"Butnottheappet.i.tes,"Tirlasaid,brooding."Likethatscuzzyprince."Intheprivacyofherroom,herfacetookonamalicious.e.xpression."Isitdifficulttostrandakid?Ca.s.sandSuzsaidtheywerestrandingkidsinLinearE.Havetheyimprovedthestrandforalongtermuse?"
"Iknowyou"rebiologicallytwelveyearsold,Tirla,butyousoundfifty."Saschawas.e.xasperated.
Shetiltedherheadupathim,regardinghimthroughslightlynarrowedeyes,alittlesmileplayingatherlips."IntheLinearsIam.Yousurelydon"twantanotherscamlikethatRIG,doyou?Andlikeyousaid,evenillegalkidshaverights!IknowCa.s.shashadherbabyandwouldn"twanttogoundercoversosoon.ButI"dbetmylastcredit""AllofthemaretheCenter"snow,remember?"Saschateased,andcaughtaslygleaminhereyes.SoDoroteawasrightabouthersquirrelingsomefloatersaway.Oldhabitsdiedhard.
"AndtheCenteralsohastogivemeanythingIwant""Withinreason."
"Well,I"llbereasonable.I"mgoodatlanguagesanyone"sbutIcan"tkeepsharpifI"mhere,"shesaid,gesturingoutthewindowatthelawn."AndTeachersaysIdon"tknowallthelanguagesoftheworldyet.I"lldoyouadeal,SaschaRoznine."Shec.o.c.kedherheadathiminwhathehadcometocallher"hagglingmanner."
"I"llstrandillegalsineveryJerhattanLinear.I"llstrand"em,butIwon"treport"em."Shegaveamirthlessgrin."Ifthere"resweeps,andIwasblamedfor"em,I"dlosemywhatdoyoucallitcredibility?Igotethics,too,youknow.ButI"dknowwhentroublewasbrewing,andthatIwouldreport.That"dhelp,wouldn"t.i.t?I"dbeabettertroublespotterthananyofthoseLEOplantsofyourbrother"s!"Thenotionseemedtoamuseher,andcertainlyshehadbecomemoreanimated.
"IalwaysknewwhowasLEOevenwhowasTalent."
WhiletherewasnoquestionofheraffectionforSascha,shewasnevereasyinBoris"spresence,thoughhehadtriedtobeingratiating.AningraineddistrustofallLEOswa.s.sascha"sdiagnosis,notwishingTirlatobeatoddswithhistwin.
"Youreallywouldn"tconsiderstayingherewithDoroteaandextendingyourTalents?"
Tirlawaggedherhead,grimacing."It"snotthatIdon"tlikeDorotea.
She"sthebestever.It"sjustIdon"tfeelcomfortableinallofthis."Herglancesweptaroundthewellappointedroom."I"maLinearbrat.MyTalent,asyoucallit,"shesaid,wrinklinghernoseinselfdeprecation,"worksbestinaLinearenvironment."Hereyestwinkled.
"Youcan"tliveallyourlifeinaLinear,"Doroteasaid,enteringtheroom,herexpressionworried.Sheradiatedaffection,rea.s.surance,andsupport.
"Whynot?"Tirlademanded,liftingherhandsinaquickgestureofexasperation.
"Indeed,whynot?"Saschaechoed.
"Ca.s.sandSuzliveonthehighsideofLinearswhenthey"reundercover.
I"dreallylikemyownsquaton,say,Level19,soI"dhaveaviewandnotsomuchsmog."Hergrinwa.s.sheerimpudence."Incasehehasn"tbeenlisteningin,askyourbrotherifIwouldn"tbemoreusetohimlivinginaLinear."
Saschalaughed.Bro?Didyouhearthat?
Littlebint!You"11neverknowwhereyouarewiththatone,w.i.l.l.you?
It"sdemonstrablethatshe"ssuperbasapulsekeeper.TherearefarmoresquabblesandargumentsinLinearGthanwhileshewasthere.IcoulduseaTirlainallthebigLinears.IfRhyssadoesn"tmind...
Dorotea:Imind!
Boris:Sorry,Dorotea,b.u.t.tirla"saRegisteredTalentandtood.a.m.nedvitaltolayaboutuntilshe"sof.a.ge.b.u.t.there"snothingthatsaysshehastoliveattheCenterwhileshe"swaitingforhereighteenthbirthdaytocomearound.Ifshe"dbemuchhappierinaLinear,shecouldliveinone.WithLessudandhisfamilyinIslandK?Gotoschoolproperlyandstillkeepherearsandeyesopenforthegeneralwellbeingofthecommunity.WiththescamdriedupinJerhattan,LongIslandisthenextlogicalpooltofshinforillegalkids.WecoulduseareliablepulsekeeperlikeTirla.
"Didyougetanyofthat,Tirla?"Saschaaskedher,grinning.Sittingbesideher,hecouldfeelherconcentratingon"listening,"buthermindechoednothingb.u.t.thedesiretohear.
Sheshookherheadandgaveasadlittlesigh,withalookofapologytoDorotea,whohadbeentryingsohardtotrainher.
"TheBrowantstoknowifyou"dprefertoliveinaLongIslandResidentialwhileyou"rewaitingtogrowup,"Saschaexplained.
"AResidentialinLongIsland?"Tirlabecameanimatedatonce,sittingupinherbed,herbigdarkeyesglittering,adelicatetingeofcolorsuffusinghercheeks,andahopefulsmileonherlips."That"dbelivinginhighstyle!"
EPILOGUE.
Threemonthslater.
Rhyssa?
Thetone,apologeticbutfirm,rousedRhyssafromoneofthoseintensesleepswhereitisdifficulttomovethebodyevenwhenthebrainhasbecomealert.Shelayheavyinthebedandmanagedtoopenoneeyetoseetheclock;thensheheardthefamiliarsoundofDavesingingsoftlytohimselfinthebathroom.Onceagainshehadoverslept.Shereallydidnotknowwhatwasthematterwithherthesepastfewweeksshesimplycouldnotseemtogetenoughsleep.
Rhyssa!Thetonewasmoreurgent,andthenrecognitioncame.
Yes,Madlyn?What"sthematter?
Ididn"twakeyou,didI?IthoughtIhadEarthtimesdownpat.
Ioverslept.What"sthematter?
It"sher!Disgust,frustration,anger,andexasperationpackedintothatonep.r.o.nounforewarnedRhyssa.She"sat.i.tagain.SayingweTalentsarenotdoingourjob!Wehaveonlypulledheroutofhermiddenandyetshehasthegalltoblameusforanythingthatgoeswronguphere.
Whatisitthistime?RhyssahauledherselfupagainstherpillowsandreachedforthecoffeethermosanotherelegantnotionofMr.Lehardt"s,andsocivilized.Shestartedtopourherselfacupandthenstopped.
Thesmellofitturnedherstomach.
There"sonelastverycriticalshipmentduetocomeup,Madlynwenton,onlyithasn"tbecauseJohnnysaysbewon"tshipityet.
Won"tshipit?ThatblewthelastofsleepfogfromRhyssa"smind.
WhatwasColonelGreeneuptonow?Andnaturallyit"sessentialforhertocompletetheinstallation?
Vital!It"sgotthelastoftheinternalmechanismsandremotes.Verydelicatestuff,Iknow,andnotsomethingyouwantbouncedabout.Andthere"sonlyaweekmorebeforethecompletiondate.Thenweca.n.a.llcomedowntoearth!TherewasheartfeltreliefinMadlyn"stone.Sowewanttoknowwhyit"sbeingheldup.becauseweare,too,youknow..
Iknow.I"llsort.i.tout,Madlyn.Indeed,Iwill.
Davewaswhistlingloudernowthatheknewshewasawake.Hemightnothavebeentelepathic,buthedisplayedakeensensitivitywhereshewasconcernedthatmorethanmadeupforitinwaysshecouldneverhaveantic.i.p.ated.Shegrinnedtoherselfandthenrecalledthetaskathand.EightthirtywasnottooearlytorouseColonelJohnGreeneoutofhisFloridiansack.
Johnnyboy,phoneme!Hewastoofarawaytolinktelepathicallywithher,buthercallwouldreachhimeasilyenough.Shelookedatthephone,countingdown.Itranginexactlytenseconds.
"Youwishedparlancewithme,MadameLehardt?"
"Idoindeed,ColonelGreene.WhathankypankyareyoupullingonpoordearLudmilla?"
Johnny"schucklewasdrenchedinmalice."Onlywhatshedeserves,petal.SheconscriptedusTalentstobesureshefinishedontime,andfinishedontimeshewillbe.Notonemomentearlier,notonemomentlater.Why?"
"Oh,Isee."Rhyssachuckled."Andyouhaveittimedtothefinalhour?"
"LanceandIworkedoutthetimeitwouldtaketoinstallthosecontrols,andwe"vescheduledthekineticsneeded.Weknowexactlyhowlongitwilltake.LancemusthaveforgottentoclueMadlyn.I"msorryshe"sgettingha.s.sled,butshe"swellableforit.
Sootheherdown,w.i.l.l.you,Rhys?We"redoingitourway!"
"Oh,Iquiteagree.Notanhourearlyandnotanhourlate."
a.s.shehungup,Davecameintheroom,atoweldrapedabouthisleanhips."Ididtrytowakeyou,Rhys,"hesaidwitharuefulexpression.
"Youjustdon"twanttogetupinthemorning."
"I"mwantonenoughtoadmitthatIlovebeinginbedwithyou,Dave,butpreferablyawake,notsleepinglikethedead."Sheliftedherarmsandbegantostretch,thenstopped."Andwhat"swrongwiththecoffee?
Thesmellmakesmenauseous."
Davegrinnedashesatdownontheedgeofthebed,lookingather.
Hisblueeyescrinkled."Figureditoutyet?"heasked,glancingdownatherabdomen.
"IthoughtImean,Ihaven"tbeenill,"Rhyssasaid,withdawningawareness,"justsleepy!Oh,Dave,couldIreallybepregnant?"
"Thinkabout.i.tamoment,Owisewoman!"Hegotup,sheddinghistowelashebegantodress.Shelovedlookingathim,nomatterwhathewasdoing,andtheintimacyofthisdailyactwa.s.somethingspecialforher."Afterall,I"vebeendoingmybestforseveralmonthsnow!"
Awedbythepossibility,Rhyssadidstartthinkingaboutherbody,placingherhandsgentlyonherbelly,intuitingthebiofeedback.
"Oh,Dave,Iampregnant.Iam!"
"Ithinkyou"rethelastonetohavecoppedon,then,"hereplied,grinningbroadly."Doroteaknows."
"Andshesaidnothing?"Rhyssasatboltuprightagain,startledandsomewhatmiffedthatshehadbeenleftinthedarkandbyDorotea!
"Well,there"ssomethingsit"smorefuntofindoutbyyourself,"hesaid,grinningashestoopeddowntokissherlovingly."There"sasortofglowaboutyou,too.Everyone"snoticed.They"vebeenpolitelywaitingforanofficialannouncement."Hestrokedhertangledhair,runningfingersdownhersilverstreak.
Shesighed,thenblurtedout,"DoesSaschaknow?"
Davestoppedintheactofpullingonhistunicandduckedhisheadoutofthefoldstoregardherwithsomealarm."Sascha?Iknowyou"reclosebut""Well..."Rhyssapaused.TherewasoneofthefewdrawbackstoDave"slackofTalent.SometimesshehadtoexplainwithfarmoredetailthanaTalentwouldrequire."Well,Sascha"sgottowait,that"sall,andhedoesn"ttakewaitingkindly."
"Wait?"Davepulledthetunicdown."Waitforwhat?"
"ForTirlatogrowup,ofcourse,"shesaid,gatheringherselftorisefromthebed.Shefeltoddlyprotectiveofthenewlifeinsideher,whichwa.s.silly,sinceitwasobviouslywellsettledin.
"Tirla?"Dave"seyesnearlypoppedinastonishment."He"sgoneonher?Dirtyoldman!"
"NotsooldandcertainlynotdirtywhereTirlaisconcerned.Boltoutoftheblueonhim,allrightenough.He"sneverfeltthatwayaboutanyotherfemale."Rhyssapermittedherselfalittleknowingsmile.
"Butshe"stheoneforhim,andheknowsit.Hejusthastowaitafewyears."
"Thatwight"snoteven""Tirlaistwelvenow,goingontwohundred,"Rhyssarepliedwithsomeasperity.Tirlawasaveryinterestingpersonality,andsheandSaschawoulddealverywelltogether.Itwasincredible,really,tohavefoundtwosuchdiverseTalentsduringherdirectorship:onemacrowhowouldshiftworldsandonewhoseskillwasamicroTalent,erodinglanguagebarriers."NeestersripenalotfasterthanweNorthernandOccidentaltypes.She"llbemorethanreadyinfouryearstomarrySascha."
"Andthat"sdecided?"Davewa.s.skeptical.
Rhyssasmiled."Saschaprecoggedittohisintenseastonishment.Nexttimeyouseethemtogether,noticehowshelooksathim.QuiteproprietarythatyoungladyiswhereSaschaisconcerned.Andshe"sbetterforhimthanMadlynwouldeverbe."
"Andthey"llhaveTalentedkids?"
"That"saveryhighprobability."Rhyssasmiledsmugly.
Davepaused.Inherpresencehealwaysallowedhisemotionstoshow.
Heclearedhisthroatandaskedbriskly,"Whataboutus?Whenwillweknow?"
Torea.s.surethemansheloved,Rhyssasmileda.s.shenodded."Noproblemthere."
"Yousoundsosure."
Sheputherarmsaroundhisneck,lettinghergravidbellyrestagainsthima.s.shepulledhisheaddowntokisshim."Iam.Hejusttoldmeso."
ABOUTTHEAUTHOR.
BetweenherfrequentappearancesintheUnitedStatesandEnglandasalecturerandguestofhonoratsciencefictionconventions,AnneMcCaffreylivesatDragonhold,inthehillsofCountyWicklow,Ireland,witha.s.sortedhorses,cats,andadog.Ofherself,Ms.McCaffreysays:"Ihavegreeneyes,silverhair,andfrecklestherestchangeswithoutnotice."
TheEnd