Longer segment, but it really didn’t lend itself into being broken in two. Had I, a good point would have been when Pai was about to decapitate Robert for what he called her husband. But things moved on fairly quickly. At the end, I included a bit from a homily at my church Sunday before last; to wit: listen. You never know when you’ll hear.

If you’re curious as to why Robert’s left arm and leg are artificial, there’s something you can read. And the references to Graf’s gift/curse as well as Luce (pronounced loo-che) are from here.

Gray slacks and jacket.  Black dress shirt with no tie.  That’s no fashion from the imperium; Russia, I guess.  White hair above his ears but walked like soldier.  Closer, as he and Pai stood, Graf noted the other was just a bit shorter than he was.  And, unless you know to look, you’d not notice his left hand, like the arm and leg, are artificial.  The “why” to that is still classified from me.

Noted left hand carrying some to-go paper bag, Robert Hartmann extended his right.  Before he could clasp it, he saw his wife give a half-bow.

“Mrs. Winstead, please,” Hartmann said in a resonant voice, taking Graf’s hand.

“You are a part of House Romanov.  I am a Russian subject,” she retorted, rising.  “Protocol.”

“Whatever.  Mister Winstead?  I’m Robert Hartmann.  A pleasure.  For my briefing for this assignment, it seems you two have had quite the adventures together!”

“From what Pai has been able to tell me about you, in comparison I’d say I’d barely made par.” Graf smiled, liking him already.

“Here,” Hartmann said, setting the bag on the table.  “Picked up some dinner at a Chinese place a couple of kilometers west of here.  I thought some rotisserie duck might be easy on your new throat.  Fried rice, too, if that’s too much.”

He set that out and – thankfully! – produced two bottle pints of beer.  That got a low growl from his wife.

“I’ll be good, Dear,” he said, patting her hand.

Hartmann laughed.  “When it comes to drinking, nobody comes close to my Eloise!”

“About her – ” Graf began but was stopped by Hartmann’s raised hand.

“I’m rather a business-first guy, so let’s to that.  We can still eat, though.” A look to Pai.  “There’s no reason to pretend, so I did not get you anything.”

“Quite all right.  Proceed,” she smiled.

“First, while I’ve read the lunar mine report, I’d like to hear it firsthand…” he began.

In between bites, “This is so good!  I’ve never had Peking Duck before!” Graf began the story from when they shipped out from Earth.  His wife added a bit here and there, things she perceived that he could not, then took over after the shooting.

“And you, well, stole is a little strong, but assumed authority for one of our micro-nukes?” Hartmann asked. 

“If there is anyone within a hundred miles of us who can appreciate family loyalty, I would think that is you, Crown Prince Hartmann,” she replied in a cool tone.

“Crap,” he muttered, putting his trash back into the bag.  “And it’s Robert, please.  I don’t need an accident of birth tossed at me.  We three do, after all, represent three jurisdictions while we sit in a fourth.”

“And you overlap so many, Robert!” Pai laughed.

“Right,” he conceded.  “My turn.  Let me tell you what I can about Russian and imperium actions against the Separatists, Supremacists, whatever.  I’m sure you know a lot of this, Pai, but indulge me.”

Being involved with legionaries, Graf knew much of the local matters.  The fact that Reina, my wife’s mother!, ordered the execution of over six thousand, so far, had him coughing on the last of his rice.  Then again, Pai used a nuke…

“Okay,” Robert concluded, taking Graf’s trash, “shall we get right down to it?”

“Oh, my…” Pai sighed.  “Luce all over again.”

Crap, Graf thought.

“What are we to do with,” he pointed across the table at Graf, “this monster, here?”

“Apologize,” Pai said in a tone of murder.

“I’m just repeating Empress Aurelia,” Robert countered.  “In that briefing I mentioned, there were blanks.  With the Fusions.  On the moon.  She used that word for a reason.  I’d like to know why.”

“Stand up!” Graf ordered.  Robert instantly did.

“What the hell…?”

“Sit down!” He did.

“Now you know why,” Graf said, finishing his pint.

A solid minute passed before Robert reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a metal flask.  He took a long drink and offered it to Graf, who refused.

“So, you can do with your voice with Aurie can with her touch.  Dear God.  I thought only Machines could do that!” Robert exclaimed.

“And not all of us.  It might surprise you to know that the oldest still-functioning independent android, Nichole 5, is best at it,” Pai said.

Still confused, Robert thought about that.  “I’ve never met her, but she’s worked with my mom and Aurie’s dad, as well as others, if I recall correctly.  Because she’s around humans so much?”

Pai shrugged.  I wonder if she doesn’t know or isn’t telling?

“Okay.” Robert seemed to be finished.  “I’ll report to the Empress…”

“Question?” Graf asked.  “Personal question?”

“You may ask; no answers guaranteed.”

“You mentioned Eloise and said we’d keep it for the end.  Here we are.  So far as I know, yours is the only relationship such as ours.  And it has endured.  Any pointers?”

Another drink from his flask.  “Keeping Nadia and Eloise apart has been the key, more than anything else.  My wife is a jealous person and my granddaughter through Eloise being queen of Mars did not help that.  We’ve our five children and Maksim’s granddaughter is due in three months, so I’m hoping that gives Nadia more to do.  You…”

He pointed with his right.

“Have her,” Pai with his left. “Your wife can pick out emotions that I imagine…Alix, was it?  That Alix doesn’t even know she’s having.  That can defuse things I never could.”

He leaned back.  “In that regard, I should be asking you for pointers.”

“Sometimes,” Pai said softly to the encroaching darkness, “it doesn’t matter.  I am hated by the Mother’s family.  My husband is disliked; I am hated.”

“Oh.” Robert dipped his head.  “I’m sorry.”

“However!” Her golden eyes lit up the new night.  “We are leaving tomorrow, noonish, for our family.  If you do not know, they are staying with some relatives of yours, east of here.  Following those few days, we await orders.”

Robert stood.  “If the Fusion report from South America is anything to go by, y’all might be there, next.”

Standing, Pai frowned.  “I am unaware…”

“I read it on the way here.  We have an even bigger problem than these stupid rebels.  You’ll be told when you need to be.”

“Understood.” Another half bow.

“Pai…”

“Protocol.”

“Graf?” Another handshake.  “I am very pleased to meet you and understand why Aurie is scared of you.  Do not let her bully you or anyone – anyone – in your family.  Clear?”

“Clear.  And good to meet you, too.”

Robert picked up the bag but paused.

“A footnote in a report is that neither of y’all are Christian, is that correct?” he asked.

“It is,” Graf replied.  “Not really, certainly.”

“What an awful way to live,” Robert breathed.  “Expect that to change.  When you hear His voice, open your hearts, don’t harden them, no matter what happens in the coming year.  Or years.  Deus vult.”

Into the darkness, Pai touched Graf gently.  “Let’s get you to bed.  I’ll pack what little we have and will be ready in the morning.”