[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

explored the continental basement shield area before the mutiny.
Varian shuddered again, reminding herself that one reason for her revulsion of
the fringes must in part stem from her experience with the blood-sucking
Galormis by day so friendly, by night deadly.
The rain cleared and the omnipresent mists dispersed as the setting sun took a
final look at the world it had spawned. The giffs were behind and above her,
their golden selves glorious against the muted haze of the western twilight.
She hadn t noticed them when she was on the compound bluff, nor when she had
intercepted Aygar. Nonetheless she felt they d made the entire journey
discreetly within sight of her.
Krims! but she was tired. Now, if she could keep her wits about her, and the
light held long enough to land inside the cave ... Other giffs whirled up from
their vantage points to escort her the last few
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
kilometers and she was touched by the courtesy, if that s what it was. Had the
giffs, as well as Lunzie, worried over her long day s absence?
She made a good landing, considering she was aiming her sled into a dark hole,
faintly illuminated on the left by a small campfire. She let the sled down at
the far right, bumping just once as she misjudged the uneven stone floor.
 Is Kai improving? she called as she flipped open the canopy.
 Yes, but we ve run out of leaves again, Lunzie said, rising from her
position beside Kai s bundled form.
 I ve more and food besides. And a helluva lot to tell you.
 Any equipment?
 No, but I have a specific remedy for that fever, Varian took the purple moss
from the piles of food in the sled, offering it to the medic who accepted it
skeptically.
 This? Lunzie smelled it.  Why?
 Highly recommended by a local resident. Varian grinned wearily at Lunzie s
reaction.  Yes, I ran one down. Oh, it s all right. I made out that I was one
of a relief team. He s Bakkun s grandson. She offered the information with a
huge grin, as if it were the best joke in the galaxy.
Lunzie fingered the moss for a few more seconds before she searched Varian s
face.  Grandson!
 Yes, we cold-slept forty-three years.
 Well, it s not much longer than I d estimated, Lunzie said, and Varian was
deflated by the medic s calm acceptance.  What else have you here? Lunzie
peered at the dark mounds in the sled.
 Everything s edible, and this sort of pod bean tastes better than the fruit.
Just how is Kai? she asked, struggling out of the sled and trying not to
stagger too much as she crossed to Kai s supine body.  Has he recovered
consciousness yet? She all but collapsed beside him.
 No, but the fever is down a little. Hold still a moment, Lunzie said. Before
Varian realized what the medic was doing, she d the spray icily stinging her
arm.
 You shouldn t waste it. I ve so much ...
 It s no waste, Lunzie was saying, her voice getting farther away as
consciousness left Varian.  You can t see yourself but you re drained white.
Page 44
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Did you use Discipline all day long?
CHAPTER FIVE
Varian came awake by degrees: the first one being her awareness of voices in
low earnest conversation, either too far from her for the individual words to
be audible or too soft to keep from rousing her. She thought to get up, but it
proved difficult to assemble the energy. Could she have been in cold sleep
again?
No! She was resting, rather comfortably, on a bed of springy boughs, not the
flat plasfloor of the space shuttle or the dust of the cave. She felt an
occasional breeze waft across her face and exposed hands.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
She didn t feel so much tired as disinterested. Yet, in the back of her mind,
a spark started with the observation: she had so much to tell Lunzie. Sneaky
of her to knock Varian out like that.
She continued to listen and realized that two men were speaking. Then Kai was
better! It was good to hear him. But he wouldn t be well enough in three days
time to join her against Aygar. They d better wake Portegin and get the
technician functioning. No way was she meeting Aygar, and whoever accompanied
him, in three days time without strong support. And if she was this tired
after a day s use of
Discipline, would she recover sufficiently in three to draw on that inner
reserve again?
What was it about Aygar s manner that bothered her? The expression in his eyes
had been wary, speculative, evaluating, not at all the reaction she might have
expected from a man making first contact with off-world visitors! That was it!
He had been expecting someone. Not her. And not someone who could best him in
personal combat.
Varian became conscious of a rich, nutty smell. Her stomach began to rumble
and her mouth to salivate.
She stirred restlessly, keenly aware that she was very hungry.
 I told you that the stew would get to her, Lunzie said suddenly.
Varian opened her eyes.
Lunzie, Triv, and Kai made a semicircle on one side of the crude hearth,
complete now with a spit and crane from which a pail hung.
Varian propped herself up on one elbow.  Whatever it is, I m starving.
 Lunzie mixed a bit of everything you brought in and it turned out very tasty
indeed, Triv said, filling a smoke hardened fruit shell with the mixture. He
presented this to Varian and, with a flourish, added a rudely carved wooden
spoon.
 The amenities of home have improved. Varian made an appreciative chuckle.
 How s Kai? she asked in a quieter tone. Although Kai was propped up, he was
far too passive for her liking.
 We started to revive Portegin, Triv said, squatting beside Varian so his
body shielded her from those at the fire.  Kai s still feverish. Says some
kind of giant fringe attacked him. He s not recovering as well as Lunzie would
like, he said in a quick whisper, then raised his voice to a normal level.
 Kai thinks that once we have the matrix slabs from the other sleds, we can
rig communications, probably patch most of what Paskutti smashed. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]