{"id":245,"date":"2012-09-09T00:00:55","date_gmt":"2012-09-09T04:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.embklitzke.com\/e557\/?p=245"},"modified":"2012-09-08T20:01:19","modified_gmt":"2012-09-09T00:01:19","slug":"chapter-thirty-six","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.embklitzke.com\/e557\/?p=245","title":{"rendered":"Chapter Thirty-six"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Sins and secrets\u2014sometimes, they are one and the same.\u00a0 Advisors and traitors\u2014sometimes, they\u2019re one and the same as well.<\/h3>\n

— Unknown<\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u00a020 Novem, 5249 PD<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cYou could come, you know,\u201d Rachel said softly, leaning in the doorway and watching Frederick stare silently out the window of the room he was sharing with Daci.\u00a0 Their spouses had already left for the day, headed for a confab with Aidan Church to prepare a situation briefing before the Council meeting.\u00a0 Lindsay was out in the garden, taking out frustrations and worries on some weeds that had begun to overgrow the dying tomato plants.\u00a0 It was only the two of them indoors, two old friends who understood each other more than either cared to admit.<\/p>\n

Frederick turned from the window, a brow arching slightly.\u00a0 \u201cEh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Council meeting.\u00a0 You could come.\u00a0 It\u2019s the flip of a coin whether someone would notice you or not.\u00a0 I imagine some would, but they may say nothing of it.\u201d\u00a0 She straightened and joined him in the bedroom, wandering toward the window to stand alongside of where he stood, leaning on his cane.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s going to be so much going on, Freder.\u00a0 You should come. Whoever was hunting you\u2026they must have stopped by now, right?\u00a0 They think you\u2019re dead, and it\u2019s been so long.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frederick shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cI don\u2019t know, Rachel.\u00a0 Daci thinks if I resurface, then someone will come after me again.\u00a0 I\u2019m not sure what to think.\u00a0 I\u2019m not even sure why they wanted to kill me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rachel shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cIt must\u2019ve been something about Mimir, Freder.\u00a0 What else could it have been?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d he admitted.\u00a0 \u201cBut I\u2019m not entirely sure it had to do with home.\u201d\u00a0 He gave her a rueful smile.\u00a0 \u201cThen again, I\u2019m not entirely certain it didn\u2019t, either.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe never will be,\u201d Rachel said softly.\u00a0 She startled herself with the admission.\u00a0 When did I give up on ever knowing?\u00a0 It must have been when I thought he\u2019d died and took all the secrets with him.\u00a0 Maybe it was after Aidan told me I was being foolish, worrying about the past when I had a future to consider.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I don\u2019t know when it happened.\u00a0 But it did.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, we won\u2019t,\u201d Frederick said.\u00a0 \u201cNot unless they come after me again.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey won\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

He smiled.\u00a0 \u201cYour niece is the Oracle, Rachel.\u00a0 Not you.\u201d<\/p>\n

She smiled back.\u00a0 \u201cThat may be true, Freder, but sometimes I see things just as clearly as she does.\u201d\u00a0 She took his hand and squeezed.\u00a0 \u201cCome with us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDaci will kill me,\u201d he murmured, eyes growing distant as he stared out the window at the trees.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf she does, none of us\u2014or whoever wanted you dead back then\u2014will have anything to worry about where you\u2019re concerned, now will we?\u201d\u00a0 Rachel gave him a cheeky grin and tugged on his hand.\u00a0 \u201cWe just won\u2019t tell anyone who you are.\u00a0 Won\u2019t be like we\u2019re announcing<\/em> your presence!\u00a0 You\u2019ll be there.\u00a0 You\u2019ll see what we\u2019re all going on about, and probably no one will even notice that you\u2019re around, much less know who you are.\u00a0 I doubt they\u2019d make the connection.\u201d\u00a0 It\u2019s been too long and you look different now.\u00a0 None of them <\/em>knew you like we did back home.\u00a0 No one will know.\u00a0 It\u2019ll be fine.\u00a0 You\u2019ll be safe.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Adam needs you, Freder.\u00a0 He\u2019s got plans.\u00a0 I just don\u2019t know what they are yet.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd recognize where the issues and the breakdowns are,\u201d Frederick said.<\/p>\n

\u201cExactly.\u201d\u00a0 Her fingers tightened around his again.\u00a0 \u201cWill you come?\u201d<\/p>\n

He stared out the window for a moment longer before he finally nodded. \u201cYes.\u00a0 I\u2019ll come.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rachel tried to smother a triumphant grin as she squeezed his hand one last time.\u00a0 He shot her a smile that said she\u2019d failed, but it was all right.<\/p>\n

\u201cAdam has plans, doesn\u2019t he?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf he does, he hasn\u2019t told me.\u201d\u00a0 Rachel shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cWe can still keep secrets from each other.\u00a0 Life wouldn\u2019t be any fun otherwise.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frederick laughed and squeezed her hand back.\u00a0 \u201cGive me ten minutes to make myself presentable.\u00a0 Are you going to tell Lindsay, or is this going to be a surprise?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll tell her, but I\u2019m not going to call up there and tell them.\u201d\u00a0 Let them all be surprised to see him.\u00a0 We\u2019ll see how well they cover.<\/em><\/p>\n

The thought must have been loud, because the corners of his mouth twitched upward in a smile.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019ll be interesting to see the look on their faces, but if we don\u2019t tell them, they can\u2019t say no.\u00a0 Better to ask forgiveness than beg permission.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cExactly.\u201d\u00a0 Rachel smiled and let go of his hand.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll be out with Lindsay.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frederick nodded and shooed her out of the room.\u00a0 Buoyed by her apparent victory, Rachel practically skipped all the way out to the garden as if her body weighed nothing at all.<\/p>\n

Lindsay glanced up from the weeding and raised a brow.\u00a0 \u201c\u2026you\u2019re really pleased by something.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI talked Frederick into coming along with us,\u201d Rachel said as she waded between rows of vegetables toward where Lindsay crouched among the fading tomato vines.<\/p>\n

Lindsay\u2019s brow creased.\u00a0 \u201cAre you sure that\u2019s a good idea?\u00a0 What if\u2026Aunt Rachel, what if someone on the Council is some kind of traitor?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rachel\u2019s heart gave a little stutter-step.\u00a0 \u201cLindsay, none of us like D\u2019Arcy, but he wouldn\u2019t betray the Colony.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow can we be sure of that?\u201d she asked softly, sitting back against her heels.\u00a0 \u201cHow can we be sure, Aunt Rachel?\u00a0 We can\u2019t, can we?\u00a0 I don\u2019t trust him, not now.\u00a0 Not after what he did to try to keep us from rescuing my parents and definitely not after he tried to keep us from welcoming Mission Systems.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think he\u2019s got the Colony\u2019s best interests at heart.\u00a0 I really don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust because he doesn\u2019t agree with\u00a0 you doesn\u2019t mean he\u2019s got it out for the Colony.\u00a0 He just has other priorities that are different from ours.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure he\u2019s got his own ides about what would be best.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lindsay grimaced.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d love and hate to hear what they are.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rachel laughed.\u00a0 \u201cMe too.\u00a0 Are you ready for the Council meeting?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t suppose I can skip.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u00a0 You\u2019ve done enough of that.\u00a0 Now\u2019s the time for you to be seen and heard, Lindsay.\u201d\u00a0 Rachel crouched down and looked her in the eye.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019ve got so much more strength in you than anyone I\u2019ve ever known.\u00a0 You don\u2019t have to hide from anyone, not today and not ever again.\u00a0 People are starting to see it in you\u2014that strength you\u2019ve been hoarding all this time.\u00a0 The Council\u2019s starting to sit up and take notice.\u00a0 You\u2019re not the child they thought you were.\u00a0 You\u2019re a grown woman with a strong voice and a good heart.\u00a0 You belong on that Council and the others are finally starting to realize why.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cD\u2019Arcy hates me,\u201d she said, her clear-eyed gaze meeting Rachel\u2019s head-on.\u00a0 \u201cHe thinks I\u2019m a threat.\u00a0 He thinks all of us are a threat.\u00a0 All of us who came from Mimir.\u00a0 He\u2019s afraid of us.\u00a0 He honestly thinks that we\u2019re going to somehow destroy the Colony, Aunt Rachel.\u00a0 How am I supposed to trust that, to believe that he\u2019s got our best interests at heart when he thinks that half the population is going to destroy the Foundation and the dream that\u2019s this place?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rachel\u2019s stomach flipped and she fought to suppress a shiver.\u00a0 I never realized that.\u00a0 Why didn\u2019t I?\u00a0 Did I try not to read it in him?\u00a0 Did I just\u2026ignore any warning flashes?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 You didn\u2019t like him, Rachel.\u00a0 You never did.\u00a0 Could his hate be why?\u00a0 <\/em>Her lips thinned.\u00a0 That could be it.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI guess I understand,\u201d Rachel said quietly as she straightened.\u00a0 \u201cBut we still have to work with him, Lindsay.\u00a0 At least for now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lindsay nodded, wiping her hands on the seat of her pants.\u00a0 \u201cFor now.\u00a0 Until something changes.\u201d<\/p>\n

For a moment, Rachel was deeply tempted to ask her niece about what might change.\u00a0 The sound of the back door opening and Frederick\u2019s footsteps kept the question trapped behind her teeth.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre we ready, then?\u201d he asked as he approached the edge of the garden.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs long as you are,\u201d Rachel said, picking her way out from amongst the rows of green.<\/p>\n

Frederick smiled.\u00a0 \u201cThen we are.\u00a0 Lead on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rachel grinned and headed for the skimmer, leaving the other two to trail in her wake.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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