Part 4 (1/2)
”It shall be done,” declared the T'carais, rising to full height Gingerly, he extended a hand to the sround
In a ers about Edger's few, and allowed himself to be helped to his feet
THEY REACHED HIS new brother's vessel in the near dark of the thirdupon his lance; the T'carais'a wore the man's knapsack on his back like a soft leather shell
Voices carried on the night air: two, raised in dishar the clearing as a T'carais should
The Broodmother cut off in mid-lament; bowed as deeply as she was able His brother inclined his head, reading the weariness in hier stopped,those behind to come forward
Hand-in-hand, they did so; stopped before T'caraisiana'ab and Brood
The Broodmother looked up and resumed her outcry
”You see what I have told you! It !” She turned to Edger, every line of her pleading justice ”Will you not slay it, T'carais? You have seen with your eyes how evil-”
”SILENCE!” bellowed Edger and the Brood rapidly Handler looked from his brother to the sestured and Handler brought his head up, listening, that he ht later recall precisely
”Let it be known,” the T'carais began, regally, and in the tongue known as Trade, ”that this man Val Con yos'Phelium Scout has this day saved the lives of both the T'carais of the Knife Clan and the T'carais'aht have run and been safe
”Arainst A'jliata, suffering pain and possible pere in the service of T'carais and Clan
”Let it further be known,” Edger continued, ”that this person shall come into the clan as my brother, which he has earned His name in present fullness shall be stated at the ceremony of adoption”
He fixed the bewildered Brood into the only speech she understood ”This person is honored by me, as he will be honored by the clan, for bravery and service Know that he alone slew the eldest A'jliata, thereby preserving the line of the T'carais of the Knife Clan I will hear no further words against him Do you understand what I have said?”
She lowered her head ”I understand you, T'carais”
”It is good Now, take the T'carais'amp and attend hier!”The Broode, who set up a squall and clung to his soft friend
Val Con shi+fted away, prying clutching fingers from his arm ”Gently, child,” he murmured in Trade, ”you'll break me”
The Broodmother added a few quick words of her own on the subject and the T'carais'aer looked at his brother Handler
”Find you our brother Selector and choose a worthy blade from the Room of Men”
Handler inclined his head; turned to the ained so valiant a brother, Val Con yos'Phelium Scout, ” he said forer, brow up ”I do not understand, T'carais You slew-A'jliata-not I Why honor er blinked ”I hurried what you had contrived A blind creature in the wild is already dead I but showed it the ave it death with your light” He slun tirelessness with this, his brother
”Will you gather the objects of your name and subsistence, Brother? It is past time that ere ho everyti up at the T'carais Then he smiled and turned toward the shi+p
”I will not be long”
”So be it,” said Edger, settling to wait He considered the T'car and sighed gustily
”Aaii, and they called me hasty anon!”
A Day at the Races
THE SKY WAS nearly Terran blue overhead, shading to a reen toward planetary east Shadoere beginning their long evening stretch across the lawns, from the topiarys of a spaceworker Despite the peremptory summons from his sister, he had walked fro the taste of natural air
He paused by the cumbersome landau parked ht noble Lady Kareen yos'Pheliuue to Preserve the Purity of the Tongue, and Chairperson Eht
Scout Captain Val Con yos'Pheliuhed Perhaps it was not too late to turn about, catch the evening shuttle to Chonselta City, and thus avoid any contact with his father's sister, a course he had pursued whenever possible throughout his childhood and halfling yearsHe sighed again No, he decided, better to attend to the business at once and have done
Thus virtuously armed, he continued up the drive and let hi in a s the sound of two voices The first was unue ringing in bell-like purity The answering voice was lower in pitch and inflection: his fostersister, Nova yos'Galan
Val Con sighed for yet a third tie parlor He bowed to his aunt and kissed his pale sister lightly on the cheek
”Su, ”Will you drink, Aunt? I see you are unrefreshed”
”Thank you,” said that lady austerely, ”but no I am unable to take a crumb of sustenance; nor even a thimbleful of wine”
Val Con blinked and darted a look at his sister, who avoided his eyes No enlightenment from that quarter Heon the carved arm, he shook his head
”That sounds very bad, I ht noble sniffed ”I am quite well-physically Thank you, my Lord Your concern warms my heart”
Score one for Aunt Kareen Val Con hastily schooled his face to that expression of distant interest considered proper when speaking with other ive me, Aunt; I meant no disrespect The difficulty is that I have only recently returned to Liad My sister's e met me at Scout Headquarters, and I obeyed her instructions immediately You will understand that this left me no time to discover the nature of your trouble
”I am ready to hear,” he concluded, most properly, ”and feel certain that all ood, then,” said Aunt Kareen, greatly rieves me that the cause of my distress is the First speaker, your-kinsard in which you hold him, my Lord; and on a minor matter I would not, of course, approach you However, this case is such that I a it to the attention of yourself, ill lead Korval next as Delm” Her eyes sharpened ”If you will ever bestir yourself to take the Ring, of course”
Val Con resisted the teain with effort, he h one eyebrow did slip upward, just a little
”Has Shan slighted you, Aunt? It does not seem like him He is very conscientious in his duty as First-Speaker-in-Trust It is true that his ood and-”
”He is an outrageous rantipole and a disgrace to the Clan!” snapped his aunt She took a bosoe silk kerchief
”Forgive me It was not my intention to speak thus of a kinss on Lord yos'Galan's past-adventures-have not escaped notice”