“What about satellite tracking? Does not that keep constant position of all your skimmers?”
A well-educated Sakuntala indeed, she reflected. The report on this native had been correct. “Mr. Hasselemoga’s bounceback failed two days into his journey. We don’t know why. For a bounceback and an emergency beacon on a properly equipped and maintained skimmer to both fail simultaneously is very unusual. Six months is not a lot of time to learn about Fluva. Some of my staff speculate he may have gotten lazy, or overconfident, and turned off his avoidance system, or gone to sleep at an unpropitious moment.”
“Or something hit him.” Jemunu-jah exhaled through pursed lips. “Viisiiviisii can do that.”
She nodded knowingly, having seen vits of some of the varzea’s larger known inhabitants. As to the unknown ones, even the Sakuntala were themselves sometimes surprised by what came wandering out of the flooded forest.
“That is why we need someone like you to go and look for him. You see things we cannot, and not just because your eyesight is so much better. You know the varzea. We are still learning about it. I’m told you’ve traveled in skimmers before.”
“Heesa—yes. I very much like experience. But I not trained to pilot one.”
“Don’t worry. We’re sending someone with you who is. Someone who has spent as much time in that part of the Viisiiviisii as anyone we could find.”
“Another of your scout-kind-people?”
“I’m afraid not. Those of our community who would qualify for a task like this are all busy with other assignments or for various reasons are presently unable to help with the necessary operation.” Looking past him, she spoke toward the doorway. “You might as well come in now, Masurathoo.”