Johnny Greene clinched it by growling into his ear, “If the manure hits the ventilator in Kezdet, you and the kids will be well out of harm’s way coming with us to see Nadhari and the general. You don’t think the Kendoros and Acorna’s uncles would agree to the Starfarers taking on the recruiting mission unless they thought that was the best way of keeping the Starfarers our of harm’s way, do you?”
“Yeah,” Reamer said, hoping he wouldn’t be sorry. “Count us in,too.”
The entire city-or village, as it seemed more to Acorna-was filled with the sound of people bidding farewell, the sight of people touching horns, and a long hue trudging up to the spaceport, duly accompanied by the Ancestors at their deliberate pace -which would make any space traveler itch for warp speed. In a matter of an hour or two, the Faberge egg crate spaceport was emptied of ships.
Grandam Naadiina, who had been so reassuring the night before, looked suddenly much older as she gazed skyward watching the eggs bounce into the air and disappear beyond the clouds. Then she became very busy about her quarters for quite a while. Maati’s lower lip trembled. “What if they don’t come back? ” she asked aloud.
“The whole fleet? Not come back? Don’t talk foolishness, child,” Grandam said briskly, but Acorna knew the old lady was as upset as the child.
Thariinye appeared at the open flap. “Just thought I’d check up on you ladies. Liriili felt it was important that at least one responsible, well-traveled male remain dirtside to look after the women and children and show a bit of leadership for the other males.”
Grandam’s mouth quirked with annoyance.
Thariinye continued. “Of course, I could have had my pick of berths, but I wished to honor Liriili’s wishes. The poor lady is overwhelmed right now with so much happening.”
“She’s hardly the only one,” Grandam said sharply. “Khomya was going to go visiting this morning but I hardly think people will be in the mood for guests. Perhaps this would be a better time for her to see the compound of the technoartisans. Thariinye, perhaps you could demonstrate a bit of that sterling leadership capability of yours by showing Khomya the way?”
“Certainly, Grandam,” he said with an eagerness that indicated spending time with Khornya was exactly what he washed to do.
The walk was not long but it was very dull. Thariinye went on at great length about his importance in different organizations and families. Acorna saw some long blue grasses she would have liked to ask about, but he was in the middle of a story of how he came to be elected the garange of the Order of the Irriinje, which he did bother to explain was the name for a noble bird which, on the home world, had lent its name to the similarly noble members of the organization. His babble was annoying, but she knew him well enough to realize it was partly because while the emergency had galvanized him to action, there was no action required of him. His nervous energy had nowhere to go. Had she not had so much else to worry about herself, she might have reacted the same way.
Once they reached the technoartisans’ compound, however, the trip became very interesting indeed. The pavilions were as large as landing bays and had a great deal of shiny machinery and many comscreens, plus huge bins of various metals, rocks, and gemstones. Acorna was enthralled by the central area of the huge main pavilion, where a large eggshaped spacecraft in the process of having its outer decoration applied brooded over the bustling technoartisans. It rather looked as if the egg was presiding over the chicken yard, instead of the other way around.
“The hull was shaped two pavilions over,” the artisan in charge told her. He was a fraternity brother of Thaarinye’s and had been introduced to her as Naarye.
Beyond the ship under construction, in the background, sat two gigantic hulls, their hatches gaping and cavernous. Hulking as they were, they had escaped her notice at first, as other work proceeded in front of them and regardless of them, as if they weren’t there. Unlike the ship in the middle, which looked like a flitter by comparison, the leviathans had plain dark paint jobs with no decorations.