Part 43 (1/2)
”Ah And so more of your friend-Bell-if you please? For I do not believe, despite our abundance of Dons, that we have any scouts named Bell”
Cyra bit her lip ”He is a Terran-an artist Last night, the apartment house he lived in fell down, and-”
”Now I have the fellow!” Captain sig'Radia cried, and grinned with every appearance of delight ”What we heard on the Port is that he knocked down a prepared, on-duty proctor, barehanded Quite an accoh I don't expect the proctors think so No sense of humor, proctors”
”It must be unpleasant,” Cyra murmured, ”after all, to be knocked down””Oh, wonderfully unpleasant,” the Scout agreed happily ”Especially with the rest of your tea how possibly to explain the cycles, and the tragedy of Bell being without his paints now ”If you please, Bell-it is very bad ” She stammered to a halt
”Complicated, eh?” the Scout said sympathetically ”Come, let us be private”
She took Cyra's ar friends, and escorted her out of the main room and down a hall
”Ah, here we are,” the Scout said, and put her pally, utterly silent
The lights came up as they walked down the roo at the size of the chaht and held by a projection on the front wall-a planetscape, it was, showing a sun and a great-ringed planet in the distance and a close up portion of bluish-green ath her like a bolt, though she had never seen this painting, but the composition, the eloquence the work-it could only be- ”That is Djymbolay, is it not?” she asked the Scout captain, her voice shaking
The woman looked at her in open wonder ”It is, indeed How did you know?”
”My friend Bell painted the original of that” She used her chin to point
The captain looked, face very serious now ”I see You will then be coinal is safe in the World Room” She looked back to Cyra, her smile crooked
”And your friend Bell is by extrapolations no lorious madman
Allow me to see if the Scout is within our reach”
SUMMONED, JON DEA'CORT arrived quickly and heard the tale out with a grin alht of his powers When all was said, he looked to Cyra, and inclined his head
”Your Bell, he is at what stage in his continuing journey?”
She blinked against the rise of unexpected tears and
Please-”
He held up a hand ”Yes You were right to co'Radia, who lifted an eyebrow
”A change of custody, I think,” he said to her ”Certainly, they will insist that he be heard, and fined, but hetank at once and allowed to paint before drunk-and-disorderly becomes cold murder”
Cyra sat up, horrified ”Bell would not-” A bright glance stopped her
”Would he not? Perhaps you are correct But let us not put hirinned suddenly, scout-ic flows from his brush this time”
THEY GAVE HER A room, and a meal, and promised to fetch her, when Bell was arrived She ate and laid down on the bed,to close her eyes for a moment only
”Cyra?” The voice was quiet, but unfamiliar ”It is I, Jon dea'Cort Your Bell is safe”
She sat up, blinking, and found the Scout seated on the edge of her bed, face serious
”Is he well?” she demanded ”Is he-”
He held up a hand ”Would you see hi”
”Yes!”
”Come then,” he said, and he led her out and down the hall to a lift, then down, down, down, perhaps to the very core of the planet, before the doors opened, and there was another hall, which they walked until it intersected another They turned right Jon dea'Cort put his hand against a door, which slid, silently, open, and they stepped into a large and well-lit studio
Bell was at the farther end of the roo with that focused, feverish look on his face that she had come to knoell-and to treasure
The Scout touched her hand, and tipped his head toward the door Cyra followed hi desires to sing and weep ”He will crash-soe place, with this interruption-I do not know Someone-someone should pay attention to him”
”Surely,” the Scout sand aht to be yourself, if you are able?”
She hesitated for aof the shop in Low Port, and then inclined her head ”I a, and found Bell gazing seriously down at her
Having gained her attention, he went to a knee, and raised his hand to her face She nestled her cheek into the caress
”Are you sorry, Cyra? To leave your home, to be rootless, companioned to inconvenient Bell, and in the sphere of Scouts”
She laughed and turned her face, brushi+ng her lips against his pal
”What is this? You will be painting to that you are on the down-cycle!”
He sertip to her nose before dropping his hand to his knee ”You know me too well But, truly, Cyra ”