The Fourth Law

Chapter 7, Part 1

~oooOOOOoooo~

"hooo.....hoowwlll!...."

~oooooOOOOOOooooOOOOOoooooo~

"hah...haaawooooollLL!"

"Lily!"

?

"LILY! You're not a wolf! Wake up!"

She groggily sat up from her bed. Huh?

"It's three in the morning... you need to help your kids!" Ai shouted at her from her phone.

The kids!

She flung the cover aside and pushed her glasses onto her face. Now she could hear the siren. What was it this time? Tornado, airstrike, barbarians... the last was almost a year ago, when they lost Texarkana. Wait. She shook her head to try to wake up. This time, she'd an unimpeachable information source.

"Ai. Status." She said into the darkness.

"A fission weapon was detonated outside San Francisco about ten minutes ago; the weather pattern indicates fallout will travel north of you, into parts of former Kansas and Oklahoma. But, winds do change..."

"Right." She started pulling her clothes on. "Wake up the Fitzhughs; I'll be there in a minute."

She walked from her bedroom through her main room, glancing at the monitors. She suddenly bit hard on her lower lip. On the monitors, Ai stood at attention in a Texas Field Forces uniform. For some unknown reason, she forgot to render her pants. Striped green and white panties? Lily worried about her friend sometimes.

The Fitzhughs were just coming out of their apartment in the dorm as she walked up. She relayed what Ai told her, and her own speculation that there might be more. Former California was something of a wasteland punching bag for 2nd world powers showing off.

"I want Will and Matt, Karl and Pedro to get word to every house and flat within three blocks; after that I want them back," she said to Jake. She turned to Sally. "The winds might not be in our favor; anything that can't be secured airtight is to be cooked and/or served. Get Emily and Marienne on that now. They can requisition any other kids they need to get that done. They have until noon. Questions?"

They shook their heads and Lily moved off back to her office. She called Carol.

"Yey-ah, I just sar the message from y'uns fraind." Lord, but her accent is harsh in the morning. "How's thangs thar?"

"We're fine. It's going to depend on if there are any more strikes and the wind."

"Ay-yah. Let the little ones sleep. Everyone else do a Rosary in the chapel; I'll be there at daybreak. Oh, and Lil'?"

"Ma'am?"

"Top marks; I'm proud of you."

"Thank you; if you write this up, it was my friend Ai who gave me the heads-up." In her panties.

"Very good." *click*

Shortly thereafter she, the Fitzhughs, and anyone over twelve were in the chapel. Before they started, Lily had called Ai on visual, but put her finger over her lips. "Just watch!" Lily had said, sotto voce, putting her phone off to a ledge on the left. She was the one stunned about prayer, thought Lily.

Reciting along with everyone else, Lily did have to suppress a smile: at least in Texas, 'separation of church and state' didn't really exist. Sure, there was no state religion – and Islam was regarded as a totalitarian political ideology and banned – but there'd not been an engagement during the Formation War that hadn't been led by a prayer. Even her father's thugs...

"...and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those that trespass against us..."

Another memory to push aside. As she recited along with the others, she knew her mind was a jumble of radioactives, kids, and thoroughly confusing new friends. Jesus, she thought, please help us.

They were just coming out of the chapel as the four boys came back. She regretted sending nine-year-old Matt out with Will, but he was dependable. She called out to them, "Oi! You guys come with me!" She waved toward the kitchen.

Once there, it was two scoops of ice cream each. A treat; a rare treat. "Thank you, Miss Barrett!" They all bowed, imitating her at her karate lessons. At least she could now laugh along with them.

"Hai, hai. Stick your flattery. Above and beyond gets above and beyond. Will, I want a written report of what the four of you did this morning in," she looked at her watch. Five thirty. "I want that in my hands at six thirty." She looked hard at him. "You want to play in the big leagues; it starts now. Got that?"

"Yes, ma'am! Permission to leave!"

"Go." He ran off.

"You three," Lily said. "Very good work. Matt, if the winds come south... I don't know, we'll see what we can do for your plants; you've done yeoman's work keeping us from scurvy." Another. "Karl, can you call Ai?" A nod. At least he'll meet my eyes now. "Find a quiet spot and do so. Tell her what you think and feel; where she lives..." Lily trailed off, then circled back, "...is different. Tell her what we're doing, and thank her for the heads-up on my behalf. Clear? Go."

Last one. "Pedro, thanks for the translations; put things like this into a song, and you'll be the best bard in Texas!" The orphanage's little singer/songwriter beamed. Lily recalled her mother's old friend, a Cuban: Latins seem to have the best luck with music, she thought.

Coming down from the combat-high, she walked slowly back to her room. Maybe I can get an hour's sleep...?

"Feldmarschell Barrett! Bestellungen bitte!" Ai called from the screens.

"Put some pants on, recruit." She staggered to her bed; you deserved that.

Ai looked down the screen, mortified. "Eeek!" Then was pugnacious. "At least I didn't howl at a warning siren in my sleep like a lonely wolf in heat!" Ai yelled.

Yeah, thought Lily. And I deserved that, too.