The Risks of Dead Reckoning by Felicia Watson (novels to improve english txt) 📕

“I know, I know, she’syour friend.” Sherolled her eyes, saying to their sister, Carmella, “I guess theaddition of the word ‘girl’ will make The Rock falldown.”

His mother stood up andeyed the rest of her family. “Let us go now and allow Matteo tohave a few moments alone with Naiche.” She waved an imperial handat Zache. “You will show us the way – yes?” Zache agreed and Aqilaoffered to help her shepherd the crowd over.

A few minutes later, theonce bustling room held only Naiche, her father, Con, andKayatennae. Ricci took her by the hands and told her how happy hewas for her. “My only regret is that your mother couldn’t be withus for these ceremonies.”

“Me, too,” shewhispered.

“I do believe she is here– in some way,” he said. “Speaking of which, let me get yourbouquet.” Naiche had been wondering about that, since it was theone item her father had insisted on providing for this wedding. Hedashed over to the fridge and presented her with a mixed bunch ofBlackfoot daisies and desert larkspur.

“Oh,” she breathed insurprise upon seeing the white and blue flowers. “These were bothfavorites of shimáá.” For the wedding in Chiricahua territory, Naiche’s youngcousins had gathered a mixture of wildflowers and fashioned herbouquet from them. She’d thought nothing could ever equal that –now she knew she’d been wrong. She dashed a tear from the corner ofher eye and kissed her father’s cheek. She noticed he was stillholding a ring of matching flowers and asked, “Is that for my hairor something?”

Ricci smiled through tearsof his own and held it up. “No, this is for your canine attendant.”He called Kayatennae over and draped the flowers around his neck.The dog kept craning his neck, trying to get a look at hisadornment, causing the three of them to break intolaughter.

Ricci moved towards thedoor, saying, “Okay, give me a few minutes and then head over tothe chapel.”

When he was gone, Naichewas left alone with her best friends – one human, one canine. Connodded towards the door through which Ricci had departed. “Ithought you two would be less sappy the second timearound.”

“We’re sappy?” Naiche laughed, pointing at his damp eyes. “What’sthat?”

“I got something in myeye.”

“Yeah, tears.”

After spending a shortwhile reminiscing about their time together and all they’dexperienced – good and bad, Naiche asked, “Have I ever thanked youfor all you’ve done for me? Like, changing my life by recruiting meto the Lovelace?”

“Yeah, you’ve thanked me.”He nodded at Naiche. “Maybe not in words, but – I heard it loud andclear all the same.” He offered his arm saying, “Shallwe?”

“I’m ready. Let’s dothis.” They strolled to The Rock’s non-denominational chapeltrailed by the ever faithful Kayatennae. When they arrived,Naiche’s heart swelled with happiness upon glimpsing Tal waitingfor her at the altar, his handsome face glowing withjoy.

When she took her placenext to him, he whispered, “Glad you could make it –again.”

“Wouldn’t it miss it for aton of kiatilium.”

Epilogue

Granted Chances

“…so those of us stuck here on earthknow—you must be gods. Or friends of gods, granted chances to pushoff into sky, granted chances to hear so well your own voicebounced back to you….” Peggy Shumaker, ‘Spirit of the Bat’

8 Years Later

Naiche Decker jumped outof the experimental starship, ShadowChaser, and waved at Tanja Petrović. Theother test pilot came trotting over, calling out,“Well?”

Decker thumped thesteinium hull. “The handling is amazing. That is, until you kick itinto L-speed, then it really starts to fight you.” She and Tanjawalked over to Captain Zache Charani, the ship’s designer who’dbeen watching the landing and dictating notes into her hand-heldcomputer.

“As you saw, the landingcouldn’t be smoother but I was just telling Petrović—”

“Still wild on the jump,right?” When Decker agreed, she said, “Oh, well – back to thedrawing board.” After Tanja left to pick up her daughter at thechildcare center, Zache nodded towards the hand Decker had on herabdomen. “Didn’t the baby like the ride?”

“Not at all. Unlike hissister, I don’t think he’s gonna want to be a pilot.”

Zache scanned the perimeterof the landing pad. “Where is Lozen? Tal didn’t bring her outtoday?” She laughed, saying, “Oh, I bet Matt has her with him inthe flight simulators again.”

“Not this time. Tal tookher to Chiricahua territory for a few days to visit our familiesand check on the memorial center construction. He wanted to getanother trip in before classes start next week.”

“I do not miss those days of having mytime off ruled by The Rock’s class schedules. But Tal seems to loveteaching as much as Nik.” Naiche nodded, recognizing thatunassailable truth. “Why didn’t you go with them?”

“I wanted to finish up ourtests on the Chaser so you can get going on the redesign.” When Zache protestedthe sacrifice, Naiche said, “It’s no big deal – my turn is coming.Since my grandmother doesn’t travel anymore, my father and I aregonna take Lozen to Italiafor a visit after his party.”

“Will Tal and Lozen beback in time for the party?”

“Most definitely – Lozenis so excited about it, you’d think the party was for her. They’llbe back late tonight.” They walked towards the Astronautics Centertogether, Zache asking more questions about the guest list for theparty. Naiche said, “Practically everyone I invited said yes.The Lovelace arrived yesterday so most of his former crew is Earth-side –even Lindstrom and Clemente are coming.”

“Really? I don’t thinkthey’ve been back to The Rock since they retired.”

“They haven’t. My father’sso happy about it, he’s putting them up in hisquarters.”

Zache and Naichebrainstormed ideas for tweaking the ship’s light speed drive for anhour and then Decker said she was calling it a day. Upon leavingZache’s office, she asked, “Are you guys meeting us at Pop’s fordrinks beforehand or just heading straight to the banquetroom?”

“It depends on when thetwins are ready,” she answered, referencing her grown children,visiting for the occasion. “I’ll message you if we’re not gonnamake it.”

“Okay – either way, seeyou tomorrow night.”

***

Naiche, Tal, Lozen, andKayatennae got to Ricci’s quarters in good time the next night;they weren’t, however, the first to arrive. Naiche saw