Chapter Six
Rlinda Kett
Back at the Earth headquarters of Kett Shipping, Rlinda was glad to settle into her offices again. She was still the magnate of her trading empire, but she couldn’t devote much time to administering the company because she had her duties as Trade Minister. But King Peter and Queen Estarra had made allowances for her. Rlinda was not a politician, nor did she want to be. Hell, she didn’t even want to be the manager of her own company, but certain things couldn’t be avoided.
After changing her clothes, Rlinda replaced the silver capsule of BeBob’s ashes on its stand on her desk, then she ate a private four-course meal in her penthouse offices. She got ready to meet with her visitors—Tasia Tamblyn and Robb Brindle, who were both extremely competent pilots and who had distinguished themselves during the War.
“Rlinda, you’re back home,” said Robb. “We missed you.”
“You missed my cooking, you mean,” Rlinda said.
“Actually,” Tasia said, “we missed the Voracious Curiosity. We’ve grown so fond of that ship, the other alternatives just aren’t the same. Can we have it back now? We’ve got some runs to make.”
“The Curiosity is still mine, kids. Just because I let you borrow it, doesn’t mean it belongs to you.” Rlinda got up and walked around her desk to greet the eight-year-old boy who accompanied Tasia and Robb. “And there’s little Xander. Does he have his pilot’s license yet?”
“Not yet,” the boy said. “I’m still studying. Maybe by the time I’m ten.”
Xander had been born aboard the Curiosity during one of Tasia and Robb’s runs. The boy spent more time aboard the ship than on the surface of any planet. Tasia was the daughter of a well-known Roamer clan, and Robb was a former officer in the Earth Defense Forces.
“You’re welcome to come along with us to Newstation,” Robb said. “We’re going to see Tasia’s brother, Jess.”
Rlinda bent over, still paying more attention to the boy. “Have you ever met your uncle, Xander?”
“Of course. He’s famous.”
“A lot of us were famous, my dear boy, but that isn’t always as fun as it might sound.”
“We’ve all been to Newstation,” Tasia said, “and now we need to go back for some business.”
“Tasia wants to be Speaker of the clans someday,” Robb teased.
His wife shot him a quick glare. “Shizz, not on your life! Del Kellum can have the position.”
“He won’t be Speaker forever,” Rlinda said.
“And I won’t be Speaker at all,” Tasia replied. “But we do want to see Jess. He and Cesca are forming a school inside the hollow comet near the station. It should be a sight to see. And you should go along, Rlinda, because as Trade Minister, you need to meet with the Speaker of the clans, since most Confederation trade comes from the Roamers.”
Rlinda knew it was true. “You make a compelling argument ... even though I did just get home.” She sighed. “I wanted to relax, cook a few meals, tour my restaurant.”
“We’ll take the Curiosity without you, then,” Robb said, “and we’ll report back.”
“You will not take the Curiosity. I’m going with you. Just give me a day to take care of loose ends.”
Rlinda was already considering her favorite meals to cook, then decided that was better left to her professional chefs. “We’re all going to dinner, my treat. We’ll order a selection of items off the menu—for quality-control purposes.” She tousled the boy’s hair, much to Xander’s annoyance. “We want this young man to grow up with a distinguished palate.”
“Shizz, distinguished or not, I’m happy for a free meal,” Tasia joked.
“And the conversation,” Robb added.
“We’ll stuff ourselves,” Rlinda said. “Then we can digest it all on the flight to Newstation.”