Part 6 (1/2)

”You're a pilot. She's a pilot. Maybe I'll pick up some pointers.” Grinning, Rusty retired from the field and flung himself into a sideline seat. ”Besides, I need a break. You don't want me to keel over dead from exertion, do you?”

”Now, that would be a tragedy. So young, so hand some, so wealthy-he had all to live for...Ms.

Mendoza? Are you interested in a game? Observe that you have the advantage of youth over dissipated old age.”

Priscilla swallowed a laugh. Lina frowned.

”Certainly, Captain. I'll be happy to play with you. Will you offer me a handicap?”

”You should offer one to me,” he said, setting his gla.s.s aside and wandering toward the table.

”Remember that I'm frail, please, and easily bruised. You'll serve?”

She nodded, and the ball was even then skimming smoothly over the net... to be returned with casual force, heading toward the edge of the table, barely brus.h.i.+ng; it was caught as it struck and sent backspinning over the net, to be returned again, barely inside her play zone, then flipped by a cunning paddle edge back into his court.

”Twenty-seven, twenty-five,” Priscilla said nearly forty minutes later. She actually grinned at the man opposite. ”Good game, Captain.”

”Fighting for every point,” he agreed, laying his paddle down and moving in the direction of his wine.

”Notice, please, Rusty, that I barely won. Have you picked up any pointers?”

”Huh? I'm gonna retire to a home for the physically degenerate.” The radio tech shook his head. ”You're so fast! If I hadn't heard it hit, I'd've thought you were runnin' a scam: pretending to have a game with an invisible ball.”

Priscilla drifted over to Lina's chair and sat carefully on an upholstered arm. The Liaden woman smiled up at her. ”You played very well, my friend.”

Friend. The word was unexceptional from Lina, yet Priscilla never heard it without a small thrill of warmth. She smiled gently. ”Thank you.” She moved her shoulders in response to a slight twinge. ”No excuse for not sleeping tonight.”Lina s.h.i.+fted. ”You have not been sleeping? On our s.h.i.+p?”

Priscilla allowed herself the luxury of another grin. ”I sleep better on this s.h.i.+p than-than I sometimes do.”

She moved her shoulders again, half a shrug. ”It's nothing. I get by.”

”In two days we are at Scandalous,” the smaller woman offered, apropos of nothing. ”A drop only. Then, in three days more, we are at Arsdred. Do you like us, now that you have been here a whole week?”

”Has it been a week?” The question woke echoes of Shan yos'Galan's voice in her mind's ear, and she smiled again, almost lazily. ”I like you very much. Everyone's been kind...” Except Kayzin Ne'Zame, of course. What ailed the woman? She glanced down and saw Lina's small golden hand resting on the chair arm at her knee. It looked strong and capable and curiously pleasing. With hardly a thought except that it would be comforting to do so, Priscilla laid her own hand over it-and flicked her eyes, startled, to the other woman's face.

Lina smiled at her.

Priscilla sighed; the sound seemed to come from very far away. Friend, she thought, and her fingers tightened around Lina's. She received warm pressure in return and smiled for the fourth time in five minutes. From across the room she heard the soothing murmur of voices: Rusty and the captain, speaking between themselves. She shook her head. ”I must be more tired than I thought...”

”Yes? Would you like to go to bed? I will walk with you, if you like.”

Priscilla looked into the face of her friend. G.o.ddess, it would be hard to tell Lina good-bye... ”I'd like you to come with me,” she said softly. ”That would be good.”

”I think so, too,” Lina said, and stood, keeping their hands linked.

Across the room, Rusty suddenly sighed. ”Here I thought she liked me,” he complained, ”and then she goes off with Lina!”

Shan glanced around absently. ”I'm afraid you were outgunned. Lina was wearing that new perfume of hers.”

”Was she?” He looked up, all interest. ”d.a.m.n. That stuff's gonna make us rich.”

They reached Priscilla's quarters and entered together when the door slid away. Just inside, Lina stopped and smiled up at her tall companion a little quizzically. Cautiously, she touched the bruise on the pale cheek. ”I am sorry that they hurt you, my friend.”

”It wasn't so bad...” Priscilla murmured, gazing down into her face. Already the pain-and the memory of pain-was fading.

s.h.i.+PYEAR 65.

TRIPDAY 136.

THIRD s.h.i.+FT.

11.30 HOURS.

AROUND SCANDALOUSMaster Frodo the norbear burbled happily and ran to the port opening as fast as his bowed legs would carry him. His three companions came more slowly from their cozyplaces and followed, Tiny uttering a small, dignified bwrrr of welcome.

Priscilla carefully measured out three portions and placed each in its appointed place. Tiny, Delm Briat, and Lady Selph fell to with a will, while Master Frodo stood by, fairly quivering with antic.i.p.ation. As the last measure was placed, he extended a small clawed hand and snagged a fold of sleeve.

”Did you think I'd forgotten you?” Priscilla asked as he clambered into her hand. Master Frodo rubbed his head against her fingers.

Smiling, Priscilla brought him to her shoulder. He rolled off and sat up on hind legs, one hand clutching the curls over her ear while with the other he solemnly accepted pieces of corn and stuffed them into his cheek pouches.

”It's the tower for me today,” Priscilla confided as Master Frodo broke his fast. ”I'm to report to Tonee sig'Ella by Twelfth Hour.”

Her companion vouchsafed no direct reply, though he let her know by the quality of his eating that Tonee sig'Ella was not a bad sort, received everywhere by nor-bears of consequence.

Since Priscilla was able to verify by the sign-out that Tonee was no infrequent visitor to the norbears'

hearth, this information was not startling. She thanked Master Frodo for his recommendation, however, and scratched him lightly between the ears before replacing him in the tank.

He settled to the sandy soil with a little sigh and twisted his head sideways, peering upward, one paw raised in supplication.

Priscilla grinned again. ”No more for you,” she said sternly, rubbing his belly with a gentle forefinger.

”You're getting positively fat.”

Master Frodo let it be known that among norbears a certain portliness of figure was considered attractive. Priscilla might, of course, think what she would. He did not like to mention it, but she could use a little extra corn to advantage.

Caught in the imagined dialogue, she shook her head. ”I've always been scrawny,” she said, closing the hatch and sealing it.

She shook her head again. Talking to yourself like a Seer. If anybody catches you, they'll have you down in sick bay before Master Frodo can give you a reference.

But the thought failed to alarm her. Lina had in fact caught her talking to Master Frodo a s.h.i.+ft or two back. The Liaden woman's only response had been to tug on one rounded ear and warn Priscilla not to let the norbear charm her out of extra rations.

”He is a rogue, this one,” Lina had explained, laughing at the creature's antics. ”And you must not be taken in. He will exploit you shamelessly.”

Priscilla left the pet library by way of the side door, which gave onto the library proper. Lina was at the desk, frowning at her screen, but she glanced up with a smile. Still unused to such warm and easy friends.h.i.+p, Priscilla caught her breath. ”Everyone's taken care of,” she said, striving for serenity. ”I'm going up to the tower now.”

”So? Call me to Tonee's attention. We have not met often this trip.” She touched the back of a slim palehand. ”Shall we share prime meal, my friend?”

”Yes.” She drew breath against the pounding of her heart.