Part 32 (1/2)
Negative thrust of head.
”You were sad. Now you're happy.”
”I'll make more babies.” And an expression, a sucking, which indicated eating goodness.
”What will happen to the babies at the river?”
”They will grow, eat well, live joylife, build joyhouse to Great Ones.” Interesting. ”Who Great Ones?”
”Ones who come from far away and make magic.”
”The magic that makes the s.h.i.+ps fly?”
”That magic and other magic. For they are truly Great Ones.”
Theresita was getting an idea. She felt that she was beginning to get some answers to questions that had been haunting her.
”Whorsk admire Great Ones?”
”We have no choice. We must admire-” the word could also mean obey”-or they will kill.”
”Babies blessed by Great Ones?” Theresita asked.
”Yes.”
The vague memories of the dream returned unbidden. It would not be unusual, judging by Earth's history, for a backward race to be ruled by a caste of priests. So they were trading their babies to a d.a.m.ned bunch of priests in exchange for helium and security. Probably the babies would be enslaved by the Great Ones of the Great Misty River.
”Trade babies for magic, then,” she said, and got a yes. Theresita was satisfied she had the answer.
They had reached the village. The females were still singing and dancing, and one by one, pair by pair, they entered the hut where the sacs had hung. Theresita went with them. A female lay on her stomach, singing, making crawling motions without moving, and from her distended posterior there issued a quick stream of pulsating, golf-ball-sized eggs, a dozen, then more until the steaming pile held perhaps fifty eggs. The wife of the chief, ClickClick-Swallow, stirred the pulsating eggs with her hand, selected two, consulted with other females, tossed one of the eggs back onto the pile, and with her teeth nipped the other egg sac to form a hole. She carefully hung the egg on a peg on the wall and, with a cry, leaped back toward the pile of eggs and seized one in each hand. The other' females, whistling and clicking gaily, fought good-naturedly over the others and popped the pulsating eggs into their mouths and chewed with m.u.f.fled whistles of pleasure.
Theresita felt her stomach turn.
Another female went into the crawling, singing ecstasy of egg laying, and another egg was selected for life by the chiefs mate. This time there was a surplus, so Theresita was offered an egg, which she politely declined. Then she got the h.e.l.l out of there; other females started laying, and the sound of joyous chewing and feasting was too much for her.
She walked to the beach and was wading in the edge of the sea, fur open, firm b.r.e.a.s.t.s thrusting out, when she heard the sound of jets and looked up to see a scout coming low from the east. She waved her hand, screamed with a joy that strained her throat.
Oh, d.a.m.n, d.a.m.n, d.a.m.n, he was moving too fast. He was only five hundred feet up, but he was moving too fast and wasn't going to see her. She ripped off her fur and waved it, and the scout did a cute littlemaneuver; in the s.p.a.ce of seconds it went from traveling at three hundred miles per hour forward to hovering. Then it was lowering, hydrogen jets hissing, and she was shouting in Russian and dancing out of the surf with joy, waving the fur crazily and then threw it on the sh.o.r.e. Oh, no more bug orgies and leaf beds! Maybe a good, oh, yum, synthasteak and baked bread and- The scout landed. She ran to it, and the hatch opened, and a man, a real, live man, stepped out, and she threw herself into his arms and cried tears of joy. The dark-skinned man was saying in English, ”Hey, hey, take it easy, honey. Take it easy.”
She gained control, sobbing happily, and pulled herself up to attention. ”I am Marshal Theresita Pulaski, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Jacob West's eyes were on the verge of popping. She was almost as tall as he, and during the past months, her healthful diet had honed her down to perfect physique of rounded hips, taut, thrusting b.r.e.a.s.t.s, and powerful but shapely thighs and legs.
Renato, hovering overhead, was getting an eyeful, too, using the optics to enlarge the scene.
”Lieutenant Commander Jacob West, U.S. s.p.a.ce Service,” Jacob said, extending his hand. She took it in a grip that won his respect. ”I have a million questions, but they'll have to wait. First, are you alone?”
”There is only me,” she said, and thought about all of the dead for the first time in a long time.
”Are there Whorsk about? We don't want trouble.”
”The males are gone. The females are otherwise engaged, but if you're ready to leave, Commander, don't let me hold you up.”
”Marshal,” Jacob said with a grin, as he let his eyes feast on that tall, powerfully slender figure just once more, ”may I suggest that you might want to put on your, ah, garment?”
She laughed. ”How thoughtless of me,” she said, retrieving the fur. ”It's just that I've been alone so long.
I've grown quite accustomed to nudity.”
”I think I could learn to like it myself,” Jacob said, as he took her hand and helped her into the scout.
She felt the thrust of the jets and was suddenly in contact with civilized things-merely the plastic of the seat on her thighs made her feel wonderful as the scout lifted.
Jacob asked, ”Are you fit for a ballistic ride?”
”Commander, I could ride this bird through a ballistic trajector while hanging onto the rocket tubes with my teeth.”
He laughed. ”Hang on, then.”
She felt the beautiful thrust, was driven back into the seat, yelled, ”Whee,” as the rockets stopped firing and the sudden weightlessness made her float. ”Beautiful,” she said. ”And you, Commander West, you're the most beautiful sight I've seen since I landed on this planet.”
”I've seen a lot worse sights than you,” Jacob said, laughing. ”I think I'll fall in love with you.” She laughed, too, but the laughter turned into sobs.
”Are you all right?” he asked.
”Yes, fine. It's pure hysterical happiness.”
”You speak English very well.”
”It's mandatory for everyone above the rank of major,” she said. ”Are you an American Negro?”
He laughed. ”No, I'm an American Indian.”
”Really! As in cowboys and Indians, the Wild West?”
He laughed again. Then he said, ”Whoops, I forgot to report in.” He flipped on the transmitter and got Jackie, in Hamilton control. ”I think the skipper will want to greet my pa.s.senger,” he said. ”We have here a genuine marshal of the Red Army. And, Jackie, the lady is a bit underdressed. She's about your height.
I think she'd appreciate a stretch skirt and tunic.” He was too diplomatic to say that this Russian woman was built a bit more substantially than Jackie.
There was no more time for talk. Theresita saw the beautiful city, Earthlike but alien, the deep purple bay, the spreading veld. She was weeping again.Apache One kissed the pad without the slightest jar.
Apache Two landed seconds later. Jacob opened the hatch and took a bundle of clothing from Duncan Rodrick, then hopped out to give her room. She pulled on the skirt and service tunic. The tunic was a bit tight across her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. She dismounted, barefoot, stood at attention before the impressive-looking American, and saluted.
”Welcome to Hamilton,” Rodrick said.
”Thank you,” Theresita answered, her voice husky. ”Named for your president?”
”Yes. Do you need immediate medical attention?”
”No,” she said. ”I have never been in more perfect health.”