Alien in the Family

question? No, this never happened when Stanley and I got married. Nothing like it.”
    “Anyone expect something to happen?”
    Stanley shrugged. “Somewhat, but we’d been exiled. Once Ericka and I got married and nothing triggered, we assumed the cut was complete.”
    “Why did you? Get exiled, I mean, you personally? You’re from the royal family side of the house. I wouldn’t have thought you’d have been asked to leave.”
    He gave me a small smile. “I agreed with Richard, about religion, about how people should live. The rest of those on our home world may want to act civilized now, but our history was brutal, and some of that was still retained. The way we demanded that the other civilizations in our solar system toe the line we’d drawn or be controlled by us, things like that.”
    Alexander had said as much when we were in the limo. I thought about ACE and the other PPB net, how they’d been created, what they’d been sent to do. “Yeah. I can see the brutality’s still there.”
    Stanley shrugged. “Richard’s not a brutal man. Yates wasn’t either, until he lost two wives.”
    “Two?”
    “Yes. And while there’s no proof, most of us believe they were both murdered.”
    “Why kill his wives?”
    “Yates was probably the target, both times.” Stanley sighed. “I know you’re in the middle of another crisis. All I can say is, it’s probably not due to your engagement . . .” His voice trailed off, and he got a funny look on his face. “Oh . . . no . . . it can’t be.” Stanley stood up. “Alfred!”
    Alfred came over; Richard White did as well. “Thought you’d left, Kitty,” Alfred said with a worried smile.
    “Did, came back, getting info.”
    Stanley grabbed Alfred’s arm. “Think back, way back. What were the rituals for marriage? Not in our grandparents’ day, but early on.”
    “They were brutal,” White said quietly. “They were a reason our ancestors broke away from the world religion and world leaders.”
    Stanley looked pale. “Alfred, think about it. You, more than the rest of us, would have learned this.”
    Alfred’s expression was both confused and horrified. “What you’re talking about was done thousands of years ago. Why in the world would they pull them up now? And for my son and his intended?”
    This didn’t sound good. “Um, should I just guess, or are you going to share?”
    White closed his eyes. “Everything that’s happened has been a test.”
    “Come again?”
    He opened his eyes and I saw rage and fear in them. “Tests. All of them. Tests of you, of your ability to lead.” His voice was clipped. Stanley and Alfred were nodding. They looked ill.
    I decided arguing was stupid. “Why would they test the incoming spouse?”
    “To be sure said spouse would be strong enough to help rule, to provide strong children, that sort of thing.” Stanley sounded sick. “But they were so long ago . . . I’m sorry, we should have realized anyway.”
    “No. None of this is the fault of anyone here.”
    “The modern tests were more like you all were expecting—protocol and deportment.” Stanley’s voice was shaking.
    “You know,” Michael said. “All the things you were going to flunk.”
    “Too damn true. But this is less about Jeff’s wedding than about succession, right? I mean why they’re pulling up the old stuff.”
    “No idea,” Stanley said.
    Ericka was on her phone. “Yes. Get all the children, theirs and ours. Yes.” She looked at Alfred. “I’m moving them to your home, is that okay with you?”
    “Yes, please,” Alfred said briskly.
    Ericka went back to her call. “Yes, go to Alfred’s. Highest threat levels. Yes. Thanks, Gladys.” She hung up. “Okay, all the children, yours and ours, are sequestered or getting there. Gladys will be with them.”
    “Gladys isn’t at the Science Center?”
    “No. She was called to NASA Base earlier tonight,” White replied. “She can still monitor it, however.”
    I looked at Michael. “I wonder if that’s how the prisoners got out?”
    He shook his head. “No idea.” He pulled out his phone and made a call.
    White spoke again. “Miss Katt, I do believe this is about succession. I spent some time with Alexander. His brother clearly wants the throne. The ruling king doesn’t agree. Alexander does not want the throne and has already refused it. Therefore, succession must be fought for. They could stall it off before, but now . . .”
    “Now the Free Women went nuts