''I'm going to win this race!'' the girl shot back.
''But you have to have a second person in the boat,'' the Senator said, glancing around and seeing Kris for the first time. ''Oh, hello, Your Highness. That is how you're supposed to address a Princess, isn't it? Your Highness and curtsy.''
''I'm Kris today,'' Kris said, ''and I don't think anyone on Turantic knows how to curtsy.''
''I do,'' the young voice from the boat pitched in. The girl in tan shorts and a blue tank top hopped up and promptly did a fair rendition of one in a rocking boat.
''Be careful,'' her father said. ''You'll fall overboard.''
''I haven't fallen overboard for years, Father,'' the girl said, settling back down to her place at the tiller. ''And I'll win this race if we can just find someone to replace Ann.''
''What happened?'' Kris asked.
''Nara's partner in these races is Ann Earlic,'' Mel said. ''Her dad's also a Senator, of the Conservative Party, but that means nothing to Nara and Ann.''
''Yes it does. Her dad's a stick in the mud,'' came from the bobbing boat.
''And your parents aren't?'' her father answered back.
''At least not this week,'' his daughter assured him.
''When did that change?'' The Senator sighed.
''Anyway,'' her husband went on, ''the President called a barbecue at his ranch for today, so all his party is headed up there, and missing the regatta.''
''I thought the President would be on the presidential yacht?'' Kris said.
''As late as Thursday he was. Last night, everything changed,'' Senator Krief said with a shrug of her shoulders. ''President Iedinka doesn't much care for crowds, at least those that might not be voting for him. I was surprised that he was coming, to be truthful. I just didn't expect his invite to the ranch to be for kids as well as parents.
''So the Vice President will be on the yacht?'' Jack asked.
''Nope, she gets seasick real easy,'' Mel said, breaking from his debate with his daughter. ''Never goes out. Hates to even go up the beanstalk. A real solid-earth type.''
Kris turned back to Jack. ''So no one will be on the presidential yacht from the government,'' she said.
''I don't like that,'' Tom added, then bit his lip at having said something so unnecessary.
Behind Kris, the family returned to the crisis of the morning. ''Don't you see anyone here who could sail with you?'' mother asked daughter.
''Yes, Mother, plenty, but they're in the boat they'll be racing. Why didn't you tell me about your political thing yesterday?''
''Because I only found out an hour ago when Ann called you. It's not like the President is going to invite me to his ranch.''
''Well, I've got to have somebody.''
''I guess I could ride along with you,'' the mother said tentatively.
''Darling, you don't swim,'' Mel pointed out.
''Mo-ther, you don't even want to get in my boat. Whoever is second is going to be hanging over the side. You'd be no help.''
''I could go,'' the father said weakly.
''Fa-ther, you'd be hanging over the side upchucking last week's breakfast,'' the daughter declared with the vehemence only allowed one with true sea legs.
Kris eyed Jack, then the rest of her group. No one had come up with a dodge to get them off a yacht that suddenly looked less than seaworthy. She turned back to the Senator.
''I thought this was the junior-class competition. I didn't know you could sail with your daughter.''
''It's family values,'' Mel said. ''Turantic allows parents to sail with their kids, so long as the kid handles the tiller and the sails. It makes for a lot of work, but, hey, how can we have a rule that keeps parents away from their children?''
Kris was glad Wardhaven had never taken family values that far. There were times when a kid needed some distance. ''So, is it only parents that can cover for a kid?''
''Parents or their appointed stand-in,'' the Senator said. ''We had to make allowances for handicapped or otherwise unavailable parents who still wanted to assure that their children weren't—''
''Having any fun,'' the daughter put in. ''And if I don't get someone in this boat right now this minute, I'm not going to have any fun at all today. Dad, I guess you'll have to do.''
Kris surrendered to a broad grin. ''I'd really enjoy some time on the lake in a boat that's got the wind in its sails.''
''You sail?'' came in a shriek from the boat.
''Nara, the Princess here is the Wardhaven junior champion for orbital skiff racing.'' Her father sighed.
''Water boats are different,'' the Senator advised Kris.
''I raced sailboats before I ever saw a skiff,'' Kris said.
''You want to come?'' Nara was almost beside herself. ''Mom, Dad, let her.'' She glanced around at the other boats being pushed away from the pier, raising sail, and setting out for the racecourse. ''And let's do it nowest, like sooner the soonest.''
''You don't mind?'' Mel asked.
''Not at all. I love getting the wind in my hair.''
''Your security people won't mind?'' the Senator asked.
''Not if she wears a life vest,'' Jack said, putting one around Kris. ''We'll stay close in a follow boat.''
''That should do it, '' Kris said, snapping the vest closed.
Jack reached in his pocket and brought out a long pocket knife. ''Harvey tells me you once got tangled in the lines when you flipped your boat.''
''That was years ago!''
''Well, hold on to this in case you need it,'' he said, putting the knife in her hand. Kris gave him a nervous-ninny scowl but pocketed the blade, then hopped into the boat. Mel cast off the lines. Kris raised the jib, and Nara expertly nosed her craft out into the stream of other boats heading out. A few minutes more, and Nara was ready to raise the mainsail. Kris did the hauling, settled the sail in place, then expertly tied down the lanyards.
''You really can handle a sailboat. I thought you were just doing that Princess thing, you know, ‘I can do anything,' bit.''
''One thing I learned early doing that Princess bit,'' Kris said, ''is to ask for help when you need it and be glad other people know a lot of things you don't.''
''Well, I'm glad you like to sail. Mom and Dad would try, but they go with water the way I go with dance classes.''
''Bad mix, huh?''
''Maximost baddest,'' Nara assured her, right hand pinching her nose shut.
''It can't be that bad.''
''You haven't sailed with Dad. I was a week getting the stink out. Now, here's the rules. Once we start racing, only I touch the tiller or handle the sails. I've got the line for the mainsail all to myself. If the jib gets hung up, you can knock it loose, but anything more, and I'm disqualified. Okay?''
''No problem. I won't make you lose the race,'' Kris said.
''All I'm counting on you for is counterbalance when I get her real close to the wind. You know how to do that, don't you?''
''You have ropes so I can really let myself hang out?''
''You know how to do that?''
''I've done it a few times in my racing.''
''Wow, way wild, but no, these boats are really too small. Not enough keel or rudder to really get that far over.''
''So I'll lean as far out as I can.''
Klaggath had a thirty-five-foot launch following them before they left the small boat basin for the open lake, Jack standing on the bow, a glowering figurehead. The Senator and her husband were on the aft deck with Penny and Tom. The Santa Marian appeared in a race with Mel to see who tossed their guts over the side first. Nara thought it was hilarious that her dad should have competition in that area.
A dozen Star-2 sailboats made up the junior competition. Several had adults as their second crew; Kris spotted at least three people her size. All scrupulously stayed clear of the yards now that the boats were on the open lake, jockeying for starting position. The other boats were easy to spot; their two crew members were all over the boat, swapping out at the tiller every time they switched tacks.
''Can you handle the whole race yourself?'' Kris asked Nara. ''That tiller in a strong wind can wear a grown man out.''