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Deimos touched Hope’s arm, and his eyes glistened, moved by her faith.
“Then we’ll make a movie out of it:Marley and Deimos. The poignant story of a cow and his pet dragon.”
Hope pictured a baby cow tugging a massive dragon on a leash. Then she realized that they referred to themselves as “we” without thinking when they talked about the future.
“Still no changes,” Deimos said with a frown.
The cows walked lethargically. Some rested on the grass. When insects landed on them, they simply tolerated it. Their bodies seemed too weak to support anything much more complicated than basic metabolism, and even that required more strength than they had.
Hope thought about the cows she had seen while in the car on her way to the wormhole to Nova Aurora.
“Have you ever thought about visiting Earth?” Hope asked him.
“I’ve thought about it, but it couldn’t be for quite a while if I were to go. Especially with Dad stepping down and handing the reins over to me. The clutch is antsy enough with me coming out to the ranch all the time.”
“I hope you’re able to go one day. It’s a beautiful place.”
“What do you think you miss the most so far?”
“Besides ground transportation? No, just kidding. Probably the animals. The ones at the veterinary clinic, and my two cats. Doolittle is the little gray one. He was born with only three paws. And Piggy, who never met a cat treat he didn’t like. Do people keep pets here?”
“Not Earth pets really, at least not yet. That might change as more earth people come. We have some native animals that we keep as pets. Pagamorphs are really cute. They’re a little bit like rabbits with big floppy ears. They look like guinea pigs made of cotton candy. I had one growing up. I took her everywhere with me.”
“What was her name?”
“Spidey. She was always eating spiders. Here, let me show you a picture.”
The smile of a little boy spread across Deimos’s face as he looked through his phone for a picture of his treasured pet.I bet he was so adorable as a kid. I bet his kids will be … come on, Hope. Get a hold of yourself.
“Found it!” he shouted.
Yup. I was right. Cutest kid in the galaxy.
A tiny, gangly kid with snow-white hair and skin the color of toasted almond slivers held an even tinier, bright pink ball of fluff in his lap. He beamed with pride as if his little Spidey had burst forth from his skull. A little squeaking Athena.
“I walked her on a leash,” Deimos said.
“That is the cutest thing I have ever seen,” Hope said.
“You didn’t have to wait three days to tell me what you really think of me,” Deimos said with a huge grin. Hope rolled her eyes in a way that was pure flirtation.
“I was talking about the little cotton ball on your lap.” Hope stuck out her tongue playfully.
“So, we’re obsessing. We have to get our minds off of the cows before we turn into them. Why don’t you show me the thingsyouwould miss most if you left Nova Aurora? That huge castle we saw … can we go there?”
“Your wish is my command. After all, every queen needs a castle. Let’s show you one.”
TWELVE
DEIMOS
Remembering Hope’s words about returning to Earth, Deimos was lost. He truly didn’t know what he would do if she left. She aligned herself with helping him figure out what was wrong with his cows. She, like he, was waiting for the lab results.
Maybe if I show her more of the island…like a romantic tour…she might decide she can stay. She’s worked so hard with the cows that we both need a day to ourselves. Maybe a visit to the castle.
Deimos nodded, satisfied. He really needed Hope in his life. Better yet, he thought, the castle visit would be an excellent outing … the only way to get to the castle was by boat.
With this thought in mind, Deimos rented a yacht with a crew so they could travel in romantic comfort to the island where the castle was located.
