Part 26
“They stick together like a pack of thieves, covering for each other and lying for each other constantly. They flatly refused to swear a vow of justice on the Truthstone until I forced it on them when they were nine, because I simply couldn’t stand having them constantly lying to me and I was tired of having to interrogate them psionicly all the time.
“They’re willing to do almost anything in the name of ‘just having fun’. They bullied the other children in Homestead and picked fights with the Sylvan. They skipped their lessons and their chores at every opportunity. They’re almost never angry and tend to take everything in stride with a laugh, including any discipline they might be subjected to.
“They haven’t taken part in hardly any of the community military training or exercises, or the ones we did with the Sylvan, because they won’t follow orders and no one else wants to work with them.
“I’ve spent more of my time being angry and arguing than a man should have to face in a millennium. Everyone argues with them, then everyone argues about what to do about them. I spent a lot of my time as forty-five people, one to keep each of them out of trouble, and one to enjoy life and get everything else of a practical nature done.
“Even my relationship with Talia and Alilia has been strained at times.
“We just couldn’t get through to them at all until two years ago, when I told them that we were never, ever going to let them leave Hiliani, even after the time-bubble opened, until they developed some maturity and responsibility. They thought we were bluffing, until I swore to it on the Truthstone. That finally got through to them. At twelve years and three months old, they’re still not nearly as reliable as you are at seven, but at least now they’re trying.
“I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love them all to bits with all my heart, and if there’d been only one of them it probably wouldn’t have been much of a problem. If one of you three had turned out like that it wouldn’t have been any harder than what any parent of a willful and precocious child faces. They’re no worse than some of the kids I grew up with. But with forty-four of them at once, all egging each other on all the time, it’s been a trial.”
He paused for a moment for a sip of tea and a bite of a tart, and Talia smiled and laid her hand on his arm.
“But at the same time…” she gently prompted.
He smiled and swallowed. “At the same time, The love of a child is always a wonderful, wonderful thing, and each of them is a unique and beautiful person. We’ve had an incredible amount of fun with each and every one of them. Despite them often being brats and missing you three so much, Talia and Alilia and I have enjoyed a lot of really beautiful love in the last thirteen years.
shared with the Volunteers is a constant
to love them.” Talia
either that or strangle them from jealousy!” Alilia laughed. “We couldn’t keep them out of our home or out
been all bad.” Mark smiled. “We’ve had a lot of love and
be such incorrigible brats the
world, it reminded me so strongly of what it was like raising you on Hiliani, and the contrast is so striking that
you just needed to vent some frustration.”
agreed with a smile as
they now? Still
with us, but the rest of the Homesteaders, especially Hilsith and her research team, didn’t want to lose any of the three years remaining in
forty-four on a tour around Kellaran. At their request, the first stop is Kraka for a
some time with you to reacquaint and enjoy being with
only three years left to go?” Six asked. “Did the forty-four start to feel constricted
“I’ll let them explain it to you. To be honest, they don’t do a very good job of explaining it to us, but it has to do with you
know, we’ve never been
and you’ve been missing too much sleep lately. You can cover for it with Alertness spells and whatnot, but it’s not good
with us. I’m really looking forward to cuddling with you all for the rest
agreed, and was caught by