Damia's Children (7 page)

For all of her excitement and anticipation, she couldn't help hanging on to the mind touch of her parents as they inaugurated the lift. So she knew the second in which the personnel carrier was taken from the cradle, as it hovered and, with a split second to prepare herself, was thrust across the void in the teleportation that would end at the Mrdinis' world.

Clarf, which was the nearest that humans could come to the sounds which Mrdinis made for their homeworld, was in the usual third position of a oxygen-hydrocarbon world about its primary. The system, however, was in the midst of a very populous area of the galaxy. It was no wonder the Mrdinis had achieved star flight, with so many near, bright and sparkling neighbors to encourage them to explore other worlds. Clarf's position in such a teeming cluster also gave the Mrdinis some protection from the encroaching Hive: there were many other worlds to attract that species' interest.

When the transfer of teleports occurred, Laria was involved in the exchange.

Hi there, small stuff,
a cheerful baritone voice said.
Allow me to introduce ourselves: Yoshuk is me, and Nesrun is my happy otherself.
There was an alto chuckle.

Yoshuk has his joke,
the alto voice said.
Be welcome, young Laria. And there! You're landed. Quite a welcoming committee so be ready.

Since the capsule's controls were for human manipulation, Laria unsealed the hatch and cracked it. The blazing light that poured in made her squint while the 'Dinis sneezed, honked, crackled at a high level of joy and excitement. Shielding her eyes, Laria pushed the hatch back, and then stood
aside. Tip and Huf were most insistent in sign and sound that they emerge first. Noise poured in on them as well as light, and the noise was almost as violent as the assault of light on her eyes. But she couldn't see well enough to locate the source. Then the other Mrdini filed past her, clicking softly with polite appreciation of her courtesy. The moment they stepped out, they added their own sharp barks and shouts to the external din. She blinked furiously to adjust her eyes. She wondered how the 'Dinis had been able to see at all on Aurigae if this brilliance was constant on their world.

Ooops,
said Yoshuk,
try these.
A pair of wraparound lenses floated in through the open hatch to her.
Someone should have warned you.

Laria put the glasses on and the light abated to a much more comfortable level. The noise outside, however, crescendoed and, just as she peered outside, four pairs of 'Dini paws reached in toward her. The clicks and squeaks of welcome were abetted by signs of “come out,” “come here,” “join us,” and “where it”—meaning herself.

Laughing at the conflicting salutations, Laria stepped out and had her first view of Clarf. Or rather the Tower complex, reassuringly familiar despite the alien sky, the incredible sun making the flat apron a heat-trap. She was right beside the Tower which had been one of the first such installations on the Mrdini-controlled worlds. The shapes of the Tower and its auxiliary buildings, even the cradles, were familiar but the materials from which they had been made were most unusual. Rock, orange slashes with black and red, had been used for the walls: some deep blue material
slated the roofs. The cradles were iron black, not alloy blue, and the plascrete was a greeny-black—and the yellow-white of sun soaking up light and throwing back glare.

Laria had only the merest glance at what panorama lay beyond—low and layered buildings of complex geometric design, great triangular mounds which she assumed were entrances to immense hibernatories and, overhead buzzing like so many angry insects, the unmistakable figures of airborne 'Dinis, using their personal lift belts. Occasionally a vivid orange line shot across the sky and a flying figure veered abruptly out of its way. There seemed to be uncluttered air space over the Tower Complex.

We'll be with you as soon as incoming traffic eases,
Yoshuk said.
They may paw you to death but it's an enthusiastic way to go.

She could see what he meant for she was now surrounded by a horde of 'Dinis of all sizes and colors, all wanting to touch her, as if to reassure themselves that the Human child they had been promised had actually landed.

A very loud crack and the 'Dinis crowding about her stood still, with only one or two small noises of what Laria interpreted as dismay. Another crack and the 'Dinis made a respectful corridor as the largest 'Dini she had ever seen made its way to her. It had great loops of pearls about its neck and an incredible tiara sort of construction ornamenting its poll eye which was tilted in her direction.

Just as she was wondering what sort of movement she should make to indicate respect to this superior 'Dini, she felt paws lift her two hands
and bring them forward. Tip and Huf had become her escorts? sponsors?

The big 'Dini lowered its upper section so that the liquid, purply poll eye was level with her face. The eye began to twirl slowly. The 'Dini brought both of its paws forward to touch her outheld hands, folded them to its chest and said firmly
PLSGT
! the 'Dini way of exchanging names with humans.

Laria copied that gesture and said
LR
!, well pleased that she had managed both the liquid “l” and the rolled “r” sounds.

Recoiling in what was a very good approximation of Human surprise, Plus (which she decided to call it in her own mind) gave the burbling noise that signified 'Dini pleasure.

Well done, Laria,
Yoshuk said.
They'll love you here with those ells and arrs.
Another alto chuckle from Nesrun.

Beyond her a second large personnel carrier glided gently to rest in a cradle. Behind her an almighty thunder shook not only the air but the ground and, whirling around, Laria saw her first self-propelled spaceship take off. It was far away, probably ten kilometers or more, despite the tremendous sound. The flames from its massive rockets grew longer and longer as its upward movement proceeded. Laria couldn't help but stare and wonder why such an antiquated and wasteful method was still in use when Clarf had its own Tower. But it wasn't, she reminded herself, a Prime Tower. Yoshuk and Nesrun were T-2's, not T-1's, and would be unable to thrust such a behemoth on its way. Beyond it, a second, then a third and fourth spaceship rumbled skyward.

A little shake of one of her 'Dini-held hands and Laria recalled herself to her surroundings. Tip and Huf had gathered attendants: much the same coloration as they were so that Laria figured they might be related. No one knew how many constituted a 'Dini family group.

Plus now tucked her hand under its arm, against its warm silky side, and turned, so she followed. Unobtrusively Tip gave her a quick sign that this was an honor—which she had already gathered. She lengthened her stride just as Plus shortened its and she didn't know if she should laugh at their cross purposes. Then she saw Huf make amusements signs and so she felt able to grin up at the big 'Dini.

Oh, my dear, you are landing on your feet,
Yoshuk said.
Led out by Plsgt himself.

What's going to happen now, Yoshuk?

You're to be escorted to your new quarters by Plsgt who's always been the strongest proponent on this planet of the experiment. Then you'll be part of the welcome home banquet for your pair. Tip and Huf? Yes, and we'll meet you there. We won't leave you unsupported, Laria.

Not unless we want our ears singed off by the Rowan or the Raven,
added Nesrun, coloring her tone with a mock malicious grin.

Plus handed Laria into the open-air passenger compartment: Tip, Huf, and several of their color group joining them. The vehicle moved smoothly forward on airjets, the driver carefully maneuvering through oncoming traffic that was mostly crated, bagged, and boxed materials, piled high on floats. How inefficient it was to have no kinetics available, Laria thought. Her presence distracted
one or two drivers to near accident situations. Surely, since their two species had been in contact for more than sixteen years, the sight of Humans was not
that
unusual for 'Dinis. Tip and Huf wiggled with amusement at the near misses and flicked signs at her, crackling at their kin who apparently were more concerned about the situation.

Then the vehicle turned out of the space port facility onto a very broad “roadway,” teeming with traffic of all kinds: pedestrian, vehicular, and a single-wheeled affair that riders handled with exceeding skill and daring, darting in and around slower, more cumbersome road users. Laria was so fascinated by their antics that Tip had to whistle a warning to her. Plsgt was signing and she'd missed its opening remarks. She shot a frantic glance at Tip who repeated it behind Plus's back. Fortunately, Plus was only identifying the buildings they were passing.

The space port was, quite rightly, surrounded by support and service agencies. Then their vehicle pulled into the center of the road to allow the passage of a block of what Laria had to identify as “soldiers” though she had never seen any. Unlike other 'Dinis, these wore heavy bandoliers, with tubes and other ominous-looking devices slung across their backs. They looked tougher and many had odd cicatrix along their bodies and limbs, suggesting healed wounds. At least, that's what the marks appeared to be to her. Sometimes one didn't need familiarity with a thing to recognize it.

Then Plus was pointing out apertures on either side of the broad roadway, and smaller avenues leading off the main thoroughfare. These were the domestic quarters of the space field technicians.
These residential facilities formed the usual 'Dini quadrangle about the work place. Separating the various dwellings were the great slanting mounds of hibernatories. No one had far to go. Where did food and other commodities come from, Laria wondered, but Plus evidently didn't feel it necessary to comment on such particulars.

Behind them came the roar of more ships taking off, and the air was once more filled with the smell of hot metal and fuel exhaust. Really, Laria thought, it was too bad there weren't enough Talents available to loft the 'Dini vessels, and reduce noise and air pollutions. Maybe she should concentrate on fitting herself for that. With no immodesty, Laria knew that she'd be a Tower Prime when she'd finished her training.

The journey to her new home took over an hour, as Plus's vehicle drove them steadily deeper into the capital of Clarf, a sprawling metropolis: past flat open spaces whose purpose was not mentioned. At one point, she also caught the unmistakable odor of rotting vegetables and the cloying sweetness of fruit. She couldn't isolate from which building of the many small structures they passed such smells issued and it amused her that Plus seemed either oblivious or unwilling to comment on that side of 'Dini ecology. It was tactful of Plus not to show her the downside of life on Clarf. It did point out plinths and columns, or pillars, with a great deal of pride and an explanation which she couldn't quite grasp and which neither Tip or Huf could.

Between the air pollution and the intense sunlight, Laria began to develop a fierce headache and did her best to dampen it. She would have liked to
close her eyes to rest them. Plus wouldn't notice if she had with the dark lenses covering her from brow to cheek but she had to watch its signings or be rude. She was overwhelmingly grateful when the vehicle came to stop before a large and new looking building—new because the intense sunlight had not bleached it—with an odd annex perched on the roof.

It took her only a moment to realize that the annex was odd because it had windows, a feature which no other 'Dini building had, as well as a door, some sort of a glassed-in porch and potted plants. Or, at least, that's what she thought they must be. That's when she realized she had seen nothing, absolutely nothing, green, growing or vegetable-looking on the long ride from Tower. There was probably an explanation for that. Being of a practical turn of mind and having hunted for the table for years, Laria did sort of wonder about food resources and distribution. Maybe hunger was part of her headache.

Now Plus opened the panel in the vehicle and stepped to the ground, turning to assist her in the most chivalrous fashion. Then she saw a double file of 'Dinis come out of the building, poll eyes bent respectfully in the presence of Plus and herself. Tip and Huf became a close-drill escort behind her, their flippered feet aligned with hers as if, and Laria managed to suppress a grin, they were to make sure she didn't put a foot wrong!

The file reached them, proper greetings accorded Plus and then the lead pair turned to her with carefully enunciated sounds which she understood perfectly, so that she could respond in kind to their welcome and good wishes. She, and
Plus, were invited inside to enjoy guest hospitality and she and Plus accepted. She waited a second to see what Tip and Huf would do and felt their pressure on her feet. She could move forward, staying slightly to the rear of Plus, as they progressed to the building.

She clicked and clacked to either side of her, nodding politely to each poll eye, saying either
YOUR WELCOME HONORS OR PLEASED TO MEET YOU
with an occasional
THANK YOU
.

It was her passage up this gauntlet that she suddenly realized something which she felt was significant. Though there was considerable variety in the 'Dini pelts, they were all the same basic hue. Plus, however, was covered in a fur of a shade that almost fought with theirs . . . having an orange hue whereas theirs had a bluishness to it. She glanced furtively at Tip and Huf and realized that they were “blues.” So “color grouping” was more critical than anyone had known.

Good girl! Got it the first day!
Yoshuk's tenor was triumphant.
Many are still trying to find the connection.

It is significant?

As you'll discover now you're here. Don't let it worry you. You're above the color bar, being Human.
And Nesrun's alto voice was cynical.
You might be more cautious with broad generalizations when in mixed colors, though I really don't think you'll be unduly troubled by this little quirk.