Lyon's Pride Read online

  The Hivers must also have been surprised by Mrdini resistance, though only the most determined attacks by Mrdini squadrons and fleet units had deterred the creatures.

  Did other Hivers know of Mrdini resistance? If the Raven-Rowan merge had not sent the one survivor back to the Mother ship, would it have known that Deneb would resist?

  His musings solved nothing and he could “hear” his family returning from a very successful hunt. He left a note for Keylarion, the Tower’s T-6, to investigate recovering the couches and went back to the house to start dinner preparations.

  * * *

  Laria followed her father’s advice immediately and contacted Earth Prime Jeff Raven to say that the T-2 was unable to tolerate the Mrdini, an essential requisite for duty at Clarf Tower. She had been about to add an apologetic note when her grandfather cut it short.

  All we need is unhappy Mrdinis, Jeff said, but in such a genial tone that Laria began to relax and wonder why she’d delayed so long in broaching the problem. Nearly five months was a long enough period to allow Clarissia to integrate and the girl hadn’t. Laria did not mention some of the young woman’s other less admirable characteristics which had enraged Vanteer from time to time and certainly annoyed Lionasha.

  I’ll have a word with Gollee Gren and see if he’s got any promising candidates. And stress ’Dini adherents…. Of course, it would be best to have a ’Dini-raised kid like you. That solves most of the problem Clarissia posed.

  How many ’Dinis were paired out, Grandfather?

  Gren’s got such figures. I seem to remember there were about a thousand in the first adoptions. Not all to Talented families, of course, and spread about the old Nine Star League worlds. And then as many as the ’Dinis could spare for placement. There’ll be someone. And, mind you, miss, you keep after me until a proper match’s been made. That’s more important than you may realize and it is certainly MY function to make sure any Prime has the right support group. Hear me? You put up with Stierlman far longer than you had to. As my old mother used to say, if a shirt’s dirty, it’s dirty.

  Whaat?

  And don’t tell me you’ve never heard how often your grandmother switched Callisto staff about until she latched onto your father!

  All right, then, I won’t. Laria giggled.

  That’s better. Gollee’s already on it. As soon as he finds a likely suspect, I’ll ship it out and you can ship Clarissia back.

  Oh, good heavens!

  Sooner the better, pet.

  Before Laria could start to temporize, Earth Prime was gone. As immensely relieved as she was not to have to put up with Clarissia much longer, Laria hoped that she’d have time enough to warn the girl. It wasn’t exactly Clarissia’s fault that she couldn’t abide ’Dinis…No, it was Clarissia’s fault because she’d made absolutely no attempt to see “good” in the Mrdinis.

  In fact, all latent sympathy Laria had for the girl dispersed two minutes later when Clarissia contacted her.

  There is a delegation of those creatures on its way across the field, Prime… Clarissia’s tone reeked of distaste.

  Laria looked out her Tower window, though the Clarf “tower” was no more than a four-sided plasglassed cupola, raised eight feet above the rest of the complex, and saw that the delegation contained the large form of Plrgtgl, two medium-sized assistants and six lesser, smaller ’Dinis.

  Vanteer, Lionasha, full honors. Clarissia, can you at least assemble the proper refreshments?

  Yes, came so curt an acknowledgment that Laria could almost see the repugnance on the girl’s long face and the twitch of her slender hands, indications of the revulsion the young Talent felt at having to deal with the “creatures” in any capacity. Another twinge of pity racked Laria, for the girl had been so eager to be assigned away from her homeworld. Her xenophobia had not then been apparent to anyone, even Gollee Gren, but it developed speedily enough on Clarf.

  Vanteer, a stockily built mid-thirties native of Procyon IV, with the heavy bones of that planet’s Human adaptation, and the dark-eyed, dark-haired, dark-complected Lionasha, the “lithe” (which was Laria’s special designation for her T-7 expediter), could be counted on to divert ’Dinis from approaching Clarissia. It was as well, Laria thought with a sigh, that native ’Dinis did not read Human countenances as well as the Tower ’Dini contingent did. Nor did any of them really notice that Clarissia conveyed no body language at all—standing stiff and straight as if lacquered in position. That was a mercy since she would have made the true depth of her revulsion all too easily readable in movements.

  Once Plrgtgl announced its mission, Laria had no further time to fret over Clarissia’s possible misdemeanors. Plrgtgl had a huge job for the Tower, requiring it to organize and expedite the timetable for a considerable amount of cargo to be shifted: to the other ’Dini planets and to the satellite space docks. Without its being stated, Laria and her staff realized that a goodly portion of the ’Dini space fleet was being refitted and resupplied in the shortest possible time. Such activity provided her with the perfect reason to remove Prtglm’s carrier.

  “WITH SO MUCH TO BE SHIPPED TO DIFFERENT PLACES, ALL CRADLES WILL BE NECESSARY,” she said as she riffled through the documentation. “THE CARRIER WHICH HAS RESTED ON THE FIELD COULD PERHAPS NOW BE MOVED TO A SOUTHERN LOCATION TO DISPLAY ITS MESSAGES THERE TO GOOD EFFECT.” She pretended total disinterest in Plrgtgl’s reaction to the request and quickly moved to another topic, adding body language to augment the praise of her words. “SO MUCH OF THIS YEAR’S HARVEST TO GO OFF-WORLD, TOO. A CREDIT TO THE COLORS.”

  Plrgtgl rolled its poll eye, attractively covered by a crown of lace which had recently become a ’Dini fad. Laria was well accustomed to such scrutiny and continued to scan the cargo waybills for the red ones that indicated live ’portations.

  “IT WILL BE GOOD TO SEE THE KLTL,” she added as nonchalantly as she could, since she was overjoyed to see the ship listed as an arrival. Laria kept very good track of what went to the KLTL, since her brother Thian had spent so much time on board. And saved so many ’Dinis from the ultimate sacrifice of their kind. Thian was now FT&T on board the Genesee and they exchanged news whenever she had a shipment for the Squadron.

  “YES. THE KLTL HAS HONORED ALL MRDINIS AND EVERY COLOR THAT SERVES ON IT,” Plrgtgl said, shifting its lower limbs, body language she had come to read as “pleased.” “THN LN HAS SERVED THE KLTL TO THE HONOR OF YOUR HOUSE.”

  As she bowed in acknowledgment of such praise, Laria kept her expression neutral despite an intense desire to grin. Plrgtgl had used another human idiom. High-ranking ’Dinis, like Plrgtgl, were gradually sprinkling their conversations with more and more Basic terms. If only that usage could also alter some of the ’Dini minds and methods.

  First things first, she said to herself.

  Hey, said Vanteer, his expression bland though his voice was triumphant, another score for Basic!

  Keeping count, are we, Van? asked Lionasha, whose eyes twinkled.

  And thank whatever gods there be that you’re getting rid of that monstrosity. If you’re downwind, the stench is appalling. Vanteer added a flash of himself holding his nose and gagging. Even my ’Dinis are complaining.

  Laria dared not react or even shoot him a warning glance. All her attention must be on Plrgtgl. She signalled for Lionasha to take the documentation and begin organizing a timetable for the ’portations.

  “THERE WILL BE A GREAT RECEPTION CEREMONY FOR THE ARRIVAL OF THE TRIUMPHANT KLTL,” Plrgtgl said.

  “AS THERE SHOULD BE FOR A SHIP THAT HAS DONE SO MUCH,” Laria replied formally and made the necessary body gestures that signified pleasure, honor, delight and acceptance. She could carry on high-level communications now with just body language, though more and more ’Dinis had become fluent in Basic and prided themselves on using it in the presence of Humans. She flicked her eyes to where Tip and Huf were standing respectfully to one side of the great Plrgtgl and caught their approval of her expertise.

  �
��IS THERE TIME TO REFRESH WITH COOL DRINK?” Laria asked, gesturing toward the table and its array. Clarissia had—unobtrusively at least—backed herself against the wall. Tip, Huf, and the other ’Dinis—all too well aware of her dislike—took over the hospitality duties, bringing forward ’Dini seating while Vanteer and Lionasha served the fruity juices which Laria imported from Earth, knowing how much ’Dinis liked them.

  I’m not telling you your business as Tower Prime, Vanteer said on a tight private level, but we’re going to have more ’Dinis in and out of here and she’s becoming more and more of a liability.

  We’ll back your decision in that, Lionasha added.

  Your Prime’s already initiated the appropriate steps for her transfer, gang, Laria replied, focusing her thought to the two, though Clarissia was so tight in her xenophobia she wouldn’t have been aware of a telepathic shout in her vicinity.

  Hallelujah! was Vanteer’s response in an archaic term that surprised both women.

  * * *

  Despite Clarissia, the official visit went off very well and Plrgtgl was so excited in its own fashion with such imminent traffic—Plrgtgl was rather possessive of the Tower as its special project—that her reserve went unnoticed.

  “We’ll be busy, kids,” Lionasha said, having had a chance to estimate how much Tower time and energy would be required for the material and animate objects scheduled to be ’ported and received. She grinned around the room but her grin faded at Clarissia. The thin girl stepped forward then, swallowing convulsively.

  “I do not wish to abandon Clarf Tower at a time of maximum activity, Prime, but I request as immediate a transfer as possible.” She swallowed again and the others noticed that her pale complexion had turned yellowish.

  “Oh, you won’t leave us short, Clarissia,” Laria said airily. “Prime Raven has already promised us additional assistance. As soon as you like, I can ’port you back to Blundell.”

  Both Lionasha and Vanteer were too self-possessed to show any surprise at Laria’s abruptness and were kind enough to make appropriate sounds of dismay.

  “No, really, I must go,” Clarissia said, her fingers twitching at her sides and without another word, actually ’ported herself out of the room.

  “Well!” said Lionasha and turned to Laria, hoping for an explanation. Vanteer’s grin got broader and he winked at the Tower Prime.

  “As I said, I’ve been working on the problem,” she said casually. “I just got the official permission today. We may have to work harder…”

  Not if you’ll meet me halfway and bring me in, said a male voice that Laria did not recognize.

  She glanced from Vanteer to Lionasha to see if the ’path had been audible to them. Apparently not, so she continued her sentence.

  “But not for long, it seems.” So where are you so easily retrievable?

  Not precisely “easily.” I’m currently with C Squadron, and his spatial coordinates tagged on to the ’path. T-2-ing on the AS Strongbow as courier and pack mule.

  Laria could almost see a wry grin on the speaker’s face. She also caught the sense of terrible fatigue and ennui that his flippancy was trying to conceal. Pack mule? Well, that was better than “stevedore.”

  When can we expect you?

  I have my orders, I’m packed, and I’ll get into the capsule as soon as you tell me to.

  You really aren’t wasting any time, are you?

  Frankly, Clarf Prime, I’ll be very glad to leave this ship. I’ve…I’ve been gone a long, long time.

  There was that in his tone of voice that touched an echo of deep empathy in Laria.

  “Tower generators up, please,” she said, taking the stairs to her aerie two at a time. What is the Squadron going to do about resupply, she asked, if you’re here?

  I’ve been reliably informed that my replacement will follow swiftly.

  And you are? Laria asked, suddenly realizing that although she would now recognize his mental touch anywhere in the galaxy, she didn’t know his name.

  Oh, and she heard him chuckle, I have been on board too long. I’m T-2 Kincaid Dano, Altairian bred.

  You’ll be very welcome, Kincaid.

  Thanks. And a laugh again echoed in her head. My ’Dinis are ecstatic at the posting, never having touched down on their homeworld.

  Laria let an exaggerated sigh of relief escape her lips. He had volunteered the answer to her most important question.

  That’s probably the only reason I got promoted, Clarf Prime, he said with another dry chuckle which told her he had at least heard, and understood, her sigh. Another plus which he couldn’t possibly know—she’d had to explain so many casual references to Stierlman, and Clarissia had always been so worried about how to respond to any attempt at levity, Laria had found her sense of fun was atrophying.

  Why on earth hadn’t she been assigned someone of Kincaid’s caliber in the first place? Then she recalled how long the two Squadrons had been traveling. But surely…She took herself sternly in hand: she had been able to run Clarf Tower quite capably with Yoshuk and Nesrun. Then Vanteer had been sent to help until the Sef Tower had been commissioned and her T-2s had been sent there. Lionasha joined her and Vanteer, and Stierlman was sent as her T-2. A Tower Prime did not need to find exactly the “right” personality for a good rapport—those complementary qualities which her grandmother had found in Afra after trying to adjust to many incompatible personalities. Kincaid’s ’Dini affiliations would now be essential, to counter any harm Clarissia’s short tenancy might have caused.

  A totally wayward thought made her choke back audible laughter: what if Clarissia was to be Kincaid’s replacement? A shipful of long-voyage officers and crew might just be what the girl needed.

  Being ’Dini-paired is certainly an advantage here, she ’pathed, but that would scarcely be the deciding factor, Kincaid.

  The Tower generators were reaching the necessary whine as she asked Lionasha to put the relevant space charts up on the screen for her. She triangulated the position and, settling into the couch, reached out with her mind for the unmistakable mass of metals and Humans which had been vivid in his peripheral identifications of his current position. She felt for the equally identifiable mass of a carrier, Kincaid and his two ’Dinis within.

  Ready?

  You have no idea how ready! was his devout response and she picked him up, feeling once more the definite and deep fatigue in his assistance to her contact. What under the suns had the Squadron required of this courier-pack mule to bring him to this level of exhaustion? She lowered the carrier gently into the cradle nearest the Tower, hoping the wind blew the stench of Prtglm away from him. It is also very important, he added in an aside that she wasn’t certain she was supposed to hear.

  Vanteer, do the honors, will you? She could sort out this “important,” when they were face to face. He’s Kincaid Dano of Altair, our T-2 replacement, plus ’Dinis. Clarissia, she added in a direct ’path to the girl, a personnel carrier has just arrived and is available to take you to Blundell—if you’ll give me an estimate of how long it will…

  I can go right now!

  Clarissia was hysterical with either relief or joy, or both, at the serendipity of release. By the time Laria had risen from her couch and gone to the window overlooking the field, she saw Vanteer shaking hands with a tallish man whose back was to her. Her sense of his fatigue was reinforced by the sag of his shoulders. When he and Vanteer turned back to the carrier to assist two well-grown ’Dinis to alight, the lid hid his face from her. Clarissia, with a welter of luggage following her, half raced across the plascrete. The two men then helped her and her gear into the carrier. Laria grinned as Vanteer closed the lid with a definitely firm shove.

  She’s ready to go, Laria. I’ll bring Kincaid, Npl and Pls up to the Tower.

  Laria nearly ’ported herself back onto the couch, she was so eager to send the girl away! She could also feel Clarissia’s assistance in getting the generators back up to launch. First time the girl hadn�
�t waited for orders.

  I wish you well wherever you go, Clarissia.

  Don’t be so magnanimous, Laria, the girl answered in a snarl. You know perfectly well you’ve been wanting to get me out of your hair since the moment I got here and you discovered I’m not a weasel-lover like you. You’ll soon find that the popularity of you collaborators is on the wane and your family will be replaced. That I can promise you.

  Laria stifled the dismay such animosity caused her. She refused to respond to silly mouthings and threats. And the service her family gave could scarcely be considered sinecures. She forced herself to respond with dignity.

  You are a competent T-2, Clarissia, and as that I can recommend you to your next post with no hesitation. Goodbye!

  You haven’t heard the last of ME!

  Laria ignored the virulently delivered rejoinder but she flipped the carrier as fast as she could back to the huge Earth landing field at the Blundell Cube.

  Gollee!

  Open to you, Laria.

  Clarissia’s a good T-2, but watch her.

  I had that intention if she couldn’t work out with you, Laria.

  In Gollee’s tone was an anodyne for Clarissia’s parting venom.

  Are you coming down, Laria? asked Vanteer in an “I think you should” tone.

  You bet I am.

  Clarissia launched a choice parting shot? asked Lionasha with a trace of anxiety.

  Laria did not respond but came down the stairs with a far lighter tread than when she had ascended. She shouldn’t be so naive, but she had hopes for the newcomer, if only because of his humor.

  Kincaid was tall, his ’Dinis nearly as big as her Tip and Huf. Despite being of different colors, Npl and Pls were being most affectionately ringed by the six resident ’Dinis, all wriggling and nattering in the most fervent of welcomes imaginable.

  Kincaid was whistling a very old tune that Laria only recognized because her Denebian grandmother had sung it to put her younger siblings to sleep on summer holidays. “If you go down to the woods today, you’re in for a big surprise.”