In The Beginning by Gail Daley (top 100 books of all time checklist .TXT) 📕

being a tough customer at the trade table. You didn't push to get him to agree, did you?"

"Of course not," Corrine retorted. "He knows too much about Vensoog for me to try something like that with him. Besides, I didn't need to. I did a little research on the way here and discovered that N’Jamacia suffered from a lack of trade during the Wars. Remember, they export mostly luxury and high-tech goods. The military commandeered or paid low-ball prices for the tech stuff during the Wars, and since most of the trade ships were converted to troop transports, the luxury goods sat in the warehouses. They need us."

Sunrise on Fenris was certainly beautiful, Katherine reflected. Several days had passed since she had accepted Gideon’s unit for the program. The unit was busy entering and playing the shooter/treasure hunter game she provided. The game was an essential part of the program because it recorded each player’s reactions and decision making responses and integrated them into the personality profiles.

She and Sooka had cleared out of the apartment given to them by base command because Corrine was a late sleeper and complained they woke her moving around, no matter how quiet they tried to be. Since she and Sooka virtually had the dining hall to themselves this early, they had commandeered a table in an alcove that gave a view of the city and the pristine beaches. The rising sun turned the unspoiled beach to a ribbon of white edged by sparkling aqua waters. It made the multi-colored city buildings look as if they had been stained by a child’s bright crayon.

"May I join you?"

She looked up to smile at Zack. He was an early riser as well apparently, and had started joining them for breakfast.

She made a welcoming gesture to the chair opposite. "Of course."

"Well, that’s a relief. After you turned down my dinner invitation last night—"

"Well, breakfast is much more informal and less likely to cause talk."

He cocked his head at her. "Why are you worried about causing talk?"

"Lieutenant—how shall I say this? When we arrive on Vensoog, you will be handfasted with someone and so will I. This program is very important to my people; I need to show I believe it will work to convince them to try it. I would prefer there be no gossip about our relationship on Fenris if we are matched with other people when we arrive home. It will make everything much smoother."

"I see. But breakfast is okay? How about lunch? I’m not giving up, you know."

Katherine smiled in spite of herself. "Breakfast is fine. At lunch, we probably will have the others joining us." She was surprised to find herself a little flustered by the obvious masculine approval she read in Zack’s eyes. When the war had started, she had been too young for any serious relationships, and later when she was old enough, most of the young men who would have courted her were off planet.

"Beautiful, isn’t it?" Zack remarked, nodding to the view out the windows.

"Oh, yes. It almost reminds me of home, except this doesn’t look quite real."

Just then, Zack’s com chimed softly. He frowned at the telltale on the indicator and said, "I’m sorry, I have to take this," and invoked the privacy mode. A shielding cocoon formed around him, making it impossible to see or hear to whom he was talking.

Katherine looked over at Sooka, industriously finishing a large helping of breakfast. The Quirka seemed to sparkle in the sunlight that was edging in the window. Katherine sniffed experimentally and immediately noticed a faint musky odor.

"Uh-Oh," she grimaced. "It does come inconveniently for us girls doesn’t it Sweetie? I hope you and Divit like each other because I’m afraid you won’t have much choice when the time comes."

Sooka made a whuffling noise as if she agreed. Katherine was never sure how much the little creature actually understood of her conversation. They were empathic but not telepathic. Quirka’s rarely made permanent bonds with their choice when mating unless their human partners were involved. However, both sexes cared equally for the pups until they were old enough to bond with a human.

Zack finished his conversation and shut down the privacy cone, but he continued to scowl fiercely and drummed his fingers on the table.

"Is something the matter My Lord?" Katherine automatically gave him the courtesy title he would be accorded on Vensoog.

"What? No. Yes, by the Void, there is. In the last battle, my best friend, Timon was killed. He died saving my life. He left behind two boys, twins, here on Fenris. Their mother is dead, and I promised him I would take care of them. I’ve been trying to gain custody, but I am running into roadblocks put up by the Placement Center. I just heard back from the Child Placement Center where they sent them. Now they’re claiming that another relative has come forward to demand custody of them. Damnit, Timon didn’t have any relatives! That’s why he asked me to take his boys."

"Are you certain he didn’t have any relatives? What about the mother?"

Zack made a rude noise. "The mother’s dead. Some wasting disease I think. She only had one sister, and she was killed a few months before the war ended and no grandparents. That’s why the boys ended up in that Center. Timom was raised by the State."

"Humnn. What is the name of the relative that came forward?"

"Jerrod van Doyle."

Katherine looked sharply at him. "Are you sure that’s the name?"

"Yes, why?"

"Because I do think you have a problem. I had reason to check out the name of Jerrod van Doyle regarding three other children at that Placement Center I tried to adopt. He’s listed as their next of kin too. Juliette, one of the girls, told me she is afraid of him so I checked with a friend in the interplanetary police and I discovered he’s on a watch list for trafficking in children."

Something cold rose up and died behind his eyes. "Well, he’s not getting Timons