaguely comfortably. She rather preferred it that way. It was so freeing just to be able to talk to God, like a friend, rather than worrying about the manner in which she did so.
She hugged herself, feeling slightly chilly. She bowed her head, closed her eyes, and began to pray.
“God,” she said simply, even that quiet tone echoing in the chapel. “I’m not afraid for myself. I’ve never been afraid of death. When it’s my time, I’ll go and go gracefully. But I am afraid for Liam. I don’t know what will happen to him, if I don’t make it. I don’t think he could handle it, and he’s so important to everything that’s going to happen in the near future. And I love him…I don’t want him to be hurt like he was when he lost me the first time. I don’t care what happens for me, just please watch over Liam really well. If I die, don’t let it kill him inside. Send him someone who will make him forget, but don’t let him come with me, as much as I know he’ll want to.”
As she finished, she felt a sense of peace wash over her. Liam would be safe, and she would be…wherever she was supposed to be. She smiled contentedly, and yawned. She hadn’t even realized she was tired. “Thank You,” she whispered the empty chapel.
Then she stretched and headed back to her room, quite confident now in her ability to sleep. By the time she reached it, she had just enough presence of mind to remove her dress before she collapsed into a deep, dreamless slumber.
**********
The next morning, Kali met Liam outside the old church, wearing the deep blue dress she had yesterday when Melissa had skillfully crafted her injury. The scorched hole in the dress matched her “wound” perfectly. Kali had thrown on a loose sweater, to conceal it until they got to the embassy. They walked quietly, hand in hand. Kali was in good spirits, and Liam wished he could be so optimistic.
They went through the twisting halls of the embassy and stopped just inside the door leading out to the shuttlepad. “We have to do this now,” Kali told him. “They’ll scan your shuttle on the way up, and if there are two life-signs registering, it could be trouble.”
“We’ll be cutting it close,” Liam told her. “It’s a forty-five minute shuttle ride from here to the mothership.”
“Taking a portal is too dangerous,” Kali reminded him. “Strange things happen in the portal system. Besides, they take detailed readings of everyone that goes through the portals. If they analyze it enough, as Zo’or or Sandoval likely would, there’s a good chance they could figure out I’m not dead as they thought.
“I know,” Liam sighed. “Let’s just get this over with, okay?”
Kali wrapped her arms around him and kissed him passionately. “That’s for the road,” she told him. She took off her sweater, handed Liam the syringe of the blue drug, and dry swallowed the oxygen pill.
“Ready?” he asked.
She nodded and then held up a hand. “Wait, I forgot something.” She reached into the pocket of the discarded sweated and dug out a little packet of red fluid.
“What is that?” Liam asked.
“Blood. Synthesized blood, anyway. The wound looks real enough, but it needs to be…well, oozing.”
“Kali, please.”
“It does!” she protested. “And you have to apply it. It will look strange if it’s all over my hands.” She handed him the little packet. It was warm, from her carrying it so close to her body.
Wincing in disgust, Liam tore open the packet and dribbled the contents over the ragged hole, making sure to splatter her clothing in a convincing pattern as well. Kali let out a miniscule hiss as the liquid hit her skin.
“Good,” she said decisively. “It looks horrible. The blood will have partially congealed by the time we get there, which will male it look even worse. Now I’m ready.”
Liam caressed her cheek, and steeling himself, sank the needle into her shoulder where the tiny mark would be hidden by the sleeves of the dress. Kali blinked once, smiled weakly to reassure him, and fell backwards.
He caught her easily and swept her into his arms, shocked at how light she was. She still hadn’t fully recovered from her captivity on the mothership and already he was dragging her into danger and taking her back there. Perhaps it was better she wasn’t conscious.
He took a moment to study her as she lay limply in his arms. It really did feel as though she was dead. He shivered, and reached into his jacket pocket to assure himself that the antidote was really there. Even pale and unmoving, she was breathtakingly beautiful. Her sculpted features wore a peaceful expression and her hair cascaded over his arms. But she no longer smelled of honey or spring flowers. The tangy, irony smell of the blood pervaded her hair, skin, and clothing. His nostrils flared at the unwelcome aroma.
He shook himself, and tightening his grip on Kali’s long, lean frame, strode purposefully and determinedly to his shuttle. Her shapely, endlessly long legs dangled over his arms, and her head drooped backwards like a wilting flower.
He buckled her securely into the backseat of the shuttle, kissing her forehead tenderly. The ride to the mothership was too long. He wanted to rush, but he forced himself to fly at a reasonable speed. He couldn’t afford an accident, or even a rough ride. If Kali were injured for real, her body wouldn’t be able to repair it in her present state. Even a tiny injury could turn deadly.
Finally, they docked, with a tiny jar that made Liam wince. He unbuckled Kali and scooped her into his arms again. Walking the decks of the mothership, he got some strange stares from Volunteers, but no one questioned him. He was at the top of the human chain of command, second only to Agent Sandoval. Anything he did must be authorized.
His heart was pounding in his chest as he neared the threshold to the bridge, and he made some attempt to calm it before he made his presence known to Zo’or. Swallowing the knot of fear in his throat, he put on an emotionless mask and brought Kali in front of Zo’or.
The Taelon stood, his blue eyes taking in the woman’s apparently lifeless body, the charred hole in her chest, and the shell-shocked dullness in Liam’s gray-green eyes.
“It is done, then?” Zo’or asked, as Liam laid her flat on the ground. “She is indeed dead?”
“Yes,” he said hoarsely. “And she won’t be coming back. Her heart was half-vaporized by the blast.”
“Excellent,” Zo’or proclaimed smugly. “I must say, Major Kincaid, I am pleased by your actions. I did not, as you say, ‘think you had it in you’. You have certainly proved your loyalty beyond my expectations. I did not believe when we began our association that it would bear such good fruit, in so short a time.”
Liam was very nearly violently sick on the spot, but he managed to contain himself admirably. Still, some of his churning emotions must have shone through, for the Synod leader looked at him curiously.
“Major, are you in distress?” he asked.
Liam gulped, wiping his sweaty palms surreptitiously on his trousers. He took a deep breath. “I may have hated her in the end,” he said slowly, “ but I fell in love with her once, and for humans that never completely goes away. Ending her life, seeing her like this…isn’t easy for me, even though I’m glad I did it.” He had been lying to someone everyday since he had been born, but he didn’t think he’d ever made up a story like this before.
Zo’or nodded in the human fashion. “Then you are to be even further commended, Major. You went against your natural proclivities to carry out an order and insure Taelons safety. Be assured, I will not forget this.”
Neither will I, Liam vowed silently. Aloud, he only said, “I swore an oath to serve the Taelons. I take that seriously.”
Zo’or dipped his head in acknowledgement and settled back in his throne-like chair. “You have served us well.” His alien blue eyes met Liam’s for a moment, measuring. “Is there anything else, Major?”
Liam shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “I would like to take her back to Earth to be buried. I feel it is my responsibility to return her remains to her family and to make sure proper arrangements are made. As human beings, it is our custom to do at least that much even for our worst enemies. Since she is someone I was once close to, and since I am the cause of her death, it is my duty to make sure everything in order and to take her back to her home.” He crossed his fingers behind his back, as he done yesterday. This time, it was for luck.
“You humans are a peculiar people,” Zo’or said snidely. “You place much emphasis on what is done with a lifeless corpse. Even someone who you despised and gave no respect in life is treated reverently in death.”
“It is our way,” Liam said simply. “I have satisfied your wishes, now please allow me to satisfy my own honor.”
Zo’or waved him away. “What is done with her now is of no consequence. Fulfill your pointless human tradition, if it suits you. I care nothing for what happens now.”
“Thank you, Zo’or,” Liam said, through gritted teeth. Gently, he picked Kali up, trying to be careful but at the same time trying to appear not to be taking excessive care with what was supposed be a dead body. He nodded to the Taelon once, turned on his heel, and walked out. Once in the corridor, he cradled Kali’s head, stroking her hair as he marched back to the shuttle, even though he knew she couldn’t feel his touch.
At the shuttlebay, there were three vessels in line for departure ahead of him. He could easily have overridden them and left immediately, but he couldn’t afford to arouse suspicion. As far as anyone was concerned, there was no reason for him to be in a hurry. He counted off the minutes and just as he was about to take the risk and leave whether he was scheduled or not, the Volunteer on duty gave him the go ahead.
He flew the shuttle back to Earth as quickly as he could afford. He could hear the seconds ticking by in his head like a steady, beating drum. After what seemed an eternity, they landed safely on the embassy ground. There was not enough time to get to Dr. Park’s lab, but to be safe, he took Kali just inside the embassy before administering the second injection. It was just under two hours since they had left this very spot.
Liam pulled the needle out of her arm, praying to whomever happened to be listening that it would work. Nothing happened for a long a moment. Liam held his breath and time stopped. Finally, Kali’s entire body convulsed and she drew in a huge gulp of air. Liam relaxed but only for a moment. Something was wrong.
Kali hadn’t opened her eyes yet. After her first deep breath, her respiration grew shallow and fast. She was hyperventilating. Liam checked her pulse. It was racing as though her heart was about to explode. She was shaking, too, and a thin sheen of sweat covered her skin.
“Damn!” he swore, picking her up again. “Just hold on, Kali!” he whispered fiercely. “Hold on!”
He ran as fast as he dared through the embassy, into Da’an’s office.
“Liam!” the Taelon exclaimed. “What is happening?” Liam had told him the general plan but none of the specifics, in order to protect him. Semi-plausible deniability, as it were.
“No time,” Liam gasped. “I’ll explain later. I need a vehicle that will get me across town, fast.”
Bewildered, Da’an replied, “A Mr. Kent has an appointment with me today. I believe he brought a car with a driver.”
“Thanks!” Liam called, already out the door. In the parking lot, there was indeed a car, with the driver waiting inside. He rapped loudly on the driver’s side window. “Companion security,” he said. “I’m commandeering this car temporarily.”
The driver began to protest, but one look at Liam’s deadly serious face convinced him otherwise. No sooner had he handed over the keys than Liam had laid Kali in the backseat and sped off, tires screeching.
Miraculously, there was little traffic and no policemen. He made it to Dr. Park’s lab in record time. Pulling Kali from the back, not even taking the time to shut the door after himself, he rushed in, yelling to the doctor at the top of his lungs.
Park had apparently been preparing for the worst and she had a table cleared and equipment hooked up and ready to go. Liam lay Kali on the table. “What’s happening?” he demanded, frightened nearly out of his wits.
“I don’t know,” Park said, taking readings and moving him forcibly out of her way. “I think she’s having an adverse reaction to the antidote. Her metabolism and body weight are still messed up from her little stay with out beloved Companions, and the dosage must have been too much for her system to handle. The injection seems to be doing to what we want, just in a dangerously extreme manner.”
“What are you doing?” Liam demanded.
Luckily, Dr. Park was very good at working with distractions. “I’m pumping fluids to try to lower her body temperature. I’m also going to give her a sedative. I hate to put more drugs in her system, it might strain her body too much, but I’ve got get her heart and breathing slowed before she arrests.”
Park injected the sedative into the IV. Results were almost immediate. Kali’s breathing evened out and slowed down, and she stopped shaking. Before Liam could celebrate, however, on of the machines started buzzing.
“What is it?” he asked franticly.
“Dammit, she’s coding,” Park spat.
“Do something!” he pleaded.
“Shut up, Liam!” she yelled at him. Stunned into silence, he stepped back, watching as she got out her paddles and tried to shock Kali’s heart back to life. First try, nothing except the momentary spark of electricity. Park upped the amperage and tried again. Kali’s back arched reflexively and then she lay still.
“Come on!” Park urged quietly.
As if in answer, the flat line on the heart monitor spiked. And then it spiked again. And again, and again, beeping regularly as it should.
“We have a heartbeat,” Park announced with a weary but relieved sigh, sinking into one of the uncomfortable metals chair.
“Now what?” Liam asked, trying to get his own heart started again.
“Now…we wait,” she told him. “Time will do the rest.”
“Will she be okay?” he asked, afraid of the answer.
Park nodded and patted his hand reassuringly. “She should be just fine. It may be awhile before she wakes up, and I say the longer the better. Her body needs to recover from the five or so major shocks she’s had in the past week, and a deep sleep is the best thing for it. She’s lucky she has such a strong heart.”
Liam nodded, relieved beyond words. “Thank you,” he said, meaning it.
Park smiled. “That’s my job. Now, I know you want to stay here with her, and that’s probably a good idea. But she won’t even be vaguely aware for at least several hours. Why don’t you go return the car you obvious stole and explain things to the Taelon you probably confused?”
How well she knew him. He started to protest, but she would have none of it. “And get something to eat while you’re at it. You probably haven’t eaten since yesterday breakfast.” Also, right on the nose. “A few hours from now will be the time for hand holding and sitting by her bedside. Now is the time to fix up all the messes you made getting her here.”
Before he knew what was happening, Liam found himself outside the lab, stolen keys in hand. There was nothing to do but obey doctor’s orders. He returned the car to its rightful owner with many apologies and no explanation. Then he told Da’an what had happened. Da’an was mildly shocked at their little plot, but he did agree that it had been the best way to handle an awful situation.
Then he walked back to his apartment to pick up his car and drove back to the lab. On the way, he stopped at a take-out place to pick up some Chinese food for himself and Dr. Park, who would often forget to eat when she had a patient.
“Liam, you’re a saint!” she told him, taking the steaming, fragrant boxes of food from him. “This is just what I needed.”
Liam checked on Kali before he let himself eat, even though his stomach was growling and his mouth was watering. He satisfied himself that she was resting peacefully before demolishing two orders of sesame chicken, three egg rolls, eight dumplings, and some shrimp.
Dr. Park shook her head in amazement. “And here I thought your appetite would go down when you stopped growing.”
Liam grinned at her. “Nope, I guess not.”
Even after they had eaten their fill, there was still quite a bit of food leftover. “I’ll stick this in the fridge,” Park said, getting up. “Maybe we can tempt Kali with it when she wakes up.”
“That fridge?” Liam asked, pointing to the refrigeration unit marked “biohazard”.
“Uh huh. I think there’s room between the blood sample and the vials of ebola virus.” Dr. Park grinned wickedly at him. “Just kidding. I have living quarters, and a refrigerator for food, in the back.” She disappeared to put the food away and Liam went over to where Kali was sleeping.
He dragged a chair over to her bedside and sat. Her cocoa skin had regained its color, a blush of deep rose at her cheeks. She was still deeply asleep, her chest rising and falling rhythmically and her long lashes fluttering only occasionally. Her lips were drawn into the faintest hint of a smile.
Liam took her hand, and in her sleep she clutched it. He leaned over to kiss her forehead lightly, not wanting to wake her. Dr. Park returned silently and went back to her research, leaving Liam to wait for Kali to wake.
It was after dark already, and Liam was coming off an adrenaline rush. He felt drained, his muscles rubbery. His eyelids felt like they had lead weights attached. He yawned widely. Sleep, he needed sleep. But he couldn’t go to sleep. He had to stay with Kali, he couldn’t fall asl…
********
Kali slowly drifted back into consciousness. Her head ached faintly, but on the whole she felt pretty good. She opened her eyes. Light was pouring through the sunroof, which someone had forgotten to close. It looked like it was nine, maybe ten in the morning.
Liam had fallen asleep in his chair, head resting on an instrument table and hand still holding hers. He looked so young like that. The worry lines that had become a normal part of his face disappeared, and the real beauty and stubborn innocence inside shone through. He shifted in his sleep but did not wake.
Carefully, so as not to disturb him, Kali slipped her hand out of his and sat up. Dangling her long legs over the side of the table, she gently eased the IV needle out of her arm. She stretched luxuriously, rubbing her neck. Glancing again at Liam’s peaceful face, she gently smoothed the brown curls away from his forehead. He smiled in his sleep.
A faint scent hanging in the air caught her attention. She sniffed, trying to identify it. Chinese food. The barest trace of a smell was left, but someone had been eating Chinese food while she was asleep. With a growl from her stomach, she realized that she was ravenous. Hopping off the table, she went in search of the food.
Liam woke with a start some minutes later. As his disorientation from waking up in a strange place cleared, he realized that Kali was no longer beside him. He jumped to his feet and nearly fell back into his chair as cramped and sore muscles protested at being woken up. His head pounded from sleeping in such a strange position.
As he was trying to unbend himself, his eyes caught sight of Kali. She was sitting on a stool, leaning back against the wall with her feet propped up on the counter next the centrifuge, eating leftover Moo Gai Pan with chopsticks.
“Good morning, Wonderboy,” she half-drawled, half-lilted in her rainbow accent. “Sleep well?”
Liam blinked. “Not really,” he said, rubbing his temples. “Are you sure you should be up?”
“I’m perfectly fine,” Kali assured him. “Besides, I was hungry and I didn’t want to wake you or Melissa.”
“How did you know there was food here?” he asked, puzzled.
“Easy,” she tapped her nose. “I could smell it from last night.”
“But how did you know there was anything left?”
Kali sighed. “Liam, in the history of mankind, no one has ever ordered Chinese food and come away without one or more of the those little white leftover boxes. It’s a law of the universe.”
Liam laughed. “Point taken.” He crossed the room to sit on a stool nearer to her. “Ugh, how can you eat that stuff cold?”
“Like this,” she said, selecting a large bite with her chopsticks. She tilted her head back, dropped it in, chewed, and swallowed. “Very easily.”
Liam smiled, but sobered. “I was afraid I was going to lose you,” he said.
Kali sighed and put down the food. “I know. But what did I tell you? It all worked out, didn’t it?”
“Yes,” he admitted. “But I was so scared.”
Kali looked thoughtful. “Fear is God’s way of reminding us how precious what we have really is, and making sure we appreciate it while it’s still with us.”
Liam hooked the edge of her stool with his foot and pulled her over to him. She made a sound of surprise, laughed merrily, and swung her legs around to plop her feet into Liam’s lap. “I have an idea,” she told him.
“Not again,” he groaned good-naturedly.
“Shush,” she told him. “I think I know what I want to do with myself.”
“I’m listening,” he said.
She folded her hands. “Well, from what I can tell, it would be accurate to say that the Resistance network is at this point in complete and total disarray, correct?”
Liam winced. “You could say that.”
“So in other words, what you need most is someone to go all the different cells and splinter groups and teach them how to operate with maximum efficiency, how to connect with other cells, and how to strike effectively and non-violently against the Taelons.” Kali’s eyes sparkled at him.
“Yes…” he replied, comprehension slowly dawning.
“Someone who knows how to network people, who’s a whiz with computers, and who is in general multitalented,” she continued. “Someone who can teach others how to run a Resistance, who has connections, and who is, in fact—”
“Brilliant!” Liam finished for her.
“Exactly,” she said with a satisfied grin.
“You’re perfect for the job!” he exclaimed. “And if you keep moving around, it lessens your chances of being discovered by Zo’or.”
“My thoughts precisely,” Kali said smoothly.
Liam frowned. “But you’ll have to travel all the time. We won’t be together very much.”
Kali sighed. “I know. But I’m not cut out to just sit at home, and too many people in Washington know me for me to start a new career safely here. And I need something that will challenge me Besides, the Resistance needs me. You and Renee are too busy just trying to keep the North American cells from collapsing completely. You haven’t the time to worry about the ones in Europe or Africa, much less organize new ones.”
Liam leaned over and kissed her. “I know.”
Dr. Park’s voice interrupted them. “Hey, who said you were well enough to neck?” she demanded sternly.
“I did,” Kali informed her seriously, turning to face her. “I am a doctor after all. I pronounced myself fit for duty and well enough to make out.”
Park snorted. “Doctors make the worst patients,” she grumbled.
“Oh you should talk, Melissa! I’ve seen you sick as a dog, crabby as all get out, and still insisting that you’re ‘perfectly fine’.” Kali grinned wickedly at her old friend.
“All right, all right, you win,” Park conceded. “Just let me give you a once over before you and lover-boy run off together.”
Liam beamed. “Sounds good to me.”
“Have you set a date?” Park asked, dragging Kali away from Liam and back to the exam table.
“No,” said Liam.
“Yes,” said Kali.
“We have?” said Liam.
“Yes. This Sunday,” Kali said firmly. “I am not waiting any longer. Too many things have happened. Carpe diem, after all.”
Liam shrugged with an ear-to-ear smile. “I’m not arguing,” he said happily.
“Wonderful,” Park said. “So glad that’s settled. Kali sit still, and let me scan you. Liam go away, you’re distracting my patient.”
Liam started to protest, but Kali stopped him. “It’s not worth it, love. Go to work for a few hours, and then we can talk about the wedding, okay?”
As usual, he couldn’t refuse her. “Okay,” he agreed. “We can talk over a late lunch. Dr. Park says that I need to fatten you up.”
“My metabolism doesn’t let me fatten!” Kali complained, blowing him a kiss as he left.
It was lovely day in Rock Creek Park. Blue sky, with a few fluffy clouds drifting lazily along, and sun shining brightly. Liam straightened his suit nervously. At least Kali had let him off the hook of wearing a tie. She said she thought the whole idea of wearing a noose around your neck ludicrous. He just thought they were uncomfortable and made him look stupid.
He had been of the opinion that a simple, indoor, civil ceremony would be safer, but Kali had insisted on an outdoor wedding, saying, “We can’t let fear rule our lives, love.”
Liam had to admit that it would be glorious. The fresh air and sunshine seemed to bring everything to life. There was a gentle breeze, and the cherry trees were in full bloom. The scent wafted around everyone, and sometimes a small gust would bring a shower of the bright pink petals down upon them.
Dr. Park came up and patted his shoulder. “Ready?” she asked.
“Yes…no…sort of…” Liam stammered.
She smiled. “I know the feeling. Scared?”
He nodded. “Terrified.”
“That’s the way it’s supposed to be,” she told him. “You are so incredibly lucky, you know.”
He grinned apprehensively. “I know. And I want this more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life.”
Park hugged him. “I’m so proud of you, Liam.”
“Thanks.” His expression saddened. “I just wish my mother and Lili could be here.”
“I know,” she said with a sigh, “So do I.” She patted his hand maternally. “Good luck.”
Just then, Liam spied a clump of black hair and a wisp of white a few meters away, through the guests. “Kali?” he asked, moving towards it.
“No!” came the shriek. The hair and the white disappeared behind the nearby tree. “Go away!”
“What?” he asked, concerned.
“You’re not supposed to see the bride before the wedding!”
“This is the wedding,” he pointed out.
“You know what I mean! Now scat before you jinx us.”
Liam laughed. “You do not believe that old tale.”
Kali poked her nose out from behind the tree. “Of course not!” she said exasperatedly. “But it’s tradition. Besides, with all we’ve suffered, why tempt fate?” The nose disappeared.
Liam surrendered with a chuckle. “Maybe you have a point,” he said, turning his back and heading over to the open area they’d picked. A few moments later, the pastor called everyone together. The small crowd fell easily into order and stilled in anticipation. Renee, Sierra, Augur, Dr. Park, Dr. Belman, Hayley, Da’an, and Timothy, a friend of his from the Egyptian Resistance, were all there. He wished he’d been able to tell Sandoval he was getting married, but it was too dangerous.
The pastor, an old friend of Kali’s family, who she knew could be trusted turned to Liam. “Are you ready?” he asked.
Liam nodded, gulping. Dr. Park looked at him encouragingly. Sierra started the CD player, since a live band would have attracted too much attention. Kali began her slow, graceful walk between the two rows of people.
She looked enchanting, and Liam’s heart leapt at the very sight of her. She wore a sheer silk sari of purest white, a compromise between the Indian and European customs that contrasted beautifully with her rich skin. It flowed like water around her in the light breeze. Her ebony hair was half pulled back so that it accented the angles of her face but so her corkscrew curls still cascaded over her shoulders. The sun caught the highlights and brought them to life. She had made herself a wreath of cherry blossoms and it ringed her head like a royal crown.
She walked as though walking on air, her slippered feet scarcely seeming to touch the ground. She seemed at once ethereal and the most vibrant thing he had every seen in his life. All of a sudden she was standing next to him, beaming in joyful expectation. Light seemed to radiate from within her, catching him and all around her up in a warm glow.
He felt suddenly unworthy of being in the very presence of this divinely beautiful creature. He was awestruck by the fact that she was standing here next to him, waiting to marry him, wanting to spend the rest of her life with him and only him. It didn’t seem possible, but when she looked at him, her eyes held an expression full of such love and passion that he knew it was.
They turned towards each other and the pastor began. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…” Liam scarcely heard him. He was drowning in Kali’s dark eyes. He repeated the vows like a man in a trance, although he heard Kali repeat hers quite clearly, each word burning into his heart as she shaped each syllable carefully with her wonderful, lilting, unique accent.
The pastor turned to Liam. Liam cleared his throat, and dug in his pocket for the ring.
“Kalinda Putnam,” he said clearly, “I love you because you are the most extraordinary person I have ever met. I love you because you make me see the world in ways I never even thought of before, because you have the kindest most caring heart I have ever known, because you are brilliant and wise and daring and brave and understanding and you never give up. I love you the way your nose wrinkles when you’re confused, the way your hair always smells like spring, and the way your lips quirk when you smile. I love you because you are my soulmate, because we were made for each other, and because without you my life is empty and without meaning. You have held my heart in the palm of your hand since the day we met. I want spend the rest of my life with you as my partner and lover and companion and best friend.” He slipped the ring on her finger. “And I will never stop loving you, no matter what happens.”
Kali squeezed his hand and chewed on her lip for the briefest instant. She took a deep breath.
“Liam Kincaid, I love you because you are the most wonderful man in the world. I love you because your heart aches whenever you see anyone in pain, because you care about life above all else, and because you make no distinction between kinds or classes of people. I love you because you take things at face value, because you never think of yourself but only others, and because you never break a promise. I love you because you treat everyone with respect and honor, because you love children, and because you fight for what is right. I love the way your green eyes laugh, the way your hands are always gentle, and the lopsided way you grin. I love you because you are the only one I could ever love or would ever want to love. I want to spend the rest of my life with you as my partner and lover and companion and best friend.” She slipped the plain silver band on Liam’s ring finger. “And I will never stop loving you, no matter what happens.”
The pastor smiled. “I now pronounce you husband and wife,” he told them. “You may seal your promises with a kiss.”
Liam leaned forward and kissed deeply. Their small group of friends cheered. They turned to face the crowd and wrapped their arms around each other’s waists. Liam felt a heady rush of joy and disbelief, as their friends clapped. The feeling of Kali at his side was entirely different than it ever had been before. She belonged there, at his side. Suddenly, she was a part of him and they belonged to each other. Liam held her tighter. A small gust of wind brought a shower of sweet smelling petals raining down on them all.
Augur had generously agreed to host the reception, though Liam had no idea why. It was very casual, just music, a few finger foods, champagne, and good company. Kali changed out of her lovely, but restricting, sari, and in to her rainbow colored sundress. It flattered her slim figure nicely. Liam and Kali were mostly glued to each other sides, accepting congratulations and kisses for the bride and groom. Da’an of course, kissed neither, but gave the couple a Taelon blessing for which they were most grateful.
Eventually, Liam and Kali were pulled away from each other by their various friends, though they kept shooting each other glances from across the room. Liam saw Kali talking with her old pastor friend, and she seemed to hit it off quite nicely with Da’an and Timothy. At one point, he saw her talking very seriously and intensely with his Resistance buddy, but he didn’t get a chance to find out what they were talking about before Hayley dragged him into a friendly argument she was having with Renee and Sierra.
And so the party rolled on. Resistance members didn’t get a chance to just celebrate very much, and everyone seemed to have an undercurrent of grim determination to enjoy themselves. As it was getting to be late, and Liam was just about to find Kali and excuse them from the festivities.
He saw her speaking to Augur excitedly. He showed her a picture of something and she let out a loud whoop and threw her arms around the hacker, hugging the stuffing out of him. He blushed, the inevitably reaction of any male who found himself in her favor.
“Liam!” she called. “You are not going to believe what this wonderful man has just done!”
Liam made his way through the people to stand beside her, hand in hand. Kali held up the picture. “It’s a house,” Liam observed.
“It’s our house!” Kali burst out, fairly jumping with delight.
“Our…house?” Liam repeated slowly.
“Augur just gave it to us as a wedding present! It’s furnished and everything! Isn’t this wonderful?” Kali’s eyes were aglow.
“I’ve had this property for years and I’ve been trying to get rid of it,” Augur explained. “I used to rent it, which is why it’s furnished. Wouldn’t sell, though I can’t see why. It’s not very big, and it needs a paint job and some other minor work, but it’s nice and it’s a home. I figured you two could use it, and it was costing me money anyway.” Augur was clearly embarrassed by his generosity. “It’s right in a nice neighborhood, not too far from the embassy, either.”
Liam was overwhelmed by emotions, but pressed his lips together to keep it from showing. “Thanks, buddy,” he said, give Augur a very macho type hug.
“No problem, man,” the computer whiz replied. “Thank Sierra, Renee, Dr. Park, and Hayley, too. They added some touches to make it…well you’ll, see. You can stay there tonight, and then move into tomorrow. I thought it’d be nicer than a hotel.”
“Augur, you’re a sweetheart!” Kali exclaimed, kissing him soundly on the cheek. He blushed again, and handed them directions and a key. They said their goodnights to everyone and then drove excitedly to the house.
It was small, white, and charmingly old. It had a real front porch and two huge oak trees in the front yard. “This is perfect!” Kali said. “Let’s go inside and check it out.”
Liam fitted the key to the door and it swung open to reveal the inside of the house. Kali started to go in, but Liam stopped her. “We might as well do this right,” he said, scooping her into his arms and carrying her across the threshold. He set her down just inside the door and they looked around in wonder.
Right in front of them was a staircase, complete with banister leading to the upstairs. To the left was a brightly-lit kitchen. It soon became clear that someone had been there before. There were pots and pans in the cupboards, food in the fridge and flowers in the flower box. The rest of the downstairs was a living room, a small dining room off the kitchen, a room that was either an office or a library, and a washroom. It was very small, but not claustrophobic. It was cozy, and there were plenty of windows.
It was furnished with the necessities, and their friends had obviously add enough little touches to make it pleasantly livable until they were able to rearrange it in their own style. After thoroughly exploring the downstairs, Kali and Liam climbed the creaky steps to the upstairs. They found a small guestroom and a nice bathroom. A reading chair was set up in a little window nook, overlooking the little yard. At last, they made their way to master bedroom.
It was fairly spacious, with two huge windows giving them a view of the neighborhood in the almost-gone light. A door connected to bathroom, and there was a chest of drawers and a closet that, when opened, revealed most of Kali and Liam’s own clothes. Looking in the bathroom, they found shampoo, their own toothbrushes, and towels. There was a bouquet of flowers with a card on the nightstand, and the bed was neatly made.
Kali sniffed the flowers deeply and opened the card. “Best wishes on your new life together,” she read. “Signed Renee, Sierra, Hayley, Timothy, Suzanne, Maiya, Reverend Travis, and Augur.” She smiled at Liam. “Could anyone ask for better friends?”
“Nope,” he said grinning. “Hey, I think I saw a bottle of wine in the fridge. I’m going to go get it, okay?”
“Good idea,” Kali told him.
He flew downstairs, got the wine and found two glasses, and rushed back up to be confronted by an empty room. “Kali?” he called, bewilderedly.
“Up here!” came the muffled reply. “Come on!” He followed the sound and it led him to a ladder that folded down from a trapdoor in the ceiling. Clutching the wine bottle and glasses in one hand, he carefully climbed the ladder. He found himself in the tiny, empty attic of the house. Still no Kali.
But there was an open window. He crossed the room and peeked out, to see he standing out on the flat part of the roof. Shaking his head, he carefully climbed out the window and walked up the steep part of the roof until he reached the flat area where she was waiting. There was a railing around it, as though previous owners had spent quite a lot of time up here.
By now the stars and the moon were out in full force. Liam set the wine on the railing and went over to his wife.
“Isn’t it wonderful up here?” she asked, sinking back into his arms. “The stars shine like diamonds.” She closed her eyes and chanted. “Star light, star bright, brightest star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, have this wish I wish tonight.”
Liam smiled. “I don’t supposed you’ll tell me what you wished for, because then it won’t come true.”
She shook her head. “No, I can tell you, because my wish has already come true.”
“Really? What was it?”
“You.” She kissed him and slipped out of his arms, catching his hand and pulling him over to the edge of the railing. She leaned over and spread her arms wide. “I feel like I could fly,” she said, turning her face up to the sky and breathing deeply. “Smell the air, Liam. Feel the starlight. There’s nothing in the world like starlight. You can get drunk on starlight and moonbeams.”
She closed her eyes. “Drink it in, breathe it in, let your soul soak it up.”
Liam closed his own eyes and breathed, feeling the starlight wash over him as she said. He was instantly intoxicated somehow. “It’s incredible,” he whispered.
She laughed in sheer delight. “That’s magic, my dear! But it doesn’t work when you’re alone. Only when you’re with the person you love.”
Liam pulled her to him and they stood, basking in the starlight and the moonbeams. Her skin was smooth and warm under his touch and she shivered as he caressed her shoulders. She fit perfectly in his arms, like the last piece fit into a puzzle.
Suddenly, she spun to face him. “We should dance!”
“Dance?”
“Yes, dance. Can you? Dance, I mean.”
Liam’s head spun dizzyingly. “Sort of. I know how to salsa a bit.”
Kali shook her head. “No, I mean dance.” She stepped a little closer to him until they were nose to nose. “The tango, for instance.”
“I don’t know how,” he breathed.
“It’s easy,” she said softly, taking his hands. “You put one arm around me like this, and the other like this…” She arranged his arms in the proper position, until their bodies were pressed against each other. “And then you just move your feet like this.”
Slowly, hesitantly, they began to dance. Kali was so warm, her body lean and strong, but at the same time round and soft. Her eyes burned at him with the look he knew was reserved for him only. Her movements were slow, graceful, supple, and sensuous. He matched his movements to hers and soon they were moving as one, dancing to music only they could hear under the open sky on the roof of their very own house.
Liam impetuously took Kali’s hands, twirled her, and then dipped her almost down to the floor. He kissed her deeply and fully, her lips tasting sweet and salty at the same time. She looked up at him, the flecks in her jet black eyes sparkling as though her eyes were their own star field in miniature. The night breeze swirled her curls around her face.
“This is the most perfect moment in the universe,” Liam said quietly.
Kali leaned up and whispered in his ear, her breath warm and sweet. “I hope you’re not planning to spend the entire evening talking,” she said in a throaty murmur.
Liam pulled her to her feet. She took his hand and led him down towards the open window, the wine utterly forgotten. And after that there was very little talking.
Liam studied Kali as she slept. Her elegant black curls were fanned out underneath her, a few tendrils framing her face. He could see the outline of her silhouette beneath the light sheet that covered them. Her lips were turned upward just enough for her dimples to be visible. The moonlight streaming through the window illuminated her so that she looked half like a creature out of myth, a nymph who would disappear into the woods at the first rays of dawn.
Her chest rose and fell in an almost hypnotic rhythm. Liam stroked her hair and kissed her. She half awoke, murmuring softly to him and shifting towards him in her sleep. He gathered her in his arms and she laid her head on his chest. He breathed in her scent, her curls tickling his nose. The warmth of her body seemed like the sun itself, and slowly, without fully realizing it, he drifted off the sleep.
When he awoke, the mid-morning light was streaming in through the window. Kali was propped up on one arm next to him, her hair tousled from slumber and the sheet tucked modestly around her.
“Hi,” she said, her eyes smiling at him.
He grinned. How wonderful it was to have her be the first thing he would see each morning. Kali bent down to kiss him, her hair covering them like a curtain until they broke apart. “How long have you been awake?” he asked, sitting up in bed.
“About an hour,” she said. “I like watching you sleep. You’re beautiful when you sleep.”
His raised his eyebrows. “Beautiful…there’s one I haven’t gotten before.”
“Liam, beauty isn’t masculine or feminine. It’s just beauty. And you have a beautiful face. When you sleep you look so young and innocent.”
“I am young,” he pointed out. “And I used to be innocent…” he looked suggestively at her.
She laughed musically. “So I’ve robbed the cradle and corrupted a child, eh?”
“Mmm…but how sweet a corruption it is!”
Kali hit him with her pillow. He looked at her, stunned for a moment, and then retaliated with his own pillow. They went at each other hammer and tongs, laughing and wrestling wildly until they were tangled up in the sheets and panting from exertion. Finally, they collapsed, giggling, against each other. They both sighed contentedly, leaning up against the headboard, and peace settled on them.
“We’re not legally married,” Liam said suddenly.
“What?”
“I mean it. I mean, you’re legally dead so we couldn’t fill out a marriage lisence, so we aren’t legally married.”
Kali cocked her head. “I guess you’re right. I hadn’t thought of that.”
“Well, doesn’t that bother you? Your principals and everything,” Liam asked, openly curious.
“Liam, a marriage isn’t just a piece of paper and being able to file your taxes jointly. We have a real marriage, no matter what the government might say. We made our vows, and took them seriously. Neither of us is going to bail when thing get difficult, and just because we can’t get a certain form filled out, it doesn’t mean that it’s any less of a marriage, or any less a commitment.” She gave him that look that made him wonder if he’d died and gone to heaven. “What we have is more a real marriage than half the people who have documents to prove it.”
Liam hugged her tightly, loving the feeling of her in his arms. “I love you,” he said.
“I love you,” she told him. They lapsed into contented silence. Liam toyed with his wedding ring, amazed that such a little band of silver could hold so much meaning, and so much of his heart.
“You can’t wear it, you know,” Kali said softly. “It’s too dangerous. Sooner or later someone would decide to find out who you were married to, and we can’t afford that.”
“I know,” Liam sighed. “I just can’t bear the thought of taking it of.”
Kali kissed his hand. “You’re wonderful. But whether you wear the band or not no more makes or breaks a marriage than a piece of paper does.”
“You’re right. I still don’t like it.”
“I’m not thrilled either,” she admitted. “But that’s the way it is.”
“I’ll keep it with me all the time,” he promised. “In my pocket, so it’s always there and I can’t ever forget.”
“Perfect,” she said, kissing his neck this time. “Oh, I almost forgot!” she exclaimed suddenly, leaning over the edge of the bed and digging through her bag. “Timothy took these at the reception, and gave them to me. He’s going to get some really nice enlarged ones for us, too.” She handed him two photographs.
Both were of Liam and Kali, standing together, their arms entwined, oblivious to all but each other, as evidenced by the fact that Liam hadn’t even realized Timothy had had a camera. Their expressions were so natural and happy and loving that Liam could almost relive the moment. They were far better than any other wedding pictures Liam had seen before. No stiffness, no discomfort of being tired and in restricting clothes. Only frank, honest, open love and devoted.
“They’re great,” Liam said, setting the pictures down on the nightstand, next to his wallet. “I’d completely forgotten about photos.”
“Me too,” she said. “Lucky we have friends to think of these things for us.”
“Yes indeed,” he said, kissing her. They didn’t come up for air for several minutes. When they did, Liam sighed. “I hate to tell you this, love, but Da’an needs me to go to Rostok tomorrow. He was very sorry, but pointed out that we must keep up appearances, and he really needs me there. It’ll only be for a day, maybe two.” He winced, waiting for her protest.
Her expression sobered, but she didn’t get upset. “Actually, I was waiting to tell you this, but I have to leave the day after tomorrow.”
“Already?!” he blurted out.
She threw him a significant look and he blushed. “Sorry.”
“I’m sorry, too. Timothy says that they really need to get things in Egypt organized immediately. Apparently, it’s a fertile ground for anti-Taelon feeling, maybe because they equate the Taelons with the pharohs. Can’t think why. Anyway, it’s dangerous because a lot of the poor are radically pro-Taelon, because of all the good they’ve done. If they don’t get things together soon, all potential Resistance members will get picked off one by one.”
Liam closed his eyes. “So. This is the way it’s going to be, I guess. A day or two together, snatched between missions and assignments.”
“For a little while. It won’t be like this forever.” Kali smiled ruefully. “Maybe it’s better this way.”
“Better?” he snorted. “You have got to be kidding!”
“No, I’m serious. I mean, look at how married couples who see each other every day get stuck in a rut. They forget to appreciate each other. But we, we will appreciate every second we have together, cherish every moment. And we’ll never fight over little things like who left the toothpaste cap off and who forgot to take out the garbage. We’ll know better to get bogged down in stupid things like that. Even after things calm down, and they will calm down in a few years, we’ll have learned how precious our time together is, and we’ll never quibble, even if we see each other all the time. Most married couples never learn that lesson! We’re really lucky.”
Liam shook his head in disbelief. “I don’t know how you come up with these things, or why you’re always right, but I don’t care. And you are right, although I’ll miss you every moment we’re apart.”
“Good. I’ll miss you, too. But that will make it all the sweeter when we do see each other. And we can enjoy the day we have together now.” She gave him a peck on the cheek and got up out of bed. “I’m going to take a shower,” she said, walking leisurely into the bathroom, not the least shy about her unclothed state. Liam watched her with pleasure.
She turned when she got into the bathroom and stuck her head back into the bedroom. “Coming?”
It was all Liam could do to keep from himself from vaulting headfirst from the bed into the shower at that very instant. “One second,” he told her, getting up.
He took the smaller of the two photos and stuck it in his wallet. In the back of his mind he heard Sandoval’s voice asking him if he kept pictures in his wallet. He remember saying only his ID, why? Proof. Proof that we were here, his father had replied.
With a last glance at the picture of him and his bride, he folded the wallet closed and replaced it on the nightstand. Then he followed the sound of running water into the bathroom and shut the door against the outside world.