[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
devour it as fast as she could.
This is delicious! It was natural then for her to get up and join the two at
the fire, and natural for her to pause by Kai before refilling her bowl. His
color and the lassitude were alarming, and the smile he gave her was strained.
You look much better than when I last saw you.
Kai gave a derisive snort. I can t have looked much worse than I feel now.
Why? Varian went for a light touch. Didn t you like the purple moss Divisti
grew just to cure your fever?
Kai grimaced in such disgust that the others laughed.
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It makes a very effective antipyretic. Lunzie broke off with a wry grin. I
wonder what Divisti s reaction would be if she knew how much it was going to
help us. Then she turned to Varian, with no humor in her gaze. You did say,
last night, that we d cold-slept forty-three years?
I d have told the rest of my news if I hadn t been so rudely interrupted,
she said with a sour glance at
Lunzie who only grinned back.
You did fall asleep at a crucial point, the medic said. Are any of the
mutineers still alive?
Only one. Tanegli.
You met him? Kai asked.
No. I met a sturdy young man named Aygar. An accomplished young fellow who
was busy killing a fang-face with a barbed metal spear.
Kai made an expression of utter disgust. Accomplished?
His strategy was good, said Varian, seeing no point in going into needlessly
distressing detail.
Do you know if they re in the secondary camp?
They abandoned that for a more suitable site.
Where was Divisti s garden then? Kai s tone was querulous.
I ll start from the beginning
When you ve finished that second bowl, Lunzie said firmly.
Varian ate with indecorous haste and pleasure, glad of the opportunity to
organize her thoughts. Feeling revitalized as she scraped up the last of the
tasty stew, she began her account of the previous day s incidents with the
unexpected escort of the giffs.
The listeners, and gradually Portegin became aware enough to listen, too, did
not interrupt with questions, letting her narrative flow. Lunzie s eyes had a
malicious sparkle as Varian gave a very brief account of overpowering the
young Aygar, adding that he d just finished a rather exhausting race to out
distance an enraged fang-face. Varian noticed that Kai frowned over that show
of strength. Well, perhaps she should have restrained her actions there but
she sincerely doubted she d ever catch Aygar unawares again, or best him. All
four listeners, commended her for posing as a representative of a new
expedition in search of the first. The only hazard to that blatant lie would
be a confrontation with Tangelli.
But he s reported to be frail and not expected to live much longer, Varian
said.
Let us devoutly hope he is not included in the party you meet then. Lunzie
brought her brows together.
What I do not understand is why he, one of the oldest of the heavyworlders,
has survived when the younger ones, like Bakkun and Berru, are dead.
How long would their heavy-gravity advantage last on a light world? Triv
asked.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
Unless they found some way to simulate heavy-gravity conditions and exercise
under them
Well, they would have had to man handle all the stone they build with up to
the bluff, Varian said, and there were eight large buildings plus six or
seven smaller ones, with slate for roofs.
That would have helped, but Lunzie s tone was hesitant with doubt.
If they all indulged in chase-the-fang-face-till-it-bled-to-death , Varian
said with considerable acrimony in her voice, they didn t dare get fat.
Obviously, their descendants have no such problem, and inherited physiques
capable of considerable muscular development, Lunzie continued. Since this
Aygar depended on physical endurance to out run an enraged predator while it
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was bleeding to death, and then tried to take you on, Varian, the strength
factor is still on their side. I think we d better attend that meeting in
force and in Discipline.
Right, Kai?
I ll be with you, Varian!
Even as Varian nodded agreement, her eyes flicked to Lunzie s and registered
the denial the medic would not voice.
We must have communications, though. Varian glanced toward Portegin, who was
looking more alert now.
I m sure I can rig something, especially if the sled units are operative.
With that many matrices available, I might even fix what Paskutti smashed in
the shuttle at least for planetary use.
I wish we had some kind of long-distance defensive tool, Varian said,
scratching her ear. There was something in Aygar s manner that worries me,
but I can t figure what!
What sort of weapons did he carry? asked Portegin.
Varian described the crossbow and Portegin laughed. We can do better than
that if Lunzie has any anesthetic left?
As a matter of fact, I do, Lunzie said, a trifle surprised. Not much, she
cautioned, holding up her hand, but enough to provide for a few medicated
bolts.
Good, then all I need is some hardwood and I can contrive a dart gun that
would immobilize your crossbow user before he could cock it.
So long as we get to shoot first, Varian said.
You d better! Lunzie s expression was as uncompromising as her tone.
I don t want to shoot anyone, Varian said. Cold sleep didn t change my
moral values.
No, just drastically changed our circumstances. We re five ... and Lunzie s
finger did an arc including them all, against I haven t figured out how many
progeny in two generations from six parents. We had few advantages over the
heavyworlders to begin with, and have fewer now that they re completely
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
ensconced in terrain we haven t seen. They re very well adapted to the
environment. She nodded at [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl freetocraft.keep.pl
devour it as fast as she could.
This is delicious! It was natural then for her to get up and join the two at
the fire, and natural for her to pause by Kai before refilling her bowl. His
color and the lassitude were alarming, and the smile he gave her was strained.
You look much better than when I last saw you.
Kai gave a derisive snort. I can t have looked much worse than I feel now.
Why? Varian went for a light touch. Didn t you like the purple moss Divisti
grew just to cure your fever?
Kai grimaced in such disgust that the others laughed.
Page 45
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
It makes a very effective antipyretic. Lunzie broke off with a wry grin. I
wonder what Divisti s reaction would be if she knew how much it was going to
help us. Then she turned to Varian, with no humor in her gaze. You did say,
last night, that we d cold-slept forty-three years?
I d have told the rest of my news if I hadn t been so rudely interrupted,
she said with a sour glance at
Lunzie who only grinned back.
You did fall asleep at a crucial point, the medic said. Are any of the
mutineers still alive?
Only one. Tanegli.
You met him? Kai asked.
No. I met a sturdy young man named Aygar. An accomplished young fellow who
was busy killing a fang-face with a barbed metal spear.
Kai made an expression of utter disgust. Accomplished?
His strategy was good, said Varian, seeing no point in going into needlessly
distressing detail.
Do you know if they re in the secondary camp?
They abandoned that for a more suitable site.
Where was Divisti s garden then? Kai s tone was querulous.
I ll start from the beginning
When you ve finished that second bowl, Lunzie said firmly.
Varian ate with indecorous haste and pleasure, glad of the opportunity to
organize her thoughts. Feeling revitalized as she scraped up the last of the
tasty stew, she began her account of the previous day s incidents with the
unexpected escort of the giffs.
The listeners, and gradually Portegin became aware enough to listen, too, did
not interrupt with questions, letting her narrative flow. Lunzie s eyes had a
malicious sparkle as Varian gave a very brief account of overpowering the
young Aygar, adding that he d just finished a rather exhausting race to out
distance an enraged fang-face. Varian noticed that Kai frowned over that show
of strength. Well, perhaps she should have restrained her actions there but
she sincerely doubted she d ever catch Aygar unawares again, or best him. All
four listeners, commended her for posing as a representative of a new
expedition in search of the first. The only hazard to that blatant lie would
be a confrontation with Tangelli.
But he s reported to be frail and not expected to live much longer, Varian
said.
Let us devoutly hope he is not included in the party you meet then. Lunzie
brought her brows together.
What I do not understand is why he, one of the oldest of the heavyworlders,
has survived when the younger ones, like Bakkun and Berru, are dead.
How long would their heavy-gravity advantage last on a light world? Triv
asked.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
Unless they found some way to simulate heavy-gravity conditions and exercise
under them
Well, they would have had to man handle all the stone they build with up to
the bluff, Varian said, and there were eight large buildings plus six or
seven smaller ones, with slate for roofs.
That would have helped, but Lunzie s tone was hesitant with doubt.
If they all indulged in chase-the-fang-face-till-it-bled-to-death , Varian
said with considerable acrimony in her voice, they didn t dare get fat.
Obviously, their descendants have no such problem, and inherited physiques
capable of considerable muscular development, Lunzie continued. Since this
Aygar depended on physical endurance to out run an enraged predator while it
Page 46
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
was bleeding to death, and then tried to take you on, Varian, the strength
factor is still on their side. I think we d better attend that meeting in
force and in Discipline.
Right, Kai?
I ll be with you, Varian!
Even as Varian nodded agreement, her eyes flicked to Lunzie s and registered
the denial the medic would not voice.
We must have communications, though. Varian glanced toward Portegin, who was
looking more alert now.
I m sure I can rig something, especially if the sled units are operative.
With that many matrices available, I might even fix what Paskutti smashed in
the shuttle at least for planetary use.
I wish we had some kind of long-distance defensive tool, Varian said,
scratching her ear. There was something in Aygar s manner that worries me,
but I can t figure what!
What sort of weapons did he carry? asked Portegin.
Varian described the crossbow and Portegin laughed. We can do better than
that if Lunzie has any anesthetic left?
As a matter of fact, I do, Lunzie said, a trifle surprised. Not much, she
cautioned, holding up her hand, but enough to provide for a few medicated
bolts.
Good, then all I need is some hardwood and I can contrive a dart gun that
would immobilize your crossbow user before he could cock it.
So long as we get to shoot first, Varian said.
You d better! Lunzie s expression was as uncompromising as her tone.
I don t want to shoot anyone, Varian said. Cold sleep didn t change my
moral values.
No, just drastically changed our circumstances. We re five ... and Lunzie s
finger did an arc including them all, against I haven t figured out how many
progeny in two generations from six parents. We had few advantages over the
heavyworlders to begin with, and have fewer now that they re completely
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
ensconced in terrain we haven t seen. They re very well adapted to the
environment. She nodded at [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]