Chapter Eleven
The Captain looked at the smaller man in front of him. "You are not going to stop bothering me, are you?" Admiral Calavicci shook his head. "All right Admiral. I will tell you." Daniel Gregg answered. "I cannot marry her. I cannot support her — Even if I can touch her now, I cannot ask Carolyn to make that kind of decision . . . to spend the rest of her life — her human life with me. I'm not worthy of that." He stopped speaking and glared at Al, almost as if he was daring him to answer him.
Al looked back at the Captain; with grudging admiration in his eyes, and shrugged. "Marriage . . . Okay, you coming from the 19th Century, I can understand your problem . . . up to a point, that is! You're going to have to think about that, and make your own decision when the time comes." Al paused for a moment, and then continued. "A marriage — a good marriage — Is a union of minds and bodies and souls and spirits. Having a marriage license, while still the best way to start a committed relationship to each other, as far as I am concerned, is wonderful, but it is not a guarantee, especially in your case, that everything will be perfect. Look at me . . . five times I've been down the aisle and it really only 'took' once! You two have something that . . . that I'm not sure can even be measured . . . it's that special."
Al stared directly into the Captain's eyes and continued with his debate. "In your case, Daniel . . . may I call you, Daniel?" The seaman nodded. "In your case, Daniel, I think you are much more worried about not being able to be the total means of 'support' for your family, for you do call them 'your' family — that's what is really bothering you, isn't it?" He paused and let Gregg meditate on his words for a moment.
"Yes . . ." the seaman growled. ". . . Is that so wrong?"
"No . . . not wrong," Al said, trying to be patient with his 19th-Century friend, "Just a little — outdated. And don't growl at me either! You called yourself outdated you know! It's a new century, Daniel. It's the 1970's, not the 1870's. A whole new decade is just getting started. This Women's Lib you have been hearing about — it's a good thing. It's not all bra burning and rallies. The rallies were . . . are important because they brought attention to the issues — to the problems women have been facing. It's about women's independence, which is no doubt a difficult concept for a 19th-Century man like you to understand — and it's about equality. Just the simple fact that if women are doing the same job as men in the workforce that the pay should be the same for both — not less for the woman because she isn't 'a man and the head of a family,' or because she's 'only' a woman. It's about a woman being able to get a credit card in her own name without a husband, boss or male relative having to sign for her. I bet you five bucks Carolyn Muir is still fighting that issue!" Al continued, triumphantly.
"Aye," the seaman nodded, "She is!"
Al stopped speaking and paced up and down the small white room, and then stopped in front of the Captain. "By the way . . ." he added with a grin, "If you are talking about EQUAL contribution here — I've got news for you. From everything I've noticed so far, you and Carolyn Muir are equal partners . . . you just haven't figured that out yet!" He nodded toward the Captain, smugly.
Daniel Gregg looked at Al curiously. "And how, precisely, did you come to that conclusion . . . Sir?"
"Twenty-twenty hindsight helps, Daniel." Al replied. "It's very simple, really! Ziggy pulled up Carolyn Muir's story, 'Maiden Voyage' and many others that she has had published over the last two years. From the writing style and . . . uhh . . . story content, it doesn't take a hybrid computer to tell me that Carolyn didn't write 'Maiden Voyage!' You can't fool me Daniel — you wrote it — and I definitely see your hand, or at least your contributions as far as the technical stuff goes, in some of her other sea stories. I know you didn't 'help' with all of them — but could she really have written some of those stories as accurately — as well as she did if you weren't working together? What are you working on right now, for instance?"
"My Memoirs . . . " the Captain started.
"Your Memoirs? Well, all right then! How can you say you aren't 'supporting your family'? Ask yourself — Who suggested the Memoirs to begin with? Would the book be as accurate and as interesting without you being there to contribute your personal memories to the story of your life? Carolyn is a fine writer, there's no doubt about that. You two are a team — you just don't know it — or at least the possibility just hasn't entered your mind! And when you aren't writing together, you are acting as an editor, of sorts, right? Haven't you proofed her stories at times? Checked for continuity? I'm sure any writer will tell you that a good editor is worth their weight in gold." Al stopped again and shook the seaman's shoulder. "Get this straight, Gregg! You are contributing just as much, and are just as vital to your family as Carolyn is! You have been working equally and contributing equally to 'your' household for almost two years! You ARE equal. It's definitely not the same kind of arrangement men and women had in the 1870's, or even in some ways as in the 1970's. You are actually ahead of your time!" Al laughed.
"And what in blazes is so funny, may I ask?" the Captain said.
"I was just thinking about what Sam would say if he could see the soapbox I just climbed down from." Al said with a grin. "He's been rubbing off on me, I think. No way five years ago would I have ever given this enlightened a speech — to anyone! I guess his experiences leaping have influenced me too!" He smiled and stored the memory away — hoping he could tell Sam about it some day, and looked at 'Gregg' again. "Please — all I am asking for you to do is to think. Consider carefully what we have talked about — What I've said . . . and be patient. I . . ."
"Admiral . . . Ziggy's voice cut in, "You are needed in the Control Room immediately. I have new information."
"Is it important, Ziggy?" Al said with a sigh.
"Yes, Admiral. Code, Alpha."
Admiral Calavicci headed for the door on the double — revealing nothing more to Captain Gregg; who was busy thinking about what Admiral Albert Calavicci had already said to him.