Page 83 (1/2)

"Hoill they e Elections, the rough business of building a life" He sipped his tea "It’ll be ht not work at all But at least it will be theirs"

Nina ca waffles of snow fro out there," she said

Eustace offered her his cup "Here, warm yourself up"

She took it in her hands and sipped, then bent to kiss him quickly on the mouth "Thank you, husband You really need to shave"

Eustace laughed "With a face like mine? Who cares?"

That the two of them were a couple was, as Peter had learned, the worst-kept secret of the insurgency One of the first things Eustace had done was issue an executive order per flatlanders to marry In many instances this was a technicality; people had been paired up for years or even decades But e had never possessed official sanction The list of couples waiting to be married now ran to the hundreds, and Eustace had two justices of the peace operating night and day out of a storefront down the block He and Nina had been a the first, as had Hollis and Sara

"Good news," Nina said "I just came from the hospital"

"And?"

"Two , both healthy Mothers doing fine"

"Well, how about that" Eustace grinned at Peter "See what I’ht, my friend, life will have its way"

Peter ainst the wind As a member of the executive staff he was permitted the use of a vehicle, but he preferred to walk At the hospital he headed for Michael’s room Power had been only partially restored, but the hospital had been one of the first buildings relit He found Michael awake and sitting up His right leg, encased in plaster froree angle above the bed It had been touch and go for a while, and Sara had thought he hter, and now, three weeks later, he was officially on thea pair of knitting needles Eustace had put her to work as a foreman at the biodiesel plant, but any free moment found her back at the hospital, at Michael’s bedside

"What are you ?" Peter asked her

"Hell if I can say It was supposed to be a sweater, but it’s co out more like socks"

"You should really stick to what you know," Michael advised

"Just you wait till you’re out of that cast,you’ll forget" She looked at Peter, slyly sot the joke "Oh, I’ot you were there"

He laughed "It’s okay"

She gave one of her needles a wave "I just want to mention, in case our boy here takes a turn for the worse, I’ve always thought you had a very nice look to you Plus, you’re a war hero I’d be interested in anything you had to say, Lieutenant"

"I’ll give it soht"

"Of that I have no doubt" She dropped the yarn to her lap "As it happens, ins in thirty minutes, so I’ll leave you two to talk about , patted Michael on the arht better of it and kissed hio?"

"I’m fine"

"You’re not fine, Michael You’re far fro hell out ofit, bub One day I’ll believe you" She kissed hione, Peter took her seat "Sorry about that," Michael said

"I don’t knohy you keep apologizing for her, Michael You’re the luckiest guy on planet Earth, as far as I’m concerned" He tipped his head toward the bed "So how’s the leg really?"

"It hurts like hell Nice of you to finally visit"

"Sorry about that Eustace is keeping me busy"

"So how many have you found?"

Peter understood that Michael was asking about the other First Colonists "The nu to track everyone down So far we’ve found Jihters, Alice and Avery Constance Chou, Russ Curtis, Penny Darrell The Littles are going to take some time to sort out Everybody’s spread all over the place"

"Good news, I guess" Michael stopped, leaving the rest unstated So one

"Hollis told ed He looked a little e to do at the time"

"You ever want a job in the Exped, you letthey’ll have ht be in the stockade"

"Peter, be serious They’ll probably eneral for this That or ask you to run for president"

"Then you don’t know the Arht: what if? "We’ll be leaving in a few days, you know"

"So I figured Don’t forget to bundle up Say hello to Kerrville for et you in the next trip, I promise"

"I don’t know, horees withwith you?"

"Sara and Hollis and Kate, but that’s obvious Greer’s staying to help with the evacuation Eustace is putting a teaether"

"What about Lish?"