Alien in the House

position of Defense Attaché?” Rhee asked Kevin politely.
    “Ah . . .” Kevin looked at me, clearly asking for diplomatic help.
    “What did your mother tell you about my mother?” I asked the girls.
    “Mother said that your mother trained you and molded you into the triumphant warrior you are,” Rahmi said with enthusiasm. “She said your mother was worthy to be a leader of the Free Women. And you as well,” she added quickly.
    I doubted Renata had felt I had real Amazonian Leadership Potential, but I decided not to question Rahmi’s honesty, since she was doing her best to look innocent, and no one I’d ever met from the Alpha Centaurion system could lie very well to humans.
    “Well, my mother recommended Kevin for the position he holds within our Embassy. She molded and trained him, too.”
    “Oh!” both princesses chorused. They also both looked at Kevin with much more interest and admiration than they had before. He wasn’t getting full-on hero worship from them, but at least he was no longer a loser to be tolerated. Chose to put that into the win column.
    It was past dinnertime, but most of us hadn’t eaten. Pierre and the Elves whipped up a nice, easy dinner while we all headed to the group dining room on the second floor. Tito and Nurse Carter, however, requested to have food sent down—neither one of them was willing to leave Buchanan unattended.
    When Rahmi and Rhee offered to take the food to the Great Tito, though, I knew something had to be done. Looked at White, who smiled at me and nodded. “I’ll take the food down to the infirmary, Missus Martini. And I’ll keep Magdalena company and send the Great Tito up to have dinner with all of you.”
    This offer earned White looks of appreciation from the princesses. He took trays down as Pierre started to get food onto the table, with Denise, Abigail, and Amy’s help, and the rest of us milled around and tried to stay out of their way.
    Naomi did this by being on her phone talking to people about her wedding—from her attitude and tone of voice, I presumed she was talking to those who helped create weddings, as opposed to guests. At least I hoped she wasn’t snarling at guests and telling them she didn’t care about difficulty levels, money was no object, and to do what she wanted or suffer the consequences. Wasn’t sure whose money she meant, but A-C tradition said that the groom’s side paid for pretty much everything. Also wasn’t sure I liked her spending Chuckie’s money without care, but had to figure he’d told her to do it.
    Tito arrived right after Naomi hung up on someone I particularly felt for in terms of her snarling attitude. I was happy for the distraction. Tito was wearing a suit. I knew he hadn’t been wearing one in the infirmary, so White had clearly impressed upon him that he had the most rabid of fans in the dining room. Because he lived in an A-C facility, this meant he was in the typical Armani Fatigues.
    “You wanted me to join all of you for dinner, Kitty?” Tito sounded tired and just a tad annoyed. Hoped he wouldn’t follow Naomi’s lead and turn nasty because I didn’t think I was up to it.
    “Yes. We have visitors from Beta Twelve, Queen Renata’s daughters, Princesses Rahmi and Rhee,” I indicated which was which. “They wanted very much to meet you. Princesses, may I present the Great Tito.”
    Tito shot me the “you so crazy” look. So maybe White had only told Tito he was needed and to dress up. Which, knowing White’s sense of humor, was likely. “It’s an honor to meet you, Your Highnesses,” he said, putting out his hand.
    Rahmi grabbed it and shook it vigorously. I got the impression hand shaking wasn’t something normally done on Beta Twelve and that she’d learned how to do this from the same source she’d used to pick her “disguise.”
    “I am so honored to meet you,” she said breathlessly.
    Rhee shoved in and literally grabbed Tito’s hand out of her sister’s so she could shake it as well. “Me too! I’m at least as honored as Rahmi. Maybe more.”
    Tito looked confused but he rallied as he carefully extracted his hand. “I’m honored to meet the two of you as well. I hope your mother’s well?”
    “Oh, yes,” Rahmi said. “Mother’s fine. Would you do us the honor of sitting with us for this meal?”
    Tito looked around the room. “Seriously, you guys, this is a bad time to pull a practical joke, don’t you think?”
    Every man in the room, my dad