Wry humour caught the edges of Kincaid’s thin lips.
`I figured she already had calculated on someone other than Thian.’ `Flavia’s calculating?’ Kincaid grinned at her surprise. `In a nice quiet way, Flavia Bastianmajani knows exactly what she wants and she’ll find the best way to achieve it. But you’d want that in a `I need it in my T-2, Kincaid dano. Do I have it?
Will you give me the friendly support I need to do my job on this stinking hot planet amid aliens I mostly admire and sometimes fear, because sometimes their alienness overwhelms the human in me? Will you grab me and shake me out of doing something stupid? Will you be my good friend?’ Kincaid rose to his feet, held out his hands to her and lifted her to her feet. As he looked down at her, Laria saw flickering emotions, incredulity, surprise, gratitude and something less definable but which made her feel grateful and quite humble.
`I can be your friend, Laria,’ he said, oddly sad, `and I could wish there was more to share with you.’ Surprising her even fiarther on a day of many unusual events, he embraced her, one hand pulling her head to rest against his cheek. Then she knew the fiall story of what had happened to him during the voyage, how he had been emotionally abused in a contest of two very strong-willed men who had thought more of denying the other of his company than how their passion battle was wracking him who admired them both.
She tightened one arm about his shoulders and, with the other, pressed his head into her cheek. She doubted even Elizara, for all her skill, could completely heal Kincaid’s wounded and tormented psyche.
But she was here and he was wide open so she could try! And did.
They released each other by degrees for the rapport had been a complete sharing.
`Vanteer may be a rover, Laria, and love many women fervently, but not for ever. But he would come back to you time and again because you would never hold him. Now, if humans could do a `Dini split and produce a male you, it would be the best of all conclusions,’ Kincaid went on, finally slipping his fingers out of hers, `but we haven’t even figured out how to clone so I will continue to admire, respect, and love you as my very good friend.
The generators began to spin, recalling them to the day’s duties.
`Damned stinggpzzt!’ Kincaid muttered as he stretched out again on the couch.
`It really is the most appalling nuisance,’ Laria idly agreed, aware of the new tranquillity in her partner and much relieved to know that he was finding balance.
One Constellation, two Galaxy and two speedy destroyers now comprised Squadron B for Backtrack.
Captain Vestapia Soligen was squadron commander and captained the Columbia; Hyner Steverice, the Va lpara iso; Ll Hsiang, the destroyer Valiant; while Captain Hptrnl had the KMTM and an unusual bronzecoloured Mrdini, KimI, the `Dini destroyer-equivalent, the KVS.
Captain Soligen, her science officer and two more of the specialists welcomed the Talent contingent aboard with proper ceremony.
The Columbia’s captain was not what Flavia had half-expected, considering her request for female Primes. Flavia told herself to find out why at some convenient moment. Now she found herself instantly liking the woman: Soligen’s face was unlined and pleasant though certainly not a pretty one. She had wide-spaced light eyes which seemed to alter between blue or green, under sharply arched dark brows.
Her figure in the ubiquitous shipsuit was trim and athletic without losing essential femininity. Flavia recognized behind the `pleasant’ expression a strong personality and a shrewd mind. She grinned, without showing her teeth, as she acknowledged the introductions to Asia and Zara, Rhodri Eagles, Mallen Bastianmajani and Jesper Ornigo.
`Glad to have you aboard, ladies, gentlemen, Lieutenant. Let me introduce my science officer, Mr Wayla Gegarian: she’s also my official `Dini interpreter. I’ve never been able to advance from garble to greeting – `Captain,’ Zara said instantly, her hands on the sloping shoulders of Pal and Dis, `my `Dinis are topnotch tutors. There’s nothing they like better than a real challenge to their abilities.’ `We teach you – Pal began.