Undaunted

6

The next three hours were somewhere south of chaotic. While Nelly gave Kris a refresher on what they knew of the Iteeche, Kris got dressed. Even just the white choker took a lot more time than she wanted. Full decorations, yes, but now Abby and one twelve-year-old also had to be poured into full ball gownage.

The light green satin set off both Abby’s and Cara’s chocolate skin, and the several petticoats swished the wide skirts out delightfully. Abby had to lay down the law to get Cara to stand still and not twirl about.

So it was way too close to showtime when Cara danced down the passageway, leading Abby and Kris from their state-rooms toward the main docking bay. The girl’s skirts swirled out, sending Marines, sailors, and all others fleeing. Cara danced, and sang, “I am pretty, I am pretty,” and if the song had any other words, they were long forgotten.

Kris figured once they got to the docking bay, things would settle down and get serious.

Boy was she wrong.

Somehow, someone on the Wasp had knocked together a throne for her and a similar resting place for a four-footed being. They’d even cushioned it with a Persian rug. Liberated, if Kris’s memory served, from Professor mFumbo’s own office.

The Iteeche would have no cause for complaint.

Assuming he knew the value of Persian rugs.

Problem was, Kris wanted to keep everyone standing, get the introductions over with, then go on to whatever was the real reason an Iteeche was, if not in human space, certainly far from Iteeche space.

But before Kris could open her mouth to start rearranging the furniture, she got a look at the boffin stand-ins for courtiers.

Twelve men, not the ten she’d set as maximum, were standing around, three in full white tie and black tails. The rest . . . well Kris had been to balls where men showed off the peacock coloring that now passed for formal. She’d expected that scientists would be stodgy.

She was wrong. The pants, tights, vests, and tails were in so many variations of the spectrum, Kris had to fight off a headache. At least these twelve stood around very quietly.

There were thirteen women; all heads of their own departments or subdepartments. And all in luscious ball gowns. Including Teresa de Alva, Director of Information Support, who wore what the magazines had assured the women of Wardhaven only two years ago was the latest fashion from Paris.

The gown swept the floor, rising in rich folds to well below her belly button . . . where it stopped. Above that, it was a thin coat of paint. Very thin.

Teresa de Alva had both the figure to carry it off . . . and the personality. If the Iteeche had an eye for human mammaries, she would be most eye stopping. She certainly held the eyes of the male boffins. And their silence. Even Marines, posted around the periphery of the docking bay, were having problems maintaining “Eyes Front.”

Indeed, Teresa was holding everyone’s attention . . . and quickly gained Kris’s.

“So, if none of us have ever been to a royal court on Earth or one of the few real kingdoms in space,” de Alva was saying, no doubt a hit on Grampa Ray for the informal court he ran, “I would suggest that we use the next best thing. Didn’t you love the court life in Love’s Noble Price?”

Just the naming of that media hit brought sighs from the other women present.

And a squeal of glee from Cara.

“George, you can do that whirly bowing thing.”

“No, I can’t, my love,” came right back at de Alva.

Kris came down . . . hard. “I don’t want anyone doing any bowing thing.” Kris fixed Professor mFumbo with a gimlet eye. “Did someone miss the message? I need stand-ins for courtiers. Wooden mannequins, no motors, no brains, would suit me very well, thank you.”

Kris found herself facing a pair of blue-and-gold breasts that she hoped were not loaded.

“I thought you wanted to dazzle him with a full court,” Teresa said, not so much as a millimeter of space left in her self-assurance for a denial from Kris.

“Terry, court etiquette takes years of practice. I doubt if the actors in the media spend less than a day rehearsing each scene. We don’t have that time, and I won’t have people falling on their faces in front of the Iteeche.”

Kris took three steps forward and got every eye in the bay on her, not Teresa’s boobs. “If you haven’t heard it before, we’ve found an Iteeche quite a ways off their reservation. I want to know why. We need to find that out without getting anyone killed or a war started. I swear to God that if any of you mess up, I will personally shoot you right here in front of the Iteeche, if that’s what it takes to keep him, her, or it from going ballistic on us.” Kris drew her sidearm from the small of her back. Waved it.

The room got very quiet.

Kris did a 360-degree turn. She had everyone’s attention. Even the Marines, now eyes rock-solid front, were paying her very close attention.

“Good. I’m glad we understand each other. You boffins, form a semicircle behind that chair. Chief,” Kris said, pointing at the chief bosun, “get that overstuffed chair, table, or whatever that is,” she said, pointing at the rug-covered platform, “out of here. Not too far out. We might end up needing them, but out of sight.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the chief bosun said, and issued orders.

Kris eyed the civilians of her court and their blur of color. One young boffin was in a leopard faux-fur tux.

“Nelly, do we have any pictures of life in the Imperial Iteeche city?”

“Not a one,” Nelly admitted.

Kris turned around to find the missing military contingent of her court approaching. Jack had apparently been scheming with Gunny, Colonel Cortez, and Penny right at hand. Now the Marine captain was grinning from ear to ear.

“I wondered how you’d take to that,” he said as he saluted.

“Why didn’t you do something to get them off of this crazy court kick and onto something useful?”

“They’re boffins, Kris. I have no idea of anything useful for them to do or the power to make them do it,” Jack pointed out.

“And while I may take a bullet in a firefight,” Colonel Cortez added, “court life, even that borrowed from a romantic vid, is something I run, not walk, from. That bit of courage I will leave to you.”

But as the colonel took in Kris’s full-dress uniform, his eyes widened. “Is that the sash and Order of the Wounded Lion? Earth’s highest honor?”

“Yes,” Kris said curtly.

“I hadn’t heard Earth had stooped so low as to ship those out by return post to anyone’s bratty daughter who asked for one,” the colonel said.

“I don’t believe they have,” Kris agreed.

“So what are the chances I’ll hear the story behind that bobble? Clearly, it’s not got the wide distribution such an honor should enjoy.”

“And it won’t,” Jack put in.

The colonel frowned.

“Don’t you go feeling put-upon,” Abby said. “Her and Jack and, maybe, Penny are the only ones in on the story hereabouts. And me, I got to dust that thing off whenever she decides to haul it out of storage, but she won’t say a thing about it.”

“More and more you surprise me, Your Highness.” Then he chuckled. “At least this surprise won’t strip me of a command.”

The chief now had sailors stringing lines across the docking bay. “What are those for?” the magnificent Teresa demanded.

“We’ll be matching ports with the Iteeche ship soon. After that, until we separate from that ship, we’ll be in zero gee. Being without gravity doesn’t bother any of you, does it?” Kris asked, trying to keep malicious out of her voice.

Well, trying a little bit.

Teresa broke for the door, others following in her wake. “Come back if you feel better after getting some meds,” Kris called after Teresa. And felt truly evil for it. And really enjoyed the feeling.

Then she got serious.

“What is this Iteeche doing this far beyond their space?” Kris repeated the question.

“And do we trust whatever answer he gives us?” Jack said.

“Is this really that far?” Penny said. “Yes, I know it was eighty years ago, but does anyone have any idea what the present boundaries are of their Imperial territory?”

That brought Kris up short. Human space was a whole lot wider than it had been three generations back. The Iteeche were not known for their rapid expansion. But could that have changed once they bumped into the hairless bipeds, as they called humans?

“I am not liking all the questions I don’t have answers to,” Kris said.

Those around her just frowned.