Shockball by S. L. Viehl Read Free Book Online Page A

placate him. He immediately kicked them out through the vent slots and yowled.
    Do you really think you can bribe me?
    “I tried.”
    I met Reever in the nearly empty launch bay, and handed him the garment case as I climbed in the shuttle with Jenner. Strapping the carrier in only made my poor pet’s yowls get louder.
    “You are injured.” Reever took my hands and extended them.
    “Just a couple of scratches. Jenner doesn’t like taking trips.”
    He eyed my darling feline. “I will never understand your attachment to that irate creature.”
    “You love me,” I pointed out.
    “You do not scratch me when I transport you.”
    “I don’t? You sure have a short memory.” I patted his back in a particular place. “Everyone get off the ship all right?”
    “Yes.” He went to the helm, and initiated the flight shield. “Come and sit with me.”
    Normally I would have sat beside Jenner and tried without success to soothe his shattered nerves, but I had the feeling Reever wanted to talk about the baby. I’d been successfully avoiding the subject since the miscarriage. But it wasn’t just my baby, and I was sure he needed to vent.
    Don’t think. Don’t talk. Just listen.
    Slowly I went up and strapped myself in beside him. I also put up the mental walls that would keep my husband from accessing all my thoughts. I’d been doing that since the miscarriage, too.
    We flew out of the launch bay and into space before he said anything. “I regret the loss of our child, Cherijo.”
    I stared through the view screen at the looming outlines of the Truman . Squilyp was right, I did have an obligation to tell him. “Duncan, how would you feel if we could never have any more kids?”
    “I have you,” he said, as if that was all that mattered. “We made this child. We will make other children together.”
    For once I hated the fact I was female, and I had the uterus. “What if I can’t? What if I can’t and you find out I’m not enough?”
    I knew how difficult it was for Reever to express himself emotionally. So it didn’t surprise me that the words that came from him were slow, and drawn from a place he was still getting acquainted with.
    “Cherijo, I have never loved anyone in my life before you. It was not my choice to experience these emotions, but I have them. I have come to know them very well.”
    “If it’s any comfort,” I said, feeling slightly miffed, “I didn’t want to fall in love with you, either.”
    “So you understand how I feel. I had greatly anticipated the birth of our daughter, and I deeply regret her loss. But your concerns are unnecessary. We are both young and healthy. There will be other children. I look forward to them.”
    We were approaching the docking entrance for the Truman’s launch bay, which was a good thing—I was about ready to burst into tears and ruin everything.
    Not now.
    “Okay.” I wiped my eyes quickly and straightened my tunic. “We’d better get up to Command and take a look at Operations first.” Something strange shimmered in front of the launch bay. “What’s that weird glow out there?”
    “It is produced by the vessel’s flightshield. The League apparently recently developed technology that would maintain it continuously.”
    I didn’t know much about flightshields, only that they encased a ship in a bubble of power that allowed them to jump to light-speed and slip in between space. Then something he’d said registered. “Apparently? You mean you’re not sure?”
    “The ship is unlike any the League has produced thus far, and represents a considerable advance in star vessel construction. Xonea’s engineers inform me they will have to disassemble the ship itself in order to ascertain the exact design specifications.”
    I was all for chopping it into pieces. Maybe they’d let me watch. “Is it going to let us dock?”
    “Yes. We sent a probe and an unmanned launch through first.” Without hesitation, Reever flew right through the yellow glow