Alien Diplomacy

on.”
    Caroline cleared her throat. “What, really, is going on?”
    I looked at my plate while I pondered how to answer her question. I had a tiny bit of everything on it. No worries, if anything actually tasted better than vile, I could go back for seconds. “I wish something normal, like steak or macaroni and cheese, was going on,” I muttered.
    “Kit-Kat, I’d really like an answer.”
    I looked up at Jeff and Chuckie. They both had resigned looks on their faces. Oliver cleared his throat. “May I?”
    “Yes,” Chuckie said quickly. I almost asked why, then it dawned on me that if Oliver gave away classified information, Chuckie could say he was wrong, but if I did it, it would be kind of damning. Besides, maybe he’d break it to her gently.
    Oliver smiled. “Miss Chase, about half the people, or more, in this room are originally from one of the planets in the Alpha Centauri system, or their parents were. Honestly, most in the room are Earth-born, and all born here are considered American citizens with all the rights and privileges thereof. American Centaurion is the name given to the several tens of thousands of alien refugees who now live among us.”
    Or, you know, he could just blurt it all out and let the chips fall where they may.



CHAPTER 45
    C AROLINE STARED AT ME. “You married a space alien?” she asked finally.
    I gave her a bright smile. “Jeff was born on Earth. He’s a legal U.S. resident with all the rights thereof. And he’s a prince.” Hey, it had mattered to my other sorority sisters.
    Caroline shook her head. “You never change.”
    “I didn’t date aliens before!”
    “Or royalty. However, if there was a way to work in the bizarre naturally, you were always our go-to girl.” Caroline took a long look at Jeff, then slowly turned around and scanned the room. “Chuck?” she said finally.
    “Yes?”
    “You’re not an alien, right?”
    “Correct.”
    “And neither is Kit-Kat, right?”
    “Right.” Chuckie shot me a worried glance. I checked Jeff’s expression. He was trying not to laugh.
    Caroline’s eyes narrowed. “But Michael is, isn’t he?”
    “Yes.” I gave up and gave in. “You want me to point out the, ah, American Centaurions from the regular U.S. citizens?”
    She shook her head. “Nope.”
    I was kind of shocked. “Why not?”
    Caroline grinned. “Jelly Bean and Twix told me about your wedding, and they mentioned how incredibly good-looking your husband’s entire extended family was. I think I can spot them on my own.”
    “I think my feelings should be hurt,” Chuckie said with a laugh.
    Caroline shook her head. “Oh, no, Chuck. Don’t feel like that at all. You’re still considered our sorority’s most eligible bachelor.” Chuckie looked shocked and slightly embarrassed. Caroline, however, was still scanning the room. “The model, James. Is he an alien?”
    “Nope, merely good-looking enough to pass.”
    “His boyfriend is, though, right? And that’s Michael’s older brother?”
    “Yes. You’re handling this really well.” Better than Amy had, as I thought about it, and Amy had heard all of Chuckie’s theories at least as much as Caroline had.
    Caroline grinned. “I work in D.C. You’re crazy if you think this is the most bizarre thing going on around here.” She laughed at my expression. “Unlike your friends from high school, or even most of our sisters, I not only listened to Chuck’s theories, I never discounted them. It’s part of how I got the job with the senator.”
    “Because you’re a conspiracy theorist?”
    She snorted. “No, silly. Because Chuck’s always right. You took him seriously, so I took him seriously. And it helped a lot. I sounded like I was already an insider when I interviewed.”
    Jeff groaned. “Great. Another one who thinks you walk on water.”
    Chuckie laughed. “It makes a refreshing change.”
    Caroline shrugged. “Let’s eat and figure out how to stop these creeps from hurting anyone else.”
    “I like where your head’s at.” Went back to our seats. I put my plate down and decided I could wait a bit before diving in.
    I went to Mom first. “Do we have enough to take Cantu in for questioning?”
    She shook her head. “Hardly. That Caroline thinks he took the picture with people only you and a completely unreliable source say shows the Dingo in it is even less concrete information than what you normally come up with. Charles and I need hard, solid proof before we move against