Part 21 (1/2)
”No, Captain.” Serenity was in sight... then achieved. Priscilla took a relaxed breath and a drink.
Across from her, the captain stiffened: he shook his head sharply and stood. ”I think those are the important points, Priscilla. You'll begin your training with Kayzin at First Hour. I will see you on the bridge for pilot training at Sixth. There will be a copy of the second mate's contract on your screen when you wake. Good night.”
Such abruptness was hardly like him. But he must be tired, too, she thought, and offered him a smile as she bowed.”Good night, Captain.”
The door closed behind her, and Shan's knees gave way. He hit the chair with a gasp and hid his face in his hands.
He mastered himself with an effort, levered out of the chair, and turned toward the red-striped door to his personal quarters. Then he stopped.
Turning away, he crossed the room and went down the hall.
The crew hall was quiet and dimly lit: a blessing to his pounding head. He found the door by instinct and laid his hand against the plate.
For a moment he despaired. She was not there...
The door slid aside. Honey-brown eyes blinked up at him. ”Shan?” Then she slid her arm about his waist and drew him within. ”My poor friend! What has happened? Ahh, denubia...”
Allowing himself to be seated on the bed, he pushed his face into the warm hollow between her shoulder and neck and he felt the Healing begin.
”She shut me out, Lina. Twice, she shut me out.”
s.h.i.+PYEAR 65.
TRIPDAY 155.
FOURTH s.h.i.+FT.
20.00 HOURS.
The contract was extremely clear; attached was an addendum providing the amount the second mate was due at Solcintra and the formula by which it had been figured. The addendum stated that the sum was not fixed and would be refigured upon final docking using the same formula and taking into account any additional bonuses, finder's fees, s.h.i.+p-points, or debts.
Priscilla placed her hand against the screen and felt the slight electric p.r.i.c.kle against her palm as the machine recorded the print. Beep! Contract sealed.
Her hand curled into a loose fist as she took it away from the screen; she stared at it. Then, grinning, she turned to put on her s.h.i.+rt.
Lina's door was opening as Priscilla rounded the corner; she lengthened her stride.
”Good morning.”
”Priscilla! Well met, my friend. I thought myself exiled to eating this meal alone, so slugabed have I been!”
It had done her good, Priscilla thought. Lina was glowing; eyes sparkling, mouth softly curving, she radiated satisfied pleasure. ”You're beautiful,” she said suddenly, reaching out to take a small golden hand.
Lina laughed. ”As much as it naturally must grieve me to differ with a friend, I feel it necessary to inform you that among the Clans one is judged to be but moderately attractive.””Blind people” Priscilla muttered, and Lina laughed again.
”But I have heard you are to begin as second mate in only an hour!” she said gaily. ”Ge'shada, denubia.
Kay-zin is very careful, but she is not a warm person. It is her way. Do not regard it.”
”No, I won't,” Priscilla agreed, looking at her friend in awe.
”It is a shame that you will not have time to come regularly to the pet library now,” Lina was rattling on.
”You have done so much good there. I never thought to see the younger sylfok tamed at all. Others have remarked the difference there as well. Why, Shan said only this morning-”
Priscilla gasped against the flare of pain, and flung away from jealousy toward serenity- To find her way barred and a small hand tight around her wrist as Lina cried out, ”Do not!”
She froze, within and without. ”All right.”
”Good.” Lina smiled. ”Shan and I are old friends, Priscilla. Who else might he come to, when he was injured and in need? And you-denubia, you must not s.h.i.+eld yourself so abruptly, without the courtesy of a warning! It hurts. Surely you know... surely your instructors never taught you to treat a fellow Healer so?”
”Fellow-” She struggled with it and surrendered to the first absurdity. ”Do you mean you're open all the time?”
Lina blinked. ”Should I huddle behind the Wall forever, afraid to use what is mine? Do you deliberately choose blindness, rather than use your eyes? I am a Healer! How else should I be but open?”
Priscilla was bombarded with puzzlement-affection-exasperation-lingering pleasure. She fought for footing against the onslaught and heard her friend sigh.
”There is no need to befuddle yourself. Can you close partially? It is not this moment necessary for you to scan every nuance.”
She found the technique and fumbled it into place like a novice. The pounding broadcast faded into the background. She took a breath, her mind already busy with the second absurdity. ”Shan is a... Healer?
A man!
Lina's mouth curved in a creampot smile. ”It is very true than Shan is a man,” she murmured, while Priscilla felt the green knife twist in her again. ”It is also true that he is a trained and skilled Healer. Do I love you less, denubia, because I also love others?”
”No...” She took another breath, pursuing the absurdity. ”It-on Sintia, men, even those initiated to the Circle, are not Soulweavers. It's taught that they don't have the ability.”
”Perhaps on Sintia they do not,” Lina commented dryly. ”Shan is Liaden, after all, and Sintia's teaching has not yet reached us. Those of us who may bear it are taught to pay attention, to use the information provided by each of our senses. Shan is not one of those who may do nothing but learn to erect the Wall and keep their sanity by never looking beyond; nor am I. And it hurts, denubia, to be in rapport with someone, only to be-without cause and without warning-shut out. You must not do so again. An emergency is another matter: you act to save yourself. Should you find that you must s.h.i.+eld yourself from another Healer, it is proper to say, Forgive me, I require privacy/ before going behind the Wall.”
Priscilla hung her head. ”I didn't mean to hurt him. I meant to s.h.i.+eld him. I thought I was generatinga-false echo, because I was tired.”
Rea.s.surance, warmth, and affection flowed in. Priscilla felt her chest muscles loosen and looked up, to find Lina smiling.
”He knows that the hurt was not deliberate. The best balance is simply not to do it again.” She held out a hand. ”Come, we will have to gulp our food!”
TREALLA FANTROL, LIAD.
YEAR NAMED TROLSH.
THIRD RELUMMA.
BANIM SECONDAY.
Taam Olanek took another appreciative sip of excellent brandy. Nova yos'Galan had been called from the party some minutes ago. ”Business,” she had murmured to Eldema Glodae, with whom she had been speaking. Olanek allowed himself the indulgence of wondering what sort of business might keep the First Speaker of Liad's first Clan-why, after all, dress the thing up in party clothes?-so long from the entertainment of which she was host.
True, there was Lady Anthora, barely out of university and comporting herself with the ease of one ten years her senior. She was at present listening with pretty gravity to Lady yo'Hatha. He toyed with the idea of rescuing the child from the old woman's clutches, but even as he did, Anthora managed the thing with a grace that filled him with admiration. Not the beauty her sister was-too full of breast and hip for the general taste-but no lack of brains or flair.
No lack of that sort in any of them, Olanek admitted to himself. Even the gargoyle eldest had wit sharp enough to cut.
Their fault-collectively and individually-lay in their youth. G.o.ds willing, they would outgrow, or out-maneuver, that particular failing without mishap, and Korval would continue bright and unwavering upon its pinnacle.