Part 18 (2/2)
”Not without Asia,” Elizara interrupted him, waggling a finger.
”I know, I know,” he said, nodding his head to the caution and holding up one hand. ”I want him to have some surface experience as well, with Asia.” He turned to Gollee. ”Is that mixed team you've been training ready to tend Talavera Tower? If they work out, that'll free Rojer ... and Asia . . .” He held up his hand before anyone could remind him.
”Five?” the Rowan said.
”Well, if three T-3's can't handle 'porting and two good T-2 'pathers can't manage in the Tower, we'll have to see just how much support they'd need in a larger merge,” Gollee replied. ”Denebians too.”
”Really?” Elizara said with a sly grin at Jeff.
That's quite enough of that, if you don't mind. Out of deference to the two High Councillors, he added, ”How soon does the Was.h.i.+ngton make its next destination?”
”Two more weeks, I believe,” Gollee said.
”Mmmm,” Jeff murmured ambiguously.
”I can't reach any of them. Neither can Mother,” Laria told everyone in the Tower who had rushed up the stairs at her scream. Kincaid, who had been in merge with her, was clutching his temples in pain. Morag and Kaltia quivered with reaction to the fright they had felt all too I.
clearly. Vanteer and Lionasha had rushed up the Tower. Now Lionasha pa.s.sed restorative beverages to everyone with the firm advice to drink first, talk later.
Laria was still too full of the panic she had sensed, despite the distance between Clarf and Earth, to do more than take quick sips between phrases.
”Somehow . . . they were all... Grandfather, Grandmother, Gollee, Elizara . .. and I'm sure I felt the presence of the two High Councillors as well. . . had all been in danger. I do apologize for broadcasting to all of you too.” She swallowed the rest of the drink, rose and started to reduce the headache she had given Kincaid.
”We all felt surprise, distress, not so much panic,” Kincaid said, gratefully allowing Laria to heal the splitting headache. He felt that his eyes were crossed and kept them closed.
”You s.h.i.+elded us,” Morag said to him almost accusingly. ”Nice of you, but we should have been s.h.i.+elding you,” she added.
”Habit,” he said, his eyes still closed and his shoulders slumped.
”When will we get any details?” Kaltia asked softly, more distressed than any of the others as she kept wringing her hands. ”It's awful not knowing.”
Morag and Lionasha both reached out to comfort her physically, nearly b.u.mping heads in their effort. That bit of nonsense in itself relieved some of the tension.
Where is everybody? Yoshuk demanded. I gave the coordinates, but I can't. . . Oh, something's gone very wrong?
So they had to explain to the Sef Tower Talents what little they knew.
I'll just get the coordinates, Yoshuf^. Lionasha hurried down the stairs.
”Morag, Kaltia, you 'port with me,” Laria said, glad to have something to do. ”Kincaid's mind's in no condition to merge.”
”I . . .” Kincaid got that far before he was flattened by three T-l's gently but firmly to his couch. ”I yield.”
So what happened at Elundell, sis? Rojer asked. Grandmother and Mother shut me up.
When Iknow, I'lltellyou. I suspect we'II all be told at the same time, but if we aren't. . . Here comes your s.h.i.+pment, Yoshufy Laria said, taking her two sisters into merge as gently as she could.
Hey, save your strength, Lar. . . Oh, you have Morag and Kaltia? What happened to Kincaid? . . . Ah yes, well, if he was merge, it's to be expected, I'll keep 'em pacified here, Rojer went on.
Despite the nagging worry about how under all the Star League suns hostiles had invaded the conference room at Blundell Tower, the other Primes continued with their duties.
No one felt much like eating any lunch, but they were all present when feff reported the whole incident.
”Clarissia Negeva?” Laria was so surprised that she spoke aloud, although all the other Talents were listening to Earth Prime's explanation. ”She said she'd get even with us 'weasel lovers' the day she left here.”
Don't blame yourself for her bigotry, Jeff said sternly. You warned us that she was xenophobic, and that was vital information. We simply didn't realize how vital. That she was able to enlist other Capellans is not surprising. To have got to a member of the High Councillor's staff is more unusual.
So, what's happened to them all? Laria demanded without a shred of pity.
Elizara ...
Elizara? But she'll. . .
Don't ever get on the wrong side of Elizara, my dear, her grandfather said in a droll warning. There are limits to even her famous compa.s.sion and understanding. The ”invaders” have been unable to keep any of their sordid little machinations from her searching mind. They also have been deprived of whatever Talent they once enjoyed and are being sent back^ to Capella to serve their penal servitude as menial laborers in frontier garrisons.
And the 'Dim?
It is performing the same salutary function as did the unlamented Prtglm, on Kif, its planet of origin,
eff replied dryly. Gtymglnt p.r.o.nounced sentence. Gollee is full of plans for more advanced security on this level too.
But how did someone like Clarissia get as far as she did?
With two other strong T-2 kinetics, she could get very far once she knew where to look. Now this has been a very tiring day, and while there are other messages for all of you, these will come by tube and are to be divulged on a need-to-know basis. Than you for your immediate support. Can't imagine how I let out my surprise! I suppose one does react with an instinctive Mayday when unexpectedly attached in what is supposed to be an invulnerable chamber.
For the first time in her life, Laria heard a puzzled, almost uncertain note in her grandfather's voice. Her grandfather insecure?
Kincaid reached over and clasped his hand tightly about hers, broadcasting rea.s.surance, shaking his head.
Yes, you would appreciate that better than anyone else, Dano, said Jeff with a chuckle not too far off his usual irrepressible humor. We all had a bit of a shocl^ that we're making very certain cannot be repeated. All right?
Then the presence of feff Raven was gone from their minds.
”Perhaps that was needed, Laria dear,” Kincaid said, leaning toward her and capturing the other hand as well. ”Nothing happened beyond a nasty shock . . .”
”And the punishment of those who dared violate Blundell!” said Morag, her eyes sparkling with anger. Kaltia still looked uncertain.
”We Talents get so we feel we can lick anyone with hands and feet tied down, Kaltia,” Kincaid said gently. ”It isn't true. We all have limits. Even Jeff Raven, the Rowan and the very efficient Gollee Gren.”
”But can you imagine what chaos would result if the Blundell Building had been . . .” Lionasha began.
”It couldn't be,” Vanteer said, so stoutly and angrily that Lionasha recoiled. ”It's far too well protected from the outside . . .”
”That's what I mean. They were inside” Morag said.
”And they were Talents,” Kaltia said, outraged and appalled.
”T-2's and only kinetics,” Morag went on. ”You heard Grandfather. Three could get just about anywhere in Blundell except his office. The meeting was in one of the conference rooms.”
<script>