humanity
Suzanne was impatiently waiting as Khirpak had instructed. She knew all that Khirpak knew.
It just wasn't enough to assuage her worries about Leon's well-being.
It was 1708 by the Earth-clock when Leon arrived, apparently still in one piece and on friendly terms with Khirpak.
Suzanne Devereaux was genuinely thrilled to see Leon Freedman.
"Leon!" She rose & rushed towards him, flinging her arms around his shoulders.
Leon hugged her back. "I'm ok, I managed to get a shot of mah meds."
She looked at Khirpak gratefully. "That was most considerate of you, thank you."
Khirpak was glad the afternoon was over & he could go home and eat. "I had nothing to do with it. A good evening to you and your father."
With that, Khirpak vanished.
Suzanne looked a little puzzled. "If not him, then who?"
Leon shook his head. "Duzzint matter."
She looked vexed. "I knew I shouldn't have left you alone."
Leon looked longingly at his bed. "Ah need to sleep a little, then I'll be fahn."
Suzanne smiled. "You should eat. Are you hungry?"
He nodded. "Yeah, but it kin wait till I sleep a little."
They made it back to their tent, and Leon bent down to his duvet and eased himself onto it.
Suzanne ate a little of the goulash from the pot as she watched Leon get comfortable.
Leon was drifting a bit. "What you done today ..... ?"
Suzanne felt like she'd been skewered in place by a pushpin. "What I did?"
Leon grunted his reply. "Uh-huh."
For one of very few times in her life, Suzanne felt a flush of embarrassment. "How do you know what I did?"
Leon's eyes were closed so he couldn't see her reaction. "Same means by which ah got my meds. Not all spelled out you understand, but I figured the rest out."
Suzanne fell silent after saying "Oh."
Leon peeked at last, so he could look in her eyes. "I want you to know ah appreciate ah mean that much to you."
Suzanne looked down at her bowl, a slight glisten in her eyes. "Thank you."
"Look at me."
Suzanne did as he asked.
Leon wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "S'like war, everbody does what has to be done to get the right outcome. Issa good thang."
She finally smiled. "We all use the most powerful weapons we have." The smile vanished. "I used mine."
"You regret it?"
She was matter-of-fact, but her voice was much softer & quieter than normal. "I enjoy it, actually. I get to see my power in action."
He cackled. "I'll bet that works fairly well!"
Suzanne joined him in a laugh. "Too bad it doesn't come with recip."
Leon kept cackling as he drifted away. "Heh, heh, I'll git on that raht after I git some sleep."
She slapped him gently with the towel she was using as a serviette. "You'd better sleep fast, then, Mr. Freedman."
She slid over to him, and nestled in his arms as he fell asleep.
It was six hours before she got her recip.
Suzanne didn't care. Leon had 300 years worth of experience in such matters.
It just wasn't enough to assuage her worries about Leon's well-being.
It was 1708 by the Earth-clock when Leon arrived, apparently still in one piece and on friendly terms with Khirpak.
Suzanne Devereaux was genuinely thrilled to see Leon Freedman.
"Leon!" She rose & rushed towards him, flinging her arms around his shoulders.
Leon hugged her back. "I'm ok, I managed to get a shot of mah meds."
She looked at Khirpak gratefully. "That was most considerate of you, thank you."
Khirpak was glad the afternoon was over & he could go home and eat. "I had nothing to do with it. A good evening to you and your father."
With that, Khirpak vanished.
Suzanne looked a little puzzled. "If not him, then who?"
Leon shook his head. "Duzzint matter."
She looked vexed. "I knew I shouldn't have left you alone."
Leon looked longingly at his bed. "Ah need to sleep a little, then I'll be fahn."
Suzanne smiled. "You should eat. Are you hungry?"
He nodded. "Yeah, but it kin wait till I sleep a little."
They made it back to their tent, and Leon bent down to his duvet and eased himself onto it.
Suzanne ate a little of the goulash from the pot as she watched Leon get comfortable.
Leon was drifting a bit. "What you done today ..... ?"
Suzanne felt like she'd been skewered in place by a pushpin. "What I did?"
Leon grunted his reply. "Uh-huh."
For one of very few times in her life, Suzanne felt a flush of embarrassment. "How do you know what I did?"
Leon's eyes were closed so he couldn't see her reaction. "Same means by which ah got my meds. Not all spelled out you understand, but I figured the rest out."
Suzanne fell silent after saying "Oh."
Leon peeked at last, so he could look in her eyes. "I want you to know ah appreciate ah mean that much to you."
Suzanne looked down at her bowl, a slight glisten in her eyes. "Thank you."
"Look at me."
Suzanne did as he asked.
Leon wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "S'like war, everbody does what has to be done to get the right outcome. Issa good thang."
She finally smiled. "We all use the most powerful weapons we have." The smile vanished. "I used mine."
"You regret it?"
She was matter-of-fact, but her voice was much softer & quieter than normal. "I enjoy it, actually. I get to see my power in action."
He cackled. "I'll bet that works fairly well!"
Suzanne joined him in a laugh. "Too bad it doesn't come with recip."
Leon kept cackling as he drifted away. "Heh, heh, I'll git on that raht after I git some sleep."
She slapped him gently with the towel she was using as a serviette. "You'd better sleep fast, then, Mr. Freedman."
She slid over to him, and nestled in his arms as he fell asleep.
It was six hours before she got her recip.
Suzanne didn't care. Leon had 300 years worth of experience in such matters.
