This was an exercise in story whiplash. From Eloise and Saras having a pleasant banter to the younger threatening the older. I’m thinking that having Saras off on Mars, with her only real oversight being Kira and Aqua, is a mistake. We all know that Faustina kept all of her children on a short lead and was – and is – very demanding. There’s no real way for Fussy to exercise that kind of power over her granddaughter. And it is starting to show.

Almost finished with the copyedit of “Ice Inundation Intelligence,” so hope to send for a proof copy this weekend. That should point to a commercial release in late September.

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Back in their enclosure of the town forty miles west of the spaceport, on the slopes of the hills of the Tharsis Rise, Saras got some juice for her little sister, Lissa, while their mother sulked on the couch.

“Missing Dad already?” she asked, knowing the answer.

“I know you are different, Saras,” Eloise sighed, “but you are young.  Physical love is important to us lowly humans.”

Saras slammed the cup of juice down.  In the lower gravity, the contents were in the air then onto the floor.  Lissa cried out for her now-missing drink.

“Not once have I ever said anything like Grandmother does!” she said around gritted teeth.  “You think I hate you, Dad, my sister?  I never chose to be this!”

Off the couch in an instant with her arms about her daughter, Eloise apologized.

“I’m sorry, sorry,” she said to her firstborn.  “But I miss your father so much!  Really, him coming here?  It makes me feel worse.”

“I just hope I’m pregnant,” she muttered, back to the couch.  I’m not saying a word, Saras thought, first wiping up the juice before pouring some more for her sister.

“I had lunch with Kira,” she announced, “but am happy to make something simple like curry for y’all, if you’d like.”

“’Y’all’,” her mother could smile.  “You are a mix of so much, first girl.  Genes, cultures.  And, being what you are, I think you will fit into the imperial family in a way I never will.”

“Dad seems to fit into you just fine.” Saras raised her hand with a smile.  “You just mentioned what I am.  Do not mistake my age for what I know.”

“I…” Her mother was a little red from embarrassment.  “I know.  I just hope little Lissa doesn’t pick up on any of this.”

“Fit in!” the toddler cried with a smile, setting down her cup.

“Too late,” Saras said, laughing along with her mother.  She turned into the tiny kitchen to make their dinner.

Dad gifted us some meat he brought from Earth, worth its weight in gold, here.  We’ll save that for a special occasion and I’ll use a soy block.  Chopping some vegetables, and seeing Lissa drifting off into a nap, it was time to touch a difficult subject.

“I noticed Erwin made himself scarce for the last ten days,” Saras said, pouring a small measure of oil into a skillet.  Her mother sat up straight, also making sure her youngest was asleep.

“He is my friend, Daughter,” she nearly hissed.

“I know you two have never had sex,” Saras said, sliding the veggies into the skillet, “but I’ve read enough stories to know philia can mistake its way to eros unexpectedly.”

“Listen, Daughter…” Eloise said, standing again, but this time angry.

“Tell me, Mother, since we are using formal terms,” the blocks of soy followed, “that you have not kissed him.”

Eloise whirled away, to look out the narrow window and the quickly blackening sky.  There was still too little atmosphere for twilight.

“Once.”

“I know.”

“It was just… six months here… I hurt.” She turned back around.  “You cannot know how I hurt, missing your father.  Erwin was here, and, yes, I know he likes me.  He’s also smart enough to know that if he puts a foot wrong with me, your grandmother will kill him.”

“Smart?” Saras said, stirring and turning the heat down a little.  “He’s a freakin’ genius.  Fit, and hot as hell, too.  Were he not pushing thirty, I’d tell him to wait four or five years for me.  I’m a girl, Mom, so I don’t get what you feel.  But we are bound by duty.”

“Duty,” Eloise almost spat.

“Mom?  The blood of the Empress runs in my veins.  So, too, does the spirit of her grandfather.” That was a naked threat.  She added water and the curry blocks while pressing the tab on the rice maker.  “If you two are friends, fine.  But never cross that line, Mom.”

“You?  My own flesh and blood daughter would – ”

Saras looked over her right shoulder, eyes brighter than the lamps on the ceiling.

“Yes.”