What a nice surprise to see the rest of Part 16 when I got home from work. It really made my day.
Oooh - Kal has a plan
But what does it entail?! Again, it's easy to think it involves a certain piece of knowledge he's recently acquired from a certain diagram, plus a little info from Tek, but I've been wrong when going down that road before! It could involve his secret (we're getting close to the reveal of that) or it could just be a different approch to get Lois to agree to marry him (which could be linked to the other two points!). Or, as is most likely, none of those!!
Lois wondered if she sensed a wistfulness in his tone. “Do you hope you will have children one day?” she asked, trying to keep her tone even. “With Za?”
“That is why we are married,” Kal said, his face closed and unreadable. “Did you like visiting Riz?”
Hmm, changed the subject a bit quickly there methinks! If it was a few days before, I would have thought it was just Kal being naive, thinking 'oh well, better luck with next month's sample!' but now he is quite likely better informed I wonder at his response, or non-response. You would think at the present time he would be keen to dismiss any links to Za, though he does still, it seems, feel a duty to produce an heir with her. I suppose he thinks even if he is to get Za pregnant, it wouldn't be through making love, so his new knowledge makes no difference. He maybe doesn't see how it would affect Lois, especially when he claims he wants her to be his true 'wife' in the way she described. He is much more aware of Lois' feelings now though, so I'm fairly sure he would realise she wouldn't be exactly happy about him having a child with Za and would prefer if he could have one with her, and only her.
He is still, I imagine, of the impression he has 'bad seed' and is therefore downbeat and ashamed about that. Lois hasn't divulged her suspicions to him yet.
I wonder whether Lois thinks he actually saw the picture after all or not. She was convinced when he said he wanted to 'try something with her', but then it wasn't what she suspected and he hasn't mentioned it.
“Kip taught Tek ... taught him during the Transition Years and also once we had landed on New Krypton ... but none of it is recognised. I tried to make an Exemption to the Rules and have Tek declared a Scientist, but Exemptions cannot be made without certain exact conditions being met.”
“Such as?”
“The full support of the Regal Nobles.”
It seems Nor may have something against Tek and probably his father before him. His knowledge perhaps?!!
“Yes. And Ard.”
Lois spluttered. “Ard?”
“C1. She is Tek’s sister.”
She is his sister! But why did she need protecting? Her beauty? Kal doesn't recognise it, it doesn't mean Nor doesn't. And why is she so childlike? She doesn't appear to have Tek's brains. Is it due to her sheltered existence or some form of trauma?
Could it be possible Kal *hadn’t* noticed Ard’s beauty? “She is physically very attractive,” Lois said.
“Is she?”
Lois couldn’t contain the elation that whooshed its way around her heart. This amazing man, with such an awesome capacity to care for others, loved her ... and it seemed, had never even noticed anyone else.
I smiled along with Lois at that. It isn't surprising though, knowing what we do of Kal. Because of his way of life until Lois, Kal doesn't seem to have even considered whether people are attractive or not. Actually, there are a lot of things he's never even considered or questioned! He's been so programmed to only think about certain things and perform certain duties. That's all he thought there was to life, so he got on with it. Of course, he couldn't fail to notice Lois!!
Ching was north, Yent, the other Regal Noble, was south – so the three Regal Nobles included two from the south and one from the north.
It's interesting Ching is from the north. Would make him a very good match for Za and maintain the joining of the two different sides! Sorted - almost!
If Nor did consider Kal to be north, it explained why he would want Kal to remain childless, but did not expain why he was willing to passively wait for Kal to die in order to wrest back control for the south.
Hmm, there's still a dastardly plan brewing isn't there. He won't be waiting for Kal to die - not naturally anyway!
The door opened and Kal walked in ... holding two cups.
Lois smelt it again ... the coffee smell.
Kal beamed. “I thought you’d like a drink,” he said.
Awwww. This put a daft grin on my face! The news travelled fast, she didn't even have to ask for it.
“Yes, but I have never tried it before.”
“Why not?”
“I didn’t know about it. I just order blue ... so that’s what I get.”
He really never questioned anything about his monotonous routine did he?!! He's been sheltered from a lot more than just the facts of life. There are probably a lot more interesting foods on New Krypton than Lois has got to sample, Kal just asks for the same every day because he knows no better! I love how the drink is called 'blue' by the way, or that's how it translates anyway.
What does he have in store? Oh no, might be a while until the next post!
Fantastic and intriguing again Corrina. Some answers were given and then more questions!
Thank you so much for posting en route!!
Em
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I'm starting to suffer serious L&K withdrawal symptoms, I am soooo addicted to this fic! It's embarrassing how many times I check to see if a new part has been posted. 