Alliance: Book Three of The Channel Riders

Chapter 1

Elena fought hard to maintain a stoic calm as she looked around the table. She hoped her polite smile had not hardened into a grimace as she looked at Therese's scowl.

'Her expression is identical to Aunt Elizabeth's, ' Elena thought glancing from Therese to her mother. She was unsurprised by the reaction, but it did make the family solidarity her grandfather craved seem like a distant dream. Beside her, Alexandro was practically beaming as he told the gathered family of Elena's new venture. He was standing behind his empty plate for the announcement, a sign Elena took to mean the dinner was mostly over. She found great relief in that fact.

"And this new enterprise will benefit us all, " her grandfather said. "It not only opens an entirely new trade route, but will help formerly afflicted pilots regain their status and therefore increase the productivity of the Guild." Alexandro glanced down at Elena and smiled. She returned the smile automatically. "It is good to know that the future of the family is assured." Elena looked away wincing. Therese and Elizabeth deepened their matching scowls.

Inwardly, Elena sighed. Elizabeth always viewed herself as her father's natural successor, with Therese following behind as the heir apparent. Neither woman was likely to look too kindly on Alexandro's looking to her. Elena looked left where she could see her Aunt Catherine rolling her eyes at her sister and niece's behavior. Elena smiled and looked away before the amusement showed too much. Next to Catherine was her husband Tomas. Tomas, as was usual when the Calabrese family gathered, was paying more attention to his plate than the family politics; a fact Elena had always considered a sign of superior wisdom.

'Uncle Tomas would be a lot happier left on his ship with take-out, ' Elena thought. She knew her grandfather thought him weak and he and Catherine fought over her choice of husband. Elena mentally shrugged. Her uncle stayed out of politics and let Alexandro run things. She knew he loved her Aunt fiercely though and Elena thought he had to have a great deal of inner strength to weather Alexandro's attempts to get rid of him. Her grandfather was not an easy man to ignore. She was also fairly sure her grandfather knew that as well. Elena let her eyes move around the circle as Alexandro resumed his seat and ordered the coffee course to be served. To her uncle's right sat Nate and his fiancé.

'Truth be told Nate would rather follow his father in the ways of politics, ' Elena thought. She could easily see them splitting an order of sweet and sour pork shipboard while the rest of the family gathered. Elena had yet to make up her mind about where Nate's future wife stood. Elena shrugged and thanked the waiter who set the coffee cup in front of her.

'I really wish Mateo was here, ' she thought stirring in cream and sugar into her coffee. Her cousin would have come up with some way to mock Therese and break up the building tension at the table, even if it did irk their grandfather. Mateo, however, was quite far away at the moment. He was heading up the research team on the new planet.

'No, ' Elena mentally corrected herself. 'Planet RJ457.' Elena shifted in her seat and felt the council papers crinkle with the movement. Three hours earlier when the Council gave her trading rights on the newly opened planet they named it as well for the official records. Personally, she thought it was a bit of an industrial name to give a planet, but as she wasn't quite sure how one went about naming a planet she kept her opinion to herself.

The new channel she opened with the abilities the Calling gave her also gotten an official name. Tradition held that all channels were named after the first pilot known to sail through them. It was thought to be a reward for bravery since that pilot was essentially sailing into the unknown so that later pilots would enjoy a greater safety. Elena supposed it was a complement, but having a channel named after her didn't make her feel brave, it just made punch lines to bad jokes circle in the back of her head. She had the feeling she would not be comfortable with it for a long time.

'If ever, ' she thought. Elena smiled and put down her coffee cup to thank the latest round of people to walk up to the table to offer congratulations. 'Word travels fast, ' she thought. She had the feeling that her grandfather helped that word spread, but he was looking so pleased that she didn't have the heart to deflate him with accusatory questions.

"Besides, " she thought stealing another glance at her cousin Therese, "It is nice to have someone proud of me." Thankfully dinner was winding to a close and Elena was able to escape. Once out of Grazos she sighed with relief. The relief however was short lived. She may have escaped her Aunt and cousin's matching scowls, but the trip back to her rooms was anything but quiet.

Her footsteps took her through the market place where merchants called out to her, not with the sales pitch for whatever they were selling, but with thoughts of partnerships for whatever goods her new trade routes brought. Some sought to buy merchandise crafted by her artisans, others were looking for raw materials. She kept a polite smile on her face giving all of them the same line.

"Research has just begun. When more information is gathered my House will determine what path to take. Until then I can't make any trade agreements." She repeated the sentiment many times before breaking free. Usually it was followed with an agreement for consideration, should her trade take a turn in the merchant or manufacturer's direction. She thought about her erstwhile partner in the venture and wondered how she was faring.

'Somehow I can't see anyone calling out to Council member Inoue Riko like that.' Elena's smile became a bit more genuine as the thought played out in her head. She pictured the sharp eyed, china doll looking councilor in her head and played merchant's requests, substituting Riko's name. All of the calls died under the imagined gaze of the elder councilor.

'I may be popular at the moment, but I am nowhere near as scary as Riko, ' Elena thought. 'Of course I wouldn't really want to be. Nor would I want to do the types of things she did to be that scary.' While tales of Peter Baranov, her partner in business, were harsh and bloody, earning him the well-deserved name Black Pete, there was a sort of swift justice about the stories.

A man who stole from Peter had the tendons in his thumbs sliced. A spy in the family had his eyes plucked out. It was brutal and nasty and gave Elena the cold shivers when she thought too much about it, but it at least had some sort of logic to it, even if it wasn't one she particularly liked. People only crossed Peter once. Riko was someone people only crossed once as well.

"Although personally I don't know anyone stupid enough to even try that once, " Elena muttered under her breath. Riko was known to be vindictive if crossed, but unlike Peter, she tended towards the cat and mouse variety of retribution. Punishment could last a long time with Riko. She had the feeling that while Peter simply did what was needed, Riko did what she enjoyed.

'And I get to work with them both, ' Elena thought smiling politely to those she passed and thanking them as they offered congratulations. 'I am obviously insane. Maybe I'll at least get to figure out why they hate each other.' Through various interactions with them she learned they had some animosity between them and at the moment her greatest ambition was to not be the bone they fought over in their constant wrangling.

Once through the market and into the corridors, things quieted down a bit and Elena was able to breathe a little more freely. The warm buttery light of the inset corridor lights was somewhat soothing after the bright lights and multi-colored hues of the market square.

"Three hours, " she muttered to herself as she moved. She rubbed her neck hoping to release some of the tension. A little more than three hours had passed and already things were getting crazy. She knew it was part and parcel of being the Head of a House. She was no longer just a pilot who made the trade runs and outran the Matrovean raiders. She had to be the one making the deals for trade. Finding merchant's to carry the wares her House created and finding manufacturers to turn the raw materials her people came across into finished products was now part of her job description. Elena shook her head as she walked.

"My artisans, " she muttered to herself incredulously. So far the planet only yielded possibilities not actualities. She knew however that the bulk of what was found would probably not make its way back to Earth. It would probably stay in the interstellar trade.

"That means I had better get used to this sort of thing, " she told herself. She frowned. "I'd rather deal with the Matroveans."

"Surely it can't be that bad, " a gently chiding voice responded. Elena looked up to find an amused Evan Greggs smiling at her. The gray haired man with deep wrinkles bracketing his eyes was wearing a shirt emblazoned with the official crest of the Librarians. They were viewed not only as a House unto themselves, but were the only House whose power rivaled that of the united Council. Not that the Council was ever really united on anything. Elena smiled.

'And I get to work with them too.' She thought. It was scary in a different way from Riko and Peter. Working with the councilors was scary in a tightrope way; Working with the Librarians was more like dealing with a force of nature. She had a brief flash of herself trying to wrangle a tornado, but let the image disintegrate before it took hold.

"Senior Librarian Greggs, how lovely to see you this evening." Elena replied formally. She agreed to work with the Librarians as a means of establishing some sort of check on Riko, a fact Evan Greggs found amusing, but it was still a partnership that made her a little tense.

"Captain Calabrese, " Evan replied in the same polite tone she used. "I was wondering if I might have a word."

"Of course sir, " Elena replied. "My quarters are not far, if that would suit." She suggested knowing that even though traffic in this corridor was light at this time of evening he would not wish to speak in public.

"That would be lovely, " he said. The senior librarian fell into step beside Elena and they continued towards her quarters, albeit at a statelier pace then she had been walking alone. She noticed however that people tended to shift out of their way with a differential air and no one called out to her. Even friends she had known most of her life simply nodded and moved past.

Elena couldn't blame them. The Librarians tended to keep to themselves unless their knowledge was needed to settle some dispute or another. Even then they would leave their quarters, pronounce judgment and then leave again. Their judgment was usually the final word. You could always argue with the Council and conduct political wrangling to get a better deal.

No one argued with the Librarians. While they maintained a digital library on the Docking Facility the bulk of their archives were kept on a fleet of ships large enough to dwarf any channel rider. They circled the various galaxies the channel riders encountered, gathering knowledge. Elena liked to think of them as sharks, always circling, never stopping.

'Of course now they may be stopping, ' she thought as they walked. If all worked well, the Librarians would establish a permanent base for their knowledge. Even though she was a part of it, she still found the concept hard to grasp. The fact that Evan Greggs, Senior Librarian and her contact with their House, looked a lot like someone's venerable old grandfather dulled some of the fear his House brought.

'Which is probably why they chose him to deal with me, ' Elena thought. She may have hated politics, but she was getting better at recognizing its benefits.

"So the merchants are worse than the Matrovean?" Evan asked.

"Not worse exactly, just different. And I am more accustomed to dealing with the Matrovean."

"Dealing with them or outmaneuvering them?"

"Outmaneuvering them, " Elena confirmed with a smile. She looked over to him. "Are there people that deal with them?"

"One would assume so, otherwise what would they do with all of the goods they gather while raiding?"

"Huh, " Elena said. "I hadn't really thought of that."

"Few do."

"So who do they deal with?"

"That is the question isn't it?"

"You don't know?"

"There are some things that the Librarians have yet to figure out."

"Don't worry, " she said. "I won't tell anyone." Evan chuckled to himself.

At the door to her quarters Elena pulled the electronic key from her pocket. It looked a little like a flash drive. In fact it was designed so that someone could plug it into a computer if they wanted to. Of course the disk would read full and the one file it looked like it contained would not be able to be either opened or deleted, but the camouflage would hold, or had so far. On contact the door slid open.

Elena stood to the side, allowing Evan to enter first. They stepped into the central area of her quarters. Since much of the business of the Guild was conducted through personal connections, all of the Heads of Houses had suites containing a semi-public meeting room complete with a small kitchenette. Her personal quarters were further back, along with the other available quarters for her family. At the moment the only other room occupied in her wing had been for Mateo, and even that had only been used twice.

"May I get you something to drink?" Elena asked as the door slid shut behind them. "I have tea, coffee and water."

"This deep into the season I am amazed to be offered options, " Evan said with a laugh. "Water would be fine."

"In all fairness, I only have about four tea bags and one pot's worth of grounds left, " Elena said with a smile. She took the pitcher of water from the small fridge and poured two glasses.

"This is your last trip to the Docking Facility this season then?" Evan asked politely.

"It is, " she replied walking back towards the seating area. She handed Evan his glass and they both took seats.

"I figured as much. You will be heading out soon?"

"In the morning. I need to pick up the team I left on planet and make it through the Marta before the Channel closes for the season."

"That will be close to season's end won't it?"

"Yes, " Elena replied. "It gives us about a week before the season shallows out the Marta beyond use." Evan nodded and sipped his water.

"And during the off season? You will be earthside?"

"Yes, there is a lot to do earthside. It should be a very busy off season. The team has collected various samples and they will spend the off-season studying and planning."

"As will we, " Evan said. He took a long draw of water. "The measurements you gave us of the exteriors of the four main buildings in the cross roads will be enough to get started with our plans. We will of course need more details of the interiors." He tapped his forehead. "The brief glance I managed, while helpful, will need to be augmented by our architects. After we gather as much information about the building's prior existence as possible, of course."

"Of course, " Elena agreed with a smile. "One of the people heading up my team is an archaeologist, and while Kiera does tend to concentrate more on plants, she should be able to assist in that capacity."

"Really?" Evan said. His eyes were sparkling with amusement. Elena sighed.

"And of course you have your own archaeologists, " she said. "My apologies. But she will be reviewing the data over the off season and have a preliminary report to your people before the first ships go through the channel."

"A distinct help, " Evan said, smiling. "And it is good that you have your own archaeologist. Very rare in a commercial enterprise of this nature."

Elena laughed. "How many commercial enterprises of this nature have you been involved in?" she asked.

"Well none actually, " Evan confessed. "It is a rather unique experience. But many of the Guild favor a 'commerce at the expense of anything else' approach to their ventures."

"True, " Elena conceded, thinking of Riko.

"Speaking of which, have you done much thinking about Councilmember Inoue Riko's participation in this venture of yours?" Evan said, echoing Elena's thoughts.

"I have, " she answered. "And I have no desire to let her pillage a planet just because she thinks she can."

"A bold statement, " Evan said.

"And a scary one to make, " Elena confessed. "I spoke to her about the dense growth hardwoods found in many of the areas we have investigated. I know that we are going to have to clear some out around the habitation areas and we will be doing so in such a way as to make the lumber usable. Once that is used up we will then look at more sustainable harvesting with the areas cleared being replanted."

"You got her to agree to this?" Evan said with a surprised look on his face. Elena nodded, it was an accomplishment of which she was quite proud.

"I pointed out that not taking care of the forests that produce wood that could be used to create channel riders caused part of the current shortage we are facing earthside. I also pointed out that the more ships built, over time would dramatically increase her profits, but that quickly built ships, no matter how well made, would flood the market and drop the price." Elena paused and took a sip of water. "I may also have played into her vanity of being the one to ensure that future generations would have channel riding ships, " She confessed. Evan snickered.

"Profit and the eternal thanks of future Guild members. That, I could see working."

"Besides, " Elena added. "I think she is also a bit scared of the Librarians and I know that she knows you will be interested in the history of the place."

"This is true, " Evan said. "Although I'm sure scared is not the appropriate name for the emotion our dear councilor feels." Elena looked at Evan and realized the older man didn't much care for Riko. She wondered if it was personal or just a general dislike for the way she conducted business.

'Either way it doesn't have nearly the amount of heat Peter's dislike of Riko has, ' she thought.

"May I ask you a question?" Evan asked. "One I have no right to ask of course and I will take no exception should you refuse to answer."

"Well in that case, you can ask but I do reserve the right not to answer."

"Fair enough. What exactly are you getting out of the deal with Riko?"

"Honestly?" she asked. Evan nodded.

"After I started the business with my grandfather and Peter, Riko became interested in working with me. She has a way of showing disappointment that I don't care for and at the time I didn't really think the venture would become something profitable enough for her to want to get involved. I thought it was just a way to deal with the Calling. You know, treating it like an ability rather than a disease."

Evan nodded at the statement. For generations the Calling was viewed as a disease that struck the strongest pilots, grounding them for the safety of others. It was an embarrassment and viewed as a personal shame to have contracted it. Elena was grounded with it and found that it wasn't a disease at all, but an evolution in ability allowing her to open new channels instead of just riding the existing ones. It was through this ability that planet RJ457 was found and opened for trade.

"Well, " Elena continued. "I realized not only would Riko be after my hide if she was not allowed to be involved, but that I might need the extra help with the Council."

"Oh, " Evan asked. "And why is that?" His voice was tilted just a little too much towards the innocent side to be believable. She tilted her head and frowned at Evan. He shrugged.

"One can guess, " he said, dropping the innocent act. "That if you have developed these skills other pilots grounded by the Calling have the potential to do so as well."

"Exactly, " Elena said. "It could end up shifting the trade."

"Especially if the new routes can avoid raiders such as the Matrovean."

"That would be a benefit."

"And as many of the grounded pilots have joined your House in an effort to learn to control the Calling, your House will dominate the new trade routes. Especially in the beginning, setting precedent and in a large part determining the future of the Guild." Elena frowned at Evan's words.

"I'm hoping it will take the Council a little while to think that through, " Elena replied. The uneasiness in her stomach was a nearly constant presence at this point and she ignored it as well as she could. "And trade wasn't the reason they left their houses."

"I know, " Evan said solemnly. "Once grounded, a pilot is of little use to the Guild. The Guild has a long history of only treasuring what is useful."

"Exactly, " Elena said. "And I now have business ventures with three of the seven councilors."

"Which will help you not only in trade, but in protection, should they realize you have now surpassed your mother's qualifications." Elena swallowed hard and frowned at Evan.

"I'm hoping they won't think of that, " she said. Fear danced in her belly mingling with the general unease in a demented tango that made her nauseous. Three days after her mother was pronounced eligible for a Council seat; the first seat ever to be held by a pilot born of the Americas, both of her parents died in a rather suspicious accident. Being thought of in that light was not a healthy prospect. "I'm also hoping if they do think of that then the fact that despite my strengths I still seek some Council protection may help me."

"It may." Elena could tell from Evan's tone that he didn't think it likely. They drank their water in silence for a few moments.

"I also get a discount on ships for the pilots of my House, " Elena told him. "That was the concrete part of the deal."

"Ah, I had wondered what went down on paper." He said with a smile. He finished his water and set the empty glass down on one of the coasters thrown randomly about on the coffee table. He reached into a vest pocket and pulled out a flash drive. He held it out to Elena who took it.

"That has the details of what we are planning and looking towards. If you could keep that in mind as you work with the raw data it would be appreciated."

"Of course, " Elena said. Evan stood and she followed suit, following him as he walked towards the door.

"Thank you for the conversation and the honesty of it as well, " he said as the door slid open. "I will see you when the seasons once again open the channels."

"Good journey, " she said in parting.

"Good journey, " he replied, turned and began walking down the corridor towards the Librarian's hall. Elena let the door slide closed and looked at the flash drive in her hand. She wondered about the wisdom of being so honest with the senior librarian.

"No hope for it now, " she said to herself. "What's done is done."

Chapter 2

Elena's sleep was deep and mercifully dreamless, a rarity she treasured. In the morning, she packed the few things she would need to take back earthside for the season and prepared to leave. The channels leading to and from the Earth were only deep enough to allow passage for the channel riders from the end of January to the middle of June. Without paying attention a ship could find itself stranded skyside for the off season. Elena spent many an off season skyside and living on the Docking Facility growing up. Now however, she had two businesses to run earthside.

"Not to mention a crew to pick up from the planet, " She said to herself as she packed. While her cousin Mateo would happily stay on the new planet during the off season, enough supplies and research had not been gathered to allow them to do so safely this season. Elena had the feeling he would be pushing for the longer stay over the next season and she had already begun preparing for that.

Elena smiled as she stacked a thick pile of catalogs next to her bag. They were the alien equivalent of high-tech camping gear. Elena figured that she could supplement the normal camping gear and survival items picked up from earthside with items gleaned from the other civilizations the channel riders came into contact with while skyside.

"After all what is the point of knowing other civilizations if you can't incorporate their knowledge into your own?" she said to herself with a grin. Many of the items had in fact already been ordered. Those orders would be filled and the goods stored on the Docking Facility until she returned at the start of the next season.

Finally, she was packed. She locked down her quarters for the season and made her way back towards the docking area. As she entered the area, she paused and watched. The docks were busier than usual with anyone spending the off season earthside preparing to leave for their home ports. Merchant carts were more numerous than usual and doing a brisker trade. Elena smiled and shook her head.

"You never know how much you love wiledish until you know you won't be able to get it for eight months." She said to herself.

"Absence does make the heart grow fonder, " a voice behind her said. Elena turned, recognizing the voice of Benjamin Valentine, or Bennie V as some folks seemed to call him, a name Elena had not yet gotten around to asking him about. Despite the mysteries of his past Elena found herself liking Benjamin and even trusting him. The six foot seven inch tall blonde was built like a Mack truck and could cook better than most chefs she encountered. During passage through the channels he often served as the Storm Chaser's galley cook. Elena was fairly sure her ship's galley had been ruined for any other cook because of it.

Benjamin had a large duffle bag hanging from his shoulder. As her eyes flicked towards it, he smiled and held out a slip of paper. Elena took it automatically and glanced down. It was a certification slip from the office of weights and measures certifying his bag weighed 48.6 lbs, just a little under the 50 lbs of personal gear weight rule that she and most other channel riders maintained as standard.

"All certified and legal Captain, " Benjamin said.

"Good, " Elena responded. "God knows we're going to be taking on quite a bit of cargo, even with the weight split." One of the other pilots of her house, Maria, had her ship stationed on the planet with the crew so that in the event it was needed, emergency evacuation would be possible. As an extra safety measure Jasmine, another pilot who did not currently possess her own ship was with Maria as back up. Unless both pilots were killed, the team on the planet would have a way out.

"If they haven't found at least a dozen more samples to take back with us I'll eat my hat, " Benjamin said. Elena glanced at the big man as they moved towards the Storm Chaser.

"Do you actually own a hat?"

"No, " he confessed. "But I could buy one and then eat it."

"Well, as long as you have a plan." Elena responded with a laugh.

"Captain Calabrese, " A polite voice said to Elena's left. They stopped walking and she turned to find a Japanese man in a perfectly pressed black suit. He was a neat compact man and Elena realized this was the first time she heard him speak. She knew he served as Riko's assistant, but had never heard his name spoken.

"Yes, " She said. He walked up to her and stopped at a polite distance.

"The Councilor wished me to convey her wishes for a safe journey and to let you know that she will be in touch to work on arrangements for your joint business venture during the off season." The man gave a short bow.

"Please convey my thanks for her well wishes and wish her a good journey as well, " Elena said. The stiff words felt like marbles in her mouth, but she wasn't quite sure how else to respond. 'It's not like Riko routinely comes over for Sunday dinner, ' she thought. The small, neat man seemed satisfied with her answer and gave her another short bow before moving off.

"I think that entire suit was starched, " Benjamin said when the man was out of hearing range. "I thought I heard a creak when he bent." Elena smiled a little at the joke, but most of her humor was slightly soured as she thought of dealing with Riko on the off season.

"I wonder how long she'll wait before showing up for a meeting, " Elena asked, mostly to herself.

"I'm actually quite amazed she waited as long as she has, " Peter said walking up to the pair and once again stopping their progress towards the ship.

"It has only been one day, " Elena commented. Peter's black hair was in slight disarray and his sleeves were rolled up to just below his elbows. His necktie was missing, as was his suit jacket and the top button of his shirt was undone. Typically, Peter projected an image of mob boss that was hard to deny. This morning he had apparently gone for a more casual look and Elena found herself thinking he looked more like a modern day pirate than anything else.

'If pirates wore expensive and expertly tailored clothing of course, ' she thought.

"One day for Riko is a lot, " Peter informed her. "She tends towards the instant gratification end of the spectrum." Elena noticed that Riko's majordomo had stopped at the edge of the docking area and was watching her conversation with Peter.

"I'll have to keep that in mind, " Elena said. "If you'll excuse us however, we do need to pick up the others before the close of the season."

"Of course, " Peter said. "And I will see you earthside during the off season. That is if you can squeeze me in between meetings with Riko. Good Journey to you Elena." Peter gave a slight nod to Benjamin, his only indication he saw the big man and walked away as Elena repeated the good journey response that was typical.

Once Peter stepped away, Elena began moving towards the Storm Chaser at a much faster pace than previously, forcing Benjamin to hurry to catch up. With his longer legs it wasn't much of a concern for him and they reached the loading area at the same time. Elena unsealed the end of the tube, opening the entranceway. From what she could see the passage had not been touched since her arrival.

She marched up the gang plank with Benjamin right behind her. As she moved she looked around her, checking for any damage to the docking tube surrounding the gang plank. As both the Storm Chaser and all her equipment were still almost new there were no damages to be seen. She had not been expecting any, but habit still dictated checking. Once on board Benjamin let out the laugh he was holding in. Elena frowned in his direction as she began unclamping the docking links.

"I don't think it's very funny, " Elena said with a frown. Benjamin moved to join her in releasing the clamps. For the trip between the Docking Facility and the planet it would just be the two of them. As they spent much of the season working the ship alone together, they fell into an easy rhythm quickly.

"That is because you didn't see your face, " Benjamin told her, still chuckling a bit. "You had a look that said, I will make it to my ship so no one else had better even think of stopping me." He chuckled again. "I've known linebackers who would have backed off at that look." Since that had been more or less her thought at the time, Elena shrugged and continued working.

"Between the merchants yesterday and the promise of meetings to come I didn't want to give anyone else the chance to pounce, " She told him. Benjamin picked up their bags as the ship started to drift and Elena walked towards the pilot house. She knew Benjamin would drop his bag in the crew's quarters and her bag in hers before continuing to work. As the Storm Chaser began pulling away from the Docking Facility Elena looked at it.

The Docking Facility always reminded her of a giant, old fashioned, spinning top, the kind that you pushed down to make it spin. This top was always spinning of course, in an effort to preserve gravity.

The pointed end of the top was obscured by the number of ships currently docked and the ribbon of water that circled underneath. When a channel riding ship left planetary waters, a small measure of water was brought with them, traveling beneath the ship's hull as it moved through space. When ships docked, the ribbon of water merged with other ribbons and had a vaguely moat like effect. When a ship left, some of the water left the moat with them.

Somehow Elena didn't think the same amount of water moved in each transaction. She made a mental note to ask her cousin Mateo about it, as he would be the one to know. As they pulled away, as small strip of water pulled with them, slowly separating like warm taffy. Elena turned her attention towards adjusting her course. Normally once adjusted, she could rely on inertia to carry them through a large section of the protected space. This close to the end of the season however traffic was heavy enough to be a concern.

Elena wove her way through the other ships as they headed off in the directions of their home channels. Normally there would be a heavier stream of ships heading towards the Marta, as she would be once she picked up her passengers on the planet. However, recently traffic thinned due to military involvement.

Nearly a year ago Ian Jensen betrayed the Guild to the military and they had been working on their own ships ever since. The Marta was the channel they were most familiar with and therefore the one they were intent on mastering. This meant that military manned ships attempting to ride the channels would pop up periodically. Elena smiled to herself as she adjusted her course.

"I wonder if we will get to invite Thompson and crew to dinner again this trip?" She asked aloud. Spin, the ship's cat looked up from her perch and meowed loudly in reprimand. Elena smiled. She had grown tired of dealing with the military on their terms and despised having them appear randomly to demand meetings. While she still couldn't determine when or where they would show up, she gave Thompson and his men a little surprise by turning their meeting into a bit of a dinner party. Spin meowed again and Elena reached over to scratch her ears.

"I know, I know, " she told the cat. "Bad timing for them to appear when we are heavily laden with off world samples." Elena's smile slipped a little and she sighed. Lately a lot of things she didn't really want to deal with were popping up. "How'd I get to be in charge anyway?" She asked Spin. The cat stood, stretched and leapt down from her perch. Slowly she meandered out of the pilot house and down towards the galley, where she would no doubt inspect whatever comestibles Benjamin felt like creating. She supposed it was the cat's way of reminding her that somehow it was probably her own fault.

As they proceeded towards their destination, traffic slowed and Elena was able to rely more on inertia. Two days before they reached the channel mouth, she and Benjamin were sitting on the deck after dinner, watching the stars slide by. It was peaceful and Elena allowed her mind to float aimlessly. All of the worries she usually carried slipped away and for a while she was content. Benjamin left and returned handing her a cup of coffee. It was as black as the space between the stars. She sipped the hot beverage slowly.

"Do you still want me to investigate?" Benjamin asked slowly into the dark silence. Elena sighed and took another sip. The death of her parents. She allowed the false peace to fade.

"Yes, " she said. "I know it will be dangerous though."

"If I keep my low profile and maintain my position with Travcon, I should be able to fly beneath the radar."

"I need to know, " Elena said. She thought about her parent's death more since she returned to the Guild, seeing more than the accident that had devastated her seven year old self.

"So can I ask what you remember about that night?" he asked, settling himself with his coffee. Elena took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She could feel the warmth of the coffee mug in her hands and she held tight to the warmth, fighting the icy pain inside.

It was raining that day and the docks were slippery with wet. Elena pictured it, drew in a deep breath and could almost smell the docks, a combination of wet rope, the scents of far off places and people who smelled of sweat and the sea. She had not begun training as a pilot yet and shipping out with her grandfather instead of her parents was still a novel sensation. Even though the business was the same, it was always more of a treat.

"My mother was upset that I was going with my grandfather, " she began.

"Why?"

"He wanted to test me for early training and she thought I was still too young. Dad pointed out that Therese was taken for testing the year before when she turned seven so it was not unusual."

"I didn't realize they started pilot's training so early."

"Most don't, " she replied. "It was an early aptitude testing. If you passed then you were assigned a ship and paired with a pilot for hands on experience and admitted to the classes early."

"So you and your cousin started early?"

Elena shook her head. "No, I passed, Therese didn't. She started at the normal time, when she was twelve."

"Having met your cousin I can't think that she would take that well." Elena gave a halfhearted smile, opened her eyes and sipped her coffee.

"She didn't. Before then, she didn't really pay much attention to either me or Mateo. She was a year older and thought our games were stupid. Kid stuff, you know? I broke my first record before she was even allowed to begin training. Mateo started taking prizes for his designs around the same time. After that she became determined to beat me at everything. That's when I started avoiding her."

"Ah, " Benjamin made a non-committal noise.

"And I'm off track." Elena let the thought of Therese slide. "We docked and headed towards grandfather's house." The town house her grandfather kept after his second wife died was a small stone affair that stood for more than 200 years and seemed more vertical than anything else. It was a bit more like an illustration in a picture book than a house. All of the kitchen appliances were small and there had been an escape hatch in the basement that fascinated her. Even though it had mostly been filled in, at one time it led to the sea.

"His housekeeper sent us both off to our rooms to bathe and change. When we were clean and presentable, she brought dinner. We were eating on the covered part of the porch. Grandfather always has issues with being indoors too much after a trip skyside."

Elena closed her eyes and returned to that place. She could see the rain lessened to a light patter on the wooden overhang sheltering the small table outside of the kitchen's back door. The courtyard smelled of moist earth. The red poppies planted around the edge of the small yard were bobbing in the rain. Mixed in with the smell of the earth was the smell of dinner, cheese and mushroom tortellini with a homemade sauce that had extra roasted garlic and chunks of warm bread to dip into the sauce. She remembered swinging her feet and using the bread as a scoop. She opened her eyes.

"We were eating dinner when there was a knock on the door. The housekeeper brought Peter and Riko back. Neither seemed happy to see the other one." Elena remembered being somewhat frightened of both of them. They seemed so angry that she could practically see a heat haze simmering around them. She remembered pulling her feet up into her chair to make herself seem smaller and less noticeable.

"I think they each wanted to be the first to convey the news. Peter wasn't Council yet, he would have been in his early twenties, " she continued. "I was about 14 or 15 when he became a counselor." Her voice trailed off in memory. She took another sip and cleared her throat. "They asked if the messenger reached him. He hadn't. They glanced at me and then went in the house to talk."

She remembered the angry rumbles that came through the closed doors and the somewhat stricken look on the housekeeper's face as she tried to coax Elena into finishing her supper. Finally, the sounds ceased. There was the sound of the front door opening and closing as Riko and Peter left and her grandfather came in and told her the news. Elena swallowed tears and continued the story.

"Grandfather came back after they left and told me they were dead. Raiders, he said. The Batwalug not the Matrovean. He also said that I would be staying with him and that I would not be allowed to leave the house for a little while."

"Mmm, " Benjamin mumbled thoughtfully.

"I know, " Elena commented with a wry smile. "Most people aren't confined to a type of house arrest after an accident."

"Not usually no, " he agreed. "At least they didn't with me."

"Grandfather was in many council meetings while I stayed in the house. I remember seeing Peter pass by periodically from the window. I don't know if he was staying nearby or was there for protection or some evil purpose of his own. We never spoke. I doubt he even saw me at the window." Elena took another sip of the cooling coffee. It was bitter on her tongue. "That wasn't the part that concerned me."

"Oh?"

"Sure being confined to the house was suspicious, but Grandfather has always been paranoid. And when the Council is in town they tend to cluster. It makes for fewer outsiders to see something they shouldn't if someone slips or discussions get heated, so Peter passing by was not that unusual a concept. It was the Batwalug."

"Should it have been the Matrovean?" he asked. Elena shook her head.

"No, it is outside their territory. My parents were working the Shulgat trade routes. It was one of the safer routes, following tradition."

Benjamin nodded his understanding. "Sure most families do that, the pilots or captains with younger children work the safer routes until the kids are older so the ship is safer since most parents bring their kids along as soon as they can walk."

"Exactly. The Shulgat trade routes are patrolled by the United Council of Gadwan. A few years before I was born they made an agreement with Lusdter for protection of the trade routes."

"And as the Lusdter are only one step up from being pirates themselves, most other raiders kept their distance."

"Exactly, it was sort of like paying the mafia for protection, but it worked. The raiders of all stripes stayed away and the Lusdter were paid well, or at least well enough not to return to raiding." Elena paused and stared at Benjamin for a moment. "Do you know the Shulgat trade routes?"

"Not really, " he replied shaking his head. "It wasn't one of the routes I sailed. " Elena tapped the edge of her mug with a fingernail. She placed the mug on the deck between them.

"Can I see your mug?" He handed it over and she placed it about a hand span from her own. Elena reached into her pocket and came out with a handful of assorted loose change, most of it not recognized as currency on the Earth. "Have to remember to stash that in the locker, " she muttered to herself as she placed the coins on the deck near the coffee mugs.

When she was finished she had an approximation of the planets and moons along the Shulgat trade routes, the two coffee mugs serving as the two docking stations maintained by the United Council of Gadwan. Elena dipped her finger in the remains of her cooled coffee and traced what looked like parentheses bracketing the ad hoc system.

"Okay" she said "The two lines are the defensive perimeter covered by the Lusdter." Benjamin nodded and leaned closer. Elena dipped her finger back in the coffee and traced another line. This line meandered through the system she had set up, touching the docks and one of the larger planets. "This is the established route. It is safe and it gets you to all of the major trading ports." Benjamin nodded again, a frown creasing his brow as he waited for the twist.

"And it is well within the defensive perimeter."

"It is." She confirmed. Elena once again dipped her finger in the coffee and traced a wet line on the deck. "This is the edge of the Fesagol territory."

"The Fesagol who have a centuries old blood feud with the Batwalug, " Benjamin added, showing he had at least a passing familiarity with the area.

"That would be them, " Elena confirmed. She put a dot of coffee on the far side of the cups and coins. "And this is where the nearest Batwalug base is located, or was. It was destroyed about 12 years ago."

"Okay, " Benjamin said slowly looking at the diagram. Elena placed a dot along the trade route. "This is where my parent's ship was taken." He looked at the diagram.

"Hmm, to get there, the Batwalug would not only have had to get past the Lusdter blockade but they would have had to edge close enough to the Fesagol territory to be picked up by their defenses. They wouldn't have let a Batwalug raiding party that close without retaliation."

"That was my thought as well." Elena said. "I checked the reports. There was no sign of retaliation from the Fesagol anywhere near that time." They both stared at the cups, coins and coffee.

"It wasn't well thought out was it?"

Elena snorted. "It was thought out enough to get them killed, but not enough to fool anyone who actually knew anything about it."

"So your grandfather knew?" Elena thought of her grandfather's eyes when he told her. There was a deep sadness, but also an anger that he fought to control. The anger burned bright enough to frighten her.

"Yeah, he knew." They sat in silence for a little while. The stars slid by as they moved and the drops of coffee dried to light brown stains that Elena knew would be scoured from the deck by saltwater when they next went through a channel. After a time Benjamin picked up the two mugs and retired for the night. Elena picked up the change, tucked it back into her pocket and watched the night black sky slide by.

Chapter 3

Traffic thinned and disappeared as they neared the area around the new channel. Elena resolutely refused to even mentally call it the Elena channel. After their chat in the darkness Elena and Benjamin had been fairly quiet. For her part, she was trying not to dwell on past events and focus on the upcoming ones. As they approached the channel, Elena could see it like a worn spot in her favorite pair of jeans. She reached her energy forward and the section of space began to unravel, allowing the Storm Chaser to pass through, leaving space behind and splashing down in the alien sea.

"I suppose at some point someone will have to actually name the ocean, " she mused as salt water scoured the deck, removing any leftover traces of her cooled coffee diagram. As she corrected her course and adjusted the ship to sail in planetary waters instead of the black between the stars, Benjamin opened the galley and stepped onto the deck. Elena laughed when she saw him. In one hand he held a tackle box and in the other, a fishing rod. A hat festooned with various hooks and lures was pulled down over his head.

"And where exactly are you going?" She called out through the open window of the pilot house.

"That way, " he gestured with his rod towards the ship's bow. "Since Kiera pronounced the fish we caught before free of human harming toxins, I figured I'd see if I could snare up something fresh for supper tonight."

"I see, " she said, still grinning.

"And if I catch something we've never seen before then the lab will have another sample. I made sure to get pictures of all of the fish we caught before so that we could have a comparison. It makes quite a colorful mural to brighten up back of the pantry door. I didn't want it too obvious in case you had another dinner party planned."

"Good luck, " she told him with a laugh. Spin followed the big man to his chosen fishing spot and sat by his side expectantly. She had been almost as downcast as Benjamin when his first catch had gone into the samples category rather than the dinner table. As she sat, Spin's tail flicked side to side almost like it was ticking away the seconds. Elena let them be and returned to her own duties.

It was, however, not long before Benjamin and Spin were rewarded for their efforts. Not happy with simply one fish, they kept at it until Elena thought they were stocking up for winter. She didn't complain any though once dinner was served. Even though Benjamin could do amazing things with the canned ingredients stocking the galley, fresh anything was a welcomed change of pace.

The Storm Chaser was spotted long before she docked and when Elena finally weighed anchor along Maria's ship, El pollo loco del mar, Crazy Chicken for short, a welcoming party was waiting. Elena secured the ship and she and Benjamin took the dinghy from the Storm Chaser to the docks. Her cousin Mateo caught the rope Benjamin tossed and secured them to a pointed outcropping that seemed designed for the purpose. In a few moments she was standing on the pier, trying to remember how to walk when not ship board.

"Well, " Mateo asked expectantly.

"What I don't even rate a, hi, how was the trip?" she teased. He frowned.

"Yes fine. Hi how are you? How was the trip? Did you meet any interesting people? And what did the Council say!?" Elena laughed.

"We have the planet, " she told them. "We will be moving towards trade soon. The rest of the details we can go through once everyone is present earthside. I already had Consuelo reserve a banquet room." She told him taking pity on him.

"We got the planet?" he repeated. She nodded. Mateo let out a whoop and grabbed her around the middle. He spun her around a few times and almost toppled them both off the pier and into the sea.

"I take it things worked out well?" Kiera said, amusement staining her voice.

"Yup, " Mateo said. "We now have full trading rights." He looked to Elena and she nodded again in confirmation. The little group made its way to the shore.

"Anticipating your no doubt brilliant convincing of the Council, we stationed monitors for the off season. That way we can track weather patterns, finding out about seasons here as well as what sort of creepy crawlies lurk when we are not around." Mateo said pointing out some of the changes since she had last been to the planet. "Unless of course you wanted to leave a party here over the off season." He said darting a glance her way. Elena smiled and shook her head.

"You brought that up in less time than I expected, " she told him. "Right now there aren't enough supplies and not enough knowledge about the off seasons here to risk it. We might be able to pull it off next season though." Mateo shrugged, disappointed, but expecting the answer nonetheless. Elena spotted the mounds of waterproof crates and containers stacked on the beach. They were close enough to the shore that they would be easily transported, but far enough away to be out of the reach of the tide.

"More samples, " Kiera said. Elena looked the two of them over. Mateo wore a ball cap and Elena thought it was more to hide the fact that he had not had a proper shower in a while then to shield his eyes from the sun. Kiera's honey blonde hair was braided and wrapped around her head. A black scarf was tied over the impromptu coronet and Elena thought it served the same purpose as Mateo's ball cap. Both looked tired, but ecstatic. Maria and Jasmine, the two pilots left behind as a safety precaution were showing similar signs of wear, but it was not as pronounced. As Kiera and Mateo would have been tromping through the jungle more than the pilots, Elena thought it understandable.

"I hope you've been keeping lists of the things you'll need for a longer stay, " Elena said. She felt like she was picking up the kids from summer camp as all four of the people in front of her nodded in unison. Behind her she heard Benjamin stifle a laugh, as he was quite aware of where her thoughts had gone.

It took the rest of the day to load the samples and for Mateo to set up his last minute checks. That night they stayed anchored, with everyone getting some much needed rest. At dawn Elena cast off while the others slept. In the red gold light of early morning she saw the Crazy Chicken weigh anchor and follow. Before they turned in, Elena and Maria reached an agreement. They both knew Mateo and Kiera would want just one more check if allowed. The safest course of action would be to get underway before they awoke.

The journey to and through the channel was uneventful and Elena wondered if this channel would vary with the seasons. Checking her log book she found that there had been little variation in depth during the season and the only shifts appeared to be current and weather related.

"Helps with transport, " she said to herself. "And useful that it can take a heavier draught. But definitely something to remember." With the weight they were hauling it would be close when pushing through the Marta. When they reached the Marta, Elena's ship, the Storm Chaser went first. Unlike the new channel this one did not appear as a worn spot in space but a well-established passageway with edges worn smooth by time.

Although she laughed at her last dealings with Thompson, Elena was desperately hoping he was not around for this re-entry. The plan was for her to go through and search for the USS Maine, the ship Thompson's crew used as base. If spotted then she would run up a green flag. Maria's crew would see it, even if they weren't able to make radio contact. If Maria saw the flag, she would sail in the opposite direction, taking a different route back to port. It would add days to their trip, but the hope was that the USS Maine had not figured out how to go in two directions at the same time.

Elena pulled the Storm Chaser through the Marta's rainbow swirled depths and came out in the Atlantic. The day was clear and the sky a bowl of Prussian blue. She pulled away from the Marta, to allow room for The Crazy Chicken and to steer clear of the electronic interference. When far enough away from the interference, she flipped on the sonar. No shapes met her gaze. Unless they were running silent, the coast, so to speak, was clear. She called out to Mateo, who raised a gold flag up the flag post. A few minutes later she saw the Crazy Chicken slide into the sea. With a sigh of relief, both ships headed for home.

The two ships reached the port at Grant's Inlet with no mishaps, much to Elena's relief. They were both heavily laden with samples and could ill afford trouble. Cargo was transported to the waiting trucks and ferried off to Mateo and Kiera's joint lab and Maria and Elena began the process of hauling the ships out for the off season. During the off season, both ships would be cleaned inside and out and the tracery that kept the oxygen bubble sealed around the ship inspected. Even minute flaws would be repaired so there was less chance of a skyside failure. All backup systems would be checked, and should either ship need upgrades they would be made. Mateo and Kiera rode back to the city with the truck load of samples and Maria and Jasmine shared a ride back to their apartment. Elena looked at Spin delicately grooming herself to make up for her affronted dignity at having to regain her land legs.

"Do you feel like stopping for a bite before we head home?" She asked the cat. Spin straightened, arched her back in a stretch and mewled. "Then I think we will stop and see Consuelo." Elena turned her steps towards the local restaurant, Dockside Annie's.

As always she wondered who Annie was. Somehow she had never gotten around to asking. Even though it was nearly two in the afternoon, the restaurant was far from empty. At the door she scooped up Spin to keep the small cat from being trampled and gave her name to the hostess to secure a table. The hostess didn't bat an eyelash at Spin's presence and Elena assumed she was either Guild raised or had been with the restaurant long enough to grow accustomed to those who were.

It was considered ill luck for a channel rider to leave port without a cat on board and while the folks of the Guild were a little less suspicious lot then the general sailing population, this superstition was well ingrained. Not for the first time she wondered where it had come from and if there truly was a connection to the Egyptian goddess Bast. The hostess summoned a waitress who showed Elena to her seat. A pillow was brought for Spin, who took this as her due and settled regally onto the pillow to watch Elena dine.

Glancing around the room Elena saw several cats in similar perches. She also saw several pilots, captains and other assorted Guild members she recognized from the Docking Facility. She shook her head a little as she perused the menu the waitress had left behind.

"Smith would love to get his hands on this crowd, " she thought, images of the front man the military put out to find out more about the pilots and the Guild. While Thompson more or less captained his crew and seemed to be concerned about using the new information safely, Smith was more interested in having Elena tell him everything so that the military could have sole ownership of the skills. Even though they seemed to have scaled back the design schematics to a more reasonable level after the twenty-six person crew of the USS Navigator, the military's first attempt at a channel riding vessel, was lost, Elena could still see images of giant transport ships dancing in Smith's eyes.

In the mood for more normal fare, Elena skipped the more off world dishes and ordered a small wood fired pizza with onions and mushrooms. Mushrooms on ship board were by necessity of the canned variety and the change to fresh would be nice.

"I'll have to go grocery shopping, " Elena thought as she sipped her soda and waited for her pizza. Idly she wondered when the last time she was home long enough to need groceries. "Hope I didn't leave anything in tinfoil, " she said to Spin. With all of the informational gathering, meetings on the Docking Facility and general transport trips she had undertaken, Elena hadn't spent more than three days in a row in her apartment since the season began. "January, " she muttered.

"Looking forward to next season all ready?" Elena looked up at the voice.

"Hello Isa, " Elena said evenly. Inwardly, she groaned. Isa was one of Therese's cronies. To add to the mix Mateo had taken her home one night and in typical Mateo fashion promptly forgotten she existed afterwards. In turn, she ignored Mateo when he was around and concentrated on Elena. She wondered if Isa was gathering information for Therese or trying to get back at Mateo for using her as a one night stand. "How are you today?"

"Fine, " she answered. "Just fine." She eased into one of the chairs across from her. Spin looked at her with distain from the other one. "So have you plotted out your off season yet?" she asked. Not waiting for a response Isa continued. "We're starting out at the beach while it is still warm and then once the temperature drops making the rounds of the ski resorts."

"I see, " Elena said. She had forgotten about the leisure contingency. While many of the Guild focused on earthside commerce during the off season, there were those who simply treated the off season as vacation time. Her grandfather never approved of this lifestyle and as a consequence even Therese limited her beach bum to snow bunny time.

"If you don't have any plans you should totally come, " Isa continued. "You could use some time in the sun." Isa laughed. "Of course at the end of the season who of us couldn't?" Elena smiled wanly at the poor joke.

"I really don't think..., " she began.

"Therese won't be there, " Isa said cutting her off. "You don't have to worry about running into her at my place." Elena noted the emphasis on the words her and my and frowned slightly.

"Really, " Elena said, somewhat surprised. Isa and Therese had been almost inseparable since they began their training.

"Yeah lately she's become, I don't know, somewhat pedantic." Elena lifted an eyebrow in question.

"Pedantic?" she repeated.

"Yeah, really." Isa said with a sad shake of her head and then a toss of her shiny blond locks. Elena wondered if Isa actually knew the meaning of the word pedantic as it didn't seem to fit the context in which she was trying to use it.

"Well, it is a lovely offer, but I'm afraid I really can't. I have rather a lot to do right now."

"Please, " Isa said, fluffing her hair a little. "It is the off season. What could there possibly be to do?" Elena thought of the two businesses she had to run and the excursion and potential settlement of a new planet she had to plan. With a start she realized that she was actually going to be setting up a type of colony. Perhaps spending some time with the history books might not be a bad plan. 'At least I don't have to worry about indigenous peoples.' She thought.

Elena smelled the scent of freshly baked pizza and looked up. She saw the pizza first and felt her mouth water. The onions were diced thin and the mushrooms sunk a little into the cheese. The crust looked thin and crisp and she could smell the tang of the tomato sauce. From the pizza her eyes wandered up, and kept going.

The pizza was held by a tall, big boned woman in her sixties. Her long black hair was pulled into braids and wrapped around her head. The streaks that had started to gray had been dyed green and purple. Underneath her white apron Elena could see she wore a brilliantly decorated fuchsia caftan. As always her scuffed combat boots peeked out from below. Elena smiled.

"Consuelo, I didn't expect a personal delivery from the chef." Consuelo McCracken, head chef and part owner of Dockside Annie's, laughed her stiletto bark of amusement.

"I heard you returned and I wished to say hello and see how you fared this season." As always Consuelo's voice held no accent. It wasn't the careful no accent that TV newscasters and some of the Midwest favored before they started to elongate their vowels, but the no accent that spoke of carefully chosen words and diction. Elena had never spoken to anyone who knew where Consuelo was from; it was just one more mystery in a slew of mysteries surrounding the brilliant and eccentric chef.

"I fared well this season and I missed you greatly before I left, " she replied.

"Oh?" Consuelo said, placing the pizza down. Isa shifted her gaze between them as if unsure whether to comment or not.

"Yes, after the council session Grandfather had us all to Grazos. The meal was... missing something." Before starting Dockside Annie's Consuelo had been the head chef at Grazos.

"Of course, it was missing me." They both laughed and Isa let out a weak chuckle. "But the next meal will be better. The reservation still stands?"

"Definitely, " Elena confirmed. Neither woman elaborated, both conscious of Isa's presence.

"Good, " Consuelo said. "All will be ready. You should eat before your food gets cold." Consuelo glanced pointedly back towards the table Isa had come from, where her plate had just been delivered.

"Speaking of which, I need to go. It was so nice seeing you again Elena and if you change your mind, call." Isa slid out of her chair and headed back to her table. She had to give Mateo credit. The woman was lovely. It was just the lack of overt intelligence that caused her opinion of her cousin to dip. Even Therese recognized her as the not so bright accomplice. Consuelo watched her go and then turned back to Elena.

"A friend?" she asked.

"Not of mine, " Elena commented. "She wanted to know if my off season plans included hitting the beach or skiing." Consuelo let out another bark of laughter.

"One of those huh?"

"Yup. After all what is there to do in the off season?"

Consuelo chuckled to herself. "Somehow I think that you will find something to occupy your time."

"I think you might be right." Consuelo left Elena to her pizza and while many glances were darted her way, she was left to eat in peace. At the end she paid, gathered up Spin and made her way to her trusty Toyota. Spin curled up in the passenger's seat as Elena settled herself behind the wheel.

"Time to go home Spin, " she said as the engine roared to life. Spin yawned, which Elena took as agreement. She pulled out of the parking lot and headed back to the city.