Jethro 8 Snippet 6

 Most likely the last snippet before the book publishes:

Chapter 6

 

Kathy's World

 

Shanti and Lil Red were met at the spaceport by Rah and Lil White. They exchanged cheek rubs and embraces and then went about chasing the men folk who had come to carry the luggage.

"Just our luck Red went shopping," Lil White's husband groused good naturedly. Red pretended to try to kick him but he was out of reach.

"Love you too, sis," he teased mockingly. She shook a fist at him.

"So, which way is Jethro coming?" White asked as she looked at them.

"Ah …"

A bear stepped over the diminutive cat and kept moving. Red shook her head. "Talk about a low bridge."

"You're telling me! That was a kilt too and he needs to wash his undies!" White growled, loud enough for her voice to pitch across the concourse.

The bear turned back and looked at her while other people around him sidled away slightly.

Red snickered. The bear looked ready to argue but he saw Rah in her planetary constable uniform and thought better of it and let the embarrassment drop.

Shanti shook her head at the byplay. "Always taking swings above your weight class I see," she said.

"Always," White agreed with a snort and ear flick. "And quit stalling."

"I wasn't stalling; you changed the subject," Shanti said as they waited for their luggage. "To be honest, I don't know."

"Well, if they did a jump from where they ended up to Nuevo Madrid, they'd shave months off the journey."

"And risk themselves on an unexplored route? I'll wait just fine. I've waited this long," Shanti said with an ear flick. White looked at her searchingly and then nodded once. She reached out and patted her friend with a gentle hand.

"There are two routes. The southern one is fourteen jumps but has two long ones in it. The northern one loops up and back as it dances around Horath." She grimaced at the reminder. "It's two jumps longer but they could move faster. It all depends on who is driving."

"Ah."

"The military wants them back, so they'll figure it out," Red said with an ear flick. "Not that they are getting many of them back anytime soon. Jethro said he's taking a lot of his accumulated time off." She looked up with a wicked grin to Shanti. "I understand they have time to get reacquainted."

"Which means we'll have to make ourselves scarce," White chuffed in amusement.

Shanti's eyes lowered in embarrassment.

"That's okay. We'll figure something out. I have been away for a while; you can show me all the changes. Did they build a theme park yet?"

"No, nothing like on Antigua. But there are ski resorts and other places. Plenty of places to camp and there are carnivals that travel around," White answered as the luggage arrived.

 >>*<<

Shanti found out as they waited for the luggage that they had arrived a week to ten days ahead of Jethro. That was good. It would give her some time to settle in, but it was bad in that she was supposed to report into her job in two weeks from her landing. She’d have little time to spend with him before she had to get back to work. She resented that a little, but it was what it was, there was no changing it now.

The two cats had been woken up from stasis in orbit on the ship and then yawned as they were hustled out to the waiting shuttle. Despite the jostling from the turbulence, Red had curled up and nodded right off again.

There was news on the video screen, one part to get them up to speed and one part to distract them from the ride down. She knew she’d have to absorb it eventually but wasn’t really listening to it with her full attention. She used her implants to check her email … did she get email through the ansible? Probably official correspondence and short messages on occasion from Jethro or the family if they paid for it but anything else had to go by courier or not at all.

When they got to the luggage area, she noted Lil White was wearing a shawl. Red hugged her, nearly knocking her sister over in her exuberance. “What’s with the granny look?” she asked at arm’s length a moment later.

“I am a grandmother. Besides, I’m cold,” White complained as she hugged herself. She was a short-furred cat like her sister so the cold got to her quickly.

Red blinked and then nodded. She looked a little sad though and stroked her sister. White leaned into her, as much for comfort as for additional shared warmth.

They had to wait on the luggage arriving and then sort it out with the other passengers. Once they had everything, they had to haul it out to the curb and then find a way to get it into the van along with themselves.

There was so much luggage that in the end they had to strap some of it to the roof rack. They had to go around the loop to keep from getting a ticket while they went and found rope and straps to buy from the local shop. Shanti almost broke down and tried to find a service to have it all delivered to the house. She hadn’t anticipated the last-minute addition of her FBI wardrobe and gear would become such a complication.

Once the van was loaded, they crammed into the vehicle. White and her husband Brandon sat in the front passenger seat. They rode home and initially admired the sights as the sun set. Rah and Red sat in the back with Shanti as Rah’s mate drove. He willingly brought them through a fast-food drive thru to allow them to get takeout and then continued their journey.

>>*<<