The Fourth Law

Chapter 15, Part 2

Thaad stood on the end of Lily's Path, leaning on the palm tree. His hands were covered in mud.

"I must apologize for your inconvenience," he said to Lily, his gray eyes on Henge. "You seem to be very popular with our family."

But right now, Lily was more amazed by something else: "You're standing in the path! Even touching one of the plants! And... dirty! Are you, er, more comfortable with what I accidentally did here?"

He looked at her peculiarly. "Quite. Were I not, Henge would not be with us."

Lily was confused. "What do you mean by that?"

"What he means," Ai said, as she stepped next to Lily and took her hand in a splash of light, "and would take forever to say, is that from your not fully understood co-creation Path, he was able to bring the idea he'd had in his mind to life."

"His idea...?" Lily thought. Ah! "You mean Henge!"

As her eyes passed to the little girl, Lily saw a great meadow in late Spring, awash in flowers. Birds and insects flew about, and in its midst, staring back at her with careful eyes, was the cutest otter she'd ever seen! The second imaged receded as she looked at Henge.

"Big Sister. Can we play now?"

Lily looked to Ai.

Ai lifted her hand that held her friend's. She closed her eyes for a moment, as Lily shivered at the little prickling on her skin. Somehow, she took in a memory: Thaad kneeling on her Path, chanting as he piled up mud from the ground. The pile of mud got larger and larger... a statue of an otter?

Ai let go. "Without your Path, Henge would just be one of Thaad's dreams. I have dreams, too." She turned Lily so she faced Henge.

"It's okay now. Lily? Go play with your step-daughter for a bit!"

"Step...?" She whirled to Ai, then back to Henge.

Free from Fausta, Henge held up both of her little hands. "Hey, Big Sister? Play with me."

Lily ran and took her hands, lost in joy.

Thaad ambled over to Ai. "I think 'step-mother' is a bit of a stretch."

"Oh, pooh!" Ai replied. "It's close enough. Do you think Henge will be the second Bridge?"

He shrugged. Lily and Henge ran off down the path together.

"Dorina?" Ai asked.

"I'm good. Much older from when your friend was here during the emergency. Can you hold my legs?" She still couldn't get her handstand right.

"Of course."

Sitting in the dining hall later, Lily sipped at her coffee.

"Have fun with Henge?" Ai asked, opposite her at the table. Lily smiled and nodded.

"I wish I could teach her to laugh, though," she said. "She seems so serious!"

"Takes after her father. Give her time, you two will be older together."

Lily glanced at her watch. "He's late." Now that she was back home, Stephens finally got round to asking to talk to them. She made to stand. "May as well clean up in the kitchen, a little."

Ai reached over to her. "Your doctor told you to take it easy for at least another week!"

Lily subsided.

"Yes, 'Doctor!'"

They were laughing when Kyle Stephens walked in. He shook his head.

"Look at you two! Have you ever even had an argument?" he asked.

Lily looked at the tabletop, recalling yelling 'I hate you!' at Ai. "Yes," she said quietly. "We have. It hurt. When I thought I lost her, it hurt more than all this." She gestured at her stomach.

"Sorry to dredge up a bad memory," he mumbled in apology as he sat down on Lily's side of the table. "I imagine y'all know why I'm here?"

"You want to take Ai, well, this Ai, away from me," Lily said darkly.

He sighed. "It's probably just for a few days. You could even come along, if you'd like."

She shook her head. "Even in the background, you know as well as I that I'd be noticed. It'll just be political theater; my kids need me here."

Lily looked at Ai. "You promise you'll come back here before you have to leave for Japan?"

"Of course! Do you really think he," she inclined her head toward Stephens, "or anyone else could stop me?"

I get your message, he thought.

"I'll be back to you in no time! After all this time, I'm going to hate sleeping alone!"

"You two sleep together?" he asked, mildly scandalized.

Lily frowned at him while Ai laughed. "Don't be such a dirty old man!" Lily snapped.

"She is amazingly warm," Ai carried on. "The snoring can be a bother, though!"

"I do not snore!"

"Shall I play back the recordings?"

Kyle just watched their exchange. Perfectly content with one another and obviously very happy. A dream of humanity for a hundred years, and it – she, he caught himself – just wants to be with her friend. He shook his head slowly.

Lily shot him a look. "Are you thinking something stupid?"

"Me? Nope," he said. "Now then, when would you like to go?"

"Now. Soonest gone is soonest returned." Ai said. Lily's gloom returned.

"Now, as in right now?" he asked in surprise. "Do you need to pack or... anything?"

Ai laughed at his confusion. "Like use the bathroom? I don't think so! And this dress the hospital gifted to me is fine."

The Press Office's Advance people might take exception to that, he thought, but was not about to place himself into that fight.

"Well. Let's go!" He stood. Then Ai.

Lily let out a sob. "No! Don't sit back down! You're always right, Ai: get it over and done with!" She stood as well. "I need to rest. See you, Kyle." She moved off toward the chapel.

He regarded Ai. "Is she going to be okay?"

She knew he was asking after her heart, not her gut. "She's much stronger that you know, Mr. Stephens. One of the many things I love about her. We go."

Sitting in the chapel, she heard his car start and leave. God, give me strength...! Her phone vibrated. Of course.

"Hello, Ai."

"Lily! Are you praying, or can we talk right now?"

Thank you, God.

"Let's talk a bit!"