Lionasha didn’t mind: she got through to him with no trouble.
Vanteer preferred to `mingle’ as he put it, though he was already contributing to the support of two children from different mothers of minor Talents.
He was certain the girl was already a receiving telepath. Laria often wished that Vanteer would `receive’ a little more from her than he did.
But you don’t force human relationships, especially among Talents.
She knew that much from the story of her father and mother.
Twenty-four hours later, looking refreshed and certainly relaxed, Kincaid joined the Tower staff for their early morning meal. He had obviously found time to discover the working schedule to know that Clarf Tower liked to get as much of its heavy work as possible done in the dawn hours.
`Am I fit, Prime?’ he asked as he pulled out a chair to sit opposite Laria.
`Yes, or I wouldn’t have allowed you out of your quarters, she said, passing him the coffee pot.
Appreciatively he sniffed the steaming aroma and grinned. `It’s real! The navy has some brew they insist is coffee but, believe me, it isn’t!’ `We do have certain perks in this Tower that even the Fleet can’t manage,’ Vanteer said, passing him over the dew-fresh fruit which `Dini farmers regularly left at the Tower gates.
`Clarf is certainly an improvement. Then he gave a sudden jerk to his shoulders and looked about him frowning. `Where are Nil and Plus?’ `Helping the others,’ Vanteer said, jerking his thumb over his shoulder toward the still shadowy Tower field. `We got big daddies to move.
They’ve integrated so well you’d think they were the same colour.’ Kincaid looked immensely relieved and began to eat his breakfast.
`They’ve been well, they were incredibly understanding on our tour with Squadron C.
Lionasha leaned slightly across the table to Kincaid.
`Don’t be surprised if they keep their poll eyes elevated a while.
They’ve been given heroes’ welcomes. Their colour kin mobbed the complex the first morning and they’ve been out every night since.’ `They need to be with their own. Both are close to hibernating.
`Yes, we noticed and Plrgtgl made very prestigious arrangements for them,’ Laria said with a grin as she rose. `Bring your coffee up to the Tower, Kincaid.
We’ve got to get started.
He swallowed the fruit he was chewing, splashed more coffee into his cup and made for the stairs.
`Refills, whenever Lionasha said as she settled at her station.
`You’ve worked a Tower before?’ Laria asked.
`Hasn’t my file caught up with me?’ `Oh, it’s in the banks all right, but I’d rather work with you,’ she said, with a slight emphasis on `work’ `You had no trouble merging, even dead on your feet, and that’s the hardest part of Tower work. Some never get the knack.’ As she chatted to put him at his ease, she settled herself on the couch.
`Hey, this one’s new, isn’t it?’ he asked, running fingers along the suede-like covering and noticing the length of it.
`Well, you’d hardly have fit on Clarissia’s old one.
`Well,’ and he mimicked her tone exactly, `it’s much appreciated,’ he said, sliding onto the couch and giving a sigh as his legs were supported beyond his long feet.
`With the stuff we’ll have to shift today, Kincaid, comfort is as essential as placement. Lionasha,’ and she raised her voice, `what’s first?’ `The big daddy for the moon base – Laria pointed to the placement tri-d in the screens above the couches. `We’ve more inner system traffic than most Towers.
She saw Kincaid listening to the rising whine of the generators, then felt his mind touch hers.
`It’s all of us today for one of these, Kincaid,’ she said and took first Lionasha and then Vanteer into the merge with the T-2 as back-up. The generators reached the required strength and Laria pushed the merge to port the cargo carrier deftly to the cradle awaiting it on the moon base.
Kincaid turned his head to grin at her. `So that’s how a real Tower handles mass.’ `The first of many. And thank goodness we’ve got eight `Dinis for ground handlers. They really are the best!’ Kincaid fell into the rhythm as if he’d been a part of the Tower complement for years. Neither Vanteer nor Lionasha would have commented on how easily he fitted in but Laria could nevertheless feel their relief Most before they knew it, they had swung the significant volume of outgoing traffic and were beginning to haul in the out-of-system. By the time Clarf’s sun reached zenith Laria called a halt. Despite the air conditioning, the Tower room was becoming uncomfortable.