She was aware of a sort of revolution going on within her. Attitudes she had taken for granted since budlinghood were changing without her willing it. It was like having to endure a private earthquake. She had been dazzled by the idea that one day she too could be Jingfired; she was growing into the habit of behaving herself appropriately. But now she was constantly wondering: do I really want it after all?
“Excuse me!”
A voice addressed her in an unfamiliar accent. She turned to see a she’un not much older than herself.
“Yes?”—more curtly than she intended.
“Aren’t you Albumarak, who helped to rescue Karg?”
It was pointless to deny the fact. Any number of strangers recognized her nowadays.
“My name is Omber. I’m from the space-site at Slah.”
Albumarak’s interest quickened. She knew that a delegation of scientists had arrived a few days ago, to take their pilot home and negotiate for recovery of his cylinder. But this was the first time she had met one of them.
“Ah! I suppose you’ve been to visit Karg, then.”
“They won’t let us!” was the astonishing response.
“What?”
“Literally! Not even Yull—she’s my chief, second-in-command of the entire project and the senior member of our group—not even she has been allowed to see him yet. Do you have any idea why?”
“This is the first I’ve heard about it!” Albumarak declared.
“Really?” Omber was taken aback. “Oh … Oh, well, then I won’t trouble you any further. But I did rather assume—”
With rising excitement Albumarak interrupted. “No, I assure you! I’m horrified! What possible reason can they have to stop Karg’s friends from visiting him, even if he isn’t well enough to talk yet?”
“I’m not exactly a friend of his,” Omber said. “I only met him once or twice during his training. If it were just a matter of myself, I wouldn’t be surprised. But Yull…! How is he, really? I suppose you’ve seen him recently?”
“They won’t let me see him either,” Albumarak answered grimly. “They didn’t let Presthin, come to that.”
“Presthin—? Oh, yes: the goadster! You mean not even she…? This is ridiculous! Excuse me; one doesn’t mean to be impolite to one’s host city, but it is, isn’t it?”
“It’s incredible!”
“You don’t suppose … No, I oughtn’t even to say it.”
“Go ahead,” Albumarak urged.
Omber filled her mantle. “You don’t suppose he’s being submitted to some sort of experimental treatment, and it’s going wrong? We can’t find out! Not many people here care to talk to us, and the people from our permanent trade mission say it’s always the same for them, too.”
“You make me ashamed for my own city!”
“That’s very kind and very reassuring.” Abruptly Omber sagged, revealing that she was dreadfully tired. “Excuse me, but I haven’t had a proper rest since we boarded the floater. Yull sent me up here to have one more go at persuading the staff to admit us, while she went to see some official or other about recovering the cylinder. Not that there’s much hope of our getting it back before the spring, apparently. They’re making excuses about the danger from its unexpended fuel, and nobody understands that the colder it is, the safer. I mean, I work with it every day of my life, back home, and we haven’t had any accidents with it, not ever, not even once. By the spring, though, venting it could really be hazardous. Still, with a bit of luck Yull will manage to make them listen.”
There was a pause. Except for the hardiest, most of the crowd surrounding the healing-house had dispersed or sought shelter. Abruptly Albumarak realized that she had kept Omber standing in the pouring rain, and hastily urged her to the nearest bower.
“Do you think your colleagues will believe that even I haven’t been allowed to see Karg?” she demanded.
Omber gave a curl of faint amusement. “I believe you entirely. And nothing in this weird city is likely to surprise me after that. Yes, I think they will.”
“But just in case they don’t…” Albumarak’s mind was racing. “Would you like me to tell them personally?”
“Why—why, that’s too much to ask! But it would be wonderful! That is, if you can spare the time?”