Endgame [Paperback]

They left behind everything that mattered to them-- friends, lovers, country-- to journey to the stars. Now Sergeant Flynn Taggart and Pfc. Arlene Sanders, USMC, have reached their destination... the homeworld of the demon invaders who destroyed Earth. But there, they find a scene of destruction that rivals any they left back on Earth. And suddenly, Fly and Arlene find themselves face-to-face with an even deadlier enemy than the demons they came to fight. The war for Earth is over. But the battle for the stars has just begun...Chapter One: A Grand Adventure

Grandmother Hudson sat there with an I-told-you-so smile on her face at the breakfast table after I returned from speaking with my mother on the phone.

Well? she asked when I sat in silence. I knew she wanted to hear she had been right. Spitefully, I wanted to keep her waiting. Actually, my reluctance to speak was more out of my own pain. No matter how brave a face I put on, I was still disappointed.

She's not coming, I said quickly, my eyes downcast. She says the attorney general is having them over for dinner. I'm supposed to call her if you dare make plans to go with me to England.

I should go just for that, Grandmother Hudson said like a petulant little girl. Have you packed everything?

Yes.

She slid a long white envelope over the table to me.

What's this?

Extra spending money. I don't expect my sister will buy you anything you need. It's a bank draft, so soon after you arrive, ask Leonora to direct you to her bank and have it deposited. You know, of course, all the money will be changed to English pounds?

Yes.

You'll have to learn the exchange rate so you understand what things will cost. Of course you'll speak the same language, she continued, but there are many differences. My sister has become an Anglophile. She has an accent and all, although there were times even recently when I caught her sounding more llÃ*