Part 19 (2/2)

Stop treating her life a child.

I'll court her my own way, with no help from you.

Just so long as she %nows she's being courted, was Zara's tart reply.

Whaddya mean by that?

If you can't figure it out by yourself'.. . Oh, never mind. Grandfathers sending three T-3'sfor the 'porting and a pair for the 'pathing and older experienced T-5's as expediter and engineer. I'd say that needing five to replace you is a compliment, Roj.

Well, I have brought all the big heavy stuff in with my team.

Stop grousing.

Stop nagging.

CHILDREN! Flavia's cool soprano interrupted their wrangling.

”I think it's a compliment that so many are needed to replace you, Roj,” Asia said when Rojer came into the lounge, still frowning over that exchange.

”Am I leaving too?” Jes Ornigo asked.

”Yes, it'll be almost a complete new crew,” Rojer said, looking at Asia, cool and pretty in a one-piece of a particularly nice shade of green that ended at her knees. She had cute knees. He shook his head impatiently at being diverted from the more important news. ”My grandfather wouldn't dare separate you and Flavia,” he said, grinning at the droll glance Jes gave him. ”There're two experienced T-5's as expediter and engineer and we're to break in our replacements.”

”Does Dr. Esperito get to go to Ciudad Rodrigo?” Asia asked, her expression anxious. Her inherent shyness had made her one of the few who didn't just leave the doctor. He endlessly pontificated to anyone he could catch.

Rojer laughed. ”No. He stays!”

”That's a relief,” Jes and Asia said in unison.

”So when do our replacements get here?” Jes asked.

As soon as you lot stop gossiping and get to your couches, said the unmistakable voice of their grandfather. I'm waiting . . .

”Hold your horses,” Zara murmured under her breath as she and Rojer 'ported themselves into position. Asia had darted to her generators, and when they were needed, they sang sweetly in use.

From the large personnel carrier emerged seven people, including a man in his sixth decade who was the expediter and had been drafted from Blundell Building. The engineer, a younger man, had also been at Blundell and was clearly delighted with what he saw of his new Tower.

The T-3 kinetics were twin brothers and a sister from one of the western Denebian clans that even Rhodri had never met. They were just out of their teens and eager to prove their abilities. The 'paths, Andy and Ivy Dumas, were in their early twenties but obviously already partnered, and they had 'Dini pairs.

”Sorry to rush you into work right away,” Rojer said, not the least bit apologetic, ”but we've some afternoon deliveries and that'll give you some practice while we're still here.”

”You're leaving soon?” asked one of the twins. Rojer didn't stay long enough to know if it was Scott or Stuart who spoke: they were almost identical. Their sister, Sara, was only a year younger and looked enough like them to have been a triplet. The T-5 expediter was from Capella and was known to Jes Ornigo, Flavia and Mallen. Mal was to stay on at Talavera to help the new group settle in.

”No rest for the wicked, you know,” Zara said, indicating that it was her brother who was wicked, then grinned when Asia stepped to Rojer's side supportively.

”We've another a.s.signment, but most of the heavy stuffs been brought in,” Rojer said, pointing to the settlements so obviously built of prefabricated sections. ”If you've been trained at Blundell, you'll do just fine. And the Columbia-and us,” and he indicated Flavia and tapped his chest, ”are only a thought away.”

Ivy Dumas rolled her eyes at that oft repeated Talent reminder, thus recommending herself to Rojer.

”So let's. .h.i.t the Tower . . . gang,” Rojer said, rubbing his hands together. ”Oh, Mal, see if we can rustle up more couches. We can use comformables from the lounge right now, but a good couch is essential for everyone on duty in a Tower.”

The comformables had appeared on the Tower floor by the time Rojer led the five newcomers up the stairs.

Thanks, sis, he said, since he suspected she had done the 'porting.

Happy to oblige.

The two 'paths hadn't caught that exchange, but then they hadn't been included.

Asia was already explaining the vagaries of the Talavera generators to the engineer when the Tower group took their places.

Rojer let the five follow him on a 'port of some faulty units back to Betelgeuse, introducing the new Tower staff to David, and then let the three kinetics bring in some medium-heavy s.h.i.+pments from Procyon, again introducing them to the Tower Prime. By the time Altair had fresh produce and nursery plants to send, Scott, Stuart and Sara were much more at ease and Rojer backed off completely. A shower of the inevitable message tubes startled all of them, but Rojer explained that most message tubes could be sent the entire way by the deliverer and this would happen frequently.

They'll do, was Zara's verdict.

They're too tense.

They're brand-new at it, Flavia said. And Mallens there to lend a hand. I'll bring down the caterers and the others from the Columbia, she added. I'm in the mood for a good party. Asa rule, we don't get much chance to celebrate realignments.

Grandfather's way of making all this shuffling palatable, Rojer replied, but he wasn't opposed to a party. It might even give him the chance he'd been waiting for.

For Pete's sweet safye, don't wait any longer.

Flavia's advice surprised Rojer. She usually minded her own busi- ness. But she'd been aboard the Columbia with Asia long enough to know how young and shy Asia was, how easily intimidated. Why, she wouldn't even brush off old Esperito when he was boring her with his latest observations, usually at the top of his voice as well as his mind.

The four new 'Dinis of Ivy and Andy had been made very welcome and were delighted to help in the yard. They were quite young and a sort of greeny gray. There were no others of their color on Talavera, but the grays said they were close enough to join their house.

Someone had brought out lights for the Tower yard where the Columbia's caterers set up their food dispensers. 'Dinis appeared with chairs and tables gathered from the personnel quarters as well as their own homes. Mal and Jes, with the help of the twins, lit a path in orange to the lake and along the sh.o.r.e. Vestapia and her senior officers had been invited, but no one said a word to Esperito about the upcoming surface investigation of Ciudad Rodrigo.

”He's lonely, you know,” Asia said when Rojer had for the fourth time that night taken her away from Esperito. The old xeno had immediately seized on the old expediter as a listener who was considerate enough to take on the role.

”Small wonder,” Rojer said. ”Why didn't you just invent an errand you'd forgotten?” he demanded, waving his hand about. ”Or remember a message. Or go to the bathroom.”

”I can't keep using the same excuses all the time, Roj,” Asia said meekly, her head down.

”Now, I don't mean that as criticism, Asia,” Rojer said, realizing that one of her more sterling qualities was her innate kindness and forbearance. He reached for her hand, and her fingers curled about his in acknowledgment.

They continued along the orange-lit path in a darkness that was already boasting some night insect sounds.

”Sounds a bit like Deneb,” he added, and daringly put his arm about her shoulders. She was so light-boned. The perfume she was wearing was floral. Pheromones of a pleasant sort.

”Yes, it does.” She grinned up at him. ”Makes all that hard 'porting worth it, doesn't it?” ”It does.” Rojer swung them back to look at the Tower in its illumination.

”You're not going to miss it, are you, Roj?” Asia asked, astonished.

”I am. Sort of. I think. We set it all up, from scratch.”

<script>