“Someday, perhaps,” Star Wing conveyed.
“Likelier not,” Quicksilver asserted. “I think that what you have revealed to us will suffice—for they have been evolving onward.”
“Let Sol and Pegasi communicate,” Volant scoffed.
“No, you are too impetuous, and too thoughtless of our friends,” Lightfall admonished. “We have years ahead of us in which to consider.” To the mimans: “You too, with your kindred down on the planet, you must take thought. Do you wish to commence at once?”
Hanno and Yukiko traded a look. Mutely, she nodded. After a moment, he did likewise. They bowed, one of many motions that had gradually acquired eloquence, and went from the coralline room.
A passageway took them along the great curve of the ship. Past the part of it that was alive stretched, today, a simulated vista of ruddy hills, lean crags, fronds rippling around a frozen pool, beneath a violet-blue sky where rings arched tike undying rainbows—a world the AJloi had once come upon and found beautiful, for it was much as their mother world was before the machines. They had left colonists.
Beyond lay a room of exercise equipment made for the humans. It could be spun through a hollow ring around the hull to provide higher weight. Thus did they maintain a physical condition that allowed them to visit the planet without being too badly handicapped in relation to those who lived there.
Farther on was their home section, Yukiko’s little garden, a post upholding the model of a caravel that Hanno had once constructed, the compartment that housed them. Air inside it remained thin and dry, but it was warm and to their eyes the lighting was pure white.
The three rooms held their possessions, a few carried from Earth, more that were remembrances of their years here, but there was no clutter. He kept his sailor’s tidiness, she her basic austerity. Opposite the electronic complex a calligraphic scroll hung above a low table where a bowl of water contained a single shapely stone.
They removed their outer garments. “Shall I make tea?” she proposed.
“Do, if you like.” His face drew taut. “I want to call plan-etside now.”
“Well, it is tremendous news, but we shall have to talk about it over and over—”
“In person. We’re going down and stay a while, you and I.”
“That will be very welcome,” she sighed. “Yes, I admit I’ll enjoy some unfaked shirtsleeve outdoors, a sea, a salt wind.”
“And our comrades, not images but real flesh again. How the children must have grown.”
He missed the wistfulness, and not until later did he recall how ardently she entered into the life around her when they touched down. The occasions had been infrequent and brief. You must live with the Alloi, work side by side with them, share hardships and dangers as well as victories and celebrations, if you would reach an understanding of them and of what they had won on their endless voyage. To him the sacrifices were small.
“Never mind how many years we may have to make ready,” he said. “We’d better begin straightaway.”
She smiled. “You mean that you cannot sit still for a cup of tea.”
Ignoring the gentle gibe, he settled before the complex and ordered a beam to Hestia. The ship was at present above the opposite hemisphere, but the Alloi had long since orbited relay satellites. The screen came alight. “Summoning,” said the artificial voice. A minute passed, and another. “Summoning.”
Yukiko brought up an outside view. The planet shone blue-veined white. Lightnings threaded the darkened edge. She smote hands together. “We forgot!” she cried. “It’s night where they are.”
“Damn,” said Hanno without remorse.
Svoboda’s likeness entered the screen, three-dimensional, as if she herself stood behind a shut window. Her hair was tousled. A robe hastily thrown on gaped over milk-heavy breasts. “What’s wrong?” she exclaimed.
“No emergency,” Hanno replied. “News. I’ll tell you, you tell whoever else got roused, and then go back to sleep if you can.”
She bridled. “It couldn’t wait?”
“Listen.” He made his announcement in short, clanging words. “We need to begin studying what information the Alloi can give us about these other beings, as soon as they’ve assembled it. Before then we need to confer. Yukiko and I— Expect our boat, m-m, shortly after sunrise... What’s the matter?”
“What is the hurry?” Svoboda’s response crackled. “Aren’t you aware this is harvest season? We’ll be working ourselves sweatless, people an8 robots both, for the next several days. We already are. I heard the summons only because I’d just fallen asleep after the baby kept me awake for hours. Now you want us to sweep and garnish quarters for you and meet in instant council.”
“Don’t you core? Why in hell’s name did you sign on?”
“We’re sorry,” Yukiko interjected. “We were so excited, everything else dropped from our minds. Pardon us.”
The other woman fleered. “Is he sorry?”
“Hold on,” Hanno said. “I made a mistake. But this that’s happening—”
Svoboda cut him off. “Yes, it’s important. But so is your arrogance. The main thing you’re forgetting is that you, sit-ttag up there in the sky, are not God Almighty.”
“Please,” Yukiko begged.
Hanno spoke coldly. “I am the captain. I’ll have respect ,ftom you.”
Svoboda shook her head. A blond lock tossed on her temple. “That has changed. Nobody is indispensable any longer. We’ll accept whatever leader we may need, if we judge that person will serve us well.” She paused. “Somebody will call tomorrow, when we’ve conferred, and make proper arrangements.” With a smile: “Yukiko, this isn’t your fault. Everybody knows that. Goodnight.” The screen blanked.
Hanno sat staring into it.
Yukiko went to stand behind him, a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t take this hard,” she said. “She was simply short on sleep, therefore short on temper. After she has rested, she will shrug it off.”
He shook his head. “No, it goes deeper than that. I hadn’t realized—we’ve been away too much—down underneath, they carry their resentment yet.”
“No. I swear not. No more. You did bring them, us to something far more wonderful and meaningful than we had dared hope for. It is true, you are not vitally necessary now. Your captaincy is not unquestioned. And you did act thoughtlessly. But the wound is nothing, it will heal by morning.”
“Some things never heal.” He rose. “Well, no use brooding.” A crooked grin. “What about that cup of tea?”
She regarded him in silence before she said, most quietly, “You two can still hurt one another, can you not?”
His voice went brusque. “How often do you miss Tu Shan?” He drew her to him. “Regardless, these have been good years for me. Thank you.”
She laid her cheek against his breast. “And for me.”
He forced a chuckle. “I repeat, what became of the tea?”
32
First light grayed the east, made dull silver of the stream. Heights westward hulked black and haze dimmed a sinking huge moon. The waterfall rushed loud down its cuff into the river, which clucked and purled. Coolness blew, laden with silty odors.
Hanno and Wanderer stood on the dock. Then- tongues felt awkward. “Well,” said Wanderer, “have fun.”
“You too,” Hanno replied. “Uh, how long did you say you’d be gone?”
“Don’t know for sure. Three, four days. But you come home this evening, hear me?”
“Of course. We Phoenicians never spent a night at sea if we could help it.”
Wanderer’s shadowed countenance darkened further. “I wish you wouldn’t go at all. Especially alone.”
“I heard you before. You’re going alone yourself, and not even taking a communicator along.”
“That’s different. I know those woods. But none of us really know the waters. We’ve just puttered around a little in our boats or taken passage with natives, and that was to study the crew, not the seamanship.”
