[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
and survived the splashdown, there was no one around to fish her out before several of the Viisiiviisii s
water-loving predators found her first.
There is one other thing, she told her long-limbed companion. I m in pretty good shape, but . . . I m
afraid of heights.
Watch me and stay close. I will go slow and grab you if you fall. Follow my back end.
Matthias did as she was told. It worked even better when in her mind s eye she substituted Sethwyn
Case s backside for that of the slender, furry Hata. She discovered she could follow it easily as it
appeared from behind the moving strappings, the muscles twitching as . . . Though she was able to justify
the imported mental picture as a matter of survival, she felt guilty nonetheless.
Moving safely but guiltily through the trees, human and Sakuntala followed a roundabout course toward
the skimmer maintenance block. They arrived safely fifteen minutes after Naneci-tok had first snatched
the administrator up into the branches. Matthias was soaked to the skin despite her rain cape, having
been forced to twist into extreme positions in order to complete the journey. Despite her saturated self
she was unnaturally ebullient. Other than a slightly sprained right ankle, her grazing head injury, and a
flurry of scratches, all of them minor, she was unhurt.
Wait till I tell Jack aboutmy morning, she mused excitedly. A glance backward showed that a few of the
enraged Deyzara had advanced almost all the way across the linking walkway. Now seeing that their
quarry had already reached and was about to enter a vehicle, they gave up, turning back in
disappointment, their fury unrequited.
I didn t think I could do that. As she spoke, she was unsealing the skimmer portal. The same remote
that she used to open it simultaneously activated the interior instrumentation.
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It not hard to travel through the forest in place like this. Naneci-tok gestured at the surrounding foliage
as she followed the human into the skimmer. She had to bend nearly double in order to enter.
In less than a minute they were airborne, racing through the rain back toward the administrative and
operational center of Taulau Town. The port, with its skilled but overworked staff and surging throngs of
despondent, fuming Deyzara refugees, was left behind. Only physically, Matthias knew. She could not
blot the sight of hundreds of despairing moon-eyed faces from her mind.
This has got to be stopped, she told herself. The Deyzara must be allowed to return to their homes and
businesses in safety, and the senior Sakuntala are going to have to cooperate in putting an end to this
uprising. What was happening to the always fragile but long-running concord that existed between the
two species was illogical and irrational.
Just like the Sakuntala often were themselves, she reminded herself dourly. No matter. She would see
the situation resolved. She wouldnot tender her resignation in the face of a crisis, no matter how
insolvable it appeared to be or how intractable its components!
If only, she thought as she guided the skimmer over the town and toward the ever-nearing refuge of her
office, the enmity between Sakuntala and Deyzara did not seem as abiding and permanent as the
perpetual drenching, remorseless rain.
11
Iwill try my best obtain apahaura, a decree, from the Council or at least from as many of High Hatas
as I can declaring this rising and the actions taken against the Deyzara an illicit thing. Vertical pupils
locked with Matthias s round ones. But I only one Hata. Can only do so much.
The administrator rubbed at the scratches on her right forearm. I have a feeling you can do a lot,
Naneci-tok. She grinned. I just went tripping through the trees of the Viisiiviisii, something I never
imagined myself ever doing, or imagined I evercould do. The smile vanished. Now is the time for each
of us to do things we never imagined we could do.
The Hata agreed somberly. Her tongue flicked out to wrap briefly around the administrator s face, then
withdrew into a cheek pouch. With that, Naneci-tok turned and departed.
Matthias watched the Sakuntala Hata fade into the rain-dimmed distance. Wincing as she pivoted on her
sprained ankle, she pulled her rain cape a little tighter around her upper body and limped from the
covered parking area toward the main entrance to Administration.
There were four guards there now. Posted at the portal ever since the scale of the troubles became
apparent, they were now armed with rifles as well as side arms. None of them looked sleepy or bored.
Her approach was noted immediately.
Pause and identify yourse The guard finished with an expletive. All four of them crowded around the
administrator. They were taller than she was, and for a bad moment she was mentally back at the port,
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
surrounded on all sides by a surging mob homicidal in intent.
The feeling passed quickly. I m fine, thank you. Well, maybe not fine. But I m okay.
The infirmary . . . , a tall blond woman began.
Matthias pushed past them, leaving a pool of slightly stunned expressions in her wake. No time for that.
I ll get patched up here. Too much to do.
She was more right than she supposed. When she had finally managed to reassure her staff, each of
whom wanted to treat her assortment of bruises and scratches personally, she found a Deyzara
delegation waiting for her in her own office. Oddly, their presence affected her less than had the knot of
four guards outside. Perhaps, she decided as she removed her filthy and torn rain cape and dropped it to
the floor before she slumped behind her desk, because for the first time in hours she was in a place that
was wonderfully, delightfully, blissfully dry. But not quiet.
Nearly a dozen Deyzara had crowded in to see her. According to Sanuel, they had been waiting hours [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl aikidobyd.xlx.pl
and survived the splashdown, there was no one around to fish her out before several of the Viisiiviisii s
water-loving predators found her first.
There is one other thing, she told her long-limbed companion. I m in pretty good shape, but . . . I m
afraid of heights.
Watch me and stay close. I will go slow and grab you if you fall. Follow my back end.
Matthias did as she was told. It worked even better when in her mind s eye she substituted Sethwyn
Case s backside for that of the slender, furry Hata. She discovered she could follow it easily as it
appeared from behind the moving strappings, the muscles twitching as . . . Though she was able to justify
the imported mental picture as a matter of survival, she felt guilty nonetheless.
Moving safely but guiltily through the trees, human and Sakuntala followed a roundabout course toward
the skimmer maintenance block. They arrived safely fifteen minutes after Naneci-tok had first snatched
the administrator up into the branches. Matthias was soaked to the skin despite her rain cape, having
been forced to twist into extreme positions in order to complete the journey. Despite her saturated self
she was unnaturally ebullient. Other than a slightly sprained right ankle, her grazing head injury, and a
flurry of scratches, all of them minor, she was unhurt.
Wait till I tell Jack aboutmy morning, she mused excitedly. A glance backward showed that a few of the
enraged Deyzara had advanced almost all the way across the linking walkway. Now seeing that their
quarry had already reached and was about to enter a vehicle, they gave up, turning back in
disappointment, their fury unrequited.
I didn t think I could do that. As she spoke, she was unsealing the skimmer portal. The same remote
that she used to open it simultaneously activated the interior instrumentation.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
It not hard to travel through the forest in place like this. Naneci-tok gestured at the surrounding foliage
as she followed the human into the skimmer. She had to bend nearly double in order to enter.
In less than a minute they were airborne, racing through the rain back toward the administrative and
operational center of Taulau Town. The port, with its skilled but overworked staff and surging throngs of
despondent, fuming Deyzara refugees, was left behind. Only physically, Matthias knew. She could not
blot the sight of hundreds of despairing moon-eyed faces from her mind.
This has got to be stopped, she told herself. The Deyzara must be allowed to return to their homes and
businesses in safety, and the senior Sakuntala are going to have to cooperate in putting an end to this
uprising. What was happening to the always fragile but long-running concord that existed between the
two species was illogical and irrational.
Just like the Sakuntala often were themselves, she reminded herself dourly. No matter. She would see
the situation resolved. She wouldnot tender her resignation in the face of a crisis, no matter how
insolvable it appeared to be or how intractable its components!
If only, she thought as she guided the skimmer over the town and toward the ever-nearing refuge of her
office, the enmity between Sakuntala and Deyzara did not seem as abiding and permanent as the
perpetual drenching, remorseless rain.
11
Iwill try my best obtain apahaura, a decree, from the Council or at least from as many of High Hatas
as I can declaring this rising and the actions taken against the Deyzara an illicit thing. Vertical pupils
locked with Matthias s round ones. But I only one Hata. Can only do so much.
The administrator rubbed at the scratches on her right forearm. I have a feeling you can do a lot,
Naneci-tok. She grinned. I just went tripping through the trees of the Viisiiviisii, something I never
imagined myself ever doing, or imagined I evercould do. The smile vanished. Now is the time for each
of us to do things we never imagined we could do.
The Hata agreed somberly. Her tongue flicked out to wrap briefly around the administrator s face, then
withdrew into a cheek pouch. With that, Naneci-tok turned and departed.
Matthias watched the Sakuntala Hata fade into the rain-dimmed distance. Wincing as she pivoted on her
sprained ankle, she pulled her rain cape a little tighter around her upper body and limped from the
covered parking area toward the main entrance to Administration.
There were four guards there now. Posted at the portal ever since the scale of the troubles became
apparent, they were now armed with rifles as well as side arms. None of them looked sleepy or bored.
Her approach was noted immediately.
Pause and identify yourse The guard finished with an expletive. All four of them crowded around the
administrator. They were taller than she was, and for a bad moment she was mentally back at the port,
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
surrounded on all sides by a surging mob homicidal in intent.
The feeling passed quickly. I m fine, thank you. Well, maybe not fine. But I m okay.
The infirmary . . . , a tall blond woman began.
Matthias pushed past them, leaving a pool of slightly stunned expressions in her wake. No time for that.
I ll get patched up here. Too much to do.
She was more right than she supposed. When she had finally managed to reassure her staff, each of
whom wanted to treat her assortment of bruises and scratches personally, she found a Deyzara
delegation waiting for her in her own office. Oddly, their presence affected her less than had the knot of
four guards outside. Perhaps, she decided as she removed her filthy and torn rain cape and dropped it to
the floor before she slumped behind her desk, because for the first time in hours she was in a place that
was wonderfully, delightfully, blissfully dry. But not quiet.
Nearly a dozen Deyzara had crowded in to see her. According to Sanuel, they had been waiting hours [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]