Acorna was surprised. She was not used to talking as much as she had talked the night before. It was easy to talk to Grandam though. The funny thing was, sometimes Acorna knew that Grandam didn’t merely hear her words-that she saw Acorna’s own memories as well, felt what Acorna was feeling as she remembered, felt as she had felt while experiencing the events the memories recorded. But with Grandam Naadiina, Acorna didn’t worry about what was thought-talk and what was verbal. She knew without needing to question that Grandam understood what she was trying to communicate, however she communicated it. And that, Grandam’s willingness and ability to really know her, was what had drawn her out. It had been that way somewhat with Neeva and the others, but there had always been their own thoughts, their considerations of what was and was not Linyaari, that got in the way.
Grandam smiled at Acorna in the brief pause the girl took before speaking and nodded. “I see that you have shared enough with me already. It has been my pleasure hearing your tales. They are so different from anything else one hears on this planet, among our people. Never fear, granddaughter, that you are unworthy. Our people don’t yet know you or understand you but they will.”
Acorna took a deep breath and straightened her spine. “Not if I don’t make the attempt to get to know them, Grandam. Apparently I cannot help out with the crisis in space, but perhaps I can at least offer comfort to those left behind here on the planet. The gifts have given me an opening. First, I must try to learn who sent each bundle and thank them, and visit with them, and not bare my teeth.” Her mouth curled in a smile but she determinedly kept her lips closed. “I must also speak with the people who designed the dresses they so kindly sent-and pay for the two I altered to suit myself.”
“That is not necessary, you know. It’s all been put on Neeva’s account at her instruction.”
“Nevertheless, I fear I insulted them and after I saw how everyone was dressed last night, I better understood the intent of the designers. I would like to tell them so.”
“That would be most gracious, my dear. They are very silly though, these fashions.”
Acorna could not truthfully debate that point, but continued. “Be that as it may, I was told that there was a possibility that some day I would return to Kezdet and Maganos and my human friends as an ambassador of the Linyaari. I don’t seem to be making a good start of it yet. So perhaps, since I don’t yet know exactly what it is to be a Linyaari, I should begin to explore that and in the process, practice ambassadorship by trying to represent the culture from which I’ve come in a more positive manner than I seem to have done so far.”
“Bravo!” said Grandam Naadiina. “You have a splendid attitude with which to begin your work, I must say. And perhaps with your broad experience of other worlds, you will be able to ease some of the fears people have for their loved ones in space.”
Acorna’s mind was already so busy planning her day she simply nodded to acknowledge Grandam’s approval. “And also, I would like to meet some of these technoartisans Maati was telling me about, the ones who design, alter, and adapt the technological trade items to Linyaari tastes.”
“They have their own community, actually, but it’s not too far from here to walk, though the path is a bit overgrazed. And you must realize that many of them spend considerable time on other host planets, learning the basics and keeping up with the new developments. A few of them will be on the crews shipping out but by no means all.”
“So they spend a lot of time in space?” Acorna asked. “That’s very interesting. No one in any place I have ever been has ever seen a being like me before the Balaklire came looking for me.”
“Is that so? In some parts of the universe we’re quite a routine sight, you know. But those are peaceful parts, and if they cease to be peaceful, we cease to be seen there.” Her tone had a wry twist to it that made Acorna realize -with some surprise that the words had been thought and not spoken, for she saw an image of Linyaari technoartisans in training hastily vacating a planet where hostilities were erupting.