The other four managed to get to their feet and slowly made their way down the hall to their quarters, "Dinis following those who had them.
Talavera Tower, holding up ofay? Jeff Raven asked as he contacted Rojer with the warning of a pa.s.senger ship full of experts, coming from Earth, to help establish the "Dini colony.
A good night"s sleep helps a lot, sir, and I drafted Zara off the Columbia . . . to keep her out of mischief. , .
I wasn"t in mischief, Grandfather, Zara said with a dire look at her older brother. She had arrived just after breakfast Talavera time and, after one look at Mallen, announced that they"d work shifts. She was taking the first one. Mallen could go back to bed.
* had brothers too, Zara. Jeff chuckled. Never any respect for siblings. Handle this bunch carefully. Some of "em are fragile.
Do they have quarters, Grandfather? Zara asked. "Dims don"t mind sleeping rough. Humans do.
They"ll use the ship. If you can set it down near the "Dint headquarters, that will suffice quite nicely.
Good idea, Rojer said as Jes sent up the size of the liner. * don"t happen to have a cradle that big anyhow. Come to think^ of it, the Tower yard isn"t that long either.
Ready? Jeff asked.
Roger shot a look at Zara, who instantly merged her mind with his, all that practice in the Tower at Iota Aurigae making a smooth meld.
Ready.
Oooof, said Zara. What are they carrying besides themselves?
Equipment for three major laboratory facilities as well as botanical and biological specimens that the zoologists think^ will do well on Talavera, Jeff said. * trust you didn"t crac^ so much as a beafyer.
1.
Nary a one, sir, Rojer said, grinning at Zara. There"s a Talent aboard who hasn"t realized they"ve landed here.
That"ll be Dr. Seyes Real Esperito, Jeff said, and there was an edge to the tone of his mind to indicate to his grandchildren that T-5 Dr. Esperito was not high on Earth Prime"s "will see" list. Man has no control when he"s excited. He is often very funny without being aware of either his humor or that he"s broadcasting it. He"s tolerated for his very excellent knowledge of xen.o.biology.
Good heavens, you mean we"ve left Earth and are on Talavera already? How could that be? I felt no motion whatever.
Sir, this is Tower Prime Lyon and I a.s.sure you that your ship is on Talavera, if you would care to loofy at the nearest screen or porthole. May we take this opportunity. . . .]es, are they on our screen? Ro]er asked privately.
One of the smaller screens instantly displayed the substantial liner landed just beyond the four-story headquarters block.
. . . to welcome you and your a.s.sociates. We shall be meeting at some later date, sir, but you must excuse me, as more cargo is "porting in to the Tower. And Rojer cut off the beginning of an effusive paean of grat.i.tude. "Remind me not to go to any parties he"s at, Zara," he said, grinning at his sister.
I should imagine you"d hear him coming and "port out of his vicinity, she said.
p J.
"They have to have occupied all the whole continent by now," Laria said, trying to keep desperation out of her voice. It was the end of another long day of "porting loaded vehicles and drones and importing message tubes that resulted in additional drones or tubes sent back to Talavera. At-tuned as he now was to her moods, Kincaid heard her aggravation and sent soothings at her. She glared at him. "I"m not that badly off."
"You"re not?" he asked mildly.
"It seems to me," Lionasha said, "that we haven"t sent anything to anywhere but Talavera for the past three weeks. What are they doing with all that raw material?"
"Where are they storing it, for that matter?" Vanteer put in.
"According to my brother," Laria replied in a somewhat caustic tone, "the heavy freight we"ve been struggling to "port is loads of prefabricated part.i.tions which the "Dinis seem to be able to make up into whatever shelter is needed. He says that they"ve a first-cla.s.s Tower with every amenity possible."
"Well, at least the "Dinis got that priority right," Lionasha remarked. "Not that we can complain. They do right by us here on Clarf."
Laria grimaced and finished the last of her lemonade. Lio was right: Plrgtgl was forever inquiring if there was anything the Clarf Talents required to ensure their comfort. And their quarters were luxurious. What was wrong with Clarf was the heat. Talavera would enjoy a winter season of some six months: it had a longer rotation around its primary and three degrees more of axial tilt than Clarf had. Clarf was just constantly hot! Nights did get cool-well, relatively cooler-but the daytime heat was enervating in full Clarfian "summer." Once again she thought longingly of home, the darker sun of Iota Aurigae and the cool breezes that came down from the mountains . . .
As soon as this migration is over, you"re taking a holiday, Kincaid said sternly.
How? Laria demanded, and this time there was a wail of desperation in the tight tone she "pathed at him. Every T-l Grandfather can find is wording full-time somewhere. She got to her feet, somehow managing to keep her expression from revealing her inner despair. "I"m for bed. See you all in the morning, fellow mules."
"It"s a light day tomorrow, Laria, if that"s any consolation," Lionasha said encouragingly.
"Oh, they"re sure to find a half-dozen emergency drones to be sent," Vanteer said.
Lionasha rolled her eyes. "You would!" She pushed herself up out of her chair and, with a disgusted look in Van"s direction, left the lounge.
"What"d I say wrong?" Vanteer demanded of Kincaid.
"If you can"t figure it out, Van, I can"t help you," the T-2 said, and left the Tower engineer alone.
Van shrugged, finished his drink and left the Tower. He had a date. It suddenly occurred to him that Kincaid had stopped visiting whatever friend he had in the Human Compound. But then, they were all tired these days. Not that he was ever too tired for his favorite off-duty occupation. He grinned as he left, bracing himself for the sultry air outside the cooled Tower.
"You do need a break, Laria," Kincaid said, entering her room. She was spread-eagled on the bed, as if she had merely fallen backward onto its surface.
"I don"t know what"s wrong with me, Kincaid," she said, raising her head briefly to acknowledge his presence. "It"s all 1 can do not to snap at folks, and no one deserves that. Not with the loads we"re "porting. All I want to do is sleep." She let out a long sigh.
He stretched out on one side, propping his head up on one hand and looking down at her, letting his mind reach hers with gentling thoughts.
"I think we"re both missing our "Dinis. I know mine have kept me balanced in times of stress," he said softly. "Only three more weeks."
"Well, let"s hope they don"t try any more tricks on us," she said glumly, then immediately turned remorseful and reached out to touch his free hand. "I didn"t mean that the way it sounded, Kincaid." She could feel her face flushing with embarra.s.sment. "Whyever they did it, I really, truly enjoyed ... I mean . . . I"m just sorry it wasn"t. . ." She rolled her eyes as her attempt to explain about the pleasure she had had came out all wrong. We were together, Kincaid, and it was wonderful. I just would rather it had not been forced on you . . .
Nothing could have forced me, Laria. He gave her hand an affectionate squeeze and then began to smooth her hair back from her face. Oh, our "Dinis heightened the atmosphere a great deal, that"s for sure. And he chuckled softly, wrapping a strand of her hair about his index finger. Then, turning his body and propping himself on both elbows, he dropped a light kiss on her cheek. However, we aren"t being manipulated Jl by s.e.x-driven "Dinis right now and plain ol" s.e.x between consenting adults usually relaxes the sort of tension we"re both under. If you"re not too tired. , .
Kincaid c.o.c.ked his head at her, a one-sided grin curving his lips, as if he was amused to be making such a suggestion.
"I think I"d like that very much, Kincaid," she said softly, reaching up with both hands to run her fingers through his hair and then bring his face down to hers.
They were gentle with each other, as much from weariness as from a genuine and leisurely interest in making sure each would be satisfied. While not as pa.s.sionate as their encounters had been when the "Dinis were involved, release was unexpectedly and delightfully prolonged so that they drifted into sleep in each other"s arms.
They woke together, one mind"s consciousness awakening the other, and they were still entwined. Kincaid lifted himself on one elbow and gently outlined her mouth with one finger, smiling a little.
"I might even get accustomed to this, my dear. You"re very restful."
He had no barrier set, and she perceived how much his mind and emotions had healed from the desperately weary, disillusioned and battered man he had been when he arrived at Clarf Tower.
"That"s as you wish, Kincaid," she said lightly but oh so very pleased to know the healing was now complete. "And thank you." She raised her head high enough to reach his lips and gave him a soft kiss, then immediately rolled to the side of the wide bed to rise. "Let"s hope that Van wasn"t right and today"s load doesn"t include sudden emergencies. And we are all going to take a holiday when we finally get Talavera completely supplied."
"Good idea," was his amiable reply. "I"d best shower ... in my own room." And he "ported himself away.
It would be more fun to shower together, she thought very quietly and to herself alone. But she did feel much better today. In fact, she was aware of some very important change in herself as she bathed and dressed.
"All I needed was a good night"s sleep," she told Lionasha as they met for breakfast.
"Does wonders . . . that is, if you spend your night sleeping," Lio said, and for one startled moment, Laria wondered if Lionasha could possibly know how she really had spent the first part of the night. But Lio was looking significantly in the direction of the engineering section and obviously meant Vanteer. Laria felt his weary but satisfied presence doing the usual dawn check on the generators.
Kincaid was whistling when he emerged into the lounge and started building himself a breakfast.
"Let us devoutly hope, Lionasha my dear, that you were not enjoying any prescience for today"s workload," he said as he filled his tray.
"There"s not an ounce of clairvoyance in my Talent, Kincaid," Lio said. "Besides which, I can"t imagine what can have been left out of what we"ve sent streaming out to that planet."
"Officials to make sure the work"s being done well and on time," Laria had occasion to remark drolly later that morning when a small pa.s.senger craft begged "portation to Talavera. "And Plrgtgl"s on it, so let"s set it down as lightly as possible by headquarters."
"At least that"s the only one," Kincaid said, stretching until his joints audibly popped when they had dispatched it. "Was that Zara aiding Rojer this morning?"
"No, actually, it was Flavia. But they"re both T-l"s and strong."
"I thought Zara was more of a healer than a Tower Prime," he said, slewing sidewise and resting his elbows on his knees, his big hands clasped lightly.
"That"s her personal preference, but Rojer"s been rotating the T-l"s. We"re not the only ones sending him "portages."
You know, I"d like to see what they"ve done with all the stuff we"ve sent to Talavera, Lionasha said, busy sorting the day"s files into their respective piles.
Want to rotate with someone there? Laria asked.
Well, not exactly rotate, but just have a good ho^ round, Lionasha said in a careful tone.
Kincaid and Laria chuckled at her qualification.
* thinly I would too, Kincaid said, winking at Laria. Sort of busman"s holiday.
Busman? Lionasha repeated, confused.
Laria grinned at Kincaid, since she did understand the archaic reference.
Life a s.p.a.ceman taking a cruise on a liner for the fun of it, she explained.
Oh! Wouldn"t he have had enough s.p.a.ce travel? Lionasha asked.
That"s the point, Kincaid said.
Not much of a point, or a holiday, Lionasha said with a little snort of contempt.
Laria and Kincaid exchanged glances, his eyes twinkling with an amus.e.m.e.nt he kept well hidden from Lionasha. She had a pedantic tendency and misunderstood the subtler whimsy of Laria and Kincaid.
Laria, a special cargo-quite animate-and just for you, said Jeff Raven, with such a smug tone to his voice that Laria was very much surprised, and curious. * know both "Dtni Towers have been hard pressed with outgoing. Gollee suggested this T-2, so kindly don"t bang him up.
As if I would, Laria replied tartly.
She heard her grandfather"s chuckle and then felt the incoming personnel carrier, which she deftly caught and landed gently in an appropriate cradle. "Dinis swarmed to greet the newcomer.
Messages, Laria, said Rojer at the same instant. Priority.
When she realized from his mind that there was a drove arriving, she immediately linked with Kincaid to prevent any of the incoming tubes from getting lost. The ma.s.s of them took up every available rack, with several rolling onto the ground. The "Dinis who had opened the personnel capsule were now chasing the fugitives.
Well, at least it"s all inan-ahhhhh. Lionasha"s exclamation of total surprise and her sudden surge of immense s.e.xual attraction caused both Laria and Kincaid to exchange startled looks.
As one, they made for the stairs. Kincaid halted but Laria continued, curious to see who could have had such a startling effect on Lionasha. The tall man had been holding both Lionasha"s hands in his-surpris- ing enough, a tactile contact from one T for another-but she was gawking like a teenager at the very handsome and somehow familiar man bending toward her. Vanteer was standing stock-still on the top step of the stairs down to engineering, his face expressionless.
The new arrival, still holding Lionasha"s fingers in his hands, turned slowly toward Laria, smiling with such charisma that Laria had no trouble at all understanding Lionasha"s reaction. What she didn"t understand was the immediate and intense antipathy that his smile generated in her.
"Vagrian Beliakin, T-2, reporting from Blundell Tower to a.s.sist Clarf Tower and Prime Laria Lyon," he said, showing very white and even teeth in a smile that was meant, Laria knew instantly, to have the same effect on her that it had had on Lionasha. "Kincaid." His smile altering subtly, he gave Dano a glancing look. "I look forward to merging with the man who developed the probe techniques on the Strongbow ..."
Laria caught the spurt of absolute rejection from Kincaid: a violent abhorrence at the thought of even the lightest merge with the mind of this man. Fast as it was, Kincaid"s reaction also had something to do with his long tour on the Strongbow.
"It"s required reading now, you know," Vagrian went on, totally unaware of anything save his making a very strong impression on everyone in Clarf Tower. Laria shot a quick probe at Vanteer and caught envy, distrust and, unusually enough, a touch of fear from her engineer. Lionasha was still smitten, the undercurrent of her thought wondering if she had a single chance of getting him into bed, along with a sense of puzzlement because Vagrian looked familiar to her too.
Familiar to whom? Laria realized, although the impact of his forceful greetings on her staff had diverted her briefly from that thought. Now he advanced on Laria, hand extended sideways in the prescribed position for Talent touching.
Inadvertently she took a backward step, banging her heel into the first riser. She felt Kincaid descend to stand directly behind her, and never had she needed his support more.
"You"re Yoshuk"s younger brother," Laria said, looking down at the extended hand and wondering how she could avoid touching him.
Do it and know, Kincaid said on a very tight tone.
She couldn"t smile but she did manage to make the touch-red*acerbic*pepper-as briefly as she could and being very careful not to let him see past a tightly shielded mind.
A wry smile pulled Vagrian"s sensuous mouth to one side. "Yes, my older brother by a scant year. I am late come to my Talent." His smile became winsome but slightly embarra.s.sed, and he smoothed back his wavy dark hair. "A freak accident stimulated it and I was lucky enough to save others from sure death."
"Yes, such stimuli do activate miracles of self-preservation," she replied, trying to fathom why she was having such a negative response to the man.
She had never felt the least bit threatened by Yoshuk, whom she had always considered the handsomest man she"d ever met. Vagrian was the taller by at least eight centimeters and, tall as she herself was, she felt dominated by his almost offensive nearness. But she couldn"t step back with heels already pressed against the riser.
"Dmis, rushing in with the addresses of the piles of message tubes, broke the tableau.
"Ah, I seem to have arrived at a propitious moment to start work," Vagrian said, his smile promising eager cooperation as he glanced up to the Tower.
"In point of fact, Vagrian," Laria began, "it"s not so much Clarf that needs bulwarking as Sef. A third T-2-and I know how easy it is to merge with a brother or sister-would ease the burden which Yoshuk and Nesrun have been struggling with. So, if you"ll just get back in your personnel carrier, Kincaid and I will "port you over."
Vagrian"s expression was stunned, his jaw dropped and all the good nature and camaraderie of his first minutes in Clarf Tower dissipated in a sudden blast of angry rejection of such a transfer. He recovered so adroitly that Laria wondered if she had accurately read that split second of fury. His disappointment she could well understand, but not that flash.