Silent Songs (50 page)

"Good- Eyes," K'heera signed the introduction, "this is Sine, daughter of the First. This is Dunn, his wife. This is Lene, the wife of his son. And this is Atle, the First."

None of the aliens stood, and Tesa did not lower herself to their level. She knew that, originally, the leader's full title had been "First-in-Conquest," and that he'd specifically asked K'heera not to use it. His wife and daughter-in-law had no visible scars, but he was paralyzed down his right side.

The alien's throat rippled, and Tesa read her voder. "I have been wanting to meet you," she read. "Have they told you that we are a people who have never known defeat?"

"So I understand," she signed.

"The term 'Interrelator' is supposed to mean one who helps one group communicate with another! How does it feel to have conquered the Chosen?"

Every muscle in the human's body tightened. "You are mistaken, First. I didn't conquer you. You were overcome by a people who have never discovered the wheel. A simple people who only wanted their River back, and not to be your food."

He stared at her steadily with his large, marbled eyes. "They struck the killing blow, that is true, Interrelator. But none of it would have happened if not for you."

"If I had answered your call to negotiate," she asked, "would you have sat and talked with me? Or would you have delayed me until you could defeat
my
people?"

"My offer was made in good faith," he insisted. "An offer you never even considered. It was my bad fortune to find a beautiful planet jealously guarded by
humans
--the most bloodthirsty of people." He glanced at his family, then gently touched the swollen back of his daughter-in-law.

Without another word, Tesa turned and left the building, nearly choking on rage. As calmly as she could, she asked K'heera, "Was he telling the truth?"

"Who can say?" the Simiu admitted. "Only he knows what his original plan was. And his mind ... is not what it once was."

288

Tesa nodded briefly, then turned to Javier, her eyes glistening. "Let's get out of here."

With a curt nod, he took her elbow and started walking away.

"Excuse me, Interrelator," the Heeyoon aide gestured to catch her attention.

"Pardon my intrusion, but Dr. Gable .. ."

"Forgive me," J'karthha apologized. "I forgot. Rob Gable wants to speak to you. We've got a holo-field set up in the headquarters. He's been on hold... ."

Tesa groaned inwardly. "Yes, of course. I'll talk to him." Javier squeezed her hand, and Bruce patted her shoulder.

"Good Eyes, wait." Lightning moved in front of her, stopping the small crowd.

"Where are you going now?" He knew she was upset, and probably wondered why these strangers were dragging her all over, since he couldn't follow most of the conversation.

"I have to talk to the See-Through Man," she explained.

Every one of the cohort ruffled their feathers, then abruptly exploded into flight, even Thunder.

"What was all that about?" Bruce asked.

Tesa shook her head. "They don't like the hologram." She was glad Rob would appear inside, even if she didn't relish the idea of entering the building.

The holo-field was set up in a private place, and when Rob finally materialized, Tesa nearly burst into laughter, she was so glad to see him.

Then, almost immediately, she had to suppress the urge to cry. "Hi!" she signed, trying to seem cheery.

"Hi, yourself. Boy, it's good to finally
see
you, Tesa. I've been worried sick.

Kid, you've been through
hell!"

The last time she'd spoken to him, he'd thought she'd looked tired. She wondered what he thought of her appearance now.

"Well, it's over now. Rob, what are they going to
do
with the Anurans? How big a threat are they to the stability of the CLS?" Unspoken, she was asking,
Will they be back next year?

"They're going to remove them from Trinity, and the
Brolga,
and take them back to their own solar system. Their ship will be flanked by two of those huge Mizari ships, so they'll make a big display. The Mizari plan to engage the Anurans in discussions about their 'attitude' toward other intelligent beings. They plan to offer the Anurans a semihospitable planetoid in a remote, uninhabited system, and also help them improve conditions on the uninhabited desert world they found themselves. They figure if they help them with some of their population pressure, they can negotiate with them about their societal problems."

"And if the Anurans aren't willing to change their society?"

289

"There'll be a permanent outpost in their solar system. They'll never be able to mount an attack without us knowing, so we'll have time to act. And they'll be made to understand that we intend to react
hard
at the first sign of hostility."

At least
that
wasn't her problem. Once the aliens were removed, it would be over for her, really
over.
Tesa would be able to go back to her job as Interrelator, and everything would settle back into the wonderfully boring routine it had once been.

"Tell me," Rob signed, "how's K'heera, and Jib? I know how they are physically, but how are they . .. otherwise?"

She wanted to say,
How should I know, when I don't even know how
I
am?

but she suppressed it. "K'heera's great. She handled this much better than the rest of us."

"You can't believe what this has done for her family," Rob told her. "If it was possible for a Simiu to achieve sainthood, K'heera's done it, and lifted her whole family up on the same pedestal. It's been a bitter pill for the Harkk'etts to swallow."

"I thought they
wanted
her to gain honor for them!"

"Oh, they did. But the way it's turned out. .. well, now they have to be really
nice
to humans. K'heera's given us all the credit. Did you know she officially named Bruce her
uncle"?
She's given
him
her family honor! The Harkk'etts are spinning about it, but they've got to put on a good public face, or lose the prestige she's gained them. It's actually pretty funny!"

Tesa smiled. Then she remembered the other person Rob had asked about.

"Uh .. . listen, Rob . .. about Jib... ."

"He's okay, isn't he? They told me he was fine.. . ."

"He didn't get hurt... not physically.... Look, that thing you told me about, that TSS? Well... Jib can't leave Trinity. He's going to have to stay here."

"I don't understand. He's got a promising career. He never wanted to be planet-bound, he always saw himself traveling "

"That was before the war. When he helped the Singers defeat the Anurans . .. they swept him along. They didn't understand that Jib was only human, not even a telepath. .. ."

"Oh, god, Tesa, tell me they didn't destroy his mind!"

"No!" she reassured him quickly. "He's still Jib ... but, he's
different.
He's not Rewi Parker anymore. The Wind people have given him a new name--Spirit Keeper. They think that all the spirits they believed once resided in the River, the spirits that kept them away, now reside, happily, in Jib. He's ... part of the Singers now. He thinks like them. He's ... linked to them. Much 290

more than I am with the Wind people. We had to rig him a special wet suit to keep him from getting hypothermia.. . . But, Rob . . . he's happy."

The psychologist's face fell, and Tesa knew he felt responsible. She understood that feeling, so didn't try to console him with empty words.

"Well... I've got good news for
him.
Since there's a telepathic species on Trinity, we're sending a telepath to work with them. His girlfriend, Anzia."

"I'll tell him," Tesa promised. "Try not to feel bad. . . ."

"That's ... not the only thing on my mind, Tesa. I've ... been trying to figure out how to tell you this." He was very somber. "Please understand that I'm
totally
against this decision, that I fought it. Mahree and Dhurrrkk' agree with me.

We're not just sitting idly by. . .."

Oh, god,
she thought,
this is
really
bad news.
Groping for the chair she remembered seeing behind her, Tesa eased herself into it. "Rob, what are you talking about? What's happened?"

She saw him swallow. "There have been meetings with the CLS.. . .

They . . . want to ... question you about your actions."

"Sure. Of course. I understand. . .."

"They want you to appear before the Planetary Councillors ... in
person.

You'll have to ... leave Trinity. . .."

She reeled.
"Leave
Trinity .. . ? For how long?"

Rob tried to move his hands, fumbled, started over. "I don't know. Tesa, they've. . . suspended you as Interrelator. They feel.. . your actions weren't. . .

appropriate. They're especially upset about.. . your refusal to negotiate with the Anurans when you had the chance. And they're not happy about the Quakers, either. They've made arrangements for you to be carried on the luxury transport
Brooklyn Bridge."
He paused, embarrassed.

"If I leave, what are the chances of my ever returning?"

He shook his head. "This has become an incredible political mess. I shouldn't tell you this, but if you leave ... I don't know if they'll
ever
let you return."

Of course not. It was too messy. They'd keep her in hearing after hearing, and delay decision after decision, while her life dribbled away. It would be easier that way--for them.

"Tesa, this is wrong, and I know it. I don't know how to tell you how sick I am about this."

She held up her hand, feeling unnaturally calm. "Don't feel bad, Rob. It's not your fault. I had to make some hard decisions, and some of them were wrong. I can live with that. Look . . . I've got to tell Taller .. . and get ready to leave."

291

"Okay, Tesa. I understand."

The former Interrelator walked out of the room in a daze. Once outside, she was shocked to find that every Grus remaining near the River had gathered in front of the building. Many of the humans were there, too, and the Simiu, as well as Captain J'karthha and her aide. Was she the last person to know
this,
as well?

Taller stood on the porch boldly, the only one of his people besides Lightning and Weaver that would do so. Thunder stood among them. The sight of her avian family was almost more than she could bear. She stood tall and faced her old friend.

"Taller, I... have to leave you. I have to leave the World."

He didn't even act surprised. "Why?"

"Because ... I've been told to, by the people I work for. . . ."

"By the See-Through Man?" he asked.

"Yes."

Every feather on the avian's body stood straight out, then settled down slowly. His crown blazed brighter than she'd ever seen it. "I'll speak to the See-Through Man, here, in front of the Wind people. He'll explain to
us
why you must leave."

Tesa was so surprised she didn't react, but Bruce did. He tapped Javier, Martin, and Noriko and the four went inside the building. "You want to
speak
to the ... ?"

"Personally," Taller insisted.

Within minutes, they had a holo-field set up on the porch. Bruce tapped in a code and the words "One minute please" appeared suspended in air. Then the words dissolved and Rob appeared wraithlike in the outdoor light.

The entire flock of Wind people moved away from the porch. All but Taller, who stood his ground. Rob stared into his own field, obviously startled.

"Greetings, Taller," the human signed in passable Grus.

"You have no reason to greet me, See-Through Man," Taller signed. "I have
summoned
you here to tell you that Good Eyes belongs to our people, to my family, and that she will not be leaving the World, not now, not
ever."

As with one voice, the collected Wind people lifted their heads and called out. The sound buffeted the gathered humans and Simiu, and even Rob reacted to it, even though Tesa knew his holo-device would nullify the danger.

"Taller, please," Rob argued, "this is not
my
decision. Tesa ... Good Eyes ...

and I both have to obey higher..."

292

"Understand me, See-Through Man," Taller admonished. "Good Eyes belongs to the people, and we will do what we must to keep her here. Who are
you
to choose our Interrelator? We have defeated one invader! Do you think we fear
your
people?"

"Wait a minute, please, Taller," Tesa begged. "The last thing I want is for the Wind people to break relations with the humans. Don't make this worse than it is."

"What could be worse than this?" The Grus leader glanced at Javier.

"Especially now. Unless .. . you
want
to leave us?"

It seemed to Tesa that every avian present leaned forward to see her answer. Even the Hunters seemed eager to know. Her eyes swam. "No ... of course not... I never want to leave. . .."

"Then, you won't," Taller announced. The avian leader turned again to Rob.

He indicated the group standing closest to him. "These are the leaders of all the people on this continent. They agree with me. What do you say, See-Through Man?"

Rob, for once, was at a loss for words. "Of course, you are an independent people, and we honor your sovereignty, as we always have. We want nothing but good relations between our people. However... if Good Eyes stays with you ... it can only be as a civilian. She will not be your representative for us."

"Send whatever representative you want," Taller announced. "But to speak with us they will have to go through Good Eyes."

Rob stared imploringly at Tesa.

She returned his gaze. "You think I should leave anyway, don't you?"

He didn't answer, but she saw agreement in his eyes.

"I can't, Rob."

"I understand. Look, Tesa. . . once you make this decision, you'll be defying the CLS. If you ever
do
leave the planet. .. there's a real good chance they'd never let you return."

"You already told me that." She nodded with a wry smile, remembering. "It's okay. This is my home. I belong here."