Part 30 (1/2)

'I was just trying to fix them, and I pulled off half his head. I thought I'd wrecked him. So I brought him down here.'

'That's right. You hid him in the jungle.'

'And you said it wasn't fair. He was still moving around, calling my name.'

'Well, it wasn't fair. He was terrified to be without you.'

'So you told Mama.'

'I told Mama,' said Roz. 'And Twolumps was found and fixed.'

'And I didn't get to go on any trips for a month.'

'Well,' said Roz, 'it wasn't fair on poor old Twolumps.'

'No,' said Leabie. 'You never used to let me get away with anything.'

'True.' Roz smiled. 'How are your kids?'

'The kids are just fine, they're beautiful. You'll meet them later. They're terribly excited you're here. I think they all raced off to track down your Mr Cwej. You know, to ask all about you.'

'Oh, no,' said Roz. She wiped her face, pus.h.i.+ng the moisture back through her hair. 'Thandiwe was a bit of an afterthought, wasn't she? She can't be seven.'

'She's six. Roslyn... there's something you ought to know about her.'

Roz looked at Leabie. Her older sister didn't say anything, playing the old game they were both familiar with. Guess what Guess what I'm thinking. I'm thinking.

'You didn't,' said Roz.

'Thandiwe is more than your niece. She's your clone.'

'Don't you need my permission to do that?' said Roz.

'Well,' said Leabie, 'it's a bit late to worry about that now.

You'll like her, Roz. She's as bright as a b.u.t.ton.'

'And they say the aristos are inbred,' said Roz. 'You must have started right after I... disappeared. Decided to whip up a replacement, did you?'

'We couldn't replace you,' said Leabie.

'Thanks.'

'No memory record.'

'Oh, thanks.'

214.

'All we could do was try to plug the gap left in the family tree.

I worry, Roz. You don't have my responsibilities. I wonder if you can understand. I imagine a time when there are no Forresters, when everything we've built up is washed away in some catastrophe. Or worse, just trickles away to nothing. The line must continue, as it has continued for a millennium.'

'And you've found the ultimate way of keeping it going.'

Leabie looked at Roz. 'We could have lost you. Again. Why didn't you come to me for help?'

There was a discreet cough from a little distance. They looked up. A dark man in a servant's uniform was waiting with a message. 'What is it, Genneadiy?' said Leabie.

He walked up. 'Madam, madam,' he said, nodding to each of them, and handed her the message.

Leabie read it at a glance. 'Oh my goodness! Duke Walid is coming here! Worse than that, he's on his way!'

'He's coming here?' said Roz.

'Genneadiy, we must get to work at once!' Leabie jumped up.

'I want a banquet ready at nineteen hundred hours, and guest quarters ready for the Duke's entourage. And I want our security stepped up.' The servant was entering it all into a palmtop. 'And no tomatoes. The Duke hates tomatoes. And check the guest database to find out what kind of music he likes I can't recall whether it was modern makossa or ancient dreamhouse. One of those is Duke Armand and we do not not want to get it wrong. And another thing...' want to get it wrong. And another thing...'

Roz closed her eyes, feeling the droplets landing on her skin.

She was well out of this. Had been well out of this.

Leabie lined them all up for the Duke's arrival, her sister and her children and an a.s.sortment of aunts and uncles and cousins.

Chris was there, standing off to one side, looking humble and terrified. Roz waved him over. She didn't care if they all a.s.sumed he was her b.l.o.o.d.y consort.

Leabie had wanted him to wear a full Adjudicator dress uniform, until he'd pointed out that he didn't represent the Adjudicators. She'd insisted on having a suit made for him, 215 though, a soft blue thing that fitted perfectly. He stood next to Roz, hands clasped in front of him, staring at the airlock door.

The kids were neatly lined up even Thandiwe, who had far too good an idea of etiquette for a six-year-old. Bringing her up right, thought Roz, prim and proper. Gugwani was smiling, trying to catch Chris's eye. 'Everywhere we go...' Roz muttered.

'What?' he whispered.

'Nothing,' she said. 'Look, the shuttle's finished docking.'

Leabie was hovering, nervous. 'We're all sorted out, then, Genneadiy? Of course we are, and it would be a bit late now if we weren't. Deep breaths, everyone.'

The grand airlock door irised open with a hiss. The Duke's personal attendants were first through. One of them took out a little trumpet and blew on it. Roz heard a stifled giggle from one of the kids. She glanced at Thandiwe, who was glaring straight ahead, the model of seriousness.

'His Excellency, Duke Abu ibn Walid of Callisto.' The Duke stepped through, and his entourage followed, looking around and smiling. 'Her Excellency Lady Kirsten. The Lady Genevieve ap Gwalchmai.' There were a dozen more, walking in through the airlock as Walid shook Leabie's hand.

'I don't believe it,' said Chris.

'I do,' said Roz.

The Duke was making introductions on behalf of his staff.

'This is my chief personal secretary, this is my accountant and this is '

'h.e.l.lo, Doctor,' said Roz.