Theodore Read Free Page A

of us together.  I'm never going to hear the end of this...”
    “Yet I noticed you returned to the seat next to me,”
observed Theodore with a grin.
    “I didn't say I didn't like you... um, sitting next to you.”
    Theodore laughed to himself; there was multiculturalism and
then there was this ... Oh well, it was all simple harmless fun...
    Suddenly Dr. Westmore burst onto the landing, he looked over
the pair and with a quick laugh kissed his daughter on the forehead, “Got to
run!  They had a nasty emergency over at the Frestner Hotel!”
    “Good luck, Dad!” beamed Anna.  She playfully nudged
Theodore, “See, aren't you glad you're spending the night here.”
    “I'll say,” murmured Theodore.  “That was the hotel we were
going to...”
    Dr. Westmore suddenly froze in his tracks and turned to face
Theodore, “Say that again...”
    “Um, the people at the the space port had set us up for the
Frestner Hotel.  Room eleven-thirty...”
    “Eleven-thirty-four,” finished the good doctor.  “A bomb
went off outside that door five minutes ago.  Someone was trying to kill you
and your family!”
     
       

3  
     
     
    With the blinds drawn on the windows, Theodore stood in the
living room with his human hosts as all parties nervously discussed what to do
next.
    “I... I need to call them back and bail.  They can find
someone else this evening I'm certain,” stammered Dr. Westmore.
    “Dad, you never bail on any call , ever !  If you don't
show people will ask questions.”
    “Go, take the call, dear.  We'll pack up our guests and move
them to a secure location,” offered Janice.
    “But where?  It's not like we have safe houses set up here!”
    “Don't worry about it, dear...”
    “Don't worry about it?  We have three guests who escaped
certain death by luck and good fortune!  We need a better plan!”
    “Dad!  Mom says don't worry because she doesn't want to tell
you, not that she doesn't have a plan.  If you don't know where we are, you
can't let things slip!” interjected a remarkably calm Anna.  “You do tend to be
chatty...”
    Dr. Westmore stopped and carefully looked back and forth at
his wife and daughter.  Finally he permitted himself a feeble chortle, “Okay,
you two are right.  Again.  Of course!”  He hugged the two warmly and then
headed for the door, “Kill the power to your phones.  I'll leave mine on.... be
careful.”
    With the click of the door behind the good doctor, Anna
finally cut lose with a scream, “This isn't fair!  They've already been through
so much today!”
    Her mother carefully shushed Anna, “Don't wake the baby!  My
concern is these two events are related.”
    “Related?” asked Theodore incredulously.  “You mean someone
tried to kill my parents on the star ship and so now they are trying to finish
the job?  That is crazy!  Who would want to kill my parents?   I mean, First
Mother and Third Mother are artists—they do portraits and things!”
    “We don't know and we won't find out here.  First priority
is to get you three out of this house and someplace safer.  Second, we need to
try to contact the other two rescue ports and find and warn your parents.  Now
is not the time to endure their petty bureaucracy, we need results, not
excuses!  Anna, go change into something better for the cold night air and get
your body armor on.”
    “Body armor, Mom?”
    “You are coming with us, yes”
    Anna's eyes went wide, “Yes!  Yes, ma'am!”  She bolted from
the room.
    Janice growled out loud to no one in particular before
turning her attention to Theodore, “I've dealt with drug dealers, smugglers and
religious zealots.  I'm not about to let a bunch of idiots hurt your family,
not on my planet!” 
    Theodore was amazed at Anna's mother; there was a fire and
determination in her voice that spoke of mothers everywhere; do not mess with
the cubs when momma is around!  Yet these weren't her children...  “It
doesn't seem right that