Relief made Rojer light-headed. He wondered if they should have tapped on the pod door and cried, `allay, allay in free’ or some other, more formal, invitation to exit the vehicle.
I thought of that, too, Afra said, his mind equally lightened by success. You took no harm, he added, less as a question than a statement of what he knew to be fact. Rojer had felt him `brush’ deeply to reassure himself.
A snap, Dad. I can understand now why we’ve all had to push big daddies.
`All safe and secure at the Heinlein installation,’ Afra said, swinging his legs off the couch and rising.
I knew you’d appreciate all those boring Tower exercises. You’ve an enviable shove in you, Rojer.
Most commendable. `I think you can safely say that Operation Bounce went off very well. We thank you for your courtesies.’ `Then join us for dinner, won’t you? Surely you don’t have to go right back?’ Rojer didn’t dare breathe how much he wanted to not to have to go meekly back to Aurigae. Surely, they deserved a meal. He might have had dinner only three hours ago, but he was monstrously hungry suddenly.
`Thank you kindly, Captain, we’d be delighted but only-‘ and, to Rojer’s dismay, Afra held up his hand, `-if we’re not depriving you of much needed stores?’ `No, indeed you’re not, Mr Lyon. Wouldn’t matter anyway, considering the service you’ve done the Beijing, but not only do we have orders to return now but your son provisioned us for a much longer journey. As soon as we’re in `portation range, six weeks at best, we’ll be back to our base. We insist on celebrating with you tonight!’ It was, Rojer thought later that night as he slid down in a real navy bunk in a ship that had searched space and found live Hivers, the most glorious celebration he’d ever had. No-one had treated him like a kid. He’d been Mr Lyon this and Mr Lyon that though he’d asked some of the officers to call him Rojer – that he would have to get his head down to size by the time they got home or his mother’d discipline him for fair. But tonight had been his!
Just as he drifted off to sleep, he thought he heard voices: He’s come of age, Damia. It’s all there to be tapped. To delay risks more than it could possibly gain.
Then he fell into one of the more marvellous `Dini dreams he’d ever had: all bright colours, swirling masses, and intricate shapes and high-flying swirls and loops – a totally positive dream even if he hadn’t a clue what it signified!
DAD!
The name was broadcast on a wide enough band to bring Rojer wide awake. It took him only a nanosecond to recognize Thian’s voice.
Rojer glanced at the digital’s illuminated face and saw he’d been asleep a bare hour.
Hey, Thi, let a guy sleep.
Sorry, Roj — That was overlapped with Afra’s acknowledgement of the mental contact.
I didn’t wake you, did I, Dad? I checked times and it’s…
You didn’t wake me, Thian. I’ve been enjoying the ship’s hospitality. The captain and his officers are quite starved of news so long in this part of the galaxy. Callisto and Earth are inundated with requests for transport of personnel and materiel. Mainly to Heinlein Base, and Rojer heard the amusement in his father’s calm tone. So we have been informed that we must wait in the queue.
I can just believe that! Hoooeee! Every one who can `11 be flocking out there to gawk. Thian’s voice altered. Did you have any trouble with the stingpzzt? I forgot to warn about that. Did Mother remember?
I should have, and Afra’s tone was unexpectedly rueful, but your brother was superb. Not so much as a twitch, despite the force and the unexpectedness of it. You can be very proud of Rojer Of course, I am.
He’s my brother, isn’t he? That stingpzzt, and Rojer didn’t know if Thian was explaining or apologizing, it’s much heavier around live ones, though, isn’t it? That’s how I tumbled to the larvae. Any news on their development?
None, and that’s officially honest. Having a live Queen may speed things up If it doesn’t `Dini out on us. How is your quest going?