Alien in the Family

are hard to come by.”
    She grinned. “I would love to. Neeraj would be better off if we didn’t travel for a few days anyway.”
    I hugged her. “Thanks. No one I’d rather have up there with me than a Giant Lizard.”
    “I look forward to seeing how the Naked Apes join together. I am a matron. Neeraj and I have been mated for a hundred years.”
    “Wow, really? You look like, twenty-five. In lizard years, I mean.”
    She grinned again. “We live a long time. In lifespan comparison, I am about your age.”
    “Works for me.” I moved off to Queen Renata, Felicia, and Wahoa. “This will sound like—”
    Wahoa put her paw up. “We Major Doggies have really good hearing, Friendless Naked Ape. Remember?” She grinned as only a dog could. “Dogs are supposedly man’s best friend on this planet, but I only get to be a bridesmaid?”
    I laughed. “Had to go with the soul sister.”
    Claudia snorted. “We’ve known her longer, and we’re only at bridesmaid rank.” She grinned at me. “We know it’s because you couldn’t figure out which one of us to ask without hurting the other’s feelings.”
    “How did you know that?” Reader coughed. “Oh.” Duh. Reader was pretty much taking care of everything. A suspicion tickled, but I let it pass for now. “Felicia, will you be up to it?”
    She nodded. “Your doctors are very good.” Lorraine had been working on her. “I would be honored. All Naked Apes need a good Cat Person around.”
    “Renata?”
    She smiled at me. “I am honored to be a part of this. Besides, I’m on the Giant Lizard vessel.”
    “What do we wear?” Felicia asked.
    “Ummm . . . no idea whatsoever.”
    Reader coughed. “Handled. Trust me. Or will be.”
    “You’re just Mister Helpy Helper, aren’t you, James?”
    He flashed the cover-boy grin. I noted it worked on all the females, even Queen Renata. Figured he knew that and used the power for good. “Babe, let’s just say that someone has to take care of things and leave it at that.”
    Martini came over. “We have medical teams on the way, should be here momentarily. We’ve gone too long without full medical on some of the injured.”
    “Are we losing someone?” My stomach clenched.
    “Me, to pain, agony, and boredom,” Tim called out.
    “Me, too,” Jerry said. “The rest of the guys are complaining that they’re not in the wedding party, Jeff.”
    Martini opened his mouth.
    “NO!” Wow, Reader and I were now doing the unison thing.
    Martini snapped his mouth shut.
    “Sorry, guys. The only way that would work is for you to draw lots for which two of you were putting on a bridesmaid’s dress. I’m out of females I want up there with me.” I thought about it. “Well, I could add on one more.”
    “Great!” Martini said.
    “One, Jeff. Only one.”
    “Great!” He looked really guilty.
    “Jeff . . . who did you already ask?”
    He mumbled something.
    “Come again, can’t hear you.”
    “Alexander.”
    I let that one sit on the air. “Um . . . how ?”
    Martini looked hugely guilty again. I tapped my foot. He heaved a sigh. “I asked ACE to ask him. He said yes. He’s really excited about it.” He looked guilty and embarrassed. “I just want it to be . . . special.”
    “And huge. Fine.” I thought about it. “He just became king because his great-uncle was Poof Chow. The solar system’s in disarray. We’re getting married really soon. How the hell can he come?”
    Martini shrugged. “No idea, but he said he could.”
    Chuckie joined us. “It’ll be fine. From what Leonidas told me, he’s been waiting for this day.”
    “You two weren’t chatting all that long.”
    “He implanted the information.”
    “What?”
    “It’s something many of us are able to do,” Martini said quietly. I’d known Terry had put an implant into Martini, of course. To find me, as it had turned out. And I’d also known he’d passed that implant along to me. It just hadn’t occurred to me that other A-Cs could do it as well.
    “Oh. They don’t hurt,” I added, because Martini was looking the way he always did whenever the implant subject came up, which was guilty and ashamed. “And they’re useful.”
    “Yes, they are,” Chuckie agreed.
    “You didn’t pass out.” I had, when Martini had put Terri’s implant into me.
    Chuckie shrugged. “I think it’s different when you’re forewarned. I felt a little woozy, but it wasn’t an issue. And, I have a clear understanding of the political