Julie Hamilton sat in front of the television and flicked from one channel to another.  The hysteria across the nation and the world had grown since the anomaly was first noticed.  Every hour brought the ship closer and fed the fears of the populace.  Scientists contradicted each other.  Newscasters pumped up emotions with ‘unconfirmed rumors’, each one worse than the next.  When communications began to intermittently fail, the clamor grew deafening then fell to ominous silence.

 Riots in Pakistan.

 Bombings in Belfast.

 Demonstrations in every large city of the world.

 Pillaging and looting in New York.

 Her hand shook while she moved up another channel.  The only good thing about cable was the ability to change when one network got to be too much to bear.  She’d been crying off and on since that horrible phone call from Sam and Toby.  Her babies were in danger and it was her fault.  She should have insisted that Ruth go to the local hospital.  Better yet, she should have turned her over to the police so she could be returned to the insane asylum.

 It was all her fault.

 The channel she had on showed pictures of the alien ship that was in orbit around the Earth.  The newscaster looked solemn and she turned the sound back on.

 “. . . confirmed that a smaller ship left the mother ship and headed for somewhere in the arctic circle.  We don’t know if this is good news or bad.  The closest base to their landing is a small Canadian facility on Victoria Island.”  A map appeared behind him with a glowing dot depicting the base and another dot showing the site of the landing.  “All communications above the latitude of 60 degrees has been cut off.  The nearest American military presence is Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska and we’ve heard nothing from them since this morning.”

 The terrible keening sound startled her until she realized that it was coming from her.  All of them.  Ruth had managed to gather them all into danger.

 “Honey, you shouldn’t be watching this.  They’re making half of it up.”  Edward’s strong arm gathered her close and rocked her gently, pushing the mute button on the remote.

 “All my fault.  My babies . . .” Julie could hardly get the words out.

 “No more so than mine, honey.”  Edward’s voice dragged with exhaustion and for the first time in days, she looked at him.

 Really looked at him.  She’d been so wrapped up in her own grief and fear that she hadn’t noticed that he’d aged ten years.  The panic here in their own town had led to accidents, drunken brawls and psychotic episodes exploding among their friends and neighbors.  Edward had worked almost 36 hours straight, catching little catnaps here and there between emergencies at the hospital.

 “Honey, we raised good kids.  Our boys believe in right and wrong.  Men who know their duty and do it.”  He pressed a tender kiss to her temple.  “They made this decision on their own.  All we can do is pray for them and hope that they can overcome what ever these aliens throw at them.”

 “I believed her, Edward.  She said she wouldn’t take them from me and I believed her.”  Julie sagged against his shoulder, beginning to shake with the tension she’d been holding inside.

 “Don’t borrow trouble, Julie.  At this moment, she may be meeting and defeating the Ikiiri without anyone getting hurt.  And I have to believe that Sam is being taken care of by . . . Seth.”  Edward looked down at her uncertainly.  “When did you know that Sam was attracted by . . . a man?”

 She managed a smile at the plaintive note in his voice.  “The day Sam told me about Kosovo and their first meeting.  The odd thing is that morning I worried about how the family and our friends would react to the news.  Now, that’s the least of my fears.  If he just comes back safe and sound, I will welcome Seth with open arms.”

 “There’s a big age difference there.  12 years is quite a lot.”  Edward leaned back against the sofa and pulled her with him.  His yawn almost dislocated his jaw.  “Gods, I am too old to put in these kind of hours.  Is there anything ready to eat?”

 Julie sighed and took a moment to just enjoy holding her husband on the couch the way they had for years.  Almost, she could forget the danger her boys were in and just concentrate on her beloved.  Quietly, she listened to his breathing as it evened out into an exhausted almost snore.  Focusing on the steady heartbeat beneath her ear, she dozed along with him.

 Afterwards, she could never remember exactly what startled her awake in time to see the television screen go blank and then switch to what looked like the inside of a control room.  Sitting up straight and pushing the mute off, she turned up the sound.

 It was Ruth.

 She held a crystal in front of her, shining with a soft warm glow that lit up the entire room.  Julie could see the alien beside her but it didn’t really register because there was Peter, alive and well with the grin on his face that he always wore when he’d won first place.

 “Greetings, people of Earth.  My name is Ruth.  To my left is Major Peter Hamilton of the United States Air Force.  To my right is the Queen Mother of the Ikiiri ship that is now orbiting Earth.  We have just completed our first trade negotiations with our visitors.  I’m sorry about the communication problems but our meeting needed to be held . . . outside the normal channels.”  Ruth quirked her lips in the half smile that Julie had become so familiar with.

 “There were no casualties in our meeting.  None.”  Ruth’s eye seemed to be looking right at Julie.  “We’ll be coming home shortly so we can pick out another spot for our second meeting.  Someplace a tad warmer has been requested.  I will be calling for aid in the coming trade talks.  Please be ready to help.”

 She leaned forward, the black eye patch stark against her pale skin.  “Major Hamilton has volunteered to go with the Ikiiri to the mother ship that is now in orbit.  He will be Earth’s representative while we work to set up our next meeting.  In return, one of the Queen Mother’s sons will accompany us back to Victoria Island to the Canadian base where we started our journey.”

 Ruth turned her head and gestured to Peter.

 He stepped forward and spoke directly to Julie.  “Mom, I need you and Dad to go with the men who will be arriving shortly.  They’ll give you a name that only you and I know.  My first dog.  They’ll take you someplace safe.  We’re all fine and we’ll be together soon.”

 Julie was on her knees in front of the TV, her hands touching the electronic image of her eldest son.  “My baby.  Stay safe, sweetheart.”

 The focus returned to Ruth and this time she bowed her head to the alien on her other side.

 “Thisss isss a new thought for usss.  We ssshall sssee if thisss trade is possssible for usss.  Warmer would be better.”  The sinuous head hissed into the camera and down at Ruth but Julie could hear the plaintive note that entered her voice with her last words.

 “I can promise warmer, Sister.”  Ruth chuckled then returned to the monitor.  “Please stop the violence and panic that is spreading across the world.  There is no need.  We are entering a new age for Earth, one that will bring us closer to the stars.  Let’s try to adjust without any further mayhem.  We’re all adults here.  Let’s see you act like it.”

 Julie couldn’t help but snort.  Ruth had the ‘mother knows best’ tone down almost perfectly.  “For now, we’re returning control of the satellites to you.  Stop panicking and join in while we plan our future.”

 The picture faded and the newscaster reappeared with the oddest look on his face.  “Well . . . that was . . . interesting.  I’m assuming that everybody heard that announcement . . .”

 Julie clicked off the TV and turned to Edward, who was sitting forward on the couch, his eyes glued to the set.  “We probably don’t have much time to prepare.  Peter’s friends will be here soon.  We should probably pack a couple of suitcases with what we’ll need.”

 “I can’t just leave, Julie.  They need me at the hospital.”  Edward ran a hand through his hair.

 “Nonsense, dearest.  There are other doctors to pick up the slack.”  Julie moved towards the stairs, already planning what to take with her.  “We can be used as weapons against Peter and the others.  It’s better that the government doesn’t know where we are.”

 “Good heavens, I never thought of that.”  He began to follow her when a sudden roaring sound pulled up in front of their house.  Exchanging a bewildered look with her, he changed course and went to the front door.  Looking out of the window set in the door, he swallowed so hard Julie could hear it.  Joining him at the front, she watched the bearded biker come up the front steps.

 He nodded a greeting to them and said one word loudly so they could hear through the door.  “Ranger.”

 Julie flicked open the dead bolt and opened the door while Edward was still opening and closing his mouth.  “Thank you.  Do we have time to pack a few things?”

 “Yes, ma’am.”  His deep voice seemed to rumble up from his boots.  “But you need to hurry.  It won’t take them long to track down all the ‘Peter Hamiltons’ in the Air Force database.”

 “I understand.  We’ll hurry.”  Julie smiled at him and pulled her husband along with her.  “Dearest, we’ll need to take back packs instead of suitcases.  I’ll get our toiletries while you get some clothing together.”  She paused and looked back at the front door.  “Hot or cold, sir?”

 “Hot is what I was told.  I’ve got jackets for both of you and helmets.”

 Julie nodded and pushed Edward up the stairs.  Soon, my sons, I’ll see you soon.

***************

 Julie nodded numbly in the back seat of the small Piper Cub.  This was their sixth vehicle since they’d left that morning and she wanted nothing more than to just sit somewhere and be still.  The motorcycle trip had lasted two hours to the little county airstrip where a helicopter awaited them.  Another hour and they were landing in Connecticut where a man picked them up and drove them to Pennsylvania.  ‘Call me Spud’ had given them two tickets for the train to Louisville and waved them off.

 At the next train station, a woman ticked them off a long list and drove them to the airport where they caught a commercial jet to Oklahoma City. For a moment it seemed they’d been abandoned at the busy terminal then a white haired man had found them and led them to the cargo terminal of the airport where the Piper was waiting.  It seemed they’d been moving for days and the only thing keeping Julie going was the knowledge that she’d be seeing her boys soon.

 Edward slumped in the seat by their pilot, sound asleep.  He’d managed to nap through most of their journey but he had still not caught up with all he’d missed.  Her ears popped and she sat up, looking out of the window at her side.  They were losing altitude so they must be close to landing.  Shifting uncomfortably, she decided that her rear end had gone numb and she wanted to stretch so badly it was a physical ache.

 Soon.  Soon she’d be reunited with her sons.  That mantra had so far kept her sane.  She just hoped that where ever they were had a bathroom because she was going to need one soon.  That last cup of tea might have been a mistake.  Taking another look out of the window, she saw desert.  A low-lying cloud hid the horizon but she thought she saw mountains in the distance.  Nevada?  Arizona?

 They’d gone west and south for hours.  Could it be California?  Maybe outside of the country - Mexico?  The thin white ribbon grew larger as they descended and turned into a landing strip.  She breathed a sigh of relief and crossing her fingers, she prayed that this was their final stop.

 “Well, guys, we’re here.  I know it’s been a long trip but it looks like you’ve got somebody to meet you.”  Their pilot nudged Edward who awoke with a snort.  They touched down with scarcely a bounce and Julie saw the jeep waiting for them next to a metal shack.  A sign hung above the corrugated tin door but the lettering was too faded to read what it said.

 A hand waved at them and she squinted to see who it was.  Toby.  It was Toby with Mei Ling at his side.  They were casually dressed in jeans and t-shirts.  Julie let go of the fear that had accompanied her for over a week and felt light headed with relief.  They were both waving now and Edward waved back, already beginning to unfasten his seat belt.  She did the same so when they came to a stop near the jeep and Toby wrenched open the door; he was able to pull his father from his seat and into a hug immediately.

 She wasn’t far behind, pushing the seat forward and sliding awkwardly out into the sunlight.  Mei Ling helped her down and she hugged her hard, swallowing the lump in her throat that had taken her vocal cords.

 “Oh, it’s so good to see you both.”  Mei Ling hugged her back.  “We weren’t sure just when you’d be able to get away or even if all the connections would work.  Wolf planned the whole thing but we didn’t know if it would work.  Communications have been tied up all day so some of the links couldn’t get through to tell us if you made it.”

 “Mom, are you okay?”  Toby’s arm was still around Edward’s shoulders.

 “I am now.  Where are the others?”

 “We’ll show you.”  Toby waved at their pilot who’d off loaded their back packs and had started to move the plane closer to a ramshackle hangar.  “There’s a kind of primitive toilet if you need one.”

 “Good heavens, yes.”  Julie sighed and Mei Ling laughingly led her to the compost toilet beside the metal shack.  Having taken care of her most pressing need, she came back out to the jeep and got her own hug from her youngest while Edward used the facilities.

 “Where’s Sam and when will Peter be back?”  She watched Toby and Mei Ling exchange a quick look before her son answered.

 “Sam is coordinating with the Ikiiri healers to make sure neither of our races get sick from each other.  Seth is trying to calm down the military that are pretty much going nuts because they’ve been frozen out so far.  Peter is on the Ikiiri mother ship and I don’t know when he’s coming back down.”  Toby grinned.  “He was so excited that he practically floated into their space craft.”

 “He’s in seventh heaven.”  Mei Ling added.

 “I suppose he volunteered?”  Julie sighed and welcomed Edward’s arm around her shoulders.

 “Yep, so fast it would have made your head spin.  Let’s get going, Marag is cooking tonight and I don’t want to miss her lasagna.”  Toby helped her into the back seat while Edward climbed in beside her.

 “I want to hear about everything.”  Julie put a bit of steel into her request so while Toby drove, Mei Ling twisted around and told them what had been happening since they’d seen them last.

 The story lasted across country, through a small town and down a dirt road that seemed to lead nowhere.  Toby chimed in now and then but by the time they bumped their way down an arroyo and through the mesquite to a series of tents stuck in the middle of nothing, they’d fallen silent.  It was their first glimpse of the alien spacecraft, glittering under a canopy of camouflage.

 Parking near one of the tents, they got out and stretched.

 “Mom!”  Sam’s voice came from behind them and Julie whirled, throwing herself into his arms.  She hugged him tightly, at a loss for what to say.  That damn lump was back in her throat.  Edward got his own hug after she loosened her grip.  “I’m glad you’re here.  Marag just rang the bell for dinner.”

 “I’m looking forward to meeting her and thanking Wolf for our journey.”  Julie watched her son light up and smile over their heads to someone behind them.  Turning, she saw Seth and another officer crossing the compound.

 “Father Adam, I’d like you to meet my parents, Julie and Edward Hamilton.  Mom, this is Father Adam Benson, the Canadian officer who went with us to the Arctic.”

 Julie shook hands with the priest while Edward offered his hand to Seth.  She heard Sam sigh in relief and she split her smile between them.  Biding her time, Julie chatted with the dark haired officer until she had the chance to hug the man who’d stolen her son’s heart.  Seth murmured a thank you and she hugged him tighter.

 “Ah, Trisston, are you joining us in the dining tent?”  Sam spoke again to someone behind them and she turned to see one of the aliens approaching.

 “Yesss, SSSam.  I am curiousss about thisss disssh called lasssagna.”  The tall, purple dragon bent his head down to look at Julie.  “You are new?”

 “Hello, Trisston, my name is Julie Hamilton and this is my husband, Edward.”  She hoped she got his name right.

 “Good evening.  Thisss isss correct?  It isss evening asss sssoon asss the sssun goesss down?”  His eyes were multifaceted and glimmered in the twilight.

 “Yes, it is evening.  Walk with us, Trisston, and we will all taste Marag’s lasagna.”  Seth laid a gentle hand on the dragon’s arm.

 “Yesss.”  He twisted his neck and sniffed.  “Thisss way.”

 Julie walked with Sam while Edward ambled between Toby and Mei Ling.  She watched Trisston walk with a human on each side.  A musky odor wafted back to her, a scent she’d never smelled before like hand rubbed leather.  His tail swished against the ground with a slight hiss and she found herself fascinated by his undulating walk.  Except for his tail, he made no sound at all.

 Passing a lantern, she watched the light highlight a rainbow effect that rippled down his scales.  “How beautiful.”

 “They all are, Mom.  And as far as I can see, we’re under no risk of contracting some alien plague or killing them off with our bacteria.”  Sam’s eyes were warm and she patted the arm he had linked with hers.

 “And I’m willing to bet that you want to stay and discover more of their biology?”  She made it a question, watching him closely.

 “Better than that, I want to be the doctor who goes to the Moon while we’re constructing our base there.”

 “I see.”  Julie could hardly catch her breath.  “And I suppose you’re first in line for the job.”

 “Hope so.”  He hesitated.  “I know you think it’s dangerous but no more so than dodging snipers in Kosovo or any one of a hundred other hot spots in the world.  In fact, it may be safer than our own world right now.”

 “I know, son.  But the unknown seems scarier somehow.”

 “Here we are.  After you, Trisston.”  Seth held back the tent flap and the dragon ducked through.

 They entered, heading for the side tables where steam dishes kept the food hot.  A tall red head was stirring something back by the stove and Sam led Julie over to her.  “Marag, I’d like you to meet my mother, Julie.  Mom, this is Marag Campbell, Seth’s cousin.”

 “Julie, how nice to meet you.”  She put the wooden spoon down to one side and held out her hand.

 “The pleasure is all mine, Marag.  Is that a Welsh name?  Are the Griffins originally from Wales?”  Julie shook hands firmly.

 “Very good.  Yes, we are.  The Great-great-great grandparents came over in the 1880’s.  Seth and I are second cousins who grew up together.”  She was eyeing Julie with a hesitant air.

 “Well, we’ve never had any Welsh in our family so it’s about time that we did.”  Julie met her eyes serenely and watched her relax.

 “Seth was there for me when my husband was killed.  He’s my very favorite cousin and I’m glad to see that his taste is as impeccable as ever.”  She teased Sam gently and Julie laughed out loud at his blush.

 “Later, we’ll talk more.  For now, you need to get some food while there’s still some to get.  That Trisston is a bottomless pit.”  Marag picked up the spoon and went back to stirring.

 Julie turned to see that Edward had fixed a plate for her and was waving for her to join him at one of the tables.  She noticed that the dragon was using his tail to balance himself at another table with the priest and a longhaired man with a beard.  She sat where directed and began to eat.  It seemed like forever since they’d eaten more than airplane food.

 After the first pangs of hunger were satisfied, she looked around and noted how empty the tent seemed.  “Where is everyone?”

 Sam looked up from his plate and finished chewing.  “There aren’t a lot of us yet.  Ruth and the Ikiiri Queen are hammering out an agreement in one of the other tents.  We have some people on the way, friends of Wolf and Seth’s unit should be here by tomorrow.”

 Julie stopped eating.  She wasn’t sure just what it was she felt for Ruth.  Now that it appeared that she hadn’t gotten her sons killed, Julie didn’t know how she would react when she saw her again.  Peter was still a hostage on the Ikiiri ship just as Trisston was here on the ground.

 “Mom, I know that you thought she was endangering us but we chose to go after her.  It was something I had to do and I tried to get Toby to stay behind but he convinced us otherwise.”  Sam’s voice was almost a whisper and she could tell that beneath the table he was holding hands with Seth.

 “It’s a mother’s duty to protect her children.”  She sighed and poked at her green beans with her fork.  Looking up, she smiled at Sam and Toby.  “And it’s her sons duty to leave the nest and try their wings.  I do understand, Sam.  I’m just so very grateful that you’re all safe and sound.  I promise I won’t hurt Ruth by castigating her for taking you along.  I rather suspect she tried to do this alone and you ganged up on her.”

 Sam and Toby blushed together, exchanging a rueful look across the table.  They went back to eating and Julie listened to their hopes for the negotiations.  A small man entered the tent and made a beeline for the food.  Marag greeted him with a smile and a tray.  Sam excused himself from the table and joined them.

 “That’s Joe, Mom, the street person who took care of Ruth and brought Sam to her.  He was a psychologist before he became an alcoholic but she healed him with the crystal and he came with us to the Arctic.”  Toby mopped up the last of the sauce with his last slice of french bread.  “He’s pretty nice and he sure knows a lot but he’s kind of shy.”

 Sam returned and sat down.  “Joe says they’re taking a break so he came over to get a pot of tea for Ruth.  The Ikiiri Queen has something from her ship but Ruth’s been pretty much existing on chamomile tea for the last few days.  She says it’s soothing.”

 “Well, she’d be right but she should eat something.”  Julie felt a little concerned even though she didn’t want to.  “She doesn’t have any reserves to fall back on.  Perhaps Joe could tempt her with a tray of food as well.”

 “Marag said the same thing, Mom.  She’s going to go with him and take some of the stew that’s simmering for the people who’ll be coming in at midnight.”  Sam stifled a yawn and it seemed to infect the entire table.

 Julie could barely keep her eyes open while she covered her mouth with her napkin.  “Don’t do that, Sam.  Your Father and I are about ready to drop as it is.”

 “I could use a bed.  After all the traveling, it feels like the ground is still moving.” Edward smothered his own yawn.

 Toby grinned at them.  “We got you a tent all set up.  It’s cots but when you’re really tired, you don’t care.  I slept like a log this afternoon.”

 Mei Ling stood up and pushed the bench back a little.  “If you’re finished eating, I’ll show you where your tent is and where the port-a-potties are.  Water is at a premium here in the desert but there’s some you can use to do a quick wash up in your tent.”

 “Where are we exactly?”  Julie asked as she arose.

 “New Mexico.  Roswell, actually.  Ruth thought it appropriate since they’re already famous for the ‘Incident’, as the locals call it.”  Toby shrugged and Julie began to laugh helplessly.

 Her laughter was infectious and they were all chuckling as they headed out into the still night air beneath a million stars.  Julie looked up and said a silent good night to her missing son.  God keep you, Peter.  Stay safe and come home soon.

******************
End chapter nineteen