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SIXTY-THREE

"Perhaps I should apply for paternity leave," Chen said. "Isn't that the modern thing to do?"

"Don't ask me," the demon shrugged.

"You and Jhai aren't planning to have one?" Chen smiled. "I recommend it. Ensuring one's posterity and all that sort of thing."

"The subject hasn't come up. She seems curiously averse to looking at wedding dresses, too. We might end up having a quiet private ceremony after all."

Chen laughed. "That'll be the day."

"She's already revised the guest list, that's for sure."

Chen raised his eyebrows. "What, won't be inviting that nice cousin Agni?"

Zhu Irzh gave a snort. "She also says there won't be quite so many female guests. Playing havoc with the table settings, apparently. But she's keeping Lara. Bought her a collar and everything."

"And if she turns back?"

"Well, the magic Jhai used won't work outside that particular Hell, so I suppose we'll just have to call the zoo."

They were sitting on the deck of the houseboat, a blue afternoon in early summer. Ma and No Ro Shi were back at the station, piecing things together with the help of Paugeng security. Jhai was recuperating.

"What's that?" Zhu Irzh squinted into the heavens.

"I don't know." Chen followed his gaze. Sparks of light had appeared high amongst the clouds and around them were twists and turns of brightness. They fell rapidly toward the ocean, but halfway down the sky, their trajectory flattened out and began to stream toward the city.

"Oh." Chen said, in realization. Mhara's Long March had finally reached Earth.

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Framed

Back | Next
Contents

SIXTY-THREE

"Perhaps I should apply for paternity leave," Chen said. "Isn't that the modern thing to do?"

"Don't ask me," the demon shrugged.

"You and Jhai aren't planning to have one?" Chen smiled. "I recommend it. Ensuring one's posterity and all that sort of thing."

"The subject hasn't come up. She seems curiously averse to looking at wedding dresses, too. We might end up having a quiet private ceremony after all."

Chen laughed. "That'll be the day."

"She's already revised the guest list, that's for sure."

Chen raised his eyebrows. "What, won't be inviting that nice cousin Agni?"

Zhu Irzh gave a snort. "She also says there won't be quite so many female guests. Playing havoc with the table settings, apparently. But she's keeping Lara. Bought her a collar and everything."

"And if she turns back?"

"Well, the magic Jhai used won't work outside that particular Hell, so I suppose we'll just have to call the zoo."

They were sitting on the deck of the houseboat, a blue afternoon in early summer. Ma and No Ro Shi were back at the station, piecing things together with the help of Paugeng security. Jhai was recuperating.

"What's that?" Zhu Irzh squinted into the heavens.

"I don't know." Chen followed his gaze. Sparks of light had appeared high amongst the clouds and around them were twists and turns of brightness. They fell rapidly toward the ocean, but halfway down the sky, their trajectory flattened out and began to stream toward the city.

"Oh." Chen said, in realization. Mhara's Long March had finally reached Earth.

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Framed