“Aulia?”
Lunzie snorted with derision. “Oh, she’s busy, too. Feeling sorry for herself. She can make that into a full-time occupation. I expect Portegin will change her mind—if he ever surfaces from the shuttle’s control panel. Varian, do you think you could get a specimen of the fringes from the giffs’
eating rock?”
“D’you mean, would I oblige you or would I be able to? Because the giffs like me and someone else tried and failed?”
Lunzie twitched her nose.
“Well, he might have succeeded if he’d waited until the catch had been distributed. But they do know you. An analysis of fringe toxins would be invaluable in healing Kai’s condition.”
“I’ll have to wait until this squall blows over.”
97
Anne McCaffrey – Dinosaur Planet II – The Survivors
“I was thinking that the squall would keep the giffs in their caves and this would be the safest time to collect fringe. Take the stairs to the surface.”
“Stairs?” Varian stared in surprise.
“I told you Godheir was making us very comfortable,” Lunzie pointed to the right side of the cave. “It’s only a cage pole with foot rests but you can’t get blown out of it and it gets you right to the top. Rather an improvement on swinging down vines, isn’t it?” she added as she followed Varian to the new access way. “Godheir’s drive mechanic, a man named Kenley, does amateur photography and bird-watching. He’s also got a long-handled gripper, protective gloves, and a container for fringe samples. Topside!” Lunzie gestured with her thumb and grinned at Varian.
“You are our resident expert on giffology.”
“Never give a sucker an even break, huh?”
“Never. You need to be kept busy, too. And active.”
“I’m just fine when I’m allowed to do what I came here for.” Varian gave Lunzie a grin and then nimbly climbed the ladder, grateful for the cage as the wind still had some strength in it.
Kenley was waiting for her on the cliff top, lounging against his sled. He was parked not too far from the spot where Varian had first rested her sled that long-ago rest day. Kenley’s force screen blocked most of the light rain and all the reemerging insects. He was slender, dark-skinned, dark-haired, and brown-eyed, with even, undistinguished features and a placid disposition. She shortly discovered in him a staunch advocate of the golden fliers.
“Were you the bold one who tried for the fringes the first time?” she asked, as she took the sample-collecting tools from him.
“Yep. Forgot the first rule of animal psychology. Never bother one that’s eating. Fortunately I had my life belt and I pelted for the cave mighty fast. They were most annoyed with me.”
Varian grinned and she noted that he had his belt on, his recording equipment was slung from a second belt. They had reached a spot just below the feeding rocks.
“You don’t have to follow me but I’d appreciate it if you could record any giffs who drop by to investigate.”
Kenley nodded as Varian arrayed the implements so as not to impede her climbing “I’m going to ascend as far to the right of the feeding rock as I can, away from any edible food. The fringes get flipped to the far edge or into the chasm.”
Both Varian and Kenley looked toward the giff cave, visible now that the rain had let up. There wasn’t a giff in sight. Varian began to climb quickly, Kenley just behind her.
“Krims! Here they come!” Kenley warned her and she heard the whir of his recorder. “They got some perception. What do they use? Sonar? Radar? What?”
“I hope to find out. You’re getting all that?” Varian said, keeping her eyes on the giffs winging through the drizzle.
They landed on the sea edge of the leading rock just as Varian reached the top. Several fringe carcasses, dried to brittle outlines, were inches from her boot. A meter away, two more feebly wavered. One was closed over, the other open.
“Hello!” Varian said in her most cheerful tone, holding her hands out to the giffs as she edged closer to her target. “I ought to have brought you some Rift grasses, but we haven’t been there lately and I didn’t think about it until just this moment. Actually, since what I want, is something you have no use for, I don’t want to get you into the bad habit of expecting presents every time we meet. Is it all right if I just take one of these?” She had donned the gloves and opened the container as she spoke. Very slowly then, without taking her eyes from the giffs, she extended the long-handled grippers toward one of the semi-moribund fringes.