86 North couldn't understand why anyone would
want to kill his child. He was just an innocent young man who had never
harmed anyone. As he came out of the beam tube, he found a heavy escort
waiting for him. No one spoke a word as he winged home.
87 As he entered his apartment North felt a great weariness come over
him. His daughter ran up but when she saw her father's expression, froze. His wife came up behind her,
and Sweet Cloud also appeared. "Rising Moon," North told his daughter,
"go to your room. I'll be in and talk to you later."
88 "No," the young woman snapped, "you're going to tell Mother Blossom
something terrible, I know it! The Guards have been whispering for a
couple of hours, and there's more of them everywhere. I want to hear it
too. I'm old enough."
89 "Very well," agreed North. North turned to Valley Blossom, who now
had her hands up to her mouth. "Shining Star is dead," North moaned,
"somebody blew up our flier with a conversion bomb. It was
instantaneous. They never knew what happened."
90 North's wife looked towards the Guards and with a wave of his hand
North dismissed them. As soon as the doors shut behind them, Bay
Blossom broke into sobs and staggered to the couch. North followed and
took her in his arms.
91 Sweet Cloud sat on his other side, and, too, began weeping, while
his daughter fell to his knees between his legs, and laid her head on
his lap, also weeping. After a long time Bay Blossom fell asleep, her
sobs softly fading. North carefully nudged his daughter, and she lifted
her head. Touching her lips, North pointed to her bedroom, the girl nodded in return, rose, and disappeared through her door.
92 Leaning Sweet Cloud against the couch, North carried Bay Blossom
into the bedroom and put her under the covers not bothering to undress
her. Then, he went