Tomorrow’s Heritage (14 page)

“We’ve got an afternoon,” Todd said abruptly. “Let’s forget everything for a while. Want to swim?”

Dian was agreeable. They hadn’t brought swim gear, but hadn’t needed to. Everything was supplied; all they had to do was take the private elevator down to the cabana. Todd carried the case along, reluctant to leave it in the room, even though he knew the staff was completely trustworthy.

The cabana, Dian commented, was fancier than all the places she had called home when she was a kid, and warmer than most of them. The little shelter was fully automated, offering remote control to deploy giant umbrellas farther down the beach, summon lifeguards, dispense cold drinks and snacks, or inflate a liquid-filled basking mattress under a tanning canopy. A high fence separated them from other cabanas and sections of the beach surrounding the house.

No one intruded. No one paged them on the com or knocked at the fence gate. Dian reveled in the luxurious isolation. Geosynch, ComLink’s planetside offices, and company-supplied apartments—all came with a necessary amount of elbows-in-the-ribs contact with other people. Population growth was still matching the worldwide losses fairly well, and humanity tended to bunch up in certain convenient locations where they had to live in one another’s pockets, Enough wealth, however, could still buy that precious commodity—room. Saunderhome was a mere dot among Earth’s national communities. But it was special. Untouched by war or pandemics or other devastations, Saunderhome combined mankind’s most up-to-date equipment with unspoiled natural beauty. Here, on this island, the frenzied pace of life in 2040 couldn’t touch Todd and Dian.

They swam, splashing and frisking like kids, beach sand clinging to their wet skin. It was easy to forget there were glaciers and political upheaval and a thousand other worries. Free to do as they wished, they became children for a while, children with adult desires, Laughing, they sought the shade of the tanning canopy, their bodies still glowing after the exertion of the swim. The floor was a floating cushion, lulling the tired swimmer, or encouraging lovemaking. They tried both, in reverse order. Teasing laughter and sexual intensity mingled. Dian compared the sensations to sex in null grav and declared it a tie, Todd agreed, his mouth and hands busy.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he thought that he had done this before. Many times. This setting, these sensations, though not recently. There had been days and nights of such sensual pleasure. A woman he had met as a result of ComLink’s media outlets, a casual acquaintance made at a shuttle terminal or in business dealings. When he was much younger, the woman was likely to have been one of the staff at Saunderhome. He had always made matters plain. No strings, and the women had felt the same way. Pat had gotten himself into some sticky messes when the arrangement wasn’t mutual. But for once, the second son had lucked out. No strings . . .

This was different, Todd floated away in a daydream of contentment, the filtered Sun gently warming his face as it sifted through the canopy.

A persistent engine noise woke him sometime later. He listened, deciding the sound was a flier circling Saunderhome, lining up for a landing, as he had earlier. Curiosity satisfied, Todd closed his eyes and blanked his mind, shutting out the distant thrumming noise, letting the mellow sensations bear him away once more.

He was unsure how long he had been catnapping. He woke without opening his eyes, aware of a third presence close by. No instinctive alarms went off. Instead, be felt a comforting familiarity. What had waked him? A sound half heard? Perhaps it was a scent, though he wasn’t conscious of any odor which hadn’t been there when he dozed off.

His thoughts drifted. Did the species which made the alien vehicle have
Homo sapiens’
five senses? Or did they learn about the universe in other ways? Everything now seemed to pull his mind toward speculation about the aliens.

“Come on, kid. I know you’re in there. Wake up.” Sand showered over Todd’s bare feet in a gritty rain. Sandaled toes scratched his legs. He jerked away and rolled over, looking up. Pat stood arms akimbo. He wasn’t alone; four bodyguards lounged near the fence, discreetly looking elsewhere, trying to blend in with the scenery. Pat was wearing trunks and a shirt, unfastened, protecting his back against sunburn. Sunlight shot red glints through his black hair. “Count on you to loll on the beach with a beautiful woman when you should be tending chores.”

“Have a heart. I’m on vacation. I’m entitled, bully boy,” Todd said. He stood up, teetering unsteadily on the liquid-filled mattress. Dian woke and propped herself on one elbow, watching them.

Pat bowed like a courtier. “Hello, Dr. Foix. You are indeed entitled. But this lazy kid here. . .” The tone grew challenging. Pat had shucked out of his politician’s guise along with his natty clothes.

Without warning, he launched himself, tackling Todd around the waist. They rolled out onto the beach, making a noisy show of pummeling each other. Todd yelped as the hot sand contacted his naked buttocks, and he struggled to get on top of the impromptu wrestling match.

A hard punch, slammed into his midriff and another clipped his jaw, making his vision spin. Todd quit the act, bringing up his arms to pick off the blows, going under them and striking back.

“Hey!” he shouted, then jerked aside as Pat threw another wild jab that slid past his ear. He countered with a fist that connected, making Pat grunt from the force. Hastily, Todd wriggled out of reach and jumped to his feet. The bodyguards were watching, expressionless, not about to interfere.

The sand burned his soles as he leaned forward, arms out in defensive posture, not knowing what to expect. Pat sat on the sand, massaging his stomach, squinting at him. “You look pretty damned stupid, kid, standing there mother naked like that.”

“What the hell is going on?” Todd demanded. Warily, he straightened up, backing away to the shade of the canopy. He hopped around awkwardly as he pulled on his trunks and sandals. Pat was making no effort to move. But Todd was sure he hadn’t hurt him with those punches. They had traded plenty far worse than that when they were both younger and less inclined to pull punches.

Dian gathered the towel around herself. She was no prude, but she wasn’t yet exactly on family-circle terms with Pat and obviously was taking this situation carefully.

Pat dropped his head back, shutting his eyes and basking in the hot Sun for a long minute. Then he took a deep breath, pulled himself up, and walked toward the cabana. “Want to try it again? Best two fails out of three?”

Todd grimaced. “I just got back from three weeks in orbit. I don’t feel much like playing pushover for you.”

Pat spread his arms wide, his shirt snapping in the sea breeze. His expression was taunting. “Come on. I’ll take it easy on you.”

This time Todd gave no warning. He charged head down, carrying them both down the beach. It was almost a genuine test of strength for a bit. They wrestled halfheartedly, neither one landing any real blows. The sand was too hot for such roughhousing. By mutual consent, still grappling and straining for breath, they staggered toward the canopy and collapsed. Dian regarded them scornfully. She reminded Todd of a sleek brown cat contemplating a pair of rowdy puppies. The bodyguards merely looked bored.

Pat started laughing, holding his belly, lying full length on the mattress. Then he shook off the mood and stood up, kicking out of his sandals and peeling off his shirt. He threw several mock punches at Todd’s biceps, dancing like a fighter in training. “Reef and back. I’ll give you a head start, you poor weakling. Three seconds?”

“If Dian plays ref.”

“For what?” Dian asked innocently. Then she called, “Go!”

Todd’s sandals flew off as he ran. He hoped the med grays would compensate for this energy expenditure. It was much too soon after leaving orbit to be trying such nonsense.

He was counting, hearing Dian say, “Go!” once more. The sand’s heat made him run at top speed. The water looked cool and inviting. He could hear Pat close behind him, panting, trying to catch up. They splashed out into the waves and dived into the deeper water.

Todd reached out in long, steady strokes. Here he had an advantage. The water buoyed him, imitating free fall. He sliced through the slow current and swam strongly for the turnpoint they had used as kids, an area of reef topped by a gnarly rock. Smoothly, Todd ducked, somersaulting, feet braced against the surface, shoving himself hard along the return track.

Plasticrete under his toes, not coral. He remembered why the artificial liner had been put there. Mari was the fastest swimmer of the three of them, and she had overdone it once. Pat had tried desperately to overtake her and had skinned himself thoroughly. Ward had dreamed up the plasticrete sponging to prevent future bloody accidents.

“. . .
you’re mortal, you know. Just because you kids are Saunders, don’t think you can’t be hurt
. . .”

Reaching, the water curling past his arms, body, and legs. Everything in tune. Legs scissoring, cupped hands moving the water, forcing it back. Action, reaction, the first law of getting where he wanted to in space.

I was learning the trick then. So was Mari. You’re the only one who never made further use of it, Pat . . . How much you’re missing, big brother! There’s absolutely nothing like it on Earth.

The beach, and Dian, were ahead. The finish line. Todd touched bottom and slogged on his hands and knees, coming erect, climbing out of the water. Noisy splashing and panting at his side. Pat, trying to win. Todd’s heart was thundering, but he extended his stride, overcoming the wrench of gravity and the sudden weight in his limbs. Running across the hot beach, falling into the shade, touching Dian’s outstretched hand, attaining the goal. Beside him, simultaneously, Pat touched her other hand.

The two of them lay there wheezing and coughing. Dian had slipped into her suit while they had been racing. She looked down at them, still smiling scornfully. Pat finally recovered enough breath to say, “Well?”

“It was a tie.”

“
What?
” Rebellion flared in Pat’s sharp face. There were far darker shadows on his emotions than those cast by the canopy. The potential fury chained up inside him was awesome.

Todd looked over at him, glad he had won the little Contest, yet knowing Pat’s anger in defeat. It
was
a defeat. Pat’s standards for himself were higher than anyone else could ever set for him. He had never been satisfied. No praise had ever quite fulfilled him and that demon in his being.

“Are you sure?” he asked, under control now, sounding rueful.

“I’m sure. It was a dead heat,” Dian stated.

“Appropriate phrase for today.” Pat shrugged as if the outcome hadn’t mattered. It shouldn’t have. But it did.

Todd knew acceptance wouldn’t go down easy. He slapped Pat’s gut playfully. “You’re out of shape. Next time, you’d better not give me as big a handicap. Too much wining and dining on the political trail. Tell you what. Give us both a few days to tune up, and I’ll give you a rematch. Bargain?”

Self-consciously, Pat sucked in his stomach, even though there was no visible fat there. He smiled. Not his political smile, intended to mesmerize voters. This smile was open, nothing hidden. His family grin, Todd called it. It was Pat at his best, and that was pretty damned good.

“Bargain! Next time I’ll leave you out there like a beached dolphin.”

“Not a chance.”

They flung arms around each other’s shoulders, laughing. Dian’s tiny nose wrinkled with distaste. “I don’t know about beached dolphins, but the two of you sure smell like beached fish.”

They took the hint, wiping off the grit and sea smells with towels. Pat talked as he cleaned up. “Saw your plane at the hangar. The room monitor said you weren’t in, so I figured you were probably down here. Hope you don’t mind my dropping by to give you a hearty hello.” Dropping by, with bodyguards in tow?

“Mind? Of course not. Though it might have been a trifle too cozy if you’d come by a half hour ago,” Todd added.

Dian kicked his ankle, and he pretended agony.

Pat seemed unabashed. “Three make a very exciting party. But that never was your speed, kid. Guess I timed this right. I had to check in with ‘Rissa first, anyway. Haven’t seen Mari yet. Jael indicated she was kind of edgy.” His face tightened again, but the cause of his anger was a long way off. “I hear you almost got it in a riot at Orleans. That’s exactly the sort of irresponsible sub-national leadership we need to eliminate. LeBras never could keep order in his district. But when it threatens our family . . .”

“That’s not what’s bugging Mari,” Todd said.

Careful. Don’t attract the sharks until you know you can fight them off.

“It’s . . . it’s a lot of things. Just take it slow with her, give her time to adjust. She’s out of touch with the way things are planetside. Please? “You know how she is.”

Pat listened intently. “I know that guy she’s living with ought to belt her a good one now and then.” Pat’s mocking tone only partially relieved the tension caused by that suggestion. Then he brightened. “I like that big fanatic. Met him at a P.O.E. funding session a couple of years ago when he was on leave. He’s a hardheaded son of a bitch, just as bad as Mari. But there’s no malice in him.”

“There’s none in Mari, either.” Pat eyed his brother, on guard, expecting a lecture. Instead Todd said, “McKelvey couldn’t make it.”

“Hmm. Busy being governor now, eh? Little military coup in the making up there? Well, maybe . . . hell, I don’t know. The one thing I don’t want to do this trip is talk politics. If I start, slug me. I sympathize with McKelvey’s problems; I barely managed to get away to Saunderhome myself this week.”

“Couldn’t miss the anniversary . . .”

“Nope! And this year we’re all together again. This is going to be the turnaround for us, kid. I just know it.” Pat said, working up his enthusiasm. “We’ve moved apart.”

“Remember, take it slow with Mari.”

“I will!” Pat picked up his shirt and started toward the elevator to the house. “I’ll see you kids later. Stay cool. And next time, Todd, I’ll beat you!” Silently, the body. guards followed him, shadow people.

“Do you guys do that sort of thing often?” Dian asked wryly, after he had gone.

“You mean the roughhousing? We used to—a lot. He got a little carried away there for a bit,” Todd said, frowning.

“I noticed. I thought I was going to have to yell for help to pull you apart. I’m used to that sort of thing ending up with one guy at the medics’, or dead.”

Todd winced at the grim reference. “Just horseplay. Pat’s one of those poor inhibited types. Can’t shuck it off with his aides and party workers. He needs a chance to blow off some of the tension. I happened to be handy. Better me than a stranger.”

Dian stopped his explanations. “Hey, it was sort of crazy to watch. Very exotic. Sibling rivalry and all. Being an only, it all seems unreal.”

“You and a lot of the world. Three kids? In a time period when onlies were the rule? We took a megaton of flak about overconsuming and wasting resources and how our parents could have done something so obscene as to have three of us. I guess that made us clannish.”

Dian pulled him down beside her, kissing him. “Don’t apologize. I like the results.” They traded volumes of understanding with their eyes. “Besides, it’s good practice for me, learning to cope with your planetside exotic types—gets me in training for
real
aliens.” He silenced her with another kiss.