Laria let an exaggerated sigh of relief escape her lips.
He had volunteered the answer to her most important question.
That’s probably the only reason I got promoted, clarf Prime, he said with another dry chuckle which told her he had at least heard, and understood, her sigh. Another plus which he couldn’t possibly know she’d had to explain so many casual references to Stierlman, whereas Clarissia had always been so worried about how to respond to any attempt at levity, Laria had found her sense of fun was atrophying.
Why on earth hadn’t she been assigned someone of Kincaid’s calibre in the first place? Then she recalled how long the two squadrons had been travelling. But surely She took herself sternly in hand: she had been able to run Clarf Tower quite capably with Yoshuk and Nesrun.
Then Vanteer had been sent to help until the Sef Tower had been commissioned and her T-2s had been sent there. Lionasha joined her and Vanteer, and Stierlman was sent as her T-2. A Tower Prime did need to find exactly the `right’ personality for a good rapport – those complementary qualities which her grandmother had found in Afra after trying to adjust to many incompatible personalities.
Kincaid’s `Dini affiliations would now be essential, to counter any harm Clarissia’s short tenancy might have caused.
A totally wayward thought made her choke back audible laughter: what if Clarissia was to be Kincaid’s replacement? A shipful of long-voyage officers and crew might just be what the girl needed.
Being `Dini-paired is certainly an advantage here, she `pathed, but that would scarcely be the deciding factor, Kincaid.
The Tower generators were reaching the necessary whine as she asked Lionasha to put the relevant space charts up on the screen for her. She triangulated the position and, settling into the couch, reached out with her mind for the unmistakable mass of metals and humans which had been vivid in his peripheral identifications of his current position. She felt for the equally identifiable mass of a carrier, Kincaid and his two `Dinis within.
Ready?
You have no idea how ready! was his devout response and she picked him up, feeling once more the definite and deep fatigue in his assistance to her contact.
What under the suns had the squadron required of this courier-pack mule to bring him to this level of exhaustion? She lowered the carrier gently into the cradle nearest the Tower, hoping the wind blew the stench of Prtglm away from him. It is also very important, he added in an aside that she wasn’t certain she was supposed to hear.
Vanteer, do the honours, will you? She could sort out this `important’ when they were face to face. He’s Kin ca id dano of Altair, our T-2 replacement, plus `Dinis.
Clarissia, she added in a direct `path to the girl, a personnel carrier has just arrived and is available to take you to Blundell – ri you’ll give me an estimate of how long it will I can go right now!
Clarissia was either hysterical with relief or joy, or bOth at the serendipity of release. By the time Laria had risen from her couch and gone to the window overlooking the field, she saw Vanteer shaking hands with a tallish man – his back was to her. Her sense of his fatigue was reinforced by the sag of his shoulders. When he and Vanteer turned back to the carrier to assist two well-grown `Dinis to alight, the lid of the carrier hid his face from her. Clarissia, with a welter of luggage following her, half raced across the plascrete. The two men then helped her and her gear into the carrier. Laria grinned as Vanteer closed the lid with a definitely firm shove.
She’s ready to go, Laria. I’ll bring Kincaid, Npl and Pis up to the Tower.
Laria nearly `ported herself back onto the couch she was so eager to send the girl away! She could also feel Clarissia’s assistance in getting the generators back up to launch. First time the girl hadn’t waited for orders.
I wish you well wherever you go, clarissia.
Don’t be so magnanimous, Laria, the girl answered in a snarl, you know perfectly well you’ve been wanting to get me out of your hair since the moment I got here and you discovered I’m not a weasel lover like you. You’ll soon find that the popularity of you collaborators is on the wane and your family will be replaced. That I can promise you.