When he entered he was surprised to see the
coffin already buried in thousands of single roses! Her body was only
on view two days, or her coffin, anyway. Then, a quiet simple procession took her to The Tombs and she was laid beside her
husband.
57 North knew they would be safe. Even The Tombs of the parents of
rebels were never disturbed, no matter what their children did. The
dead were in the charge of The Holy Spirit and could never be disturbed.
58 Two days later his wife went into the operating room. Two days after
that she was put in a regular bed, and was up and walking in another
three. North was amazed she didn't show a scar! As far as anyone could
tell, she had never been injured.
59 For a month they visited the hospital's nursery every day and checked on the egg floating in the
life-sustaining fluid. Finally, it was taken out, and they were allowed
to take it home.
60 North didn't like that he had to leave, but they had already put off
his exploration three weeks, and it would take him a month to reach the
furthest limits of The Empire. So reluctantly he beamed up but not before Sweet Cloud
announced a surprise. "I hope you're not mad," she told Valley Blossom,
"but we'd better hurry up and get me married to that freighter
Commander, because I think that little fellow's going to have a
playmate soon!"
61 "Of course I'm not mad! " answered Valley Blossom. "What else could
I expect from North?"
62 North made the arrangements. It would be convenient for Sweet Cloud
to be occupied when he was gone, anyway.