Anka settled his hand over hers. 'I don't think you needed to do that, nodia nodia,' he said, laughing. 'I think they would've figured it out.'

'They would've said I had something stuffed in my shirt!' she said testily. 'They know you didn't kidnap me. They're just trying to wiggle out of the treaty they made!'

Anka glanced at the Congressman questioningly. 'Are there any more questions you'd like ask my woman?'

The congressman looked like someone had s.h.i.t in his mouth. 'I think we're satisfied,' he said tightly, ' on that score. Since Lt. Hunter claims that she left of her own free will, however, there is the little matter of her being AWOL.'

'Not unless someone forged my signature on a new enlistment, Congressman Webb,' Sybil said tightly. 'My tour was up before I left the moon for Venus and I refused to sign up for another tour.'

'I'll look in to that,' he said through gritted teeth. 'You're dismissed for now.'

Sybil turned to look up at Anka. On impulse, she rose to her tiptoes and kissed him full on the mouth. She hadn't actually intended to give him more than a peck, but Anka had other ideas. 'I'll remember to take my hat with me when I go to work in the garden. I wouldn't want them to accuse you of staking me out in the sun.'

Anka shook his head at her, but he smiled.

She turned and waved at the congressman. 'h.e.l.lo everyone back home! Don't worry about me. I love it here. Venus is growing more beautiful every day!'

Anka glanced back at Inge. 'You can cut the feed to the other satellites now.'

The congressman looked blank for several moments and then turned so red Sybil more than half expected him to explode. She turned to the Premier and the other two councilmen. 'I apologize if I embarra.s.sed you. I just had to be sure they couldn't twist this into something it isn't.'

The Premier and both councilmen a.s.sured her that they hadn't minded looking at all, that it was a lovely display of womanhood.

Chapter Seventeen.

Grandmother Lonlea, the elder who seemed determined to adopt her whether she wanted it or not, and Cerek were waiting for her in the corridor near the quarters she'd been sharing with Anka. Grandmother began to fuss immediately that it was late and it would be hot by the time they got to the garden.

'It's always hot, Grandmother,' Sybil said, smiling. 'I had something to take care of.'

'Dis more important,' Grandmother informed her in broken English. 'Today you start learning Sumpturian ways! You work. I teach.'

'Oh joy!' Sybil said wryly.

Grandmother swatted her. 'Respect elder!'

Sybil bit her lip and glanced at Cerek.

'Foul temper,' he mouthed at her.

'I read lips!' Grandmother said, swatting him.

Sybil couldn't honestly decide what she thought of the old woman. She also couldn't figure out why the woman was determined to attach herself, but she learned very quickly to be grateful for it. Not only was she careful to make certain Sybil didn't make any serious blunders in her ignorance of the customs of the Sumpturians, but she was quick and fierce in defending Sybil if she thought anybody slighted her.

She wasn't terribly happy when she discovered she was expected to move in with Grandmother, but she didn't argue. Poor Anka could hardly walk through his quarters after he'd retrieved her belongings from the Emba.s.sy and she knew it had to be miserable for him. Besides, it wasn't as if she'd actually had the chance to get used to sharing his quarters and she had her own s.p.a.ce when she moved in with Grandmother.

In any case, Anka came over almost every night to spend the night with her.

It was more comfortable for both of them, she told herself, and it wasn't as if they spent their days together anyway. Anka was busy on the construction site and she was busy tending the garden-not that there was much to tend. Only about half of the seeds sprouted and of that half, the majority withered shortly after poking little green sprouts from the dirt.

Deciding they were just getting too much sun, she and Cerek built a little tent with a tarp so that they could shade the plants through the hottest part of the day. The few plants that remained perked up, but the stalks grew long and spindly, making it clear they either weren't getting enough water, or nutrients, or both. Either that or there was something in the soil that prevented them from thriving. Only a couple actually produced blooms and most of those simply fell off.

She felt like crying when Anka finally came to check her *experimental' garden. He crouched and studied the plants, frowning.

'They didn't do well, I'm afraid.'

He lifted his brows at her. 'They grew.'

'I guess you could say that,' she said glumly.

Straightening, he patted her cheek and grinned at her. 'You grew plants on Venus that were cultivated for Earth, nodia nodia. You're an amazing woman! Don't give up on me now. We'll have to learn learn how to grow here. It isn't Earth and it isn't Sumptra.' how to grow here. It isn't Earth and it isn't Sumptra.'

Heartened by his praise and his confidence in her, Sybil went back to study the seeds and chose different plants to try. She managed to coax a double handful of undersized vegetables from her third experiment. Fortunately, the greenhouse garden fared much better. While it couldn't be said that it was a huge success, it did produce enough to supply the colonists with a few fresh vegetables at each meal.

The Sumpturians had a festival to celebrate their first harvest. Sybil enjoyed it-all of it except the part where Myune wallowed all over Anka trying to entice him to her bed. If she hadn't looked and felt like a beached whale by that time, Sybil would've had to be restrained from pulling her hair out.

As it was, all she could do was glare daggers at the b.i.t.c.h and sulk. She was slightly appeased when Anka returned to the table and sat down with her-but still miserable. Grandmother had told her in no uncertain terms *no more f.u.c.king till after'-just that bluntly. Worse, she'd also informed Anka. He was allowed to come and stay a while, but not sleep with her and Grandmother made it clear that she was guarding the henhouse. If they got too quiet, she poked her head in the door.

It was enough to drive Anka into Myune's arms, she was sure.

She didn't know why Anka tolerated the tyrant!

So she'd grown rather fond of the old woman! She still didn't appreciate being told when she could have s.e.x, d.a.m.n it! And she certainly didn't appreciate being told she couldn't!

Unfortunately, the d.a.m.ned doctor agreed with her.

When she finally broke down and cried about it, Grandmother scolded her. 'Fool! He no go anywhere.'

'But that b.i.t.c.h, Myune, is just waiting to pounce on him! I see the way she looks at him!'

Grandmother sniffed. 'That one fool, too! Wasting time. Anka your man. He wait.'

Sybil sniffed. 'You really think so?'

'I think you fool! No tease him! He h.o.r.n.y enough!'

Sybil glared at her. 'Well, I'm h.o.r.n.y, too, d.a.m.n it!'

'You want him poking baby in head?'

Sybil uttered a snorting laugh. 'No.'

'Baby no like neither! He come out to see what happen!'

Sybil sobered. If Grandmother was worried about s.e.x putting her into premature labor, she was right to scold. It wasn't as if she had much longer to wait anyway.

Grandmother patted her. 'No worry *bout Anka. No worry. He love you, girl. Tell you all time.'

Sybil felt her heart swell at the first part of Grandmother's speech, but then fresh doubt crept in. 'He's never said he loved me.'

Grandmother rolled her eyes. 'Say all time, nodia nodia. Means beloved.'

'It does?' Sybil asked wonderingly, breathless with the thought that she was telling the truth.

'I told you learn hiutzu hiutzu, girl! Then you know like everybody else!' She snorted in disgust. 'Him tell whole world and you fool, you don't hear! Him build fine house. Big house. Me and you, we move in before baby come.'

Sybil was never more glad to have anything over with in her life-or more exhausted from her labors! The choked wail that cut through the silence that had fallen over the room was the sweetest sound she'd ever heard.

'Is it alright?' she gasped wearily.

'This is a fine fine boy!' Grandmother Lonlea informed her. 'You did a very good job!' boy!' Grandmother Lonlea informed her. 'You did a very good job!'

Sybil laughed with sheer delight. 'It's a boy?'

'Yes-a very fine boy! The ladies will adore him.'

Sybil laughed when the elder waggled her brows salaciously. She lifted her arms hopefully when Grandmother moved away from the foot of the bed with the wiggling bundle. 'First I clean him up!'

Sighing, Sybil dropped her arms, watching anxiously as Grandmother directed the nurse who'd attended her with the doctor. The doctor ma.s.saged her empty belly and appeared to be satisfied. 'Shall I invite your lover in?'

'Yes, please.'

Anka looked like he'd delivered the baby himself when he came in. His complexion was so gray it alarmed her. After glancing toward the two women and the squalling baby, he moved to the bed and dropped to his knees awkwardly, more as if they'd given out than if it was by choice. He caught her hand, squeezing it. 'He's beautiful.'

'You saw him?' Sybil asked eagerly.

He blinked at her. 'I got a glimpse.'

Sybil was a little peeved. She hadn't even gotten a glimpse of him yet! The thought had barely registered, though, when Grandmother brought the baby to the bed and very carefully laid him between her and Anka.

Sybil looked down at the face of her son and fell in love immediately. 'He's adorable! He looks just like his daddy!'

Anka looked disconcerted. He smiled a little uncertainly. 'He does?'

Sybil sent him a look and scooped the baby up, bringing him to her chest. He began to calm down almost instantly, further endearing himself to his proud mother and then began to search her chest a little frantically.

'Oooh! He has a good appet.i.te, that one!' Grandmother exclaimed proudly. 'Give him the breast girl.'

Sybil felt her face heat, but she shifted the baby until she could unearth a breast. 'I sure hope he knows what he'd doing, because I don' He made a snorting sound when he felt the nipple touch his cheek, whipped his head around, and chomped down on it, pulling on it for all he was worth and kneading it with his tiny hands. Sybil winced, turning redder. 'I guess he does.'

Grandmother beamed at them for several moments and then turned and shooed the doctor and his nurse from the room.

Sybil smiled tiredly at Anka when they were alone. 'You look so tired, sweety. Bad day?'

He dragged his attention from the baby and looked up at her. 'I think yours was rougher than mine,' he said wryly. 'I should be asking you that.'

Sybil smiled wanly. 'It wasn't as bad as I expected,' she lied, 'and it was worth it. He's so beautiful!'

His eyes gleamed. 'You think he looks like me?'

'Yes, I do,' she said, chuckling.

Anka folded his arms on the side of the bed after a few minutes, settling his head on them. 'He's strong,' he murmured.

'You're telling me!' Sybil said jokingly, shifting the baby to one arm so that she could stroke Anka's hair.

He closed his eyes. 'I've missed you,' he murmured. 'I got used to having you in my bed.'

'I've missed you, too. I thought you wanted me to stay with Grandmother,' she added tentatively. 'You said it was traditional.'

He sighed irritably. 'It is but I don't have to like it.'

'Then we don't have to do it,' Sybil said pointedly. 'It isn't as if it will change things, you know. I have friends-not many but more than I had before. Myune is the only person here who seems to positively loathe me. So, I still get some nasty looks from time to time. I see a lot more polite smiles-because of you.'

He opened his eyes and looked at her, shaking his head. 'Maybe at first. Maybe they gave you a chance because of me, but they like you and respect you because of you. Do you regret coming to me, nodia nodia?'

She smiled at him lovingly. 'Not even a little bit. Not for a moment. I think you're the most wonderful man ever born and I'm the luckiest woman alive.'

As sleepy as she was, she was sorry when Grandmother came back to remind Anka not to stay long and keep her awake. He leaned over her to kiss her and then hesitated and leaned down to kiss the baby. 'May I come tomorrow?'

She smiled sleepily. 'I love you. You're always welcome to me, Anka.'

Grandmother tsked. 'Improper! Say to him, maybe!'

Sybil opened her eyes and grinned up at Anka. 'Ask me tomorrow when you come.'

Anka grinned at her and let Grandmother push him from the room. She surprised him by stopping him before he could leave. 'Let me see that face!' she demanded.

Sighing, Anka bent down to her level.

She studied his face seriously for several moments and finally patted his cheek. 'Just as I thought! You are hopeless, Anka l'Kartay and so is your woman! Tomorrow, you come and bring all your things. You stay in that room!' she added, pointing.

Anka stared at her in surprise. 'You want me to move in?'