TENCHI WAKUSEI, BOOK ONE: "NO DREAMS FOR TENCHI"

By Joe Meadows (gpabn@yahoo.com) 

NOTA BENE: This novel (comprising 24 chapters, a Prologue, and an 
Epilogue) is a sequel to the "Tenchi Muyo Television Series" 
("Tenchi Universe"), with some "Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki!" original 
OAV series characters and elements included where--in the author's 
opinion--they don't conflict with "Tenchi Universe."  For example, 
in order to flesh out a family background for Ayeka and Sasami, 
rather than create new characters, I used the existing parental 
figures of King Asuza and Queen Misaki from the OAVs.  In order to 
bring the Galaxy Police more into the story, I re-instated the Grand 
Marshall as Mihoshi's grandfather and used an existing character from 
the Tenchi Muyo mangas, Chief Tor Bodai.  And so on. 

AIC and Pioneer LDC, whose kind indulgence I am counting on, own the 
copyrights on the original Tenchi Muyo characters.  The character of 
Chief Tor Bodai was created by Hitoshi Okuda for the Tenchi Muyo manga 
series and is also copyrighted by AIC and Pioneer LDC.  All truly new 
characters are my creation.   Those characters and the actual story 
are copyright 2002 by yours truly.  The lyrics for both versions of 
the theme song for "Speed Racer," the Beatles' "Abbey Road" album, 
the Beach Boys' "Surfing USA," the theme to "The Brady Bunch," and 
"Amore" are copyrighted by their various owners.  The events that 
comprise the "Tenchi Universe" series are discussed in this novel; 
consequently, spoilers lurk within.  Be warned.  Please check out the
"Chapter Notes" at the end of some of the chapters.  Feedback is very 
welcome!  I can be reached at gpabn@yahoo.com and thanks for taking 
the time to read this novel.  
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CHAPTER TWO
No Need For Watermelon
______________________


Thanks to parents who had to roll out of the sack at the break of 
dawn for staff meetings, Tris Coffin always awoke at six o'clock 
a.m., rain or shine, sick or well, hung over or not.  Thus, as the 
cock crowed (figuratively) the next morning, he groggily rolled out 
of bed—-and hit the floor.

Huh? he thought.  Oh, that's right...I'm sleeping on a futon.

He stood up.  He was wearing his pajamas--actually a size XXL tee 
shirt with Bullwinkle J. Moose emblazoned on the front with the 
"official" crest of "Wotsamatta U."  He found it amusing to explain 
to his fellow college students all about that esteemed seat of higher 
leaning located in Frostbite Falls.

Tris glanced at Tenchi's bed, where his buddy lay sleeping.  Tris 
smiled.  Yesterday had been a trying day for Tenchi, too.

Trying!  Tris's mind was suddenly overwhelmed with all the incredible 
and impossible things he had learned yesterday  He was almost tempted 
to view it all as a dream, a weird dream and a sexy one too, 
considering all the women involved in it.  But it was no dream.  It 
was a reality he would have to face and try to co-exist with.

He scratched a place that doesn't merit recording here and yawned.  
Actually, getting up when he did make sense in his new surroundings, 
since the Masaki manse, as well designed as it was, had only one 
bathroom.  The way it worked out, as he and Tenchi had doped it last 
night, was: Lord Yosho was up at an ungodly hour, always, and used 
the facility first; Tenchi's father had to rise and shine at 5:30 
a.m. (ouch!) to make his train to the city and so utilized the 
bathroom next.  Then Tris would have a clear shot at the bathroom at 
6:30 a.m. and Tenchi would be the clean-up batter (pun intended).

Of course, last night when Tris had leaned there was but one single 
solitary bathroom and six—-count 'em—-six women, it had floored him.  
No way, he had said.  Way, Tenchi had replied.

Washuu, the super-brain (and didn't she know it), had constructed a 
monumental bath palace that would have put the public baths of 
ancient Rome to shame, according to Tenchi.  She had placed it in the 
vicinity of the regular bathroom, but in a different dimension. 
(Fourth dimension?  Fifth Dimension—-no, that was an old singing 
group.)  When the women entered the bathroom, they actually entered 
that dimension and enjoyed what Tenchi described as the Taj Mahal of 
public baths...or the Grand Baths, as the watery paradise was better 
known.  When the Masaki men (or any male) entered the same bathroom, 
they simply found themselves in the normal lavatory.  Obviously, it 
worked--but what a party-pooper that Washuu was!

Tenchi had also told him that his father, who was pretty frustrated 
sexually as a widower, had actually tried to crash the women's Grand 
Baths, but had failed, miserably.  That seemed to bother Tenchi about 
his father.  Tris privately thought if Tenchi's old man had not shown 
some interest in that direction, that would be a real reason to 
worry.  He kept that opinion to himself, of course.

Tris always jogged when he could first thing in the morning.  Not 
because he was an exercise fiend—-he wasn't—-but because he would 
fatten up like a whale if he didn't work out constantly, despite his 
slim stature.  The Coffin men fought the battle of the bulge 
throughout their lives.  His poor Dad had sweated buckets in daily 
exercise so he could continue to fit in those narrow F-15 cockpits.  
It had amused Mom a lot.

He pulled on his jogging shorts and top (this one with the Okayama 
University crest), slipped on tube socks and carried his Reeboks to 
the front door, where he tied them on.  He opened the front door and 
stepped outside.

Dark...!  And cool.  Good enough, though.

Tris began jogging on the grass, aiming toward the steps of the 
shrine.  He wasn't worried about taking his usual spill.  For some 
reason, he rarely fell when he ran, probably due to Coach Nelson 
keeping an eagle eye on him back when he ran high school track.  For 
every fall, Coach Nelson had made him run extra laps.  The punishment 
had built up his wind, at least, if not his coordination.  

He had gotten about a hundred yards when he spotted a tall, white 
figure ahead of him.  He jogged on and discovered it was Tenchi's 
grandfather, Lord Yosho.  The priest (and space alien prince) turned.  
Tris stopped when he reached the venerable old gentleman.

"Good morning, Tristram," Yosho greeted him amiably.  "You are an 
early riser, I see."

Tris smiled.  "Good morning, sir.  Yes, a bad habit my parents drilled 
into me."

"You jest, of course.  A good habit.  Would you care to walk with me 
a bit?"

"Yes, sir."

They walked.  The sky slowly brightened, but it was taking its own 
sweet time about it.

"Tenchi requested that you stay with us the entire Spring Break period 
last night," Yosho said.

"Uh...yes, sir, we talked about it.  He said he'd catch you and his 
Dad before you both went to bed and ask."  Tris felt uncomfortable.  
Tenchi's rationale was that the only reason he hadn't invited Tris for 
all of Spring Break was because of the secrets he had to keep.  Now 
that the cat—-the cabbit?--was out of the bag, there was no reason to 
send Tris packing in two more days.  At least, not according to 
Tenchi.

According to Tris, however, there were two full and ample reasons--
one was named Ryoko and the other Princess Ayeka.  But Tenchi had 
insisted that it wasn't their decision to make.  Tris had picked up on 
the fact that Tenchi was determined to live as normal a life as 
possible and if he wanted a friend over for a holiday, that was what 
was going to happen.  Actually, Tris had been quite pleased.  His 
plans after leaving the Masakis had been to visit Colonel Groves and 
his family in Tokyo (three hours away by bullet train, and more like 
five by car with all the traffic) and hang out there.  He'd already 
seen what few sights there were to see in Okayama City, such as the 
Korakuen Garden, (rated as one of the three finest gardens in Japan), 
Okayama Castle, and the Kibitsu Shrine.  The problem with staying with 
Colonel Grove and his family was the Colonel's daughter, Alexia.  She 
was a bossy debutante type just a year younger than Tris.  She seemed 
to think she owned Tris or something.  She bossed his about, insisted 
he take her out to eat and go shopping with her, and kept bugging him 
about what he was going to do with his life.  Alexia was beautiful and 
smart and absolutely hell on heels.  So Tris hadn't demurred further 
with Tenchi about the hazards of his staying on.  But it would likely 
prove to be a sticky wicket, as his Brit friends put it.

Yosho, not for the first time, seemed to read Tris's thoughts.  "I 
gave my approval, of course," he said.  "My son-in-law, Tenchi's 
father, also gladly assented   You are a welcome guest here, 
Tristram."

"Thank you, sir," Tris said, gratefully.  "I appreciate that.  My 
concern is..."  He stopped, not knowing quite how to express it to 
Tenchi's grandfather.

"I think I understand your concern," said Yosho mildly.  "There will 
be some—-discussion—-about it and perhaps some concerns will be 
raised.  My grandson will handle those, I am certain."

They were approaching the steps to the shrine.

Tris looked at Lord Yosho.  The elderly priest was as calm as still 
water.  It comforted Tris...which was exactly what Yosho intended, no 
doubt.

"Well, you know best, sir.  One thing, though..."

"Yes?"

"I know that I'm a guest, sir.  But considering all the time I'll be 
staying here, I'd feel much better if I could help out with the chores 
around the house."

Yosho regarded the young American.  "That is not necessary at all, 
Tristram.  As you said yourself, you are a guest.  You know our 
customs regarding guests, do you not?"

"Yes sir, I know.  But I'd really prefer to pitch in.  I'd feel as if 
I...belonged more."

Yosho smiled genially.  "I understand.  The coda of an industrious 
people.  Certainly, you may "pitch in."  In fact...do you see all the 
pathways?"  He waved a robed arm.

Tris took in the stone paths that ran throughout the property.  He 
already had a strong suspicion of what he had volunteered for.  His 
heart sank.

"Those pathways truly need to be trimmed of grass and weeds.  It's a 
daunting task and we don't have enough time to attend to it.  But if 
you could devote some part of your day to the task..."

The task: Stooping down for hours, cutting stray and renegade blades 
of grass and pulling weeds from around the stones in the paths.  Stoop 
labor.  For stupes.  But he had volunteered.

"Yes, that's fine, sir," Tris lied.  "I suppose you don't have a 
trimmer?"

"Hmmm..." Yosho considered.  "I believe so.  It's rather a small pair 
of hand clippers for trimming grass, is it not?"

Inwardly, Tris groaned.  He had known it was a only remote chance that 
the Masaki homestead would have a powered, plastic-wire weed chopper.  
Garden shears!  His hands ached already.  "Yes, sir," he lied again.

"Then you're in luck."  Yosho smiled.  "We also have a hoe, a trowel, 
and a rake."

"That's great, sir.  I'll get started this morning."

"Fine, Tristram.  In a month, my visitors will exclaim at the beauty 
of our pathways."

"Yes, sir."

They reached the stone stepway leading up to the temple.

"Here's where I leave you, sir," Tris said.

"I know you run every morning," Yosho remarked.  (How did he know?)  
"But have you ever run up steps like these?"

"Well...no."

"Why not make it a goal for yourself?  Run as far as you can up these 
steps each morning.  When you can finally reach the top without 
stopping, you will have achieved great fitness...and, perhaps, 
greater inner peace, Tristram."

The rising sun's rays glinted off Yosho's glasses.  Tris had the 
distinct impression that Lord Yosho could divine his thoughts and 
that he had a special reason for revising Tris's exercise routine.  
It was spooky.

"Sure, sir.  I'll give it a try.  Just keep the paramedics handy."

It was a weak joke, but Yosho smiled anyway.  "I'll leave you now, 
Tristram.  Perhaps some time we can talk about running away from 
demons...and the best way to deal with them."

"Uh, yes sir."

With a final smile, Yosho turned and started up the stone steps.

Tris watched the elderly priest ascend the steps...not quickly, not 
slowly, but steadily...inexorably.  Prince of Jurai, eh?  Lord Yosho 
could have won anyone's vote for King, if folks voted for their 
sovereign on Jurai.  The Shinto priest just had that aura of complete, 
competent power and authority that one could have faith in.

Yosho reached the top of the steps in an astonishingly quick time and 
disappeared into the Shinto temple.  Tris turned and trotted back to 
the house.  If he was going to start running up those steps, he'd 
better conserve power now, he rationalized.  He reached the gravel 
drive where his car was parked and saw Tenchi's father, Nobuyuki 
Masaki.  The middle-aged man was dressed in a conservative business 
suit, in observance of the unofficial (but very real) Japanese 
business dress code, and carried that stuffed briefcase again. 

Nobuyuki was peering into the car.  He heard Tris' Reeboks crunch on 
the gravel.  He turned and smiled at Tris.

"Good morning, Tristram.  You're up early."

"So are you, Mr. Masaki."

"Yes...needs must, you know.  This is a wonderful car, Tristram.  I 
understand it was your father's?"

"Yes.  Dad's pride and joy, kind of like me, except no tax write-
off."

Nobuyuki laughed.  "I'm glad you're staying, Tristram.  We can use a 
little more good humor around here."  He stared wistfully at the 
Mustang.  The pony car's paint job glowed like liquid fire, bathed in 
the rays of the ascending sun. "When I was very young," he murmured, 
"I dreamed of fast cars and...well..."  He smiled.

"Say, Mr. Masaki, may I drive you to the bus stop?  It's no bother."

Tenchi's father shook his head.  "That's a very tempting offer, 
Tristram.  But, you see, the walk to the bus stop provides me with 
what little exercise I get these days.  I spend most of my time 
behind a desk or a drafting board.  But I'll certainly take--what is 
it called--a rain check?"

"Yes, sir.  You have a dozen rain checks, all redeemable at any time, 
Mr. Masaki."

"Thank you.  I'll see you in the evening, Tristram."  With a last fond 
look at the car, Nobuyuki turned and walked down the gravel drive.  
That briefcase must have been pretty heavy, but Tenchi's father 
carried the burden seemingly without strain.  He was certainly used to 
carrying burdens, Tris thought. 

Then Tris noticed what he should have noticed all along--the car's 
convertible top was down!  It had been down all night.  He looked at 
the seats and winced.  They were damp with morning dew.  Dummy!  Well, 
he'd have to let them partially dry in the sun and then wipe them off 
before the drive with Kiyone.  At the thought of the teal-haired 
galactic police officer, Tris couldn't help feeling better.  At least 
he had done something right since arriving here.

Tris trotted back to the house.

When he came back to the bedroom following his shower (he had put his 
ear to the walls of the bathroom and had been disappointed at not 
hearing any of the women splashing around), Tenchi was up, stretching 
and yawning.

"Hope you left me some hot water, Tris," Tenchi said sleepily.

"Think so.  You can always use the fancy women's baths, I'll bet...if 
you ask real nice."

"Hah!"  Tenchi shook his head, fully awake now.  "Never again!  I got 
stick in there once, thanks to Washuu, and it was pretty tense, 
believe me.  I prefer cold showers, anyway."

"You would, with all these sexy women around."

"Hey, don't make it worse, Tris."  Tenchi pulled off his simple two-
piece white pajamas.  Tenchi was slim, but there wasn't an ounce—-not 
a gram—-of fat on him.  Tris knew that Tenchi, like many fit but slim 
Japanese males, had muscles like coiled springs.  Tenchi slipped on 
his kimono and bath slippers.

"Did you jog already?" he asked, tying the kimono's belt.

"Yup.  Met your grandfather and father too."  Tris told him about 
the two conversations.

"Yeah, they both said yes to your staying.  I would have told you 
last night, but I just plain forgot."

"Understandable!  Hard day, yesterday."

"Yeah," Tenchi said significantly.  "I hope it won't be a harder 
day today."

"Oh, I really don't mind doing the trimming."

"Not what I meant, although you sure took on a rotten job, Tris."  
Tenchi shook his head, smiling.  "I do the outdoor chores, too, so at 
least we'll both get fresh air."

"Yeah, fresh air, cramps, grass stains, chigger bites..."

"Slacker!  Anyway, I'm not worried about that.  The thing is, I plan 
to tell the girls about your staying after breakfast."  Tenchi smiled 
again, but this time it was a grim smile.  "It may cause some 
indigestion."

"It may cause three-alarm heartburn," Tris returned dryly.  "I'm 
sorry to be the cause of you having to face those women like that."

Tenchi shrugged.  "If I didn't confront them and be firm, I wouldn't 
be attending college now.  Don't worry.  It'll be tense, but only 
Ryoko and Ayeka will kick up a real fuss."

"Ummm, Tenchi, that's like saying only King Kong and Godzilla--you 
know?"

Tenchi grinned.  "Don't let those two hear you talking about them 
like that!  Or there really will be fireworks!"  He padded off in his 
bathroom slippers to take his shower.

Watching Tenchi depart, Tris had a bad feeling that fireworks would 
be the order of the day.



The women stirred around eight o'clock a.m.  Following their ablutions 
in the Grand Baths, Kiyone arrived downstairs first (as usual), 
immediately followed by Sasami, who made a beeline to the kitchen.  
Then Ryoko and Ayeka appeared.  They were in the midst of a frank 
discussion.

"Don't burst a blood vessel, Princess.  I only said you looked a 
little raw this morning," Ryoko was saying, her voice irritated.

Ayeka seemed even more irritated.  "I did not look "raw," as you put 
it, Ryoko.  I always look my best."

"Well, your best is none too good this a.m.," Ryoko commented.  "Are 
you having trouble sleeping or something?"

"No, I am not!  It is very bad of you, Ryoko...trying to plant the 
idea in Lord Tenchi's mind that I do not look well."

"I don't have to plant anything.  Tenchi has eyes.  Anyway, I'm sorry 
I brought it up.  That satisfy you?"

"Yes!" Ayeka snapped.  Abruptly, she turned from Ryoko and walked into 
the kitchen.

"You know," Kiyone commented, "I think I'm with you this time, Ryoko.  
Ayeka did look a little rocky when she got up.  The hot baths helped, 
but you can sure see it still."

"Yeah.  I hate to admit it, but I'm getting a little concerned about 
Princess Pain-In-The Patoot."  Despite the jibe, Ryoko's mien was 
serious.  "I think I've heard her groaning and moaning at night--even 
over that racket your partner makes."

"I think I have, too."  Kiyone appeared a bit worried.  "But if she 
won't admit anything...what can we do?"

"Wait until it gets worse--or until Mihoshi's snoring gets loud enough 
to drown her out."

"Mihoshi!"  Kiyone enjoyed her first teeth-gritting of the day.  
"Where is she?"

"Still sacked out the last time I saw her," Ryoko answered.

"Of course!  And she'll whine all day if she misses breakfast."

Kiyone stalked back up the stairs on her way to the communal bedroom.  
Aggravation radiated from her like cobalt 60.

Ryoko waited by the stairwell.  She began the countdown:  

"Five...four...three...two..."  

Then she heard: "Get up, Mihoshi!" followed by a loud thud.

The space pirate grinned.  Those two cracked her up, they really did.

Then she smelled yummy smells emanating from the kitchen.  Her stomach 
made its usual response, loudly.  Ryoko, the Galaxy Police's most-
wanted space pirate, blushed.  Jeeze, that was embarrassing!  Good 
thing no one else heard.  She lazily floated into the air and drifted 
toward the dining room.



Noodles and eggs for breakfast...it was a great combination.

Tris had mentioned to Sasami that Americans ate eggs for breakfast 
and Sasami just happened to still have a few eggs left over from a 
cake she had made (she and Mihoshi had seen the cake on an American 
TV commercial, and Sasami had resolved to make it, which she did, 
quite successfully).  She thought eggs for breakfast would be a nice 
way to welcome Tenchi's friend.

Sasami had made the simple repast a real taste treat.  She beamed at 
the praise she received and readily agreed to Tris's half-kidding 
request for the recipe.  

"You can cook?" Ryoko asked Tris, her voice incredulous.

"No.  I can prepare food, somewhat, if I have to.  My Mom showed me.  
Now, Sasami, here--she can cook!  She'd make the Michelin Guide 
anytime."

"That's so sweet!"  Sasami was delighted, although she was not 
certain what the Michelin Guide was.  "Thank you, Tris."

"You're welcome, Sasami."

"What kind of guy knows how to cook?" Ryoko wondered, somewhat 
caustically.

"A smart guy," Kiyone interjected.

"That's right," Mihoshi added, smiling sweetly at Tris.  "I mean..." 
She thought a moment.  "If a guy can't cook and he doesn't have a 
wife who can cook for him...what would he do?"

"Get to know the pizza delivery guy real well," Ryoko cracked.  She 
laughed.  "Tris, you'll make someone a great wife someday."

"Is that a proposal?" Tris asked her.  

Ryoko stopped laughing.  "Huh?"

"Good one, Tris."  Tenchi chuckled.  He turned to Ryoko.  "I can 
"prepare food" too, you know.  I did some of the cooking before you 
all came here.  So did Grandfather and Dad.  Dad cooked the first 
meal you ever ate here, Ryoko...remember?"

Lord Yosho, sitting at the head of the table, nodded but didn't 
comment. 

"Of course you can cook, Lord Tenchi," Ayeka intervened, swiftly and 
sweetly and pointedly.  "I knew you could all along."

"Yeah, you did," Ryoko muttered.

"So, Tristram."  Ayeka, having grabbed the conversational reins, 
forged ahead.  "What do you plan to do the next two days you are 
here?  We all have our duties to perform to maintain the household, I 
am afraid, and we do not have the free time to entertain you.  It is 
a pity.  I understand, however, that the village has a few points of 
interest.  Perhaps you could drive that car of yours into town and 
view them.  There is even an outstanding restaurant in the village, I 
understand, so you may even sample the local cuisine."

Ayeka delivered this clear invitation for Tris to scram in such a 
soft, sweet voice that one could not possibly take offense.

Yes, she was good at playing hardball with velvet gloves.  She was a 
princess who had survived and even thrived in a highly competitive 
royal family.  Tenchi marveled at her, as he often did.  But she was 
not going to get away with it this time.  He glanced around the table.  
Tris was keeping his face neutral...smart.  Grandfather seemed 
oblivious to what was going on.  Ryoko was staring at Ayeka with rare 
respect.  Sasami looked upset.  She clearly knew what her big sister 
meant.  Mihoshi appeared confused by Ayeka's words.  Kiyone did not 
appear confused at all--she looked damned mad.

Then Lord Yosho spoke.  "Actually, Princess, Tristram came to me 
this morning and volunteered to take on a very worthy project--to 
perform some needed trimming on our walk paths.  He has his duties to 
perform now, also."  He collected a bite of egg with his chopsticks, 
transferred it to his mouth, and chewed it with perfect equanimity.

Ayeka recoiled—-for just a moment, by just a millimeter—-then 
recovered with swiftness and sureness.  "But Lord Yosho...is it 
right, do you think, to burden such a temporary guest with household 
duties?  He does not have the time to finish any project he may begin.  
Certainly, he would be happier to see the sights in the village than 
to work on the grounds."

Very quietly, Ryoko whispered to Ayeka, "You go, girl."

"I am surprised," Kiyone spoke up, "to see us lapse again into the 
very impolite behavior of talking about somebody as if they weren't 
here."

Mihoshi now seemed to have an inkling of what was going on.  Her 
pretty, friendly face flushed with indignation.  She didn't speak--
because her partner had, without even looking at her, covered 
Mihoshi's mouth with her hand.

Tenchi groaned inwardly.  It was staring already!  He saw that Sasami 
looked miserable.  Now Tris did, too.  Grandfather just continued 
eating.

Kiyone's well-aimed rebuke hit Ayeka amidships.  The Juraian Princess 
stared at the Galaxy Police officer with surprise and hurt.  Kiyone 
stared back at her with her clear blue eyes.  Ryoko glowered at 
Kiyone.  Kiyone ignored her.

Lord Yosho finished eating.  He lay down his chopsticks.  "That was a 
wonderful breakfast, Sasami."

"Thank you, Lord Yosho," Sasami said in a small voice.

"Tristram, are you finished as well?"

Tris glanced down at his unfinished meal.  "Yes.  It was very good, 
Sasami.  My appetite just went south, that's all."

"I understand," Sasami said softly.

"Well, then."  Yosho stood.  "Tristram, if you'll come with me, I'll 
show you where we keep the garden tools.  I know you're eager to get 
started on taming those errant blades of grass that blight our walk 
paths."

"Oh yes, sir," Tris said.  "Eager."  He stood up too.

"Tenchi, you might tell everyone about our decision after we leave," 
Lord Yosho suggested to his grandson.

"Yes, Grandfather.  I will."

"Very good."  Lord Yosho led Tris out of the dining room.

The front door had barely closed when Ayeka said, "Kiyone...that was 
hurtful.  I was simply suggesting to that person--"

"I think it's hurtful to try and talk around somebody like that.  You 
just did it again, calling him "that person."  It's also hurtful to 
imply that Tris isn't wanted, and to all but tell him to go away and 
stop bothering us."  Kiyone spoke in a low voice.  It wasn't a loud 
voice and didn't need to be.  Tenchi gained even more respect and 
affection for the highly competent—-and quite compassionate—-
professional law officer.

"Look Kiyone, this doesn't concern you," Ryoko told her.  "You may 
feel sorry for that goofball, and that's okay, but he needed to know 
where to get off.  The Princess handled it much nicer than I would 
have."

"Yes, Ryoko," Kiyone said.  "You would have been more open and direct.  
I'll grant you that."

Tenchi now intervened.  He was angry now.

"Goofball?  Where do you get off calling him that, Ryoko?  He's my 
friend.  So, by extension, I'm a goofball too.  Right?"

"No, Tenchi!"  Ryoko recoiled with shock.  "I never meant that!"

"No, she did not, Lord Tenchi," Ayeka intervened.  Tenchi's anger at 
Ryoko somehow seemed to dismay the Princess as well.

Tenchi glared at Ayeka.  "So he's not wanted, huh?  I invited him 
here just so all of you could make him feel lousy and shoo him away.  
Is that it?"

Mihoshi began to cry.  Kiyone unstopped her mouth and shook her 
shoulder, but Mihoshi keep sobbing.

"I—-I want Tris here, Tenchi," Mihoshi tried to explain through her 
tears.  "I—-I like him a lot—-and Kiyone—-she likes him, too—-"

"Oh, Mihoshi."  Kiyone still shook her, but gently now.  "Stop 
crying.  He knows."

"Yes, please, Mihoshi, don't cry," Tenchi said.  "I was wrong to say 
"all of you."  Sasami has been very nice to Tris, too."

Sasami did not seem far from tears herself.  "I know Tris is a good 
person."  She turned to her big sister.  "Ayeka, Tris isn't going to 
hurt anything by staying here.  It'll be more fun, that's all."

"Yeah, like a clown show," Ryoko muttered.

Despite herself, Ayeka felt herself begin to bubble with laughter as 
she imagined that silly Tristram person covered with clown makeup and 
attired in funny clothes.  She placed a hand over her mouth.

"Gas?" Ryoko queried.

Ayeka's inner merriment ceased.  She removed her hand.  "No, of course 
not!  How dare you!"

"Just a joke, Princess."

"Tris tells funnier jokes than you," Mihoshi said with rare heat to 
Ryoko.  "And if he makes fun of anyone, it's himself."

Kiyone, smiling slightly, patted Mihoshi's shoulder.  "Calm down," 
she murmured to her partner.  

"Yeah, well, he's got a lot of material to work with," Ryoko shot 
back.  

"Then he's not the only one around here," Tenchi said flatly.  He 
looked straight at Ryoko.

Ryoko again registered shock.  "Tenchi...!"

"Enough of this," Tenchi said.  "I asked Tris last night to stay here 
all of Spring Break.  I also talked to Grandfather and Dad about it."  
He paused.  Ryoko and Ayeka seemed frozen in place.  "He's staying."

The ensuing silence was so total that not only could one heard the 
proverbial pin drop, the sound would have stung the eardrums.  
Finally, the silence was broken.

"But, Lord Tenchi—-why?" Ayeka cried.

"Yeah!  Why would you do that?" Ryoko added.

"I invited Tris here because I wanted him here.  I made it a short 
visit before because I was trying to keep our secret.  Well, that's 
history.  There's no reason for him to leave so soon now, and I want 
him to stay."

"But what about us?" Ryoko demanded.  "What about me?"

"Ryoko..." Ayeka remonstrated, upset both by Tenchi's words and 
Ryoko's directness.  Surely, Ryoko could have phrased it better.

"Listen, Ryoko, Ayeka...I'm going to spend time with you.  That's a 
promise.  I meant to all along.  I'll spend some time with Tris, too.  
Hopefully, I'll even get to spend time with my father, if that's 
possible."

"I'm not talking about them," Ryoko said, nettled.  "I'm talking 
about..." she stopped.

"Yes, I know.  And it's just plain selfish, Ryoko," Tenchi told her.

The platinum-haired space pirate's eyes widened.  From her expression, 
she looked as if she had been hit.

Quickly, Kiyone rose.  "We need to straighten the bedroom, Mihoshi.  
Let's go."

"We do?"

"Yes!  Let's go, girl!"

Kiyone marched herself and Mihoshi out of the dining room.  Tenchi 
smiled gratefully at Kiyone as she passed him with Mihoshi.  Kiyone 
returned his smile.

Sasami rose.  "Time to do the dishes."  She collected a few cups and 
bowls and left, too.

Silence.

Ayeka said finally, "Lord Tenchi...perhaps we are selfish.  But we 
both love you.  We cannot help how we feel."

Ryoko rubbed her eyes.  "Oh, Tenchi...you really don't understand.  
You really don't."

"I want to understand," Tenchi said, quietly and earnestly.  "I really 
do.  You both are so very important to me.  You're both part of my 
life.  An important part.  But you need to understand, too.  Other 
people are part of my life now, and others will be in the future.  
Friends, acquaintances, and colleagues.  That doesn't affect how I 
feel about either of you one iota."

Ayeka and Ryoko neither looked at Tenchi nor each other.  Tenchi 
smiled at them.  It was a wistful smile.  

"Listen, you two.  My high school days, when I came straight home 
after school, no friends over, ever, all weekends and holidays spent 
here, never going anywhere...those days are over."

"Those were good days," Ryoko murmured.

"Yes, they were," Ayeka agreed, very softly.

"Yes, I think they were, too.  It was like a carnival every day."  
Tenchi smiled, remembering.  "But I'm in college now...and not too 
long from now, I'll be the priest of this shrine.  I'll be very much 
involved with the folks around here.  Again, friends, acquaintances, 
and colleagues.  I can't be isolated any more.  I won't be.  It's a 
new life for me, a new world.  I want you to share it with me.  But 
you will have to share it, not monopolize it."

In response, Ayeka stared down at the table.  But she did give the 
briefest of nods.  Ryoko looked directly at him.  Her expression was 
almost challenging.  "Yes, Tenchi.  And you'll have to make a decision 
someday--won't you?"

"Yes, I will.  I promise that I will," Tenchi assured her.  "In the 
meantime, please remember what I've told you.  And try to get along 
with Tris.  Will you both do that?"

"Yes, Lord Tenchi," Ayeka said, her voice soft and sad.  "I shall 
try."

"Ryoko?"

"Oh, okay.  Just keep the chump away from me."

Tenchi stood up.  It was the best he could do, he knew...for now.

"I'd better get outside and start mowing grass.  See you two at 
lunch."

He left Ryoko and Ayeka sitting at the table, staring at cold eggs 
and noodles.



Tenchi went outside, but he didn't immediately begin his chores.  He 
sought out Tris, who was starting his long sojourn into what he later 
called his career in "lawn order."

He found the American bent over, using the garden shears to scissor 
the impudent grass that sprouted between the stones of one of the 
pathways.  Tenchi grinned.  "I think you've finally found your 
calling, Tris."

"Think so?  The food's great, but the pay's lousy."  Tris straightened 
with a relieved groan.  "Gee, I've trimmed about one whole yard of 
walkway.  In a month, your visitors are going to exclaim, "What did 
that guy do in all that time?""

Tenchi laughed.  "Well, you'll earn what we're paying you, anyway."  
Then he sobered.  "Tris, I think everything's cool now with the 
girls, but..."

"But?"

"I hate to sound sort of like Ayeka, but...could you have lunch 
somewhere else today?  Give Ryoko and Ayeka a chance to cool down."  
He grinned again.  "Take that car of yours and scram!  At least for a 
while."

"And deprive those two of my manly perfection as they eat their 
midday meal?"

"Most definitely."

"Well, I was going to take Kiyone on a drive after lunch," Tris 
recalled.

"So take her on a drive and then take her to lunch," Tenchi suggested.

"It's fine with me.  I'll have to ask her, though."

"Huh-uh.  You're not going back in that house.  I'll go get her."

"Okay."  Tris seemed nonplussed by his friend's maneuvering.

"It's really best to do this, Tris.  Ayeka and Ryoko just need a 
little time to get used to the idea of your staying on.  Trust me."

"I trust you, Tenchi.  Even if you don't have collateral."

"Wise guy.  I'll go get Kiyone."



"Well, Tenchi and Tris are outside talking to each other," Mihoshi 
reported to Kiyone.  "I guess everything is okay.  Do you think 
everything is okay?"

"How would I know?"  The two of them were in the women's communal 
bedroom.  Kiyone was trying to move a wardrobe aside to run a dust 
mop behind it, but it was pretty heavy.  "Mihoshi, stop staring out 
that window and help me."

"Okay."  Mihoshi walked--actually, skipped--over to her partner.  She 
was smiling broadly.

"Tris sure wears tight pants," she observed.  "He sure does!"    

"Mihoshi!"

"Well, he does.  He's awful cute."

"He's awful," Kiyone said.  "And maybe a little cute."

Mihoshi didn't agree and was going to tell Kiyone so, when the bedroom 
door slid open.  Tenchi walked in.

"Kiyone, I need your help for a little while."

The teal-haired galactic police officer raised an eyebrow.  "You do?"

"Yes.  It'll take a little time.  You can carry on here, can't you, 
Mihoshi?"

"Well...I guess I can, Tenchi," Mihoshi replied.  She looked at him 
quizzically.  

"That's great, Mihoshi.  I can always count on you."

"Oh, really?"  Mihoshi smiled happily.

"Really.  Come on, Kiyone."

"Okay, okay."

Once they were downstairs, Kiyone asked, "All right, Tenchi, what's 
this all about?"  She suspected something was up.

"You were there in the dining room.  I think Ayeka and Ryoko will see 
things my way eventually, but I don't want to toss gasoline on the 
fire right now."

Kiyone grinned.  "You mean Tris."

"Yes, I mean Tris."

"So what can I do?"

"Well, you were going on a drive with him.  Please go on it now.  
He'll buy you lunch and you two can look around the village...at 
least until mid-afternoon."

"You think it'll be safe for Tris then?"  Kiyone's manner was slightly 
skeptical.

"Oh, it's safe for him now, really.  It would just be easier on all 
three of them if they didn't see each other for a little while."

"I get you.  Okay, I'll help out."  Kiyone smiled.  "So the big 
stiff's going to have to buy me lunch, huh?  I like that." 



Ten minutes later, the big stiff was piloting the Mustang out of the 
Masaki homestead.  Kiyone sat in the front passenger seat.

"Aren't these seats kind of damp?" she asked.

"Mine isn't," Tris lied.

"Never mind."  She leaned back in the comfortable bucket seat.  The 
convertible top was down (unbeknownst to her it hadn't been up).  
Kiyone shook her long dark teal-colored hair, feeling the wind ruffle 
it.  It felt wonderful.  The movement of the car toward the outside 
of the Masaki property was wonderful too.  She was finally getting 
out of that place...for a little while, anyway.

Tris glanced at her, trying to stop squirming at the dampness beneath 
his tush.  He hoped he and Kiyone would not have noticeable 
impressions on their backsides when they finally got out of the car.  
He saw that she was leaning back in the bucket seat, eyes closed, her 
silken teal hair flowing in the breeze, a blissful smile on her face.

"I love this," she admitted.  "No wonder you drive this old car.  I've 
never realized what an open top does to your senses.  It feels so 
free."

"Uh-huh.  And what's a few bugs in your teeth anyway?"

Kiyone popped one eye open.  She surveyed Tris with it.  "Don't start 
with me, buster.  I'm doing you a favor, you know."

"Well, in that case...I'm suitably grateful."  Tris rolled his eyes 
upward.

"Idiot.  I swear, you are an idiot."

"You just figured that out, Officer?"

Kiyone just closed her eye and snuggled against the soft bucket seat, 
letting the sun warm her face.  "Just an idiot," she murmured.

"Well, you're going on this date with me.  What does that make you?"

Kiyone now opened both eyes.  "Hey, buster...like I said before, this 
isn't a date."

"Right-o."

"I mean, when I date a guy, I lay down some ground rules.  There 
isn't even the need for any ground rules here."

"Got it.  No date.  No ground rules.  Two perfect strangers riding 
together in a car for no apparent reason."

"I didn't say that, exactly.  You're going to buy me lunch and I'm 
going to eat it.  Just remember...this isn't a date."

"Roger that."  Now they were tooling steadily along on the macadam 
road, leading to the village.  The traffic was surprisingly light.

Kiyone eyed him quizzically.  "You sure give up easily."

"Hey, Blue Eyes, I didn't give up easily.  I haven't even started.  
I'll let you know when I do."

Kiyone couldn't help grinning at the idiot, just a tiny bit.  Then 
she demanded, "What's this stuff about "Blue Eyes"?"

"That's how I think of you.  Blue Eyes."

"Huh?"

"You have beautiful blue eyes.  I couldn't help but notice.  So I 
think of you as Blue Eyes."

"You have another think coming, buster!"  

"You do have lovely blue eyes, you know," Tris told her.  "First 
thing I noticed about you."

"The first thing?" Kiyone asked skeptically.

He was telling the truth, though, she remembered.  He had stared into 
her eyes when they first met, not at her bosom or her legs.  At the 
time, she had realized that this was a guy who really liked her and 
not just the way she filled out her clothes.  It had been nice, kind 
of.

"Yes...deep, limpid, and lovely.  Your eyes, I mean," Tris 
rhapsodized.

"Oh, please!"  Kiyone groaned.  "Listen, is that your plan?  To make 
me nauseous so you can skip out of buying me lunch?"

"Of course not, Blue Eyes."

"Well, it won't work.  I have an cast-iron stomach."

"You eat you own cooking, huh?"

Kiyone punched him on the shoulder.

"Ow!  Police brutality!"  Tris winced.  Kiyone had a mean jab.

"Think I'm "Blue Eyes" now?" she asked sweetly.

"More like "Bare Knuckles"," Tris admitted.  "Did you learn that on 
the job?"

"No.  I learned it by dating guys."

"How many times do you hit," Tris asked, "when you actually are on a 
date?"

Kiyone answered him with another punch to his shoulder.

"Ow!  Excessive force!"

"File a complaint," Kiyone advised him.  Inwardly, she was oddly 
happy.  It felt good hitting Tris.  It felt good verbally sparring 
with him.  She must be going crazy.

"At least hit me on my other shoulder," Tris protested.  "Tenchi's 
grandfather won't like it if I can't trim those walks for him."  He 
had learned something, boy.  Kiyone was very tough and could hit very 
hard.  Tenchi had told him something about her superb combat skills.  
He hadn't exaggerated.

"I can't reach your other shoulder," Kiyone pointed out.  "Wait until 
we stop and I'll be happy to oblige you."

They now entered the outskirts of the village.  Tris slowed down, 
remembering Ryo-Ohki.  The last thing he wanted to do now was to 
squash the little critter.  He shivered, thinking of Ryoko's reaction 
to such a tragedy.

"You cold?  You shouldn't be, wearing that jacket."  Kiyone had been 
surveying Tris very carefully, trying to figure him out...and trying 
to figure why she wanted to figure him out.

"No.  Just a nervous reaction to being pummeled."

"You'll survive."  Kiyone languidly reached over and stroked Tris's 
jacket.  "Yes, it's a nice jacket, Tris.  Your Dad must have been 
quite a guy."

"He was.  Mom was quite a gal."

"And they had you!  Who would have thought it?"

"The stork?"  Tris then leaned away from her.  "Hey, we're in the 
village now.  If you hit me, the folks here might call the cops.  
They don't like violence, except on TV."

"I won't hit you--if you'll park the car now and let me do some 
window shopping."

"Sure.  Anything to save my shoulder...Blue Eyes."

"Keep calling me that," she promised him, "and your shoulder is a 
goner!"



Back at Rancho Masaki, a certain blonde galatic poice officer was 
beginning to realize that working alone was no fun.

In fact, Mihoshi was bored stiff with trying to dust mop the bare 
wooden floor of the womens' bedroom without Kiyone.  She looked at 
the rolled up futons.  Gosh, it made her feel sleepy.  She loved to 
take a nap, just a little one, during the day.  Kiyone did not like 
her to do it, though.  Of course, Kiyone wasn't here.

Mihoshi looked longingly at her futon.  It had a pink fitted sheet.  
Mihoshi loved pink.  Tenchi had gotten it for her a long time ago.  
Tenchi was so nice to her...so nice overall.  She kinda still loved 
him.  But of course she'd never breath a word about that to anyone--
not for all the rice cakes and sugar cookies on Earth, she wouldn't.  
Besides, there was someone new now!

The young woman dropped her dust mop.  The wooden handle clattered 
against the bare floor.  She grinned.  She could at least look out 
the window...look at Tris...it didn't hurt to look.  She thought 
about how he had wiped off her finger.  He had held her hand.  She 
couldn't remember the last time a boy had held her hand.  Tris liked 
her, she knew.  He was cute...and not a bit awful, she thought, 
recalling Kiyone's words.

She walked up to the window.  She peered out.  Huh!  Tris was gone.  
She could see Tenchi.  He was mowing a patch of grassy area by the 
temple steps.  He had his black short-sleeved pullover shirt and 
jeans on, pushing that mower thingy.  He looked hot.  Mihoshi's kind 
heart suggested she should bring him out some cold water, maybe even 
some iced tea.  But no...Ryoko and Ayeka would be mean to her if she 
did.  She could take a cold beverage out to Tris, though.  But where 
was Tris?  And where was Kiyone?  She wasn't helping Tenchi anymore, 
that was for sure.

Mihoshi left the bedroom and walked downstairs.  She saw little 
Sasami walking toward the kitchen from the living room.  Sasami 
smiled at Mihoshi.

"Hi!  Are you and Kiyone through?  I was thinking of making a pot of 
tea."

"Kiyone isn't with me."

"No?"

"No.  She was going to help Tenchi.  But now he's outside and she 
isn't with him."

Sasami just smiled again.  "Never mind!  We'll have some tea together.  
We can have some sugar cookies, too."

"Yum!"  Mihoshi smiled happily.  It was funny, but Sasami was probably 
her best friend, after Kiyone, even though Sasami was a little girl.  
She sure didn't seem like a little girl sometimes, though.  "Where's 
Ayeka and Ryoko?  I bet they'd like some tea, too.  I hope...they're 
not mad at me."

"They're not mad at you, Mihoshi.  I'm not sure where they went," the 
little Princess answered.

Actually, Sasami knew exactly where her big sister and Ryoko had gone 
and she was very worried about it.  But she didn't want to tell 
Mihoshi, who upset so easily.  "Let's have some tea and cookies and 
they might show up.  Okay?"

"Okay!"



"So what's the occasion?" Washuu asked, looking at Ayeka and Ryoko 
expectantly.

The space pirate and the Princess rarely invaded the great 
scientist's sub-dimensional laboratory and de facto digs, mainly 
because they didn't like having to hike through the downstairs broom 
closet (located under the stairs) to enter the portal.

The three of them now sat on a pair of beat-up, chemically stained 
couches (Ayeka had spread a scarf on her area of the couch before 
sitting down), surrounded by intimidating masses of gadgetry and super 
computers and huge vats and dark glassed containers whose contents one 
was better off not speculating about.  Ayeka had surveyed Washuu's 
realm with a certain disdain before she sat down.  Washuu was no 
housekeeper.

Ryoko, who felt oddly comfortable in Washuu's lab, got straight to the 
point.  "The chump's staying on.  All of Spring Break.  Tenchi's gonna 
let him."

Washuu looked at her.  "What chump?"

"That Tris character."

"Oh, him!"  Washuu grinned.  "He's no chump."

"He is, too."

"Listen, Ryoko, I tried to get him to put that Memory Absorber 
poultice on his forehead.  Remember?"

"Sure I do.  About the best thing you ever tried to do."

"Well, he wouldn't let me."

"So?"  Ryoko obviously didn't get it.

"So, if he had let a total stranger talk him into putting something he 
had never seen before on his forehead...then he'd be a chump.  He's 
not a chump."

"Okay, okay.  He's a goofball, though."

"As to that, I can't say."  Washuu shrugged.

"I can," Ryoko said firmly.

"Miss Washuu," Ayeka intervened.  She was getting impatient at Ryoko's 
waste-of-time discussion with the great scientist about the chump-like 
and goofball-ish qualities of Tristram Coffin.  It was time to discuss 
the real issue.

"Yes, Ayeka?"

"We would like your advice about that person," Ayeka said primly.

"You mean Tris, right?" Washuu guessed.

"Of course!  Whom else are we talking about?"

"You called him "that person."  You could have meant anybody...except 
maybe Ryo-Ohki," Washuu pointed out.  She was starting to sound like 
Kiyone now.

"Stop acting snooty, Princess," Ryoko said, her voice disgruntled.  
"Just use his name."

"I am not acting snooty, Ryoko."  Ayeka shook her head, irritably.  
"Oh, very well.  That Tristram person.  Miss Washuu, can you advise 
us?"

"On how to get rid of him?"

"Well..." Ayeka hesitated.  "Perhaps not exactly that..."

"Exactly that," Ryoko insisted.

Washuu shrugged.  "My advice is--forget about it."

"Huh?"  Ryoko leaned forward.

"What?" Ayeka snapped.

"Just what I said.  Forget about it.  If Tenchi—-and his father and 
grandfather, too, I suspect—-are willing to let Tris stick around, 
they aren't going to be very happy if you try to un-stick him.  
Besides, what's one more goofball around here?"

Ayeka wasn't certain she liked that last sentence, but she pushed on.  
"We thought you might know a way that wouldn't look...well, look..."

"Look suspicious?" Washuu finished for her.

"That's it," Ryoko confirmed.  Ayeka nodded.

"Frankly, no.  And I wouldn't try, anyway."

Both the Princess and the space pirate registered surprised and 
displeasure at Washuu's response.

"You're supposed to be the super scientist," Ryoko said.  "You can't 
think of something?"

"I am a super scientist..."

The next moment, her sycophantic puppet-likenesses leaped up from a 
nearby box.

Puppet A:  "Washuu is the greatest scientist in the universe!  Other 
scientists cry into their test tubes over how superior she is to 
them!"

Puppet B:  "No doubt about it!  The great Washuu is the conqueror of 
all conundrums!  Finder of all facts!  Diva of all discoveries!"

"Okay, that's enough," Washuu said.  The puppets dropped out of 
sight.

"Diva of all discoveries?" Ryoko asked.

"That is not the question!" Ayeka snapped.  "We know you are a 
wonderful scientist, Miss Washuu.  We also thought you were our 
friend."

"I am your friend."

"Then help us!" Ayeka all but cried out with frustration.

Washuu shook her spiky mop of red hair.  "That's why I won't help 
you.  I'm too good of a friend."

"Could you explain that?" Ryoko asked, nettled.

"It's simple.  Tenchi is no fool.  Neither is that grandfather of 
his.  You must realize that Tris is under Lord Yosho's protection 
now, if he's being allowed to stay longer.  That old man would sense 
in a nanosecond if I did anything fancy.  Sure, it would look 
completely natural...Tris would just leave...but Lord Yosho would 
know.  So would Tenchi, probably.  He defeated that Prince Kagato for 
goodness sakes.  He has a sense about things now he didn't have 
before."

Ayeka's face had fallen as she listened to Washuu's explanation.  She 
knew good sense when she heard it.

So did Ryoko, evidently.  She frowned.  "So, we're stuck."

"You're stuck.  Pretty crafty guy that Lord Yosho, huh?"

"Yeah," Ryoko muttered.

"So..."  Washuu smiled, broadly.  She was enjoying herself now.  Ryoko 
and Ayeka had tickled her with their request.  "Forget about 
eliminating the competition.  That guy is no competition, anyway.  
He's just Tenchi's pal.  You'll still have to keep and hold Tenchi's 
attention the old-fashioned way."

"Huh?" Ryoko said, confused.  Ayeka looked uncertain, too, as to what 
Washuu meant.

"Come on, you two.  I'm the old maid around here.  Do I have to spell 
it out for you?"

"You mean...be attractive to him?" Ayeka hazarded a guess.  She 
lowered her gaze as a rosy hue colored her cheeks. 

"That's it, Ayeka.  And don't gang up on Tris, either.  You too, 
Ryoko."

"Awww..." Ryoko muttered grumpily.

"Be smart.  Be crafty.  Use your wiles.  Be women!"  Washuu laughed.  
She was having a high old time now.

Neither Ryoko nor Ayeka were, however, and they quickly ended the 
interview.

As they departed the great scientist's lair via the broom closet, 
Ryoko, narrowly avoiding a wash bucket with her foot, asked, "Hey, 
Princess--if that Washuu's so smart, how come she's still an old 
maid?"

"I do not know, Ryoko."  Ayeka sighed.  "But what she said...it makes 
sense."



"That doesn't make a lick of sense," Kiyone said.

She was looking into the display window of a small shop that 
specialized in women's footwear.  At the moment, she was observing a 
pair of black opera pumps with five-inch stiletto heels.

"I don't get it," she commented.  "I've never understood why the 
women here wear those things.  They would kill my feet.  And for what 
purpose?"

"To make your legs look good?" Tris guessed.  He rubbed his bruised 
shoulder.

Tris and Kiyone were on the sidewalk in the midst of the extremely 
compact shopping district (or "high street" or "walkplatz" as Tris 
recalled from his years in Europe) that the village boasted.  Tris 
had found a parking spot not terribly far away.  At the moment, 
Kiyone was getting her wish--to window-shop.

"Listen buster, my legs look great without weird shoes," Kiyone told 
him.

"How would I know?" Tris asked reasonably.  "You've never shown them 
to me."

"And don't get your hopes up, either!"

"My hopes are always up...Blue Eyes."

"Stop calling me that!"

"Right-o...Blue Eyes."

"Idiot!"

Kiyone looked around.  She noted that the local villagers, walking 
around and about the tiny shopping area, were glancing covertly at her 
and Tris.  No, she had better not sock him here.  The way those people 
looked at her...it made her feel defensive.

She leaned over to Tris, her teal hair brushing his cheek.  "We're 
being looked at," she whispered.

"Uh-huh," He whispered back.

"Why?"

"Probably because they've never seen such a beautiful young woman."

Kiyone stepped back.  "Tris...!"

He shrugged.  "It's true."

"Awww, it's because you're new to them.  I know I'm okay looking.  
But I'm not beautiful."

"You're okay...and you're beautiful."

"Such an idiot."  Kiyone averted her face, so Tris couldn't see her 
amused smile.  Her eyes spotted a dress shop, just a bit further down 
the sidewalk.  "Com'on, you."  She grabbed his hand and led him to 
the shop.

"Now that's not bad," Kiyone said, looking into the shop window.  A 
mannequin was modeling an elegant, simple, and sexy black dress.

"I'm no expert, but that's what I think women call your basic black 
number," Tris told her, looking at the dress, too.

"What?"

"The basic little black dress...kind of a staple of a woman's 
wardrobe, or so I'm told."

Kiyone looked at him.  "Did all of your girlfriends have a little 
black dress?"

"All of them."  Tris smiled.

"Umph!"

"Like I said, it's a fashion staple.  Like a guy's got to have a navy 
blazer, with brass buttons."

"Brash tarnishes," Kiyone said, thinking of the Masaki temple's 
furnishings.

"Not this brass.  They spray it with some chemical.  We're high-tech 
here on Earth, you know."

"Yeah, right."  Kiyone smiled covertly again.  She still held his 
hand.  "Well, aren't you going to buy me lunch?  That's the only 
reason I came."

"And to window shop," Tris added.

"Okay, and to window shop.  Are you going to feed me or not?"

"Sure, Blue Eyes.  You pick out the place."

"I will--the most expensive place I can find!" Kiyone promised him.

"Are you sure you're not an Earth girl?" Tris asked.



"So, Tenchi...is everything all right now?" Lord Yosho asked his 
grandson.  They were standing on the grassy lawn not far from the 
temple steps. 

Tenchi straightened from raking up the blades of grass he had just 
severed with the push mower.  "I think so, Grandfather."  He grinned.  
"I got Tris to get out of Dodge for a while."

"Say again?"

"It's an American expression, Grandfather.  I mean, I got him to 
leave for a little while with Kiyone.  They're both in the village 
now.  They'll have lunch there and then come back."

"That was wise, Tenchi...letting Princess Ayeka and Ryoko think 
things over without further provocation.  With Kiyone, you say."  
Yosho considered.  "Perhaps that was wise in more ways than one."

"Think so, Grandfather?"

"Very possibly.  Well, grandson, you have cut a rather wide swath 
here with the mower."

"Thanks!  But there is so much more grass to cut."

"Important tasks are not accomplished in a day, grandson."

"Or even a week," Tenchi said ruefully, looking at over the great 
expanse of still-unshorn grass on the Masaki grounds.

Lord Yosho was about to reply when they both heard Sasami's voice 
calling out that luncheon was being served.

"Good!  I can use some food," Tenchi said.

"Yes, grandson," Yosho said, putting a hand on Tenchi's shoulder.  
"And perhaps everyone will be able to finish their meal this time."

"Grandfather..."  Tenchi grinned as they both walked back to the 
house.



As it turned out, everyone was able to finish luncheon.  It was, in 
fact, a pleasant meal, in contrast to breakfast.

Tenchi was pleased to observe that Ryoko and Ayeka seemed no longer 
in high dudgeon.  They were both very upbeat...and very attentive to 
him.  Ayeka was poised and sweetly charming, like her old self, and 
Ryoko cracked jokes and ate with gusto, like the old Ryoko.

Wow, Tenchi thought, those two are really taking this better than I 
could have hoped.  Of course, Tris isn't here.

Kiyone wasn't either, a fact which Mihoshi spotted immediately.  
"Where's Kiyone?  Where's Tris?" she asked plaintively.

"Who?" Ryoko said, a trifle rudely.

"You know--Kiyone, my partner.  And Tris...my...my friend."  Mihoshi 
cast her eyes downward.  Her cheeks had bloomed rosily.

Tenchi stopped chewing.  No, he silently pleaded to the gods.  Please, 
no--not this--not another triangle!

"They've gone somewhere, obviously."  Ryoko shrugged.

"But where?" Mihoshi persisted.

Sasami turned worried eyes to Tenchi.  Ayeka frowned.  "Yes, where is 
Kiyone?"  She pointedly did not ask about Tris.

"Ahhh..."  Tenchi thought, quickly.  "Kiyone helped me...with some 
yard work.  Since Ayeka mentioned there was a nice restaurant in the 
village, Kiyone and Tris decided to go visit it.  That's all."

"Without me?"  Mihoshi's face flushed red.  Her blue eyes filled with 
tears.

"Yeah, without you," Ryoko told her.  "What do you think?"

"Why would they...go without me...?"  Mihoshi looked down at her rice 
bowl.  Her face was tragic.  She appeared to be right on the edge of 
weeping.

"It's my fault, Mihoshi."  Tenchi rapidly composed an excuse.  "I 
suggested that Tris could take Kiyone by herself this time...and then 
he can take you by yourself the next time."

Lord Yosho cleared his throat.  Loudly.  He did not say anything, 
however.

"Really?"  Mihoshi brightened up immediately.  "That was nice of you, 
Tenchi!"  She smiled at him gratefully.  "Did Tris agree?"

"Oh, sure he did."

Lord Yosho cleared his throat again.  Just as loudly.

"Is something caught in your throat, Lord Yosho?" Ayeka asked 
solicitously.

"No, I'm fine, Princess, thank you."

"Well, okay," Mihoshi said to Tenchi, her voice somber again.  "But 
I wish I could have gone along this time."

"Next time, Mihoshi.  Next time."  Tenchi was glad he had avoided 
another crisis so easily.  He was wrong, of course.



"So they demoted you and Mihoshi--busted you both back to Detective 
First Class?" Tris asked Kiyone as he piloted the Mustang toward 
home.

"Yes, Tris.  The worst day in my life, I can tell you that."

"Well...tell me about it.  It might help."

Kiyone hesitated.  That was the one subject she had resolved never to 
talk about.  But lunch had been wonderful, at a little intimate jewel 
of a restaurant.  Sasami was an excellent cook, of course, but the 
food at the restaurant had been heavenly.  Tris had canned the 
wisecracks for a while and talked to her about things...like the 
places he had visited in Europe (his parents had been stationed in 
Germany and Great Britain, as well as Japan).  Kiyone had been 
fascinated by his tales of the great bloody Tower of London, the 
storybook Island of Capri, the romance of taking a boat down the Rhine 
river and seeing the old castles on the banks lit up with fireworks on 
a summer evening.  Yes, this Tris she liked, very much...much more 
than she was willing to admit.

Thus, stuffed with good food and feeling that Tris wasn't a total 
loser, Kiyone decided impulsively to go ahead and tell him.  After 
all, he wasn't a part of the Galactic Union and wouldn't pass on to 
anyone what she told him.  Getting it off her chest finally would 
feel great, especially to someone who would listen objectively, 
without any preconceived notions about her.  And besides...she really 
wanted to tell him.

"Okay, but watch your comments.  I don't want to have to drive myself 
home after I knock your block off."

"I'll watch 'em," Tris promised.

"And you can't tell anyone else, right?"

"Like I said yesterday--I'm no fink."

"Well..."  Kiyone unconsciously pushed her hair, ruffled by the wind 
as the car tooled along, away from her left ear.  Her somewhat 
elongated (but still pretty) ear reminded Tris that this lovely woman 
was not of this Earth.  Her next statements confirmed it.  

"As I said, I was a Detective Sergeant, working at Galaxy Police 
Headquarters.  Mihoshi was there too, also a Sergeant and Chief of 
Crime Prevention.  She hung around me way too much, of course, but 
she did her job, mostly.  I thought I was doing a great job...getting 
Mihoshi to pick me out some long-wanted fugitives and insisting my 
Detectives on patrol memorize those fugitive's features and habits in 
order to search for them, particularly.  I was looking for a quick 
promotion to Lieutenant, you see," she added with heavy self-irony.

"Sounds like you were going about it the right way."

"That's what I thought!  I pushed some of those Detectives a little 
hard, I admit, but they were lazy and just wanted to cruise their 
sectors picking up traffic violators and small-time perps."

Listening to her, Tris recalled that was how Mihoshi had described 
her and Kiyone's duties now.  He had an inkling of how humiliating 
the fall for Kiyone had been.

"I didn't make any friends at Headquarters, that's for sure," Kiyone 
admitted.

"That's not a good idea.  Everyone need friends," Tris told her.

"Don't I know it now!  But I wasn't wanting to make friends, I was 
wanting to make arrests--and score points too."

"Sure you were.  So was everyone else there, I'll bet."

Kiyone quickly glanced at Tris, who was busily driving, or appeared 
to be.  He was keeping his voice quiet and encouraging.  It comforted 
her and impressed her.  He really knew how to put people at their 
ease, she realized.  Where did he learn that...?

She continued.  "Well, one day, Mihoshi came to me—-she was all 
excited.  She had the file of a wanted kidnapper named Slaakive.  She 
was sure his description matched the report of a GP patrol that 
ticketed a vagrant on one of the pleasure planets."

"Pleasure planets?"

"Yeah.  Planets with nice climates and beautiful beaches and such that 
are run for tourists and vacationers, somewhat like your amusement 
parks and vacation spots, but huge."

Kiyone waited for the wisecrack, but it didn't come.  Mollified, she 
went on:

"Well, let me tell you, getting that scum Slaakive was the dream of a 
lot of GP officers.  I checked Mihoshi's file and the report.  The 
report contained a preliminary identification-comparison of the 
vagrant and this Slaakive creep.  The ID-comparo matches up 
descriptions, images, and so on from two records.  It said there was 
a strong chance the vagrant was that dirty kidnapper.  I ordered my 
assistant to run both records through the fully articulated 
identification-comparison module we have at Headquarters.  It matches 
up actual genetic scans that we perform on everyone we take into 
custody, sort of what you might call a DNA map of the individual.  
It's the ultimate--absolutely foolproof in identifying someone.  The 
full ID-comparo report print-out left on my desk made it clear.  The 
vagrant had to be Slaakive."

"Wow!  Nailed him.  Then what?"

"Well, my assistant had left for the day and no one else knew we'd 
gotten a positive ID on Slaakive.  I decided that Mihoshi and I would 
grab the guy ourselves.  We were so excited.  This was going to be the 
big one!"  Kiyone's voice was bitter.  "Of course, I included the GP 
sector patrol team who had ticketed the vagrant as back-up, so they 
would get credit too, but they were under my command, of 
course.  Then..." she paused.

Tris glanced at Kiyone, concerned.  She was sitting very still, but 
she was squeezing her fists very hard, so that her knuckles were 
almost white with the pressure.  He could sense she was seething 
within.

"Look, Kiyone, we can talk about this later, if you—-"

"No, Tris.  I want to talk about it now."

She took a slow, deep breath and resumed.  "Mihoshi and I searched 
the pleasure planet with the GP team and we found the vagrant.  He 
protested he was innocent.  They all do!  We took him back to 
Headquarters.  On the way, he took a swing at me, and I had to take 
him down.  He wasn't hurt badly..."  Kiyone's voice was dull.  "He 
was interrogated back at Headquarters, put through a full background 
check and another complete genetic scan—-that's not real pleasant to 
go through, by the way."  Kiyone shook her head angrily.  "And it 
turned out that he wasn't Slaakive!  He had only the most superficial 
resemblance to Slaakive.  Not enough to warrant more than an on-scene 
interrogation!"

"Whoa!  Wait a minute!" Tris said.  "What about the ID-comparo thing?  
The full one that gave you the positive make on the guy?"

Kiyone smiled bitterly.  "Oh, that was the best part!  After I 
returned to my office after picking up the vagrant, I couldn't find 
the report print-out.  Mihoshi and I took my office apart.  No print-
out.  The module that performs the ID-comparison had no session 
record of my assistant using it.  And my assistant--my very own 
assistant--testified that she never ran such a report, in fact never 
even heard me ask her to have one made!"

Tris shook his head.  "The hell!  Who was this assistant of yours?"

"Her name is Mitsuki Sakakibara.  She was a classmate of mine at the 
Galaxy Police Academy.  We were actually friends there.  Best 
friends.  She graduated first in our class and I was right behind 
her.  Then, after graduation, we sort of went our separate ways.  I 
don't know why.  She spent all her time brown-nosing higher-ups.  She 
wormed her way into Headquarters.  Meanwhile, I got teamed with 
Mihoshi.  We didn't have a lot of success and Mihoshi and I fought a 
lot, until she ran off, all upset, to chase Ryoko to prove she was a 
good GP officer.  When she didn't report back for a while, we all 
thought she was dead.  Then there was a report that she was alive on 
Earth, and..."  Kiyone shrugged.  "Well, that's another story.  
Anyway, we then got stuck with patrolling this remote sector of the 
galaxy.  No offense, Tris, but this is the boondocks for us.  In the 
meantime, Mitsuki climbed up the ladder and attained a pretty high 
position.  She was slated for promotion to Sergeant while I spent my 
time with Mihoshi giving out traffic tickets in a nowhere sector."  
Kiyone sounded thoroughly disgusted as she recalled that part of her 
past.  "Some of my other former classmates had snagged high profile 
positions too, but never mind that."

"Obviously, that situation didn't last."

"No, it didn't.  Everything turned around for me suddenly.  I was 
promoted and given a new assignment at Headquarters.  Then that 
Kagato rebellion turned me into a fugitive!  But after Mihoshi and I 
helped Tenchi destroy that pretender to the throne of Jurai, we were 
both promoted to Sergeant.  Mitsuki ended up being assigned as my 
assistant.  She had really burned up the galaxy looking for Mihoshi 
and me when we were officially wanted fugitives, damn her.  Well, she 
got hers—-any chance of promotion for her ended when we were 
vindicated."

"Uh-huh.  Did you lord it over her while she was your assistant?" 
Tris asked Kiyone shrewdly.

"No, of course not."

"Maybe just a little?"

"Well...okay...maybe just a little, at first.  But she deserved it!  
God, that woman couldn't even make a decent cup of tea!  Afterward, I 
cut her some slack and we had a very professional relationship—-I 
thought.  I even recommended her for promotion, Tris!"

"Yeah?  I'll bet that really warmed the cockles of her heart!"

"You mean, it just made her more resentful of me?" Kiyone asked.

"Yup.  That would be my guess."

"Good guess!  So...what do you think really happened, Tris?"

"Oh, there's no doubt," Tris said.  "You were sandbagged.  Blind-
sided.  Set up."

"Yeah!" Kiyone said sourly.  "And it was a sweet job!  No evidence, 
not even a report log trail.  Nothing!  I was trying to keep our 
investigation quiet so no one else could swoop in and grab that 
kidnapper before me.  I found out they were all--mostly all--
backbiters at Headquarters.  And Mitsuki was the champ!"

"So she forged the report."

"Yeah, no doubt!  I was so excited, I didn't look at it carefully 
enough.  Mihoshi didn't either, but I don't blame her.  She was 
following my lead."

"Well, that Mitsuki was sure taking a chance," Tris pointed out.  
"After all, the vagrant may have really been that kidnapper and you 
and Mihoshi would have been heroes, thanks to her."  

"I guess that's right.  But she knew I was ready to go after the guy 
anyway, so she just gambled it was a false lead--and she gambled 
right.  That's the best I can figure, anyway...and I've gone over 
this thing a thousand times in my mind since."

"I'll bet you have.  What happened after the vagrant turned out not 
to have been the kidnapper?"

"There was a formal investigation and a disciplinary hearing," Kiyone 
said, staring out at the passing scenery without interest.  "The 
members of the board who heard our case ruled we had insufficient 
evidence to warrant our arrest of the vagrant.  The board members 
didn't believe us about the existence of the full ID-comparo report 
but they didn't say so openly...they just pointed out we had no 
report to show the investigators and the module had no log of the 
report being run.  The poor patrol officers who helped us take down 
the vagrant wasn't charged, but they both hate us now, and who can 
blame them?  The vagrant sued the GP and won and pocketed a lot of 
money.  Mihoshi and I were facing dismissal from the GP, for cause."  
Kiyone's voice betrayed her bitterness.

"But you weren't, obviously."

Kiyone snorted.  "Obviously!  A high-ranking officer at Headquarters, 
Chief Tor Bodai, interceded for us.  He's Chief of Patrol over a 
couple of regions, including the one Mihoshi and I are assigned to.  
He was our chief instructor back at the Academy.  I was a pretty hot, 
up-and-coming cadet at the Academy, Tris, believe it or not, and Chief 
Bodai always seemed to like me."

"I believe it, Kiyone," Tris told her, smiling.  "I'll bet you were 
a ball of fire at the Academy."

Kiyone didn't smile back.  "Actually, I was.  Like I told you, I was 
graduated second in my class, only half a point behind Mitsuki."  Her 
voice became tragic.  "Now look at her...and look at me!"

"I'm sorry, Kiyone.  It was a rotten deal.  What about this Chief 
Bodai?"

"Yes, he helped.  Of course, the biggest help was Mihoshi's 
grandfather, who's the Grand Marshall of the GP.  Behind the scenes, 
of course.  Rumored but never proven, but of course he interceded.  
There was no way he was going to let Mihoshi get dismissed from the 
GP...where would she go?  Back home, that's where!  So, to keep 
Mihoshi in, I had to be retained, too, for appearance's sake.  That's 
another great little twist--I'm still have a badge because of 
Mihoshi!"

Suddenly Kiyone gave a choked cry.  Her rage had possessed her 
finally.  Her fists started smacking the dashboard.  "It's so unfair—-
so dammed unfair!  That bitch, Mitsuki!  She ruined me!  Me!  Do you 
know what I just found out last week?  She's been approved for 
promotion—-to Detective Sergeant!  The rotten backbiting bitch!"

Kiyone's hard little fists played the Anvil Chorus fortissimo on 
the car's passenger side dashboard.  Her face was flushed red.  She 
was in a fury.

Tris quickly checked the road head.  Fortunately, he spotted what 
appeared to be a turn-off to a roadside stop.  There was a vegetable-
and-fruit stall there with a few people, but lots of deserted field 
beyond.  He pulled off the road onto the rock-paved access path, 
passed the vegetable-and-fruit stall with a wave, and didn't stop 
until he and Kiyone were many yards beyond.

"Damn her!  Damn her!  And damn me for being so stupid!" Kiyone 
fumed.

Tris turned off the engine.  He waited.

Kiyone slowly gained control as her long-pent-up anger vented out.  
She sat quietly now.  She took a deep, sobbing breath, then shook 
her teal-haired head, helplessly.

She looked at the American guy beside her, perplexed.  She had never 
opened up this much to anyone about that rotten time.  She had covered 
the high spots (actually, the low spots) with Tenchi and the others 
and refused to talk about it thereafter.  They had been obliged to get 
the gory details from Mihoshi.  So why did she pour it out now, to 
this boy, a stranger, an Earthling?  What was so special about him?

Then she realized what she had done to this guy's nice car. 

"Gosh, Tris," she said miserably.  "I just beat up your dashboard!"

"No big deal.  It's taken a lot worse than that from me and my 
buddies, believe me.  Forget about it.  How are your fists?"

Kiyone glanced down at them.  "A little raw," she admitted.  "But 
okay."  She looked again at Tris.  She smiled gratefully.  "Thanks 
for pulling over.  That would be a topper--getting arrested by the 
Earth police!"

"Your reputation would soar back at Headquarters," Tris kidded her 
gently.

Kiyone laughed.  A tiny laugh, but a laugh, nonetheless.

"Kiyone," Tris said.  "No doubt about it...you got messed over.  Big 
time.  I guess you feel your career is over, huh?"

"Just about," Kiyone said flatly, massaging her stinging knuckles.

"Well, maybe not.  Let me tell you about my Dad."

"Okay...I've talked enough...more than enough."  Kiyone stared down 
at the car's carpeted floor.  She was embarrassed, still hot with 
anger, and she again wondered what had possessed her to spill her 
guts to this Earth boy. 

"When Dad made Captain, he was given a shot to go to headquarters 
staff.  That was the fast way to promotion, he thought.  Well, he was 
there for only one year and then he volunteered to spend a year in 
Greenland all by himself just to get out of headquarters."

"Why?" Kiyone asked, interested in spite of herself.   

"Because my Dad was a real officer—-and a real pilot—-they call it 
being a stickman.  He was used to leading enlisted folks and other 
pilots as a flight commander.  A real job with real risks and real 
accomplishments."

Kiyone nodded.  "I can identify with that."

"Of course, you're the same way.  Well, Dad found out quickly at 
headquarters that he was a babe in the woods.  His best ideas always 
ended up being attributed to someone else.  His long hours were 
credited to others.  There's a serpent called a career staff officer, 
and Dad was stabbed and stabbed again in the back—-figuratively—-by 
what he called the "staff pukes.""

"Hah!  "Staff pukes"!  I like that."

"He couldn't compete with those vipers.  So he found out that he was 
a doer, not a politician or a schemer.  He knew his best chance to get 
ahead in the Air Force was out in the field, in real operations.  That 
was his last headquarters job." 

Tris was surprised to feel something touch the hand he was resting on 
the gear shift knob.  It was Kiyone's hand.

"Tris," she said, softly.  "Thank you, for trying to buck me up.  
You're a sweet boy.  But your father wasn't a GP officer, disgraced 
and stuck in the boondocks...again, no offense to your planet."  She 
removed her hand.

"None taken.  But as far as the boondocks goes--obviously, you've 
never been to Thule, Greenland!"

Kiyone smiled.  "Remote spot?"

"You can't even talk to the natives there...really!  At least you're 
allowed to converse with the local savages here."

Kiyone laughed.  It was a heartier laugh than before.  Then she gave 
him a somber glance.  "Okay, then, I'll buy that.  But...what about 
the disgraced part?"

"Just a year on staff and he pancakes out?  That doesn't look good on 
anyone's record.  They wouldn't even give him the usual medal for 
that tour."

"Yet he made--what was the rank--lieutenant colonel?"

"Uh-huh.  By being out in the field, flying planes and running crews.  
He would have made full bird colonel if he hadn't...you know."

Kiyone thought for a moment.  "I apologize, Tris.  I see what you're 
getting at.  I guess I'm so self-centered sometimes that I think my 
problems are unique.  But I suppose lots of others have had similar—-
or worse—-career problems.  And many of them have made a comeback.  
Right?"

"Right.  You just need to change your attitude.  You're not a has-
been, Kiyone Makibi.  You're the Comeback Kid."

"Comeback Kid?  Hah!" Kiyone grumped.  "It's more like Kiyone, the 
One-Trick Pony!"

"No, the Comeback Kid.  As long as you're in the field, you're in the 
game.  That's what Dad always said.  You just have to learn to "check 
your six"—-that means, watch your back.  You'll handle yourself better 
next time and you'll find opportunities to excel.  My Dad did, and you 
will, too."

On impulse, Kiyone again reached over and softly touched Tris's hand--
and then removed her hand, quickly.  "Okay, maybe you're right, at 
that."  She looked appreciatively at him.  "You're good for my morale, 
Tris Coffin.  I may just hire you as my Morale Officer."

"Position accepted.  Fringe benefits?"

Kiyone couldn't help but smile at his exaggerated leer.  "Just 
listening to me rant and rave once in a while."

"That's fine—-for a start."

"That's all the job offers!"  But Kiyone again had to smile at Tris's 
cheap moves.  He was doing it on purpose to amuse her, she knew.  "Of 
course, I still have Mihoshi as a partner.  What's your answer to 
that, Morale Officer?"

"Ah yes, Mihoshi.  My impression is, very sweet and very simple."

"Your impression isn't far off," Kiyone said ruefully.  "But to be 
fair to that little ding-dong, she can be competent, actually very 
competent at times.  She really surprises me every so often, I'll 
admit.  And she's very loyal.  She tried to take all the blame over 
that Slaakive mess.  Of course, I didn't let her."

"In that case, she doesn't sound like a bad partner."

"Oh, there's nothing bad about Mihoshi.  There's not a speck of 
badness or meanness in her.  On her planet, Kawaiidan, she's Lady 
Mihoshi, since she comes from a pretty high-caste family there—-what 
you'd call a blue blood.  But she's not a bit conceited...just sweet.  
You see, she had three older brothers and her father raising her.  
Her mother died when Mihoshi was very young.  Those men just made a 
real fuss over her.  They all took care of her and she was surrounded 
by people—-men—-who loved her and protected her."

"I can just picture that!"  Tris grinned.

"I can too! I mean, I have a mother and father who both work very hard 
at their careers with the Galactic Union—-they didn't have much time 
for me--and an older brother whom I'm not very close to now.  Imagine 
being surrounded with people who just doted on you."

Kiyone now looked somewhat wistful.

"It would have spoiled practically anyone else, including me, I'm 
sure, but all that love just made Mihoshi sweeter somehow.  So 
she's naïve, kind of clueless, childish, clumsy...but she's all 
heart."

"Yeah, you know that immediately when you meet her.  How did you two 
get together?"

Kiyone snorted inelegantly.  "I think it was a put-up job!  I kind 
of felt sorry for her when we were both at the Galaxy Police Academy 
and I let her hang around me and Mitsuki.  Big mistake!  After I was 
graduated from the Academy, I requested Mitsuki as my partner and she 
requested me, too.  But we didn't get each other.  She got another 
girl and I got--Mihoshi!  No one would explain it to me but I'm sure 
that grandfather of hers was behind it.  I guess he thought I might 
be a steadying influence on her, or something."

"So, you can't pick your relatives or your partners, huh?" Tris said, 
amused.

"That's so true!  And now I'm stuck with her."  Kiyone grimaced.  She 
obviously didn't think it was a bit funny.  "She infuriates me 
sometimes—-God--most of the time!  She flubs up at the worst times, 
she can't keep her mouth shut, she eats enough for two people, she 
sleeps about half the day if you let her, and I kind of suspect she's 
a jinx.  I mean, look what happened to my career!"

"Yeah.  But you know, she may turn out to be your good luck charm, 
Blue Eyes."

"That'll be a welcome change!  But I doubt it, Tris."  Kiyone was so 
subdued now, she didn't even challenge Tris about that "Blue Eyes" 
bit.  "Speaking of Mihoshi...she going to be awfully hurt about not 
coming along with us," Kiyone added musingly.  "I wish I had thought 
of that sooner.  I can be pretty thoughtless, too, I guess."

"We'd better get going, then.  Unless you want another round with the 
dashboard?"

Kiyone laughed ruefully.  "No thanks!  One round was enough."

"Okay."  Tris moved to fire up the engine, but Kiyone stayed him by 
placing her hand on his arm.

"Listen here, Tris.  Yesterday, you really clammed up when I asked 
you about your parents.  Since we're telling tales...do you want to 
talk about it?"

Tris appeared extremely uncomfortable.  "Well, I've only told Tenchi 
about it.  It's not a story that I'd exactly want in my authorized 
biography."

"And my story was a triumph?  Come on, Tris, 'fess up.  I would like 
to hear it."

"Okay, but it's me at my worst."

"Now I really have to hear it!"

Tris shut off the engine.  He looked out at a small copse of trees 
across the road.

"My parents were killed last year by some poor schlep of a truck 
driver who died, too.  Double funeral.  Well, I was just...numb.  
Guys aren't supposed to cry, you know, but I think we get a special 
dispensation when we lose a parent, and I lost both.  I never could 
cry about it. though.  I don't know why."

Kiyone watched Tris as he talked.  There was an inexpressibly deep 
sorrow in his expression.  He was now staring at the hub of the 
steering wheel as if it held a fatal fascination for him.  Kiyone 
recalled that this was his father's car.  A few things about him 
cleared up in her mind.

"You were really close to your parents, weren't you?" she ventured.

"Oh, yeah.  You see, they weren't just my parents.  We moved so much 
that I couldn't make real permanent friends.  So, Mom and Dad sort of 
became my best friends, too.  We'd do a lot of stuff together, go 
sightseeing, toss a football around.  Mom could throw a bullet pass 
you wouldn't believe!  I can still remember Dad getting Mom and me 
and a few of the guys I hung around with--I was around seven--and 
taking all of us to the drive-in to see some cheesy monster movies.  
Dad brought some lawn chairs, so we guys sat in them in front of the 
car and ate junk food from the concession stand.  You know, I looked 
back once, and Mom and Dad were in the front seat, necking like a 
couple of teenaged kids!"

Kiyone smiled.  "That's really sweet, Tris."

"Yeah.  Well, so you can see that it was pretty hard to lose them.  
Anyway, I was at the funeral home.  My aunts were there—-they're my 
mother's sisters--with my uncles by marriage.  Dad was a only child, 
like me, and his parents died before I finished grade school.  Dad 
didn't have any close family left.  So it was just my mother's family 
there.  A motley crew, let me tell you, even if they fancy themselves 
to be upscale Bostonians.  My aunts were fluttering around, talking 
about how peaceful Mom and Dad looked in their...caskets.  They tried 
to convince me to walk up and look at Mom and Dad.  Well, I just 
couldn't look at them like that, Kiyone...I couldn't.  I just couldn't 
do it...no way."

"And then what happened?"

"Well, they made one hell of a scene about it--at Mom and Dad's 
funeral!  They accused me of being selfish and unfeeling, and then 
Uncle Addison tried to strong-arm me to the front of the parlor where 
Mom and Dad were..."  Tris fell silent.

"Hey, out with it!" Kiyone prompted.  "I've got to hear this."

Tris drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly.  "Well, I socked 
him, right there in the funeral parlor.  Flattened him good.   Then I 
just took off."  Tris looked at Kiyone.  "Great way to observe my 
parent's passing, wasn't it?"

"Well..."  Kiyone's blue eyes were full of sympathy.  Then she smiled 
at him.  "I say...good for you!"

"Huh?"

Kiyone leaned toward him, her hand gripping his arm.  Animation made 
her pretty face even prettier.  Her blue eyes sparkled.  "Those awful 
aunts and uncles of yours!  Trying to make you look at your dead 
parents!  I know why you didn't have the heart to look.  Your parents 
were obviously very much alive to you, just full of life and fun--and 
that's how you wanted to remember them.  Am I right?"

Tris nodded.  "Yeah.  That's it, exactly, Kiyone."

"Of course!  I would have liked to see you punch that miserable uncle 
of yours.  I'll bet your Mom and Dad would have understood."

"Well, maybe they would have."  Tris considered this.  "But they 
wouldn't have liked it.  No, ma'am."

"Of course, you apologized to your uncle and everyone afterward."

"Yeah, I did.  Just before the reading of the will—-I should say, the 
wills.  But that was another disaster!"

"How so?"  Kiyone again leaned toward him, engrossed.  She was 
expecting another dust-up.

"Mom and Dad carried life insurance through the military...a lot of 
insurance.  Folks in the service get their insurance very cheap.  
Also, Mom and Dad had mutual funds and their IRAs.  So there was a 
lot of money on the table.  At least that's how my aunts and uncles 
saw it."

"And you parents left it all to you, huh?" Kiyone guessed shrewdly.

Tris nodded.  "Every penny.  It really set off my aunts.  They 
thought their kids, my cousins, should have gotten something.  Of 
course, those were the same cousins whom my Mom and Dad would send 
Christmas and birthday presents to, and never get a thank-you card 
back, and so on."

"So they didn't deserve anything," Kiyone said firmly.

"Makes sense to me...made sense to Mom and Dad, obviously...sure as 
hell didn't make sense to my aunts and uncles, though."

"Another scene?"

"Uh-huh, and a real rip-roaring one.  No punches, though!  I left to 
go back to college that same evening.  No good-byes.  I just got out 
of Dodge.  Things were pretty miserable at college, too, so when the 
exchange student program surfaced...I grabbed it."

"And that's how you ended up here.  Running away from your family as 
fast as your little legs would carry you."  Kiyone nodded, fully 
understanding now.  

"Yeah, that about sums it up."  Tris managed to sound resigned, 
defensive--and a little ashamed--all at the same time.  

Kiyone reached over and patted Tris's shoulder.  "Well, I'm your 
corner, slugger.  Don't take it so hard."

Tris looked at her appreciatively.  He grinned.  "Thanks, Kiyone."

"Of course, you'll still need to go back home someday, and try to 
patch things up.  You know your Mom and Dad would want you to, don't 
you?"

"Yeah.  And I will.  But not today!"

"No, not today," Kiyone agreed.  "But someday.  Don't put it off too 
long, Tris.  It's awfully tough being alienated from your own family.  
I know a thing or two about that."

Tris shook his head as if to expel the bad memories.  "Well, I guess 
we both cleared the air.  Feels good, doesn't it?"

"It really does."  Kiyone smiled.  And it really did, oddly enough.  
It wasn't good to keep things bottled up, she realized.  Besides, 
other people had bad things gnawing at them, too.  Sharing troubles 
helped make carrying them around a lot easier.

Tris started up the car again.  He swung it around, started back 
toward the little roadside produce stand.  "Hope they don't want to 
charge us rent," he commented.  He reached the stand.  He waved at 
the occupants again, who waved rather uncertainly back.  Then he 
stopped the car.

"Hey!" he said.  "Watermelons!"

"Huh?"

"They've got watermelons.  Boy...an early crop!"

"Yeah?"

Tris grinned at her.  It was the old Tris (if she could make that 
distinction after only knowing him for two days).  "Let's get some!  
Take 'em back!"

"Well...sure!" Kiyone said, suddenly enthused.  "I love watermelon!"

"Who doesn't?  We can fill the back seat with 'em.  You know?"  He 
winked at her.

Kiyone caught on quick.  "Hey, you're not always an idiot...no, you 
aren't."



Mihoshi must have been watching for them, because as soon as Tris and 
Kiyone pulled into the gravel drive next to the gate and stopped, she 
came flying out of the front door.

"Hey!" she said, running up to them and skidding to a stop.  "You're 
home!"

"That we are," Kiyone said.

"You should have taken me!"  Mihoshi looked sad as she now walked the 
last few feet to the car.

"Couldn't, Mihoshi," Tris told her.  "Didn't have room."    

"Huh?"

"Look in the back seat, Mihoshi."  Kiyone smiled at her.

Mihoshi looked.  "Wow!"

She turned and yelled back at the house.  "Hey, everyone--they 
brought back watermelons!"

Ryoko, cruising in the air, heard Mihoshi.  She swooped down.  She 
hovered above the car.

"There are some fine looking melons," she said with a grin.

A moment later, Ayeka and Sasami walked over to the Mustang from the 
house.  "Did someone say watermelons?" Sasami asked.

"Got a back seat full of 'em here," Ryoko said.

"Why, that is a lovely idea," Ayeka said, enthused.

"It was Tris's idea," Kiyone interjected.

Ayeka smiled at Tris.  At least the boy had a little sense.  

"Good move, Tris," Ryoko approved.  She floated to the ground.

"That's just about perfect, Tris," Sasami agreed, walking to the 
car's back seat and peering at the watermelons.  "It's been so 
warm...just the thing."

Tenchi and his grandfather now reached the car, walking back from the 
temple.  They had finished another bout of Bushido practice.  They 
both smiled as they spied the watermelons.

"Hey, I know!" Sasami said.  "Let's have a watermelon party--right 
here on the lawn!"   

"Yay!" cheered Mihoshi.

"Can we, Tenchi?" Ryoko asked, seeing Tenchi and his grandfather 
walk up.  "Lord Yosho?"

"Yes, please, Lord Tenchi, Lord Yosho," Ayeka added.

"Okay, Grandfather?"

"Of course."  Yosho smiled.

"Let's do it, then!" Tenchi said.

"Yay!"  Mihoshi cheered again.  She had quite forgotten about being 
left behind.

As the others unloaded watermelons, Lord Yosho said quietly to 
Tenchi, "You see, grandson?  You didn't need to make up that story 
for Mihoshi after all.  Tristram was perfectly able to handle that 
situation."

"Yeah, Grandfather.  I guess I underestimated him."  

He walked to the car to help the others unload the watermelons.  Lord 
Yosho stood back and smiled at the busy group, working in harmony 
once again.



"Just spit out the seeds, Princess," Ryoko advised a little while 
later.  She then proceeded to demonstrate.

Mihoshi laughed at the sight of Ryoko spitting out watermelon seeds.  
She herself was a comical sight, with watermelon juice saturating her
chin and her sleeveless pink pullover.  She didn't appear to mind a 
bit, though.  

"I shall not!" Ayeka exclaimed, scandalized.  She used her 
handkerchief to wipe her chin...and to discretely transfer seeds from 
her mouth.

"You've about ruined that handkerchief, Princess," Ryoko advised.

"So?"

"Here, Princess Ayeka," Tris said, putting down his watermelon rind.  
"Use mine."

"Thank you, Tristram," Ayeka said, accepting the handkerchief.  "You 
are a gentleman."

"I'm not!"  Tenchi grinned.  He spat out a few seeds himself.

"Good shot, Tenchi!"  Ryoko laughed.

"Oh, Lord Tenchi!" Ayeka exclaimed, but then smiled fondly.

"Think all these seeds will grow up to be watermelons?" Mihoshi 
asked Kiyone hopefully.

"I don't know, Mihoshi.  Maybe."

Kiyone spoke in a quiet, calm, happy voice.  It was music to 
Mihoshi's ears.  She squirmed happily and ate more watermelon.

"This is great!  Watermelon is great for warm weather," Sasami said.  
"It's almost as perfect as kaki-gouri(1).  And it doesn't hurt your 
teeth or give you a headache."

They all, aside from Lord Yosho, who had begged off, sat in the shade 
of a tall tree, not far from the house.  Sasami and Ayeka had spread 
out a blanket on the lawn (a section that Tenchi had already trimmed 
with the mower) and all were sitting on the blanket...sitting quite 
companionably close to each other.  

Tenchi was flanked by Ryoko and Ayeka, of course, the two sitting on 
either side of him.  Sasami sat beside Mihoshi and Kiyone and Tris.  
Surprisingly, another person shared the blanket with them...Washuu.  
Ryoko and Ayeka had braved the broom closet again to drag the great 
scientist to the watermelon party.  Once there, though, Washuu had 
squatted down and amiably ate watermelon.

Ryo-Ohki has having a fine time too.  The cabbit didn't care so much 
for watermelon, so Sasami had thoughtfully brought along some carrots, 
which were manna to Ryo-Ohki.  The cabbit loved to chase the 
watermelon seeds the others spat onto the lawn.

Washuu poked Tris in the back.  "Good going, cutie.  This is okay, 
for a change."

Tris glanced back.  "Glad to see you out of your cave, Washuu."  That 
caused him to recall what Tenchi had told him about Washuu, how she 
had been exiled in space for 700 years and had finally crashed here.  
The very existance of the Masaki Shrine was due to her, in fact.

"It's not a cave," she told him, matter-of-factly.  "It's a sub-
dimensional chamber."  She bit into her watermelon slice, chewed 
thoughtfully, spat out seeds.  "Maybe it is a cave, though...in a 
figurative sense."

"Oh?  Then are you the bear in the cave?" Tenchi asked her with a 
grin.

"Tenchi!  You make me blush.  What a thing to suggest!"  Washuu 
looked at him coyly.

"No, no, Washuu," Tris explained.  "He didn't mean B-A-R-E.  He meant 
B-E-A-R.  You know...like Fuzzy Wuzzy, who had no hair."

"Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair?" Kiyone asked, mystified.

Tris grinned at her.  "That's right.  So Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't very 
fuzzy--was he?"  He chuckled...then: "Ow!"

"Nice shot, Kiyone," Ryoko told her.

Kiyone smilingly acknowledged the compliment.  She blew on her 
knuckles.  Tris massaged his bruised side.

"Sure feels like summer," Tenchi said, changing the subject adroitly.

"Yes, it does," Ayeka said softly.  "It is so warm and still."  She 
leaned against Tenchi.

Quickly, Ryoko leaned against Tenchi, too.

"It'll be a lovely long spring and summer, won't it Tenchi?" Ryoko 
cooed to him.  "Just you and me...the flowers and the trees..."  

"Please!" Washuu said.  "I'm trying to eat watermelon here."



That night it was Kiyone who was roused from sleep.

Sasami was again holding her sister's hand in slumber.  It seemed to 
help keep bad dreams away.

Blinking her eyes, Kiyone rolled over on her futon.  She then saw the 
reason she had awakened.

Mihoshi was fidgeting on her futon, and her snoring was off-timber.  
Kiyone knew the cause.  Her eyes traveled down Mihoshi's futon.  Sure 
enough.  Mihoshi's feet protruded from the blanket that otherwise 
covered her.

Mihoshi was a heavy sleeper, stone heavy, in fact.  But she had 
trouble sleeping comfortably when her feet were cold.

And what feet!  Mihoshi was a beautifully proportioned woman...even 
better proportioned than Kiyone, the latter had to admit ruefully.  
But her feet were big.  It provided quite a comical contrast.  It was 
also kind of endearing, somehow.

Kiyone sighed.  Dutifully, she quietly sat up and then reached out.  
She pulled the blanket free from Mihoshi's tight grip and spread it 
down a bit, covering Mihoshi's feet.  She then crawled to the end of 
the futon and tucked the blanket edge under Mihoshi's covered feet.  
There.  That should hold the ding-dong until morning.

Then the Galaxy Police Detective First Class lay back on her pallet, 
her teal-haired head sinking into the pillow.  For a moment she 
thought over her day.  She had never had a day like that before.  
She had never met a boy like Tris before.

She thought about him, about how it had been for him at his parent's 
funeral...the big, nineteen-year-old kid who couldn't bring himself 
to look into his parents' caskets...the parents that had loved and 
sheltered him so much.  He had been all alone and really unwanted at 
that funeral home...just lost...a lost boy with no one to turn to...

For the first time in a long time, Kiyone allowed herself to shed a 
tear.  But it wasn't for herself.  It was for that lost boy.



_______________________________________________________

CHAPTER NOTES

(1)  Shaved ice drizzled with sweet syrups.  That's the confection 
the gang consumed on the beach resort prior to the beauty contest in 
"Tenchi Universe."