[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

When we were free of the place, he read me such a scold as I haven't heard since nursery. Puppy. He was right, too.
 Excerpted from Cantra yos'Phelium's Log Book
He checked, end in that moment took note of her face, which was strained, pale, with black circles under her eyes,
her muscles etched in exhaustion.
"Samiv, what has happened?" He hardly thought, answering Comrade with Comrade.
"I& " Her eyes filled and she glanced aside, blinking. "Forgive me."
"Freely and you must return the grace at once. I am in desperate haste. Word has come that one to whom I sit
copilot may be in peril. I must be gone in moments."
She was a pilot: Guild rule was as natural to her as breath. Her eyes leapt to his.
"Of course, you must go at once! I will " She gasped, eyes widening.
"Hold, you say the Caylon is in peril?"
Daav lifted an eyebrow. "And who told you, I wonder, that I am the Caylon's co-pilot?"
She moved a hand. "The tape was on in the Guildroom when I came through. In what way is she imperilled?"
Daav felt his face tighten. "An illegal attempt was made to seal her ship. Last report was that she had gone to treat
with the party involved. Who is known to have beaten her in the past."
He had not thought it possible for Samiv to pale further.
"I see," she said, flatly. "Who flies with you?"
"There is only myself here, and to tarry even for my cha'leket seemed wasteful of minutes."
"Which I have now wasted for you." She moved forward, resolute. "By your leave, I will sit your second. If the peril is
extreme, I may be of use."
And so she might be, he allowed, if Aelliana&
"Quickly, then," he said, and spun toward the door.
Ran Eld did not come down to Prime, but was served in his apartment, as was his custom when the delm was from
home. Voni sat at the head of the table, as was her custom when the delm was from home, though she displayed
appetite for neither her dinner nor the game of correcting her junior's manners. But, thought Sinit, it might be that
she pined for her favorite target of ridicule.
Sinit considered asking after news of Aelliana's return. Indeed, she spent some minutes as she drank her soup,
examining phrasing appropriate to the task. In the end, however, nothing seemed quite safe enough to venture. She
did not think either Voni or Ran Eld knew of the amazing and adventurous life Aelliana lived, over on the other side
of the world, as neither was an aficionado of the news wires, and they would not, Sinit vowed, hear of it from her.
It was of course, terribly exciting to learn that Aelliana regularly flew with Daav yos'Phelium, as reported on the
pilot's wire. Sinit had taken advantage of her trip the library that afternoon to look Daav yos'Phelium up in the
newest edition of the Book of Clans.
Korval Himself sat co-pilot to Aelliana, which was honor to Mizel, but Voni would only see that Korval's attention
belonged to her and Aelliana had stolen her rights. Ran Eld would say something vile and perhaps slap Aelliana for
rising above her place. Ran Eld did strike Aelliana, Sinit had seen him do so, twice, no matter if the delm chose to
hear of it.
"This dinner is vile!" Voni snapped from the head of the table. "Really, the cook takes liberties with my good nature
when the delm is from home!" She rose, flinging her napkin into her soup bowl.
"You may continue, if you can stomach such swill!" she told Sinit. "I shall retire to my room. I have a headache.
Pray, disturb me for no one!"
Sinit looked up at her. "All right. May I have your popover, then? Mine was excellent."
"Repellant brat," Voni uttered, and swept tragically from the room.
Straight from the lawn they lifted, the little craft hurtling upward with no such niceties as gradual acceleration.
Korval flew a brutal course, at a trajectory only a Scout would think sane. Samiv kept her board, exhaustion dissolved
by adrenaline.
"Can you tell me now," he said softly, hands quick and certain on his controls, "what it is I must help you resolve?"
She swallowed, eyes on the readouts, and it helped, someway, not to have to meet his gaze as she said it.
"I& dream. Frightening dreams. The Healers send me to face my terror."
There was a small pause. "Which is myself?"
"No." She licked her lips. "I believe it is your Tree." She took a breath, fighting tears that came all too easily, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]