“It would. If he was at the point where he grasped that I am a person. The thing is, he thinks I’m like ACE, a spirit.”
“You are, as well. I know you have more aspects than I’ve seen.”
He twinkled at me. “Which is merely one reason why you’re my favorite. Yes, but your friend here isn’t thinking of me as someone he could chat with in the hall. Yet. He’ll come around to it, I’m sure.”
“I could play Joan Osborne’s big hit, “One of Us,” and see if he catches on.”
“Sarcasm is such a fun trait. I’m glad you enjoy it so.”
“I like to take a lot of things to eleven, what can I say? So, what, you’re playing a game with him? Why?”
He shrugged. “Living forever gets dull. This is the first person in existence to figure out that I’m here without my letting him know. That makes him fascinating.”
“And dangerous.”
“In a way, yes. But all of life can be dangerous. You just left a planet full of danger.”
“Good point. Are you okay with him discovering who you are?”
“Is he so tightly tied to you that he would die for you if that was what was required?”
“Um, I have no idea.”
Algar sighed. “Perhaps you don’t. His mentors died for you. Willingly.”
“But he has Lizzie.”
“And he’d die for her, too. He’s not going to die for either of you unless that’s the only way—he’s smart and skilled enough to know that he can do far more for you if he’s alive. But he is willing to do that if he has to. Remember, Lizzie’s your ward for many reasons. And one of those reasons is that her adoptive father takes a lot of risks.”
“Like coming onto this spaceship to protect us, yeah. Will you let Lizzie know about you? One day, I mean.”
He grinned. “Now that’s you thinking right. Yes, I’m sure I will. And your children. They don’t know I’m here yet. But, as with your man here, they’ll figure it out eventually. Being your children, I expect it sooner than later. But Jamie knows how to keep a secret, and I’m sure Charlie will learn from his big sister.”
There was a clue in that, I was sure of it. I just didn’t know what the clue was for. “Let’s hope, at any rate. Have you told Jeff yet?”
“Not yet. Possibly soon. Possibly not. Knowing I’m here doesn’t make things easier for anyone, you know.”
“Yeah, I do, actually. So, while I have your full attention, why did you wipe out the coordinates for us to get to Ixtha? I thought you were all for us going there.”
“I am. I don’t want the galaxy and, potentially, the universe destroyed. Only, I’m not the one who did that.”
“ACE?” That seemed so unlikely, though, based on ACE’s desire to help Ixtha.
“No, not ACE. But . . . neither one of us will interfere in this situation.”
Stared at him. “Come again? I mean, seriously, we’re in the middle of nowhere and have no idea where to go. Why won’t the two of you interfere? Just dedicated to us doing it all ourselves while singing the Free Will Forever theme song?”
He sighed. “Honestly? No. We won’t interfere because it’s not our place.”
Felt a migraine threatening. “Look. It’s really hard to play the mental gymnastics with Siler that I have to in order not to give him intel about you and who knows about you. Does William, by the way?”
“Does it matter if he does or doesn’t?”
Thought about it. “No. He’ll do what he thinks is best and that tends to be what Jeff and I think is best.”
“Exactly.”
“Great, thanks for that. But, back to my impending migraine—if it wasn’t you or ACE, who wiped the coordinates?”
Algar smiled. “The same one who gave Jamie the passenger list.” Then he snapped his fingers again. “Well, laddie, thank you. Should you find the weasel, please let the ship know. I’ll be looking for it until it’s found.”
“Will do,” Siler said. “Good luck.”
“Oh,” Algar said as he opened the door, “I don’t believe in luck, laddie. It’s just hard work and perseverance belittled.” He closed the door as he left.
“I like the Ard Ri,” Siler said. “He seems like an intelligent crackpot.”
“Um, yeah. I’m not going to point out that, per every enemy we’ve ever had, I’m considered quite lucky.”
“Just because they belittle you doesn’t mean that they’re right. I agree with the Ard Ri—it’s not actually luck. It’s hard work, perseverance, a willingness to try anything that might have even the slimmest chance of success, and dedication to doing what’s right and saving the day.”
“I’m gonna blush.”
He grinned. “Well, the President hasn’t had a good jealousy rage for a while now.”
“Hey, that’s my line. So, anyway, I’m not planning to talk to the DJ.”
Siler raised his eyebrow.
“Fine. I’m not going to talk to him now because I don’t think he’s ready to meet you yet. You’ll just have to deal.”
Siler opened his mouth—to argue, most likely—but he was interrupted. By alarms.
We looked at each other. “Oh my God, are you kidding? We literally just finished saving an entire solar system. We get five minutes of downtime and that’s it?”
“All personnel to stations,” Mother said crisply, in a way that said she’d like to be shouting these orders, but couldn’t because she wasn’t programmed that way. “All passengers to crash couches or the equivalent. All command personnel to command deck.” Due to the alarms, she was having to repeat herself in order to be sure we could all hear everything. By now even JR was probably clear on what the alarms meant.
Siler grabbed my hand and we took off. He let go of me right before we reached the command deck, so like in two seconds. “I’ll make sure the kids are safe. You handle the ship.”
“Good plan.”
He raced off for the Nonessential Personnel section and I raced to my seat. Was really glad I’d hadn’t felt confident enough to take my purse off earlier. Hoped the bunnies were going to be okay, but didn’t have a lot of time to worry about anything other than what was right in front of me.
Jeff, Hughes, Walker, Tim, and Tito were already in position with their helmets on. “What’s our status?” I shouted as I flung my helmet onto my head and my butt into my seat, once again ensuring that my purse and I were strapped in.
“Coordinates are activating,” Mother said. “But not under my command.”
“Not any of ours, either,” Tim shouted.
“Mother, the alarms. Can they go to less loud? I think all passengers and crew are aware of the direness of our latest situation.”
The alarms didn’t mute but they went down about a million decibels. “Apologies,” Mother said. “Everyone was scattered.”
“No worries, I’d assume they’re all where they should be now, right?”
“Yes . . . all personnel are accounted for and in assigned locations.”
“Are the children all supervised?” Jeff asked.
“They are, and all children were strapped in first by any adult nearby.”
“Good. Nice to know everyone has their priorities straight. Now, someone talk to me because I wasn’t here when this all started—what’s going on?”