Reason For Vengeance (Dark Vengeance Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

with her family in their garden.  Both of the kids ended up covered in mud, which meant Tom and herself were also covered.
    “You’re right, it would take too long by hand or even by machine.  They release the seeds for the plants high in the sky.  The winds then send them all around the surface of the planet.”
    “Oh that’s right, Mrs Chopra said they’re sent down from the Space Stations in orbit.  Once the plants are all grown up, they release birds, cows, horses, bees and even spiders.  Bleh!  Why would anyone have spiders?” she asked with a shudder.
    “Planets are very complex places.  They need all kinds of creatures to work, even spiders.”
    “Mama.  Mama.  Ask me!”  Bobbie looked thoroughly bored by this point.
    “Oi, Bobbie.  I’m talking to Mummy!”  Daphne exclaimed.
    “It’s OK, Daphne.” Valerie said and tried not to smile.  “It’s your brother’s turn.  What did you do today, Bobbie?”
    “We made ships.”  Bobbie said and dashed off to one side out of sight.  Presumably to get whatever he had made that day at nursery.
    Daphne rolled her eyes at her vastly younger brother.  This time Valerie could not help smiling as her daughter continued matter of factly, as though her brother hadn’t interrupted her.
    “After the Herbies...”
    “Herbivores.”
    “Right Herbores.”  It wasn’t worth correcting her a second time, she was after all, only six years old.  “After the Herbores have grown up, they release the carnores and people go and live there.”
    “That’s right.  How long does that all take?”
    “Two hundred years.”  Daphne replied just in time, as her brother came barrelling back in.  He proudly held out a blocky shape made out of glued together carbonfibre.
    “Look, Mama, it’s a Jester!”
    “Wow, Bobbie.  It looks just like the PLN Rustler.  I saw it this morning, so I know what I’m talking about.”
    “Thanks, Mama.”  The three of them continued to talk for over an hour about all the things that they did and their friends, until Bobbie began to get quiet.  Valerie could tell he was tired and Daphne seemed to be struggling as well, though she was doing everything she could not to show it.
    Tom stepped in from where he was sitting quietly to one side, watching the kids talk to their mother.  “OK, I think it’s time to get ready for bed now.  Come on.”  Tom picked up Bobbie who grumbled, but didn’t really put up much of a fight.
    Daphne was made of sterner stuff though.  “No, Daddy, I want to tell Mummy about the transport we saw!”
    “Come on, Daphne, you can tell her next time,” Tom said.  “It’s past your bedtime as it is.”
    “Listen to your father, Daphne.”  Valerie admonished.  “Now come and give me a kiss and go get ready for bed.”
    “OK, Mummy.  I love you.”  The little blond girl leaned forward and kissed the screen.
    “I love you too, honey, and you, Bobbie.”  Valerie said.  “Give me a call when you’ve got them all sorted, Tom.  I’ll be here.”
    “I will do, love.  It shouldn’t be long.”
    Valerie switched off the com and picked up her datapad.  There were numerous reports she needed to fill out and sign off before Shadow Company departed in the morning.  A number of them she was able to pass on to Captains Gibson, Forlani and Benz.  It still left her with plenty of work to be getting on with before Tom called her back.
    Over an hour and thirty-three reports later, her com screen beeped quietly.  Valerie put down her datapad and gladly accepted the call.  Tom’s face looked out of the screen at her.
    “The terrible two are now both fast asleep, though of course neither of them wanted to wash their faces.  I think I’ve got more water on me than they did between them.”
    Valerie laughed softly.  “I so miss them, Tom and I miss you.”
    He sighed.   “I know you do love, I miss you too and so do the kids.  What about that transfer to Olympus?  Surely you can