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names."
Brun's face stiffened, then she grinned. "Still tactful, I see."
"As ever," Cecelia agreed. "My dear, I'm almost ninety, and rejuvenation did nothing to soften my
personality. Why don't we do it today?"
"Today?" Both Miranda and Brun looked shocked; so did the nurses.
"They're starting to talk; they understand even more. Every day you wait makes it harder on them."
"I . . . want to be sure they have good homes . . . that they lack for nothing . . ." Brun said.
"A good home is a loving home," Cecelia said, with all the confidence of the childless. "And right
now they're lacking the most basic needs of all a name, a parent "
"But what will you do with them?"
"Take them to a safe and loving home. Brun, you've known me all your life. Have I ever lied to
you?" Brun shook her head, tears rising in her eyes. Miranda started to speak, but Cecelia waved
her down. "I have told you the truth, even when it wasn't what you wanted to hear. I tell you the
truth now if you let me have these boys I will see to it that they find a good home. I will do it
myself. . . ."
"But your schedule "
"Is my own. Miranda, you were twitting me with my self-indulgence. This is what self-indulgence is
good for. I can help you, right now, because I have no other obligations in the way." She softened
her voice. "Please let me."
Brun looked down, then nodded. Cecelia could see the gleam of tears in her eyes.
Miranda stared at Cecelia a long moment, then said, "All right. And I still have money for them a
start in a new life "
"Good." Cecelia tried to think what next. She had said today without really thinking what that
would mean, but now the two nursemaids were watching her, waiting for orders. She had no idea how
long it took to pack up two children, or where to take them, but she knew she must not hesitate.
She spoke to the nursemaids.
"Are you full-time employees, and would you be able to travel for a month or so?"
"Yes, ma'am," said one of them. "We're from Sirialis, originally, but we thought we'd be staying
for years . . ."
"Then will you please start packing or have someone help you pack the boys' things? I need to talk
to Miranda and make some arrangements " She would need a bigger ship a momentary pang, when she
thought of how easy it would have been with Sweet Delight, and Heris Serrano, to take the twins
and their nursemaids anywhere. Reservations on a commercial liner? No, too much chance of
publicity. She'd have to lease a ship and crew. No, to start with she'd need another room set of
rooms in her hotel. She'd made reservations for one. Or perhaps another hotel. Ideas whirled
through her head like leaves before a wind. "Miranda, let's go to your suite we have business."
"Yes, Cecelia." Miranda nodded at the nursemaids, already beginning to gather toys. "I'll send a
maid in to do the packing; just be sure the boys are clean and dressed. And I'll take care of your
salaries and references."
Then she led the way to her suite. Brun came along with them, her face once more stiff with
misery.
"Do you have any notion where you're going with them?" Miranda asked, when they were again in her
sitting room.
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"Yes." The thought had come as she walked down the passage. "I know the perfect planet, and
probably the perfect couple. Do you want to know?"
"Not . . . now. Later, maybe." Brun sat hunched, her eyes on the carpet.
"Fine, then. Miranda, I'll need the use of your comset "
"I'll just call Poisson "
"No. I'll make the reservations myself." Only as far as the first hotel, she told herself. From
there, she would arrange transportation. And she wanted no records in the Palace computers, where
reporters might already have a tap.
"I have resources "
"You said you were feuding with Bunny's brother "
"In my own right. At least let me help."
"Of course." Cecelia turned politely to Brun as Miranda opened a line to her bank. "Brun have you
heard from that girl Hazel, wasn't it? lately?"
Brun looked up. "I worry about her. She seems to be doing fine, for someone who's been through so
much, but she never has admitted how bad it was. She keeps wanting to get me to meet with that
Ranger's wife Prima Bowie."
"Why?"
"I don't know." Brun shifted restlessly. "Hazel liked her, I think. Says she was kind. Hazel feels
sorry for her, being a stranger in our society. But she chose it; she wasn't abducted."
"Are they all still together, all those women?" asked Cecelia.
"As far as I know. I don't . . . really care."
Miranda broke in. "I've deposited a lump sum in your account, Cecelia; I can send more later if "
"Don't worry about it," Cecelia said. "Tell me do the maids take the boys out to play? In a park
or anything?"
"Not off the grounds. The news media are bad enough as it is."
"Then how about palace employees with children? Are there any?"
"I'm sure there are, but I don't know who. . . ."
"Perhaps the maids will. We don't want publicity when we take the children out."
The little crocodile of children from Briary Meadows Primary School being herded through the
public rooms as part of their field trip acquired a short tail. They didn't pay much attention;
they were tired of glass-fronted cases full of trophies, letters, gifts to this or that famous
person by another famous person, the rooms of interesting furniture which they could not touch,
the silken ropes on which they were not supposed to swing, the constant admonitions to pay
attention, be quiet, quit straggling or crowding.
The children had been promised a stop at Ziffra's, the famous ice-cream parlor, if they were good,
and only a steady murmur of commands kept them from trampling one another on the way out the door.
The nursemaids, now wearing the green smocks of adult helpers in the school, complete with
dangling nametags, brought up the rear, each with a toddler on her hip.
Outside, the remaining media scavengers waited for any sign of Brun or her children, but ignored
the confusion of piping voices and busy adults. They had seen bright green buses with the school
name arrive, and crowds of obvious schoolchildren arrive, teachers hustling them into neat lines
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and adult volunteers scampering to catch the inevitable escapees. At least one such field trip
arrived every day; the Palace had always been a favorite tourist site, and busloads of children, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]