“No? Well, every motor has a distinctive sound to it, I’m told, even if they were manufactured in the same place, of identical components, but the signature usually only shows up on sophisticated monitors.”
“Brains are still the ultimate in sophisticated computers. We got some on wings, that’s all. Say, did you happen to notice if they tracked us up from the base camp?”
“It was dark when we left there, Varian, and we were kinda occupied … besides using different brains. I don’t know what they think they’re doing for us out there, but I kinda like seeing ’em.”
“So do I. And I’ll be seeing a lot more of them in the next few days if I have my way.”
Circumstances combined to thwart Varian’s plans. Just as they reached the cliffs of the golden fliers, a squall broke over them and Varian had all she could do to wrestle the sled safely inside the cave. That put the skids on an immediate study of the giffs. Considerable progress had already been made to improve the amenities in the cave, including partitioned sleeping quarters at the back, tables, comfortable loungers and lighting near the hearth which had been augmented by cooking, cooling and disposal units. Bug-screens kept the insects at bay. Mindful of Sassiness’ requirement, Varian forced a cassette on Portegin before he disappeared into the shuttle’s pilot compartment to restore the console. When she asked Lunzie the whereabouts of the rest of the team, she received another check. As soon as Kai had finished his session with the diagnostic unit on board Captain Godheir’s Mazer Star, he had drafted the assistance of a crew member who professed to be an amateur geologist and went off to seek Dimenon, Margit, and Tor.
“In that order,” Lunzie said. “If the Thek let them land, considering their fascination with Iretan mineral deposits. Dimenon says they’re just—squatting and gorging themselves. He swore six ways to Sunday that he can see the Thek growing.”
“Then the diagnostic unit has a cure for Kai?”
“No, but it’s much healthier for him to immerse himself in matters geological than sit about fretting and making mud maps,” Lunzie replied crisply. “He’s in a padded suit with skin-gloves.
I’ve threatened Perens, that’s Godheir’s navigator, with grievous bodily harm if there’s so much as one new welt on Kai’s hide when they return. You ought to be glad that Kai’s got a second wind.”
“I am. I am. Where’re Triv and Trizein?” She could snag the geologists later for their reports.
“They’re off, too, in the four-man sled. Triv did promise Trizein, to go beast-hunting with him, you know. Now that he’s fifty-eight Bonnard insists he’s old enough to be a full team member so he went off with them. Terilla wanted to be their scribe, so I let her go, too. Don’t wish to stretch Godheir’s hospitality with fretful kids.”
“Cleiti?”
94
Anne McCaffrey – Dinosaur Planet II – The Survivors
“She’s in the Mazer Star, helping Obir construct bunk beds for our sleeping quarters.” Lunzie waved to the back of the cave. “Godheir is determined to arrange for as many comforts of home as possible. Everyone’s the better for doing some light work to get muscles working again.”
“Aulia?”
Lunzie’s expression altered. “She …” and Lunzie wiggled one hand in a derisive gesture, “is recuperating from the shock of discovering herself time-stranded. I did point out that, when we got back to the ARCT-10, she’d look four decades younger than her contemporaries.”
“Did that cheer her?”
“Not as much as Triv’s reminder that all her bonus money has been collecting interest for forty-three years. She was demanding a transfer to the sanctuary of the cruiser until I mentioned that they were guarding the Heavyworld transport. Sure cured that notion. Now, I expect you’ll want to be off stalking your bird friends. I’m going to catalog the local edibles and Divisti’s pharmacopoeia in case they’ve other useful medical applications.” Lunzie triumphantly hoisted the microscope loaned by the cruiser’s science officer.
“Not until you’ve reported your version of our mutiny,” and Varian stayed Lunzie’s departure until she had tucked a disk in her chest pocket. “By the way,” and Varian considered it only fair that she had a revelation to spring on Lunzie, “Commander Sassinak says she’s your great-great-great-granddaughter.”