There were tapes and tapes made of her clicks and stutters and glottal stops. I know I’m in a minority, but I still feel sorry for that one and I’m not ashamed of myself for it.
Nor should you be ashamed of a genuine act of empathic kindness, Thian replied firmly, sensing Zara’s curious ambivalence. She had, after all, saved the queen once without ever understanding how she knew why she felt so compelled to act. Did anyone ever make any sense out of those sounds, Zara? Thian asked kindly.
Noooo, Zara admitted in a melancholic tone, then more briskly, Have any of you bright boys figured out the frequency on which they communicate?
Thian chuckled. I’ll bet they’re swarming the Refugee right now trying to figure that out. Probably going over the one Klml brought back to Clarf. Look, I’ve got to tell Granddad all this, and get him off the hook, with the Alliance in a state of utter panic. One of us will get back to you as soon as Commander Yngocelen’s figured out the specifications of the surprise package.
You know, it’s so strange how things work out, Thian, Flavia said.
If we hadn’t worked on the Refugee, we’d never be able to do what we are about to do.
Though Thian felt the same reverent awe that she expressed, he could never have stated it. He was glad that she could.
And if you hadn’t been forced to action at Xh-33, we’d not have had a useful strategy, Thian added.
Oh, someone would have thought of something else.
Well, there’re more minds to merge this time round.
By the Cluster, Thian, against how many spheres? Flavia sounded aghast at that prospect. It’s just as well there re more sensible alternatives available!
She broke off contact then and her final indignant remark left him chuckling. He wasn’t chuckling by the time his grandfather, very much Earth Prime throughout the lengthy interview, had winkled every scrap of all the conversations Thian had overheard in the Washington’s ready room, and had Thian repeat his reply to Spktm – a rhetoric which made Thian squirm on the couch as he recited it. Verbatim it sounded more pompous and impassioned than it had when the phrases and ideas had just formed in his mind and issued from his mouth.
Then there was that long pause before Jeff spoke again, more Granddad than Prime.
I concur with Flavia, Thian lad. There has been a remarkable inevitability, starting at Deneb years ago, that leads inexorably to this confrontation. Perhaps the Hivers had had warning as far back as Deneb that their sun would turn nova.
You may be sure the High Council will be relieved to hear of this turn of events. Not to mention every other fnghfrned citizen of this Alliance. And grateful to you and that young astronomer ů ů ů what was his name? You didn’t mention it.
Her name is Cyra Charteris.
Thank you. ffAshiant doesn’t give her afield promotion, she’ll get official word of one very soon. So get on with the workings and keep me up to speed. Or let Clancy make the contact if it’s just information. Spare yourself as much as possible. You’re in the catbird seat out there, boy. How do you like it?
No more than you ever did, sir. But I’m here.
And I – ů ů am here for you, Thian.
Thian never knew until much later who decided the deployment of the Washington’s scouts, but the three Talents, with a little help from three T-2s brought in to the ready room for this mass `portation, got the six scouts into their assigned positions.
None of the Talents liked using Number Three as the reference point – they all caught the heavy stinggpzzt – but they got the scouts safely past that obstacle without alerting the sphere to their passage.
Yngocelen had the help of every other munitions expert in the Fleet. Late that night, when he came to the Tower ready room so he could be present while Thian passed the requisite instructions to Captain Soligen, he told the Talents that it took more time to hear everyone 5 theories than it did to make up sufficient `surprise packages’ `We made a lot more than I hope we’ll ever need,’ Yngocelen said, shrugging his bony shoulders and grinning. `But hell, once we got started, we kinda just continued. They’re compact, handy little mothers!’ He grinned again and then yawned.