Elof drew him aside. “The boy’s soft in the head, skipper,” be said. “Throw the law at him. He’ll get over it.”
“Hm. I wonder.” Joachim looked slantwise at the older Thorkild. “What’s the background on this?”
“Well, you know how he tumbled for that Nerthusian wench. I didn’t like it, but I didn’t want to press him too far, either. She wasn’t such a bad sort anyway, for a settler, until she deserted him. But since then-well, you know how Sean’s been. Nobody can get along with him except Nicki, and that’s bad-don’t either of them have any sense of decency? Then the boy disappears this rendezvous, hardly shows himself, and I was all prepared to get him a nice wife from the Trekker Petroffs, too. And now he shows up with this!’
“Well,” said Joachim mildly, “he’s been married once. That makes him legally an adult.”
“You know the law, Hal. And you know the biology of it, too. Different species can’t interbreed. There’d be no children-only trouble.”
Yes, thought Joachim glumly, there’d be that all right. And what do we really know about this race?
“There’s plenty of room in Sean’s and my quarters,” said Nicki to Ilaloa. “We’ll get along fine.”
“A native can’t be married, and she can’t be adopted,” snapped Elof.
Sean’s face was white and stiff. “Ilaloa can be useful, Skipper. I think her people are telepaths.”
“Eh?” Joachim blinked at him. The word was blown down the wind and a man halted-then moved slowly away.
“Is that so?” the captain asked the Lorinyan.
“I do not know,” she answered. The fine hair stirred about her thin-carved face as if it had life of its own. “Sometimes we know things even about you. I have no word for it, but we can-feel?”
“There haven’t been any natives around at this rendezvous,” said Sean eagerly, “but Ilaloa knew the Peregrine was
going into the Great Cross. A telepath in any degree can
be a big help.”
Or a big grief, thought Joachim. He puffed his pipe back into furious life and let his eyes rest on the Thorkilds. Ilaloa interested him. If what she said was true, that her people wouldn’t make difficulties over her removal-and be had to assume that much-sbe might indeed have her uses. Neurosensitivity in any degree was not a gift to be despised.
“Let’s be reasonable about this,” be said. “We don’t
want a break in the family, Elof.”
“The captain is the judge,” answered the older man coldly, “but you’ve bent the law edougb in the past.”
“Well, Sean,” said Joachim, “of course you can’t marry her. The law’s quite plain on that. However, there’s nothing to forbid you”-he grinned slyly-“keeping a pet.”
He bad thought Ilaloa would take offense, but she laughed now, a sudden joyous peal, and one arm went about Sean. “Thank you,” she said. “Thank you”’
Sean looked rattled, but Nicki chuckled.
“Nothing to thank this one for,” said Joachim. “I just
interpret the law.”
“Dad-” Sean spoke timidly. “Dad, when you get to
know her-”
“Never mind.” Thorkild Elof turned and walked away, his bead unnaturally high. Joachim looked after him with a tinge of pity. It was hard on the old man, His wife was dead, his daughters married and out of the family, one son was gone and the other had raised a wall between them. I know how lonesome a man can get, Joachim
thought.
“I reckon that settles it said the captain. “Get busy, Sean. We have stuff to load aboard.” He sauntered back
to the embarkation.
“Nice work,” said Nicki, “And welcome again, Ilaloa.”
Sean and Ilaloa looked at each other. “You can come with me,” said the man wonderingly, not quite believing it yet. “You will come.”
“Yes,” she said.
She looked across the valley; it was as if she listened to the windy roar of trees and the remote shouting of the sea. A shiver went through her and she covered her face briefly. Then she turned again to Sean and her voice seemed to come from very far away: “Let us be going.”
He held her close for a moment, then they walked hand in hand toward the boats.