“Exactly what he deserved, I suspect,” Lunzie replied.
“Aygar?” Florasse turned the Iretan by the arm, giving him a little shake. “He’s in shock.”
“Quite likely. Get him in out of the sun. He could probably use a stimulant, but he’ll be himself in an hour or two.”
“But what’s happened to them?” Florasse stared with growing anxiety at the bowed Captain Cruss.
“They’ve been in a Thek conference, an unusual experience. Aygar will tell you what’s pertinent when he recovers. Now, get him out of the sun, woman. C’mon, Ford!” Lunzie led the way to the pinnace.
In the relief provided by the relatively cool darkness of the little ship, the three people visibly relaxed.
“Shouldn’t you give them something?” Fordeliton asked anxiously as he swung the pinnace toward the cruiser.
“I will when we get back to the ship. Some of that Sverulan brandy would go down a treat, I’m sure.”
“Did your buffering work?”
“I don’t want to put it to the test just yet.”
Taking her hint, Ford lifted the pinnace for the short flight back to the cruiser. By the time he had landed, Sassinak thanked him, rose and calmly walked out of the pinnace and up the gangway to the cruiser. With equal calm and slight smiles on their faces, Kai and Varian followed her.
Fordeliton hastened after them while Lunzie, able to smile now that her friends were recovering, brought up the rear. With no hesitation, Sassinak led the way to her quarters. There she made straight to her desk, taking her seat and swiveling in a fluid motion to her console.
“Pendelman? Recall the Wefts from the Heavyworld transport. Secure all patrols. That ship will be taking off shortly.
147
Anne McCaffrey – Dinosaur Planet II – The Survivors Then Sassinak swung about, blinking uncertainly. With an exclamation of impatience, Lunzie looked at Fordeliton.
“Where does she keep her liquor?”
Fordeliton opened a cabinet near him, brought out a bottle and glasses. Lunzie poured hefty shots and handed them around. Then she motioned for Ford to pour drinks for them.
“We could use a jolt, too, after all this excitement.” Then she lifted her glass. “To the survivors!”
Responding automatically, Sassinak, Varian, and Kai drank, emptying their glasses. The stimulant took immediate effect. Color came back into their faces and their expressions regained their old liveliness.
“Well, now, my friends, what have you to report?” Lunzie asked, heavily stressing the last word.
Sassinak frowned slightly, looking with surprise at the glass in her hand, at the others seated opposite her. Kai sank deeply into his chair, almost dropping his brandy glass while Varian, recognizing what she had in her hand, took a healthy swig, and looked to Fordeliton for a refill. He quickly passed the bottle about. Then they all began to talk at once, abruptly recalled their manners, and fell silent until Sassinak chuckled.
“Can I assume from your reactions that the buffering worked?” Lunzie asked.
“It did, indeed, respected ancestor,” Sassinak said. “I did recall the patrols and the Wefts, didn’t I, Ford? Good, that was, I believe, my first order. Did Cruss survive?”
“Barely!”
Sassinak chuckled. “He took quite a beating.” Her fingers gingerly touched her temples. “We all did.”
“Despite our clear consciences and pure hearts,” Varian added with a sly grin at Lunzie.
Sassinak depressed the comunit button. “Pendelman, request Lieutenant Commander Dupaynil to join us. And didn’t we just get exactly the information we needed.”
“Cruss spilled his guts. Not that I blame him.”
“Then you know who’s behind the piracy?”
“Oh yes.” Sassinak smiled beautifully. “I’ll wait until Dupaynil gets here. Kai and Varian have been covered with glory, too. Which is only fair.”
“Yes, apparently we rescued Ger in the nick of time.” Kai took up the account, grinning broadly.
“Ger was the Thek left here as a guardian—”
“This planet’s a zoo, Lunzie. A sanctuary for the dinosaurs. The Thek have been stocking it for millennia—even before the cataclysm,” Varian broke in excitedly. “Trizein, and all the other buffs were right, the critters are from Mesozoic Terra.”
“Ger was caught in a massive earthquake,” Kai said, “and buried so deeply that it was unable to summon help. It had all but exhausted its substance when the Thek started looking for it.”