At last she said, “I explained.”
“I knew you could. What did you tell them?”
“That you and my brother were doing scientific research with a computer and he had an accident.”
“Good enough. How did they take it?”
“Not very well.”
“I don’t blame them. Their splendid, brilliant son. I hope they live long enough to see him become what he was.”
“My father says this would never have happened if he hadn’t met you.”
“I never knew it would turn out like this. How could I? Grant me that.”
“My father says you have taken his son away from him.”
I sighed.
“My father says now you must replace him.”
“What!”
“You must be his son.”
“How?”
“Here.”
“On the reservation?”
“Yes. Here. In Erie. You must never leave.”
“Dio!”
“And Sequoya will be your son. You must raise him and bring him back to what he was.”
“But that will take years out of my life.”
“Yes.”
“That’s a hell of a sacrifice.”
“Yes, but what about mine?”
“Yours?”
“I’ll have to become a squaw again.”
“Not to me. Never.”
“But to Erie, always.”
“Dearest love, he’s in good hands. We can go away; to Brazil, Ceres, the Corridor, Mexas, Africa. We have the whole solar before us and you haven’t seen all of it yet. Yes?”
“No, Edward. I must stay and help, but you can go away.”
“From you? Never.”
“Then you’ll stay and do what father says?”
“Yes, damn it. Goddamn it, yes, I’ll stay, and you knew I would. All this pussyfooting around!”
She looked at her naked toes. “I love you for a hundred reasons. Most now because you never let me down. You never will.”
“Never.”
“Now I’ll tell you something I promised never to tell. It’s your reward.”
“I don’t want any rewards for doing the right thing.”
“I knew you’d never find Fee’s body.”
“And you were right.”
“Because I knew it was gone.”
A long moment, but I couldn’t twig. “I don’t understand.”
“After she was killed and you were suffering so, Jacy took you out to comfort you.”
“I remember.”
“Borgia and I went to the compost. I wanted Fee buried in a private grave just for you. Borgia said no and talked about rebirth.”
“What? DNA-Cloning?”
“Y. She said we were in time and she got Fee back. It cost an enormous bribe.”
“And you never told me.”
“Borgia said she had luck with Boris, but it was still so iffy that she didn’t want to get your hopes up. She made me promise. Anyway, I couldn’t understand what she was talking about. My XX wasn’t v. good then.”
My heart began to pound. “So? Now?”
“She said she’d write and report progress.”
“And?”
“She hasn’t yet.”
“Then I can hope. Dear God! I — I can’t tell you how grate — And I made that vicious crack about jealousy.”
“I’ll forgive you if you’ll forgive me.”
“No bargains. It’s just us together, forever.”
“Not quite,” she said solemnly. “I’ll grow old and die, of course, while you go on forever. That’s what hurts most. It must have tortured poor Fee, who didn’t even have — But I know you’ll be with me to the end. Who else would you have to take care of you?”
“We don’t have to think about that for a long time.”
“You’ll probably want to run away.”
“Probably, but I won’t.”
“They’ll all believe I’m your mother.”
“Or a rich old lady I married for her money.”
She giggled a little. “Why didn’t you ever hook up with one of the eternal ladies?”
“I suppose because I prefer human beings. The Group isn’t really human, you know.”
“You are.”
“We have a long time before us in Erie — we can take vacations, I hope, and see the solar — so you may change your mind about that.”
She smiled. “I’ll go tell my father. Meet you in the tree in an hour.”
“Why not now?”
“I have to help mother bathe and diaper your son.”
So here I am, here I am in Erie, son of the Mighty Sachem, prince of poppies, fink of firewater, and it’s damned hard work. They’ve renamed me White Eagle. I study Cherokee, Ugly synthesis and customs at the college. I obey. I refer all major decisions to the Sachem. I exercise with the braves and submit to their derision. My wife walks three steps behind me with her head lowered. What she does after hours is nobody’s business but mine.
I have this recorder on which I’m keeping my journal in XX. I sent word to Pepys, and the Group visits occasionally. M’bantu stayed six weeks and had a glorious time. He made friends with everybody and was formally adopted by the Mandan nation. Tosca came and studied tribal dances for her new production of Salome. Disraeli brought a financial report. Apparently the cryos had forced the Extro to shape up and I was back in business again. I was able to repay the Sachem’s loan. Queenie came but the Pawnees on duty wouldn’t let him in. He was livid.
I think I’m beginning to gain some clout in Erie. The other day a deputation from the tribes and nations arrived at the wickiup with an internecine problem and they kept addressing me as “Great Eagle.” Next week I go on duty as Chief of the west gate for the first seasonal tourist invasion. Natoma promises to do a paint job on me that will fill them with awe. The Sachem has given us permission to take June off and we’re for the moon.
Dio! My son is crying again. Escuse me.