79 "Morn!" North cried, "By The Sweet Lords Of
Hades, what are you doing here?" North opened his eyes and turned his
head to see that his suspicions were right and the second voice
belonged to Spearon.
80 "Well, North," Morn explained , "I thought rather than send those
ships you ordered out by freighter I'd bring them out with my task
force, and you and I could show our Peepian friends what two fleets
working in formation could do to an enemy force!"
81 "By The Lords!" cried North trying to sit up, "you give me a couple
of days and that's just exactly what we WILL do! In the meantime you
can give some lectures to my Officers. You won't believe how thrilled
they'll be. You're a legend to them."
82 "Will do!" agreed Morn, "But first of all you've got to get well.
By the way, I met your new lady when I dropped off my wives at your
quarters. She's a treasure! She nearly fainted dead away when we were
introduced, and, I hear congratulations are in order!"
83 "The father," moaned North, "is always the last to know!"
84 "And that brings me," snapped Spearon, "to the reason for my being
here. I would not normally interfere in such matters, but under the
circumstances I feel I must. You have brought no charges against my
son. You told Security to file no report. This is more than a family
affair. One of our most sacred Laws is that no harm must ever be done
to a woman with child. On top of that, my son has attacked his Superior
Officer and done him grievous harm."
85 "And his Superior Officer," remarked North, "has also done HIM
grievous harm, far more than necessary to defend himself. He will,
therefore, file no charges on that matter. As for my mate, I do not
feel she would wish me to punish her brother any more than he has been.
so I prefer it be left at that. Of course, sir, I must abide by