Maati finally realized that the only way she could have time away from the viizaar was if she did what the viizaar was already accusing her of, and dragged her heels on certain errands.
Like her last one. Late in the evening, in the middle of a downpour, she had been sent to the spaceport to take Tharimye, -who was on comshed duty, a basket of hand-plucked greens prepared for him personally by the viizaar. A little note was attached to make sure he knew how he was favored.
When she’d handed him the basket, though, Thariinye had groaned. “Oh, no,” he’d said.
Maati shook the water from her mane and peered into the basket. “What’s the matter? Don’t you like those sorts? Because I’m not going to take them back to her. My feet are sore. She keeps me running day am) night now. I’m tired.” She flopped back into the second corn-console chair and sprawled.
“I’m sorry, little one. You want any of these? They’re perfectly good grasses. I’m just not, you know, wanting to accept any favors from our lady leader.”
Maati’s eyes narrowed and she studied him a moment. Thariinye had changed a little since he and Khornya first returned from the galaxy of her people. He had been sooo full of himself when they arrived, and had boasted that he and Khornya were to be handfasted as lifemates. But later, oddly, Maati had heard from many young females to whom Thariinye had also paid court. They were all complaining that if only Khornya had no claim on him, Thariinye would gladly ask them to graze with him forever. But really, as he and Maati both very well knew, Khornya hardly liked him at all, much less wanted him for a lifemate. Thamnye was very handsome, if you liked the tall, slim, muscular type, but Khornya was somehow … older, smarter than he was, and she didn’t like his attitude-Thariinye was a bit conceited. But Maati had to admit that any male who could successfully string along so many females who could read minds “ad to have something going for him. A lot of nylirl, Grandam said. Which meant something similar to courage, except that it meant he was courageous enough to act on things he shouldn’t actually be acting on and say things he shouldn’t really be saying.
Maybe she’s just letting you know she doesn’t think you’re so bad, even though those ladies complained about you wooing both of them,” Maati ventured, with a little of her own nyliri, watching him to see what he would say.
A crack of thunder heralded a gust of wind that sent rain splashing in huge puddles against the viewports of the comshed. In the distance, jagged lightning sliced through the blackened sky, strobing the night with brief but brilliant flashes.
Thariinye snorted and gave her a smile as phony as the one he gave his extra girlfriends. “Such a sweet little youngling you are, Maati. Of course she doesn’t think I’m so bad. After hearing all those other girls tell her what a splendid specimen of manhood I am, she’s courting me herself.”
It was Maati’s turn to snort. “You’ve been away from space too long, Thariinye! You’ve got ground-sickness!” It was the sort of joke the spacers made about ground people and ground people made about spacers to explain their peculiarities. It was the only thing Maati could think of, other than Thariinye’s high opinion of himself, to explain -why he would imagine that the vllzaar capable of any softer, more female feelings at all.
“No. No. It’s true. She fancies me. Always says so. Told me she thinks I need a more experienced woman to guide me, keep me in line, and yet be able to indulge my little flights of independence. Youngling, that is the last thing I need. No Khieevi will ever scare me as much as that woman!” He shuddered so hard his mane shook and his skin twitched.
Maati was shocked. “But Liriili is really oG>. She’s almost as old as Grandam, I bet as old as Neeva, anyway and you’re well, I’m just a kid and even I remember when you were still a dapple gray!”