Page 84 of The Champion
Khan looked out over the small garden and turned to me. “Are you happy with your house?”
“It’s wonderful. With the speed that the city is growing at, it’s brilliant to be in the center of it all. Freya and I can walk to work, and we know all our neighbors.”
“Actually, Dad, we secured a large plot of land ten minutes from here for a future house. I can imagine that we’ll need to retreat to the countryside sometimes.”
“Ten minutes’ flight or walk?” Pearl asked.
“Flight. It’s by a lake and close to forests and meadows. You’ll love it there. Raven and Leo are building their house in that area as well.” Freya reached out and caressed the top of Isobel’s hair.
Turning his beer in his hands, Khan said, “Leo said that so far, people are behaving. There haven’t been any murders or severe violence yet.”
I’d just taken a sip of beer and coughed a little. “Murders. No, why would there be?”
“Because mixing three cultures isn’t easy. People prefer things their way.”
“Khan, people here know that they’re starting something new. With two thirds of the citizens being from the Motherlands it’s bound to be peaceful,” Pearl said and lifted Isobel to her chest.
“Sure, but it’s inevitable that some of the newcomers are the ones who didn’t fit in back home. You’ll have some weird people among you. We all do.”
“We have Victor. Does that count?” Freya said with a sideways smile in my direction.
“And don’t forget Shelly. She’s weirder than I am. The woman has no filter. Yesterday, she asked me how long Freya and I were planning to wait before having sex after the birth.”
“Did you know that Marco has a code word that he uses with Shelly to help her understand when to shut up?” Freya asked her parents.
“No. But the girl has always been eccentric. She has a good heart, and her intentions are never bad, it’s just that she says some strange things at times,” Pearl agreed.
“She might be eccentric, but Shelly Summers is the most brilliant person that I’ve ever worked with. It’s the first time I feel like I have to catch up at times. Her mind is incredible and the way we bounce ideas off of each other, and find ways to bring them into reality, makes work fun.”
When Isobel cried, Freya reached for our daughter. I watched with pride how she handled her as if this was her third child. Rocking our baby girl in her arms, Freya told me. “I think the feeling is mutual because Marco says that Shelly has never been happier either. She loves working with you.”
I felt the excitement that filled me these days bubble over. “We finished the fungi-fuel project. All energy in this country is now made from sun, wind, water, algae, or fungi. We’ve also optimized the artificial womb, which was the project that brought us together to begin with.”
We talked about all the progress that was happening in Wisdomia and our dreams for the future.
“Aww, she’s sleeping now,” Pearl said with her head angled to one side. “A sleeping baby is so precious.”
“Then how about we go on that walk now? Let me place Isobel in the baby carriage and then Victor and I can show you the lamps on the square that we told you about.”
“What lamps?” Khan asked.
“The ones Mom helped us find a supplier for. Remember how the first supplier delivered lamps with broken pieces and wouldn’t replace them?”
“Ah, yes, I heard about that.”
I helped hold Isobel while Freya got the hover carriage ready. It felt like a victory when we managed to place her inside without her waking up.
We had walked no more than a few minutes down the main street when Pearl squatted down and touched the grass. “I love the way the grass is allowed to grow through the grid of the street. It’s such a lovely pattern and it’s nice to walk on.”
“Thank you. It was a deliberate decision. The city planning committee decided to combine the best of all countries. France had patterns to allow light to shine through to the subterranean levels and we’ve imitated that pattern and brought color through grass. From the Motherlands we’ve adopted the tradition of vertical gardens along the house walls and now the streets as well.”
“What about the Northlands? This isn’t like anything back home.”
“It actually is,” I insisted. “Both France and the Motherlands have narrow streets while you have broader avenues. We’ve made our streets extra wide to imitate the Northlands.”
Khan stopped and looked around. “Hmm, all right. Yes, now I see it, but if you ask me, I like that I can still see some bricks on the houses. In a few years that will all be covered, and it will be like living in a garden.”
“Oh, don’t be such a grumpy old man,” Pearl teased her husband and linked her arm with his. “You have to admit it’s gorgeous here.”
