Read Online The Highest Frontier by Joan Slonczewski - Free Book Online

feelings about their spouses’ ambitions. A wife’s unscripted response could send a campaign down a new track.
    Gar Guzmán’s majestic profile could have been chiseled on Mount Rushmore. “Clive, I’m confident Betsy will reassure the American people that we’re winning the War on Ultra. And more important, the War on Sin. The Flood is coming; only the faithful will survive. My first acts in office will be to double our solar output and build ten more ultra-free spacehabs.” Gar had beaten Jenny’s aunt in the Centrist primaries, by less than a hundred votes. Just as well; Jenny would have felt bad in November, voting against Aunt Meg.
    “Winning the War on Ultra”—Clive nodded—“that’s good to hear. And now, from Salt Lake, the Unity candidate, Governor Anna Carrillo. Governor, how do you think Glynnis will do in tonight’s debate?”
    Anna was coming off a bad week, with the ultraphyte biofilm spreading across Utah. “Clive, I know Glynnis will share with our fellow Americans our vision of recapturing the American dream: a secure financial future, and genetic health for all. And to save Earth by putting our solar plants and factories in space.” The Earth’s one hope; at what cost, no one dared say.
    Jenny sighed. Anna’s wife Glynnis was smart, but Betsy Guzmán knew how to get under her skin. It would be a tough contest. Meanwhile the rain was done, the clouds shrunk to tiny puffballs, and the chocolate hillsides glowed sheer pink. The north solar above the Mound offered a spectacular “sunset,” lemon center peeling into fractal curves of orange. Instead of “setting,” however, the orange filled the center, turning scarlet. The scarlet hue stretched the entire length of the spacehab to touch the Ohio River, ringed by a rainbow. The glow slowly faded, like embers of a dying fire. Overhead glimmered the lights of Mount Gilead and the cords of the slanball court.
    A red racing car screeched around the block puffing steam, its huge wheels kicking up pebbles, one of which hit Jenny in the ankle. “¡Vaya!” She watched their headlights streak across Castle Cockaigne. How could the college admit such chusma ?
    The car stopped and a door flew open. Out jumped a blond chico with a purple headband and a prominent nose ring. “Fritz Hoffman, pledge educator.” He put up an arm with a muscle the size of his neck. “Hey, Jenny. Don’t miss our Bulls Blowout, Wednesday night.” An invite popped up, Red Bulls Blowout and Pig Roast. Wednesday, the second day of class, after faculty advising Monday. Fritz winked. “We’re signing up voters. We’ll count on you.” His toybox had a full Unity campaign layout; apparently the Bulls ran Frontera’s Unity Club, campaigning for Carrillo.
    Jenny managed a gracious smile. For Unity, one had to work with all kinds.
    The Buckeye Trail led her back to her Virginia East cottage. The porch light was on, and she paused. On the porch, in the hanging chair, rocked her compañera , Mary Dyer.
    Jenny stepped toward Mary and leaned on the porch rail. “Hi there, I’m Jenny. You must be…”
    No toybox window appeared. At Mary’s feet, a brown-striped lizard skittered across the porch. The lizard flashed a blue tail, like the one that had climbed the shakes.
    Mary nodded slowly, her chin jutting firm, a gold ring in her right nostril. She wore her tie-dyed shift, and her left hand held a water bottle. Her right hand flexed, the fingers in continual motion as if trying to creep away. Her arms and face glowed brightly, the most luminous skinglow Jenny had ever seen. “Mary Dyer,” she said. “We picked it from a name garden. Do you like it?”
    “Sure, it’s a lovely name.” Mary smelled faintly like a marina, as if wearing trimethylamine perfume. She must really be into fish. “Did you get here okay? How do you like Frontera?”
    Mary said, “We need shorter light.”
    Jenny nodded, as though she understood. “I hope you get your fish back. I printed out