For instance, while she was joyously greeting her big sister at the spaceport, word came in from traffic control that another ship had appeared in system and was insisting on privileged landing clearance.
A ship about the size of the Millennium Falcon, though roughly cylindrical shaped with a drive boom leading off to an engine mounting that bore a striking resemblance to a clenched fist. The ship bore bounty hunter registry, under the name Angry Mallet.
Nabiki scowled. Her sister Akane was on the scent. That could only mean her father had learned things that set him off again, Akane was too indolent to take up this kind of mission alone, and too uncaring to be here for any social cause.
Much like herself, actually, until recently.
Nabiki turned her warm hug with Kasumi into a businesslike one, staring at her sister to judge honesty. "Kasumi, did you tell anyone I'm pregnant?"
Her sister became flustered. "Well, I told Akane. I was sure she'd want to know our family is growing. I thought it might encourage her to..."
Moff Nabiki was sadly and wearily shaking her head. "No, Kasumi. You don't understand. The first thing Akane would do with this kind of news would be to tell daddy. And you know no man could possibly be good enough for one of 'his little girls'. You've just condemned my husband to an early death. Akane is coming here to learn his name and all about him so she can track him down and kill him."
Kasumi had turned white with shock.
The Moff of the Nerima sector sighed. This was why they'd made an outcast of Kasumi: A complete inability to keep important secrets. She never got the concept that there were certain things you never told to certain people.
Well, she could learn. There wasn't any reason not to believe she could when Moff Tendo, one of the most rapacious sector lords in the Colony territories was about to learn thrift and decency to her citizens. She could do it, and she knew Kasumi could learn to be a little crafty.
She speared her with a gaze. "Kasumi, a lot of what I am planning to tell you is the kind of data that will kill people if it gets to the wrong ears, and like Akane telling daddy, the first thing most people do when they get news like this is to share it. That kind of thing can go across the galaxy in short order. I want you to think about that and answer me honestly: Do you want those kind of secrets? Because I can keep them to myself if you want, but you will be shut out of a big part of my life if I have to deal with things like that without telling you. There's alot of things I have to do at my level that most people really should not hear."
Kasumi paused, a look of fright on her face for a long time, but decision finally crystallized. "I want to be able to share your life, little sis."
They shared a big hug. "Well, then, you should know that we'll be feeding Akane just a little fib about my husband so she won't know how to find him."
She would arm her sister with little bits of truth that couldn't hurt if they got out, like hair color, and just test and see how well her sister kept them. It being her first time trying she doubted Kasumi would do well, but trying to keep a secret and failing would teach her a bit of how hard it was, how important, and how people's lives could depend on your ability at times.
She was sure Kasumi would be miserable, trying not to tell Akane who wouldn't take no for an answer. But since telling would be betraying another family member, she was sure the exercise would teach her big sister alot about doing one good deed by concealing another.
"Now,
See other episodes by Lionheart
(Posted Fri, 09 Apr 2004 02:36)
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