Tesla's Stepdaughters Read online

  That’s when he saw them. Three little boys were being carefully shielded from the push of the crowd by two wary looking women. The boys looked like brothers; five, six, and seven years old, and dressed alike in little short pants, blazers, ties, and caps. Steffie saw them and walked directly over to them. Andrews followed.

  “Hello there,” she said, kneeling down. The youngest boy turned his face into the leg of one of the women, but the other two stared fearlessly at the strange woman. “What’s your names?”

  “That’s Luke and Mark,” said the oldest boy, “and I’m John.”

  “Really? You know, his name is John too.” She pointed at Andrews.

  “The boys are big fans,” said one of the women.

  “Are they coming to the concert?”

  “I don’t think they’re old enough, but we thought it would be all right to come down here and let them see you.”

  “So you like the Ladybugs?” Steffie asked the boys.

  “Yes, and the Lollipops too,” the oldest boy replied.

  She laughed. The Lollypops were a group that had become famous in the wake of the Ladybugs’ success. They had produced one solid hit and then, in the way of so many other groups, had faded into obscurity.

  “I thought Happy Little Daydream was a pretty good song,” she said, naming the only song by The Lollipops that anyone could remember.

  “Me too. It’s my favorite.”

  “Time to go,” said Andrews.

  The other Ladybugs and Agent Wright had moved some distance away as they worked the crowd. He moved Steffie to his left side, away from the throng of people as they walked quickly over to catch up.

  “There are boys here,” she said though tight lips. “God, I miss mine so much.”

  “You talk to him on the phone, don’t you?”

  “Every night, but it’s not the same.”

  “Maybe he could come and visit you on the tour.”

  “I don’t want him anywhere near while there is a threat against us.”

  “I might be able to arrange something. Would you let me check into it?”

  “All right. I really don’t want him to forget me.”

  “He’s not going to forget you. He’s a very lucky boy and I’m sure he knows it. Most boys don’t even have a mother.”

  “Thanks.”

  “This is a side of you I haven’t seen.”

  “Not the usual snotty bitch?” she asked.

  “Precisely.”

  They rejoined the rest of the group and left the line of fans to walk to the airflivvers and climb in. The vehicles started flapping their wings and then shot into the air. Within forty minutes, they had left the massive twin cities metropolitan area and were flying over green valleys, dotted with forests and small lakes. Passing over one long narrow lake, the vehicles swooped down and came to rest on the huge lawn of a very large estate, before an imposing grey stone mansion. This was the Doric House, owned by the world government and used as a retreat for Science Council members and their families.

  “Very nice,” said Piffy, climbing out onto the lawn. “I’ll bet they have a great wine cellar.”

  Doric House did not have a great wine cellar—or a bad wine cellar. The cellar was full of state of the art communications equipment and a staff of technicians to use it. Peace Force soldiers patrolled the grounds. But the rooms were as luxurious as any of the five star hotels the band had stayed in. After a very fine dinner, created by the Doric House chefs, Andrews found himself in his room. Though not as spacious as those the band stayed in, it was more than enough for him—a large bed, a small bath, and a couch. He had just settled in when a knock at the door announced Ruth’s arrival. She was pushing a metal cart. On the cart were two large hot fudge sundaes and a film projector.

  “I didn’t get to provide you with dinner, but at least I brought dessert.”

  “You went out for ice cream?”

  “The chefs fixed it for me.”

  “I know. I was joking.”

  He sat down and took a few bites of his ice cream while she sat up the projector and aimed it at a blank space on the wall. After threading the film through the machine, she hopped over the back of the couch and reclined across his lap.

  “What are we watching?”

  “It’s our first film, Long Day on the Road. It’s all about how the fans are chasing us.”

  “Yes, I’ve seen it. It was a long time ago though.”

  They fed each other hot fudge and watched the black and white movie, Ruth pointing out how different she looked and Andrews pointing out how much she looked the same. Later, he found himself in bed with her, not quite sure how it had happened. They spent the night together engaged in slow, tender love-making that was the kind of encounter that he had always read about, but until now had never experienced. And when he woke up in the morning, he found Ruth lying next to him, her dark skin a stark but beautiful contrast against the white sheets.

  Chapter Ten: The Northwestern Wilderness

  Andrews spent the morning with Ruth. They ate breakfast and then they took a long walk around the Doric House grounds. Just after noon, he and Wright left and flew to Bloomington, Minnesota to go over the security at the Metropolitan Stadium. That evening’s concert went off, like the one two nights before in Atlanta, without any major problems. Afterwards the band returned to Doric House for one more night.

  Having been, for the most part, too busy for dinner, Andrews was just beginning to think about ordering a snack from the kitchen when there was a knock at the door. He opened it, half expecting Ruth with another hot fudge sundae. Instead he found Ep!phanee, still in her costume from the concert.

  “Hey lover, what’s up?”

  “Good evening. I was just thinking of ordering something from the kitchen. Are you hungry?”

  “I could eat.”

  Picking up the house phone and asking for a connection, he ordered sandwiches and hot chocolate.

  “I’ve been looking forward to seeing you,” Piffy said, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her body against his.

  “Really? You didn’t look particularly anxious.”

  “I had to let Ruth have a chance to get to know you. And she did… finally.”

  “Now you’re back with me?”

  “Only for today. Tomorrow, you spend with Penny.”

  “I’ve already been with Penny.”

  “Yes, I know she snuck into your room for a quickie, but you need to spend some time getting to know her. Relationships aren’t just about sex, you know.”

  “Really? So far, that has not been my experience.”

  “You sound a little testy about it,” she said, leaning back and looking him in the face. “Most guys would give anything to be in the position you’re in.”

  “Maybe. I think it’s one of those ‘be careful what you wish for’ situations. I just get to know you. I like you. I want to spend more time with you, but I can’t because I have to be with Ruth. Now I want to spend more time with her and I can’t. I suspected that this type of relationship would be too much for me and I’m finding out that I’m right.”

  “It will get easier once you know all of us and we can work out a schedule.”

  “This just isn’t natural. I think men are wired so that they are in love with one woman at a time.”

  “Well, of course it’s not natural. It’s not natural that men are almost extinct either. But that’s the way it is. We have to make due the best we can with what we have.”

  “Hmm.”

  They spent the remainder of the evening talking about less weighty matters—what life was like in the Virgin Islands, favorite places to visit in Europe, and what the weather was going to be like on the west coast. They spent the night together, and for the first time in his life, Andrews shared a bed with a woman without having sex.

  The next morning Andrews left Piffy sleeping in his bed while he shaved and showered, but she was gone when he came out of the bathroom. He met brie
fly with Wright but there was little to discuss. The entire group was treated to a champagne breakfast. Then it was off to the airport again. The dirigible was fueled and supplied and waiting to go. It lifted off as soon as everyone was aboard, flying directly north.

  Andrews made a quick inspection of the ship after seeing that his few personal possessions had been carefully stowed back in his cabin. He then went to the bridge and watched the crew at work until he was called away to answer a telephone call. It was from Evan Larkin, the man he had met in Bolingbrook. Larkin wanted nothing more than to talk for a few minutes. Andrews let him ramble on for a while and then confirmed that he had heard the news regarding the arrest of his former fiancé.

  “Yes, the poor girl. Elke and Inga are going to see if we can’t get her accepted into a mental health facility.”

  “That would probably be for the best. Well, goodbye Larkin.”

  “If you’re ever in the Chicago area, give me a call. We could have dinner.”

  “Thank you, I will. Goodbye.”

  He started back toward his cabin, but was intercepted along the way by Penny.

  “Hello beautiful,” she said.

  “Hi. How are you?”

  “I’m feeling fine. We’d like you to come back to the port side lounge for a minute. The band has something they want to run by you.”

  She led him to the lounge where the other three Ladybugs were seated, as well as Alexa Rothman. When he stepped in the room, they all looked up and smiled. He sat down on one of the overstuffed couches, as Penny took the spot beside him, tucking her legs up under her.

  “We have something we wanted to share with you,” said Piffy, “before anyone else knows.”

  “Oh?”

  “We have the Asia tour coming up in two months,” explained Alexa. “It should really be called the Asia-Australia tour, since after Singapore; we’re going south to hit Melbourne and then Sydney.”

  “But then we’re going to the enclaves,” Steffie spouted.

  “That’s right,” said Ruth. “After Sydney, we’re going to Tasmania, South Island, and then Cape Horn.”

  “We were going to wait until the South American tour to do the Cape Horn enclave,” continued Alexa, “but we might as well do it at the same time as the others.”

  “That’s very exciting.”

  “They do have large arenas in the enclaves, don’t they?” asked Piffy. “Do they play baseball?”

  “They do have baseball, but most of the largest stadiums are devoted to rugby.”

  “What the hell is that?” asked Penny.

  “It’s sort of like football, except the ball isn’t round, it’s oblong, and you can touch it with your hands.”

  “In any case,” said Alexa. “I’m sending out some women to scout out locations. I doubt we’ll do more than one concert in each enclave, but we’ll see.”

  “I’m sure it will prove very rewarding,” said Andrews. “I don’t think there has ever been a rock concert in any of the enclaves, let alone a Ladybugs concert.”

  “Then we’re going to rock their world,” said Ruth.

  The group dispersed, leaving Penny and Andrews alone.

  “So…” she said.

  “Yes?”

  “We’re supposed to get to know each other.”

  “Yes.”

  “I really don’t see the point. It’s not like we’re going to find many things in common.”

  “You don’t think so?”

  “Well, no. You’re a man and I’m a woman, you’re a Science Police agent and I’m a musician.”

  “Maybe we have other interests in common.”

  “Like what?”

  “Do you like hotdogs?”

  “I prefer hamburgers.”

  He shrugged.

  “That’s just it though. We don’t need to have everything in common to get along. Two people can share time together without needing to do the same thing all the time. If I want to sit around all day reading H. Rider Haggard…”

  “I love H. Rider Haggard.”

  “Really? Which is your favorite?”

  “King Solomon’s Mines.”

  “That’s a good one. I like She. Well, I guess there was bound to be something we both enjoyed.”

  “I suppose,” said Andrews.

  “I’m sure we would both enjoy making out.”

  “Making out what?”

  “Making out… kissing? You do know what kissing is, right?”

  “Of course.”

  Penny moved close to him and then turned so that she was draped across his lap, looking up at him. “We kissed some the other night, just not on the mouth.” Placing her hand on his cheek, she guided his face to hers. He felt his lips pressed against hers and then they were parted by her tongue.

  Andrews suddenly pulled back and looked at her. She stuck out her tongue, revealing a silver ball attached to a stud which pierced the middle of it.

  “Oh…” recognition dawned upon him. “That’s what that was the other night.”

  She pulled him back into the kiss. They remained focused on each other rather than the rolling scenery passing by the lounge window as their mouths and hands explored each other. At last, they took their leave and moved into Penny’s room, where they spent the remainder of the morning.

  A luncheon was served in the dining room and all of the passengers were present, as well as a number of the crew. There was quite a bit of curiosity evident in the discussion at the tables, because it was obvious to most by now that the airship was sailing northward rather than west toward Portland, and no one including the crewmembers present seemed to know the reason for this.

  “May I have your attention, ladies,” said Agent Wright, “and gentleman. As you have evidently noticed, we are taking a rather roundabout route to Portland. We will be taking a long slow arc through the Northwestern Wilderness, and will arrive at our destination in two days. This was part of a security plan that my partner and I came up with.”

  Penny punched Andrews on the arm.

  “After all,” continued Wright. “The Rosalie Morton is at least as comfortable as most four star hotels, so we might as well make use of it.”

  “But what are we going to do with the hotel rooms we’ve already booked?” asked Alexa Rothman.

  “Look at it this way. You’ve already spent the money, and the Ladybugs can afford it, so don’t worry about it.”

  “I think it’s a great idea,” said Ep!phanee. “We should do the same thing after Portland… you know, leave right after the concert. Take a tour over the Pacific.”

  “You can’t,” said Alexa. “You’ve got a photo shoot and an interview.”

  The lunch menu consisted of shrimp salads followed by seared duck breast with spicy orange glaze and Asian greens, with cheesecake for dessert. Penny set aside her cheesecake after only taking a single bite, and then disappeared from the dining room. Fifteen minutes later, she met Andrews as he was leaving.

  “Look what I have here,” she said, holding up two worn paperback books. “You have your choice—Allan and the Ice Gods or She and Allen.”

  “I’ll take the Ice Gods.”

  They took the books and found two lounge chairs on the promenade deck. Turning them so that they were facing towards the expansive windows, they sat down and got comfortable.

  “I’m surprised you’re not reading a female author,” said Andrews.

  “I keep telling you that I like men. Now shut up and let me read.”

  Andrews sat next to Penny and read for about an hour. By that time his food had settled and he was beginning to feel like moving around a bit. That, combined with the fact that he was reading a tale of heroic action, and the nagging feeling that he had not been getting enough exercise, convinced him to go workout. Bidding the redhead goodbye, he went back to his cabin and changed into his gym shorts and tee shirt.

  Just as he was going out the door, he noticed a red envelope sitting on the small desk. Picking it up and opening it
, he found a greeting card, the cover of which simply read “miss you.” Inside was no preprinted message at all, just a large, handwritten letter P. He propped it half open, so that it would stand up by itself and put it back on the desk. It was the first greeting card that he’d ever gotten. He knew what they were of course, but they had largely gone out of fashion in the enclaves. He would have to look around for a card store in Portland.

  The exercise room, or weight room as it was called, on the Rosalie Morton was on the lowest deck in the rear of the ship. A huge window, slanting outward from the floor, looked down on the snowy landscape as it rushed away into the distance. Along the interior walls were racks of free weights, medicine balls, and other equipment. Andrews started out by stretching and then moved on to the barbells. As he worked out, he let his mind go slack and stopped thinking about everything. It was the first time in weeks that his mind felt completely clear. But then as it always did, it drifted to the Spartan room that he grew up in.

  Another huge meal was served at dinner time, but Andrews demurred, instead having a large salad, a fruit plate, and a few small pieces of assorted cheese. He saw neither Penny nor Ep!phanee, but Steffie was across the table. Ruth sat next to him and talked about the last time that she had been in the northwest. He had very little to add to the conversation, which was just as well, for she left little room in which he might insert a comment. Feeling satisfied, but not so stuffed as he had after lunch, he made his way back to his cabin.

  He opened the door and flipped on the light, then stopped dead in his tracks. Penny was spread naked upon his bed. Her feet were tied with nylon stockings to the bottom legs of the bed, so that they were forced open. Her hands were above her head, handcuffed to the headboard. She lifted her head up from the pillow and smiled.

  “About time you got here.”