Heaving big-daddies requires full concentration.
`But surely the mines will be slowing down if the Hive sun went nova,’ Thian said.
The captain snorted and his mother regarded him oddly.
`The sun may have gone down on the Hive homeworld but there’re all those hundreds of Hive ships and Hive-dominated worlds out there! Oh, no, Thian, this is just a brief chapter even if a very illuminating one,’ his mother said.
`The other squadrons, lad,’ Captain Ashiant took up, for evidently the subject had been much under discussion, `that are in pursuit of the three outwardbound ones, will need support. And then there’s mopping up all the worlds that the Hive ships have already ah … appropriated.
They must be discovered and . .. cleared.’ `Aren’t we then doing exactly what the Hivers tried to do to the `Dinis and us?’ `which would you rather have? Them on the loose or contained?’ the captain asked.
Damia leaned forward. `That’s another bloodless war that’s being raged in the High Council. Total destruction or planetary containment.’ `That’s species suppression which is against the finest principles of both human and `Dini morality,’ Thian said, beginning to be annoyed with their intransigence. what had happened to his mother?
where were the values she had instilled in him and his sisters and brothers?
THN VIEWS BLACK AND WHITE. GREY IS A VERY GOOD COLOUR, Fik said, surprising the three humans by entering the conversation.
But its remark caused Thian and Damia to burst out laughing.
which required a rather long explanation to Captain Ashiant because Fik had been unusually witty; `grey’ was one of the most prestigious pelt shades for `Dinis.
`Fik is grey!’ Ashiant exclaimed, slightly more puzzled than enlightened. `what would be called battleship grey – if that matters.’ VERY GOOD GREY AS TRP HAS SAID, was the rejoinder and Fik, in an excess of camaraderie, bobbed its head up and down, blinking several lids.
`We’d better stop,’ Damia said, struggling with her laughter, `or Flk’ll be impossible.
`By the way, where’s Tri?’ Thian asked his mother.
`I thought it’d join us for dinner.’ TRP IS NEEDED ON THE KLTi, FIk replied. TRP WILL BE PLEASED TO BE MISSED.
when Thian returned to his stateroom that evening, he realized that somehow he had been subtly diverted from what might have been a fierce debate over the morality of the courses open to humans and `Dinis on how to end the Hive menace. Or did you just apply your ethics to your own species?
His intercom buzzed. He hesitated before answering. Very few people knew where he was now billeted. He might have very little pre-cog, though turning into that tube might have been in response to a subliminal forewarning. He didn’t `feel’ any premonition and depressed the acknowledge toggle.
`Lieutenant Greevy speaking…’ `Gravy!’ he said and pressed full visual.