Heart Fortune

* * *

The next morning, Glyssa participated in the short ritual for good hunting and blessing the animal to be found and used for food. Then Del, Raz, and Maxima Elecampane and their Fams went out on the bissert hunt along with Sanicle and some others—and Lepid. When they returned with the dead thing, Glyssa took one look and stayed away from the butchering and rendering . . . or whatever.

In this particular instance, she liked being citified. Hunting and killing animals for food would only happen if she were starving.

That afternoon Del and Raz surprised the staff again by stating that they would accept volunteers to go down into Lugh’s Spear, if any wished. Every person—being—since Lepid had surged forward—would be fitted with a live viz recording that would send video back to someone monitoring the expedition in the communications tent.

Jace and Sanicle volunteered, and though Sanicle looked askance at Jace, he said nothing.

Lepid had reported that gossip about Jace had turned favorable since he’d humbled himself to ask Glyssa for help in saving Zem. People might be reconsidering recent events and believe he was the easy-going guy they’d always known and not some villain hiding behind a smiling mask.

So, once more, the hole to the breach in the starship was opened and a team of four men and one FamFox went down.

Glyssa watched the live feed with Maxima, pulse racing at her first real glimpse of the place. So very dark! Just snips and slices of a view.

Then the team was back up with another crate and a sack that some colonist had left in the corridor—it was littered with personal sacks and boxes—Maxima left to check out and record what was in the sack. And Glyssa spoke with Camellia and Tiana by scry in the communication tent about the fiction project.

The conversation went well, despite her previous dread. It was great to see her friends and hear their laughter. When Glyssa thought about missing them, it was more than she could bear. They’d gotten together at least once every week, usually more often.

But she knew they could “see” some of the images she had through their bond with her . . . and Camellia had her HeartMate and her businesses to run and probably wouldn’t come here, not even for a visit . . . not this year.

Tiana was focused on working her way up the ladder of priestesses, determined to wipe away the smear on her Family’s name by attaining the highest rank in the highest Temple, Lady of RoundCircle Temple in Druida City. Tiana wouldn’t be visiting, either.

Glyssa sucked in her breath. Of course the lives of her friends wouldn’t stay static. And hadn’t she been the one to leave? She could have stayed in Druida City, done her “field” study and research there. And let Jace go, frittering away their lives. No, that had been no option.

Her friends loved her. Didn’t feel abandoned by her leaving, following her own path. She sensed curiosity from them, a trace of envy of her, but they’d always shared the bad and tough emotions with the good.

They’d laughed when she’d told them she’d failed at creative writing, hummed in pleasure when she said her HeartMate was helping her, since he was a natural storyteller.

Camellia gave her “official” approval of the partnership—anything for a good, popular book.

They finally all had to say good-bye and cut the transmission.

The glow of good camaraderie enhanced the deliciousness of a bissert ham steak at dinner.

Jace worked with her a little bit, reveling in the fact that he was allowed in the back of the ship. She recorded his observations, and they did another chapter on the book about Hoku. Zem had accompanied him and looked very well.

Then Jace and Zem went out to bask in renewed popularity and take their place by the fire.

Jace had actually asked her to come and sit next to him, and how she’d wanted to! But bitter as it was, she knew her duty. She had to tell her Family about the change of plans with regard to the book.

Her Family would not approve of her failure. A Licorice should be able to turn her or his hand to anything and succeed.

She had to do it. So she walked back to the communications tent, scanned the schedule and, doing the time change arithmetic in her head, chose the closest time, in three-quarters of a half septhour.

To wait, she crossed to a nearby bench that looked out on the forest and sent a mental call to her Family. FirstLevel Librarians of Celta, from SecondLevel Librarian Glyssa Licorice.

Her sister contacted her first. FirstLevel Librarian Enata Licorice here. The thought seemed to echo as if in an open space or room—the image Glyssa always got when waiting to speak with more than one of her Family.

She nerved herself as her mother stated, Here, Rhiza D’Licorice, then her father’s warm mental joined them, Here, Fasic Almond T’Licorice.

I request a viz communication with you in half a septhour for a formal update of my fieldwork.

Surprise fireworks showed in their thoughts.

Twenty

We will have to go to the Ship! her mother grumbled. That’s the only terminal for the new viz tech. You did not give us much time!

Wonderful! her father enthused.

I suppose I can do that, her sister said.

Yes, Glyssa was overwhelmed by love at their response. May I expect to see and hear you, then? Not that she really wanted to see and hear them, well, except her father, and even he would be disappointed with her, shake his head. She hated the expression of disappointment on his face.

We will be there, her mother confirmed. We are leaving now by glider since we don’t know either Nuada’s Sword or Landing Park Teleportation Pad well enough to ’port there. She dropped out of the conversation.

Her sister said nothing as she left, either.

Greetyou, dear daughter, her father said, even as Glyssa felt him exploring the surface images of the camp and everything in her mind. She “heard” him sigh. Wish I could go there . . .

How is your own project proceeding?

I was allowed to continue your former HouseHeart project. Another, larger sigh. The Families who have HouseHearts—mostly the FirstFamilies, the descendants of the colonists who paid for the ships and crew to make the journey—are very wary and slow to grant my request to see them. They will NOT let me record the inner sanctums. For the couple that I have had success in entering, I have had to take a mind Healer with me so she could immediately wipe the knowledge of the location and how to access the HouseHeart as soon as I left the chamber.

Glyssa felt the weighing of his considerations, and he continued with a little lighter tone, Perhaps I will report the intransigence of the Residences and the Families and recommend that we shelve the project for the time being.

Not quite saying that he had failed, and it wouldn’t be held against him, like it would her, because the issue was out of his control.

Just as stringing words into images and stories was out of Glyssa’s control, but the Family wouldn’t understand that. It would be a rationalization and an excuse. The Licorices had low tolerances for those.

I think I will be able to convince the other FirstLevel Librarians that this project should be set aside in a couple of months. His mind voice went upbeat. Then maybe I could join you,