“Ready to go, Lesh?” Mentia asked, coming in a few seconds later.
Aleshia looked at Susanna who, along with the children’s nurse, was busy fussing with flitter seats. “Yes, there is the last one all strapped in. They love going on flitter rides, but hate getting into their seats. If you’ll grab one of the seats, Ment?”
Mentia came forward and grabbed one of the handles, swinging the seat and making the child inside it ‘ooh’ and giggle. A minute or so later they arrived at the flitter porch and, after some more strapping, had everyone in and the bimetallic silicone roof dome closed. “Hang on!” Mentia said, and the flitter leapt off the porch skyward, and then banked around to the East.
“Daddy called,” Aleshia said, suddenly a bit nervous about how Sussana would take the news, “He says that the governor wants to take us all on a colony tour.”
“What? When??”
“He made it sound as if they want to leave almost immediately, but I doubt it will get organised in under a week.”
“Why would you be going?”
“He seems to think I am Illoia’s best friend or something.”
“Oh, well, I’m sorry I won’t get to Duoala you.”
“Daddy seems to think you should come along.”
“Me! What would Fenest do?”
“I assume that between he, the governor, and Daddy they could find something. Probably something profitable, if I know Daddy.”
Sussana laughed, “Probably. Actually almost certainly. There is a lot of profit to be made in the colonies, and it is hard to get men from here to go on trips, hard but often very, very profitable. There is a woodworking company that I know of that sent one of their men, one of their junior wood science lads, off on a trip to just one little colony, and he came back with his eyes all aglow and dozens of profitable ventures… some new uses for some woods that the colonists thought were nigh useless. But… but do we need to visit ??? then? Won’t you be getting a midwife on board?”
“Daddy thinks we should take her with us. Says there will be plenty of increasing lasses on board and in the colonies.”
“On board??”
“I think he is thinking of commanding a fast merchant and making it into a colony transport… colony transport and yacht combined.”
“And the governor will have to travel with at least a destroyer escort as well,” Sussana mused. Yes, there should be plenty of work for a midwife.”
Aleshia arrived home to chaos. Not in the house proper, but in her rooms. Maids were scurrying all over, most with infants on their backs, and several of those infants crying. “Please!” she said, “Would everyone just sit down for a minute!”
The maids all looked startled, then relieved, then sat down and many of them took their babes off and started nursing. “Now, what is all the fuss?”
“Please, Miss, you weren’t here and the orders came down for us to pack you up for a trip and, well, we didn’t know what we were to pack, and your father sent a message telling us to be ready quickly and, well, things got a bit exciting.”
“I imagine. I’m sorry I wasn’t here. And I’m sorry that we haven’t had much time to work together. Now, packing won’t be difficult. I am a military wife now, and will just need uniforms…”
“But, Miss, you will be traveling with the governor! Won’t you need ball gowns and…?”
“No, you know the fashion always permits a military wife to wear her uniform, to all functions. We will work on the settings, I’m sure you all will have ideas for that. Now what is the next issue?”
“Well, Miss, who will go?”
“That is a difficult question. We will need to take, at least, the children’s aunt, and their wet nurse. Their husbands, Maria you will need to see what their qualifications are and how they will work on the trip. I will take you, Maria, and I know your husband will be useful.”
Maria’s husband was part of her security force, and was also marvelous at logistics. He was off on some trip or something or things wouldn’t have gotten quite this confusing.
Aleshia looked at her ‘new’ maids, the ones that had come from her husbands household. There were only two of them, and she didn’t know them very well. “You two should talk to Maria. We will be gone for at least a year so if you decide not to come you should have no problem getting temporary employment. I don’t know what my personell allowance is, but I imagine I will be able to take you if you and your husband’s would like a colony tour on your resume.”
“Now, the rest of you, the children’s maids, the children will need only uniforms, and a certain minimum of toys, but it shouldn’t take you more than five quiet minutes to arrange that. None of you will need to come. This will be a semi-military trip and we don’t need to be overwhelmed with maids. The aunt and the wet nurse… and myself as I get used to them… will do for the children. If you do want to come, it is a marvelous opportunity, then go over to the governor’s mansion and ask their chief of staff who you should talk to, I won’t take that upon myself. Better yet, have your husbands do it.”
Thank you for reading Von’s Substack. I would love it if you commented! I love hearing from readers, especially critical comments. I would love to start more letter exchanges, so if there’s a subject you’re interested in, get writing and tag me!
Being ‘restacked’ and mentioned in ‘notes’ is very important for lesser-known stacks so… feel free! I’m semi-retired and write as a ministry (and for fun) so you don’t need to feel guilty you aren’t paying for anything, but if you enjoy my writing (even if you dramatically disagree with it), then restack, please! Or mention me in one of your own posts.
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If you get lost, check out my ‘Table of Contents’ which I try to keep up to date.
Von also writes as ‘Arthur Yeomans’. Under that name he writes children’s, YA, and adult fiction from a Christian perspective. His books are published by Wise Path Books and include:
The Bobtails meet the Preacher’s Kid
and
Soon to be coming out is GK Chesterton’s wonderful book, “What’s Wrong with the World”, for which ‘Arthur’ wrote most of the annotations.
Arthur also has a substack, and a website.
Thanks again, God Bless, Soli Deo gloria,
Von