Volume One, Scene Fifty-Three
"Renata, Harper, Kait, thanks for coming to meet with me today," Eliza said, leaning forward over her desk. "First, can I have Della bring you anything?"
"I'm fine," Kait said.
"She offered us tea earlier," Renata said.
"Oh, Della," Eliza said to the air, "your value is more than rubies. We'll get started, then. I want to talk about books. Which is reasonable, I imagine."
"Yeah," Harper said. "I mean, two authors and a book binder, go figure."
"Yes, well, we're nearly out of coffee and that affects my phrasing," Eliza said. "Anyway! Renata, the textbooks are going swimmingly, many thanks."
"I'll have the proofs for the next history chapter by the end of the week," Renata said. "That should just about cover Kobol, with the Five's additions."
"I'm still working on clearing the outlines for the Cylon wars," Eliza said with a sigh. "The President has taken a personal interest in it - he and Wren may be hashing things out for quite some time, given that it's a loaded subject."
"When you're done with them, I'll turn 'em into books," Harper said, slinging an arm over the back of her chair.
"How ready do you feel to diversify?" Eliza asked. "Room on those fresh hot presses?"
"I'm not a newspaper," Harper said. "But yeah, I could fit in some projects. Frankly, I'd jump at the chance, and I'm sure my assistants would. We're all a little weary of math formulas and addenda to the science primer while you all put together and clean up the new edition."
"Excellent." Eliza laced her fingers together. "Which brings me to you, Kait, delightful Kait, author of children's books. People need things to read. Children, especially, need things to read that aren't textbooks. And that is where we have a unique opportunity to reallocate and leverage our resources." She grimaced. "Sorry, I try to avoid the administration speak most of the time. But yes, there it is, what do you think, you three? I figure between the four of us, we've got enough I mean, Kait, if you haven't got anything going now, we could always use recreated stories, or rewritten myths, or anything you like."
"I think I've got some things I can use," Kait said. "But, you know, the more the merrier."
"I'll take all the work I can get," Harper said, leaning forward. "This'll be much more fun."
"There's no shortage of historical stories and myths that can be adapted for children," Renata said. "I'd love to collaborate."
"Don't we generally?" Kait said. "I mean, not about science, obviously."
"We've been known to," Renata allowed, eyes sparkling.
"It's about time the youth had the chance to be corrupted by insidious mythology," Harper joked.
"About time we had some fiction," Kait said.
"Seriously," Renata said. "I mean, the couple of new tv shows we've got are good, but when reruns of soap operas are most of what we're calling pop culture, that's kind of sad. I'm sure Queti's doing her best, but we're all a little behind."
"What if...?" Kait paused. "I know Stone Hart is an attorney now, but he used to be a painter. I wonder if he'd be up for doing some illustrations? It's just that there aren't that many lawsuits going on these days."
"True," Eliza said. "If you're not into governing, not that much law going on at all yet, for better or for worse. And I do know his wife - in fact, I have an appointment at her salon this evening that I ought to be getting to presently. I'll ask her if he'd be up for that." She breathed a long sigh of relief. "You all have taken a load off my mind."
They talked for a while longer, working out a few details, and then Eliza shook hands all around and headed off to Wren's office. "Let's go, let's go!"
"Yes, fine," Wren said distractedly. "Where are we going?"
"Haircut?" Eliza said. "Massage? Surely you recall?"
"Yes," Wren said, "Yes! Amalia, I'm leaving."
"Amalia, call the car, please," Booth said.
"I don't need..." Wren began, but subsided when Booth put his hands on his hips. "Whatever he says."
"She learns fast," Eliza said approvingly.
"Turns out she can't get out of the room when I stand in front of the door," Booth said with a touch of smugness.
"I chose to not exit the room at that time was all," Wren said loudly. "Protect me if you will, but I don't need coddling."
"So we're going to the salon?" Booth asked. "We'll enter together. I'll leave you with Eliza and assess the situation. I would have gone earlier, but you've been here and there and here and there and I didn't have a minute to slip away."
"She does that," Eliza said.
Amalia buzzed to say that the car was there, and Booth escorted them to the salon.
"Ladies!" Dolly said, embracing Eliza. "And who's this?"
"Major Booth, ma'am, I'm just gonna go around and check your back door there," Booth said, one hand on his sidearm.
"You can check my back door any time, Major," Sienna said, eyeing him up and down.
"My new security detail," Wren said with a grimace. "Pain in my side."
"Mmmhmm," Sienna said. "That's not where I'd have him."
Dolly giggled. "All right. Who do I get first?"
"Me, please," Eliza said. "I think Wren's tenser, and besides, I need to ask you a favor. Well, I need to ask your husband a favor, and I thought you'd be the best way."
"Shoot," Dolly said, and covered her mouth. "Oops."
"Not a problem, ma'am," Booth said, coming back. "You don't look armed or dangerous."
Sienna opened her mouth and then closed it again. "You know what, nevermind. I'm going to take Wren back into this room, Major Booth, and I don't think she's okay with having you around, so if you want to just sit right there, that would be divine."
"I think we'll all get along," Booth said, sitting down in a way that made it clear he was ready to get right back up again.
Dolly ran her hands through Eliza's hair as Eliza settled herself. "So what's up?"
"Your husband, Mr. Hart," Eliza began.
"Oh, please, call him Stone," Dolly scoffed. "Mr. Hart, I don't even know."
"Stone used to be an artist, didn't he?"
"Still is!" Dolly said proudly. "Now that he's got some time again. He painted a mural in the common room of the ship and everybody loved it."
"I was trying to nudge a couple of authors into writing some children's books," Eliza said, "and Kait - you've heard of her, I'm sure - she said that she hoped that Stone might be willing to do some illustrations, once they've got the text. What do you think?"
"I think he'd like that," Dolly said, beaming. "I'll talk to him."
"That's great!" Eliza said. "Ah, could this day get any better?"
"Yes," Wren and Booth said simultaneously, Wren shouting from the back and Booth under his breath.
"I'm not done yet!" Sienna retorted, and they all chuckled.
"I surrender," Wren said.
"And if that isn't the point of all this, I don't know what is," Eliza murmured and she and Dolly exchanged conspiratorial glances.
"I'm fine," Kait said.
"She offered us tea earlier," Renata said.
"Oh, Della," Eliza said to the air, "your value is more than rubies. We'll get started, then. I want to talk about books. Which is reasonable, I imagine."
"Yeah," Harper said. "I mean, two authors and a book binder, go figure."
"Yes, well, we're nearly out of coffee and that affects my phrasing," Eliza said. "Anyway! Renata, the textbooks are going swimmingly, many thanks."
"I'll have the proofs for the next history chapter by the end of the week," Renata said. "That should just about cover Kobol, with the Five's additions."
"I'm still working on clearing the outlines for the Cylon wars," Eliza said with a sigh. "The President has taken a personal interest in it - he and Wren may be hashing things out for quite some time, given that it's a loaded subject."
"When you're done with them, I'll turn 'em into books," Harper said, slinging an arm over the back of her chair.
"How ready do you feel to diversify?" Eliza asked. "Room on those fresh hot presses?"
"I'm not a newspaper," Harper said. "But yeah, I could fit in some projects. Frankly, I'd jump at the chance, and I'm sure my assistants would. We're all a little weary of math formulas and addenda to the science primer while you all put together and clean up the new edition."
"Excellent." Eliza laced her fingers together. "Which brings me to you, Kait, delightful Kait, author of children's books. People need things to read. Children, especially, need things to read that aren't textbooks. And that is where we have a unique opportunity to reallocate and leverage our resources." She grimaced. "Sorry, I try to avoid the administration speak most of the time. But yes, there it is, what do you think, you three? I figure between the four of us, we've got enough I mean, Kait, if you haven't got anything going now, we could always use recreated stories, or rewritten myths, or anything you like."
"I think I've got some things I can use," Kait said. "But, you know, the more the merrier."
"I'll take all the work I can get," Harper said, leaning forward. "This'll be much more fun."
"There's no shortage of historical stories and myths that can be adapted for children," Renata said. "I'd love to collaborate."
"Don't we generally?" Kait said. "I mean, not about science, obviously."
"We've been known to," Renata allowed, eyes sparkling.
"It's about time the youth had the chance to be corrupted by insidious mythology," Harper joked.
"About time we had some fiction," Kait said.
"Seriously," Renata said. "I mean, the couple of new tv shows we've got are good, but when reruns of soap operas are most of what we're calling pop culture, that's kind of sad. I'm sure Queti's doing her best, but we're all a little behind."
"What if...?" Kait paused. "I know Stone Hart is an attorney now, but he used to be a painter. I wonder if he'd be up for doing some illustrations? It's just that there aren't that many lawsuits going on these days."
"True," Eliza said. "If you're not into governing, not that much law going on at all yet, for better or for worse. And I do know his wife - in fact, I have an appointment at her salon this evening that I ought to be getting to presently. I'll ask her if he'd be up for that." She breathed a long sigh of relief. "You all have taken a load off my mind."
They talked for a while longer, working out a few details, and then Eliza shook hands all around and headed off to Wren's office. "Let's go, let's go!"
"Yes, fine," Wren said distractedly. "Where are we going?"
"Haircut?" Eliza said. "Massage? Surely you recall?"
"Yes," Wren said, "Yes! Amalia, I'm leaving."
"Amalia, call the car, please," Booth said.
"I don't need..." Wren began, but subsided when Booth put his hands on his hips. "Whatever he says."
"She learns fast," Eliza said approvingly.
"Turns out she can't get out of the room when I stand in front of the door," Booth said with a touch of smugness.
"I chose to not exit the room at that time was all," Wren said loudly. "Protect me if you will, but I don't need coddling."
"So we're going to the salon?" Booth asked. "We'll enter together. I'll leave you with Eliza and assess the situation. I would have gone earlier, but you've been here and there and here and there and I didn't have a minute to slip away."
"She does that," Eliza said.
Amalia buzzed to say that the car was there, and Booth escorted them to the salon.
"Ladies!" Dolly said, embracing Eliza. "And who's this?"
"Major Booth, ma'am, I'm just gonna go around and check your back door there," Booth said, one hand on his sidearm.
"You can check my back door any time, Major," Sienna said, eyeing him up and down.
"My new security detail," Wren said with a grimace. "Pain in my side."
"Mmmhmm," Sienna said. "That's not where I'd have him."
Dolly giggled. "All right. Who do I get first?"
"Me, please," Eliza said. "I think Wren's tenser, and besides, I need to ask you a favor. Well, I need to ask your husband a favor, and I thought you'd be the best way."
"Shoot," Dolly said, and covered her mouth. "Oops."
"Not a problem, ma'am," Booth said, coming back. "You don't look armed or dangerous."
Sienna opened her mouth and then closed it again. "You know what, nevermind. I'm going to take Wren back into this room, Major Booth, and I don't think she's okay with having you around, so if you want to just sit right there, that would be divine."
"I think we'll all get along," Booth said, sitting down in a way that made it clear he was ready to get right back up again.
Dolly ran her hands through Eliza's hair as Eliza settled herself. "So what's up?"
"Your husband, Mr. Hart," Eliza began.
"Oh, please, call him Stone," Dolly scoffed. "Mr. Hart, I don't even know."
"Stone used to be an artist, didn't he?"
"Still is!" Dolly said proudly. "Now that he's got some time again. He painted a mural in the common room of the ship and everybody loved it."
"I was trying to nudge a couple of authors into writing some children's books," Eliza said, "and Kait - you've heard of her, I'm sure - she said that she hoped that Stone might be willing to do some illustrations, once they've got the text. What do you think?"
"I think he'd like that," Dolly said, beaming. "I'll talk to him."
"That's great!" Eliza said. "Ah, could this day get any better?"
"Yes," Wren and Booth said simultaneously, Wren shouting from the back and Booth under his breath.
"I'm not done yet!" Sienna retorted, and they all chuckled.
"I surrender," Wren said.
"And if that isn't the point of all this, I don't know what is," Eliza murmured and she and Dolly exchanged conspiratorial glances.