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Osmo Martin hastily wrapped the small box of Earth chocolates he knew Sheila loved. They were expensive- even with his new salary plus the money still left in his account (which said account was provided courtesy of his father). But these chocolates were worth it!

He peeked out the window of his new living quarters, located in one of the Security Agency buildings situated on the training grounds. Osmo Martin hoped Sheila didn't come over, to let him know the party was starting, and then see the box of chocolates out in the open. He hurriedly finished wrapping the box. It had been a long training day, but now at last it was over, and he still had time to make her birthday party.

He trotted over the lawn to the Governor's House. He thought it best to be on time for her party, which was to be held in the recreation hall of the mansion.

A robot showed him in, and Sheila Bright greeted him with an affectionate kiss. She squealed in delight, observing he carried a box covered in pretty paper, "Oh, you got me a present!" She kissed him again, then put the package on the table with the rest, but she placed it in a special place to prevent it from being mixed in among the many others- and there were many, and there would be a few more besides those. She had invited at least half her graduating class of Sparkle High. Her former classmates had begun to trickle in to join the festivities.

Balloons either hung from the ceiling and walls, or floated freely about the large rec hall. Many-colored streams of crepe paper stretched here and there in all directions. Mita Morgan blew a paper horn over and over again. She turned and gave Osmo a brief nod, blew the horn again, then resumed conversing with Gov. Bright and his niece- but Sheila now focused her attention on the newly arrived Osmo.

“I though Tretl would be on time, but I suppose he is held up again in another one of his last minute important matters," Mita Morgan was telling the Brights.

"I am sure he is," Gov. Bright agreed. "-Ah, Osmo, at least you were able to make it to the party on time, if Security Leader Clyden could not. I feared you might be having another all-day training session."

X-9 the robot appeared and politely interrupted the flow of chat. "Excuse me, Gov. Bright, but Mrs. McCleer wished me to relay the message that she will not be attending tonight's festivities. Mrs. McCleer prefers to be alone.”

Gov. Bright scowled. "Oh... of course. Okay, X-9, you may go now."

X-9 turned and departed.

Mita Morgan scanned the room. "Hey, where's Albert and Jane? I don't see them anywhere."

"Oh, they must be busy again, at the hospital or something," suggested Sheila Bright. "Anyway, we have so many people here already, I think we can have a nice time even without them.”

The music grew louder and noisier, especially when Sheila's ex-steady Arnoo turned up the music. Gov. Bright glanced at Arnoo and shook his head, and immediately Arnoo adjusted the volume back to where it had been.

Sheila and Osmo danced to a few songs. The Governor walked about, meeting and talking with the guests. Many adults and officials also attended.

After a few minutes, Gov. Bright suggested to Mita Morgan, "Since Sec. Ldr. Clyden isn't here yet, why don't you enjoy a dance or two with someone else?”

She smiled. "Okay. And why don't you also, Gov. Bright?"

"Touche. All right, I will. Would you care to dance?"

"Why, yes, I would be delighted." She took the Governor's outstretched hand.

As she and Gov. Bright did the jinglebell, Sheila Bright chuckled and pointed it out to Osmo. “Now there's something you don't see every day.”

When Osmo Martin looked, his eye also caught Arnoo, heading over to the shelf loaded with the old movies to play on the screen- and Nina McCleer’s secret communicator linked to Earth which lay in hiding behind the shelf. Osmo Martin told himself, I should have tossed away that thing already, but with all this training, I never get around to it. Why, first I'd have to empty the shelf so I can move it, it's so packed with movies, besides being very heavy on its own! But anyway, I doubt anybody will find the device, since it had fallen behind the shelf, and the shelf is so tight against the wall.

"Arnoo!" Sheila Bright scolded the young man by the shelf. "This is a party. Nobody came to watch the screen! Go dance or something."

Mita Morgan flitted over to Arnoo from her not-yet-concluded dance with the Governor and escorted Arnoo away from the screen and into the middle of the dancing people.

Gov. Bright good-naturedly remarked, "I believe Mita dumped me for a younger man!"

His niece Sheila laughed, glad to see her Uncle finally happy and relaxed for a change.

Everybody seemed to be having a good time, and then, before anyone realized it, it was almost time for a murdered rendition of Happy Birthday, and after that the much-anticipated gift-opening. But first, however, before the ceremony, Gov. Xavier Bright wanted to say a few words about his dear niece.

"These last few years have been very special for me. They have been full of joy. When I lost my sister, and when I took over raising her daughter Sheila, I worried. I feared I may not do as well a job as I should. Certainly, I knew, I would be incapable of doing as well a job as Selina. In the few years since that time, I watched Sheila grow from a girl to a young woman, who is much more of a help to me and to my administration than she knows. And she is a great person to be around. Well, I have to say, I must have done something right when I took her under my wing, because see the way she turned out!"

The guests applauded. A few shouted agreement. Sheila Bright hugged her Uncle. "You did do a wonderful job, Uncle, more than you can know." She kissed his cheek.

Then the guests started singing the strained version of Happy Birthday. But with only the first line sung, Sec. Ldr. Clyden burst into the rec hall, sidetracking the convivial atmosphere for the moment. He came up to Gov. Bright and whispered into his ear.

The Governor frowned. "Now? You want to take Osmo on a training exercise?" Gov. Bright found it most inconvenient. "Can't it wait?"

Meanwhile, Mita Morgan beamed, because Clyden had joined them. "Finally! I wondered when you might get here, Tretl."

"Not now, I'm on business, Mita," the Security Leader briskly told her. He then reminded Gov. Bright, speaking in a lowered voice. "You said we don't give this group enough priority. Now I have a chance of moving against them, if only initially in a small way. Of course, if you have changed your mind about the house church being a problem, that's another story. If you changed your mind from what you told me back at the mines, then, I guess maybe they aren't so important a matter after all."

Gov. Bright sighed. "And this grabbing a small family that- it is believed- attends the house church- It can't wait for a few hours, until after my niece's party?"

"We can't risk them flying into hiding, Sir, if they hear through the grapevine our plans. As you see, there are many guests here who might indiscreetly let out word of the planned raid, you know. Also, I also think it is very important that Osmo learn by participating in this mission."

"But really, how much can catching one family which attends the house church go toward actually stopping the illegal church?"

Still talking in a low voice, Sec. Ldr. Clyden replied, "It's very important. Gov. Xavier. They may have much to tell us about the rest of the house church, with the proper incentive.”

Gov. Bright, clearly annoyed with Sec. Ldr. Clyden, stared icily at him. Sheila wished she could read her Uncle's mind at this moment. At last the Governor said, "Yes, of course, Sec. Ldr. Clyden- Osmo, I am glad you came to Sheila’s party, but now you must accompany Mr. Clyden."

Osmo Martin’s face fell. Osmo nodded reluctantly. "Yes, Sir. Sorry, Sheila, but duty calls." With that, he hurried out the door with the Security Leader.

Disappointed, Sheila turned to her Uncle for help, but Osmo Martin was already gone.

Her Uncle shrugged. "That's life. Mr. Clyden is my Security Leader, you know, so as a rule, I trust his judgment. He knows what he is talking about. He knows what he is doing."

But Sheila Bright, trying to decipher her Uncle’s face, wondered at the sincerity of his answer. It seemed something was going on between her Uncle and Sec. Ldr.Clyden behind the scenes, but she couldn’t guess what. 

Outside, a dark, unmarked van waited in the driveway. Agent Samm sat behind the steering wheel and several Security Agents were inside the van, ready to go. Osmo Martin got into the back of the van with the other Agents. Sec. Ldr. Clyden sat up front and briefed them about the mission while Agent Samm raced the van down the driveway and into the lane leading to town.

Osmo's first mission...

Tretl Clyden tossed Osmo Martin a uniform that matched those worn by all the other Agents, except for the Security Leader, of course. Clyden seldom wore his uniform anymore. He hadn't for more than once that Osmo Martin saw in all the time since Osmo came to the World of Hope.

"Put it on, Punk. Try to look professional.”

(c) drk 2012