THE CRUCIBLE OF TIME BY JOHN BRUNNER

Even though she had no luminants, and as yet only a shred of moon was visible, very close to the horizon, Thilling slipped away to a spot where a few cautious bites convinced her the food was safe, or at least safer. Glancing up on hearing a noise nearby, she was amazed to discover that Awb was here already. Good for him!

But he was tensing as though afraid of being reprimanded, and small wonder, for that was certainly how Phrallet would have reacted. Suddenly full of sympathy for this young’un, Thilling said sharply, “All right, keep your pith from boiling! What made you come this way?”

“I just didn’t like the smell of what the mounts were eating,” he muttered.

“Nor do I. I think that worn-out old nag they assigned to us is going to rot in her pad-marks before we get where we’re going … By the way!”

“Yes?”

“I’m sorry I accused you of dropping my leaf-packs. I’ve been watching you all this bright, and I’m satisfied that you’ve been taking great care of my gear. I’m also convinced that there’s something in what Eupril says about poison. When you’re through eating, come and set up my dark-bower. I expect all today’s images to be faulty.”

“Do you want them, then?” Awb countered in confusion.

“What I mostly want is to do Drotninch and Byra in the eye because I have an eye that they don’t. If I’d been here with the original expedition that chose the observatory site—! But never mind that. I sense something’s bothering you. Out with it!”

“Are you really going to spend all dark developing your—uh— leaves?”

“And why not?”

“Well, I’d have thought…” Awb shifted uncomfortably from pad to pad. “You know—review today into memory, build up pressure for tomorrow…” He subsided, more at a loss than ever.

“Oh, there’s plenty of time for that while you’re waiting for images to develop—”

It was her turn to break off, gazing at him with astonishment in the faint starshine. “Are you trying to tell me you’ve never been educated in dark-use?”

“I don’t know what you mean!”

“Oh, dear!” Seizing a clump of funqi, she settled beside him. “It’s no news to me that cities like Voosla are behind the times, but this is incredible.”

“Sorry to appear so ignorant,” Awb muttered resentfully.

“Oh, I don’t mean to be matronizing, I promise. But … Look, young’un, I just took it for granted that you must have your own version of dark-use training. I mean, I know the People of the Sea are contemptuous of landlivers who can’t move to avoid bad weather or follow the best seasons, and the rest of it, and what’s more I know they can turn to in mid-dark and cope with gales and storms, so … Well, surely we have to exploit all the time at our disposal if we’re to meet the challenge of the future, right? You know what I mean by that, at least?”

“Of course!”

“That’s a mercy … Oh, I’m starting to sound like Phrallet, and I’m ashamed. She’s anti-male, by the rude way she treats you, and I’m not. I admit I’m sterile, and the fertility treatment won’t take in me, but that’s neither here nor there. Just makes me wonder about those it took in much too well! But I sense you have a whole branchful of questions, so I’ll see if I can answer them without being told what they are.”

She filled her mantle for a long speech; he heard the hiss.

“Why shan’t I mind if my images are faulty? Because I think the faults may teach us something we never knew before. Why am I appalled that you haven’t been trained in proper dark-use? Because I don’t hail from where you think I do. You believe I’m from Chisp, don’t you?”

“I—ah—I did assume…”

“Eat your assumptions, then. I was budded in the Lugomannic Archipelago.”

“Where Gveest discovered the cure for infertility?” Awb burst out, and was instantly horrified at himself, because she had just mentioned her own sterility. But her only reaction was mild amusement.

“More to the point: where someone you never heard of, called Pletrow, realized after she’d finally had the bud of her own which she longed for that in order to cope with the consequences of Gveest’s success there had to be a means of exploiting dark-time, instead of squandering it.”

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