Part 57 (1/2)

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”Want something more to eat?” asked Colgara. ”I'm starved.” Without waiting for Lunzie's response, she turned and headed for the refreshment tables.

Lunzie followed in her wake. At least on this side of the room, people were sitting down at tables and she could see around. Then Lunzie was caught up by the ornate center arrangement on the nearest table, pink and red whorls surrounded by flowers and fruit. Surely it wasn't? But her nose confirmed that it was and some was uncooked. She glanced at Colgara. The girl had reached across and was filling her plate with the whorls. Didn't she know? Or was it deliberate insult? Slightly nauseated by such a blatant display, Lunzie fastidiously took a few slices of some yellowish fruit, more crackers, and moved away.

”Is it true you lightweights can't eat meat?” asked Colgara. Her tone held no hidden contempt, only curiosity. Lunzie wondered how to answer that one.

”It's a philosophical viewpoint,” she said finally. Colgara, her mouth stuffed with what had to be slices of meat, looked confused. Lunzie sighed, and said ”We don't think it's right to eat creatures that might be sentient.”

Colgara looked even more confused as she chewed and swallowed. ”But . . . but muskies aren't people. They're animals and not even smart ones. They^don't talk, or anything.” She put another slice of meat into her mouth and talked through it. ”Besides, we need the complex proteins. It's part of our adaptation.”

Lunzie opened her mouth to say that any protein compound could be synthesized without the need to kill and eat sentient creatures, but realized it would do no good. She forced a smile. ”My dear, it's a philosophical position, as I said. Enjoy your ... uh ... muskie.”

She turned away and found herself face to face with a white-haired man whose great bulk had twisted with age, bringing his ma.s.sive face almost down to her level. For a moment she simply saw him as he was, exceptionally old for a heavyworlder in high-G conditions, someone of obvious intelligence and wit (for his eyes

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twinkled at her), and then her memory retrieved his younger face.

”Zebaral”

It was half joy and half shock. She had halfway wanted to find him, had not wanted to search the databases and find that he'd died while she slept, had not wanted to see what was now before her: a vigorous man aged to weakness. He smiled, the same warm smile.

”Lunzie! I saw your name on the list, and hardly dared believe it was you. And then there you were on the cameras! I had to come down and see you.”

Conflicting thoughts cluttered her mind. She wanted to ask him what he'd done in the years she'd lost. She wanted to tell him all that had happened to her. But she had no time for a long, leisurely chat, even if he'd been able to join her. She was here with two missions already, and at the moment, she had to concentrate on Sa.s.sinak's needs.

”You're looking surprisingly . . . well ...” he was saying.

”Another forty-three years of coldsleep,” said Lunzie, wondering why he didn't know already, when some of the heavyworlders certainly did. ”And you, you look ...”

”Old,” said Zebara, chuckling. ”Don't try to flatter me, I'm lucky to be alive but I've changed a lot. It's been an interesting life and I wish we had time to discuss it.” Lunzie looked a question at him and one of his heavy eyebrows went up. ”You know we don't, dear girl. And yes, I can condescend to you because I have koed those forty-three years.” He reached out and took the plate from her hand. ”Come here.”

Lunzie looked around, seeing only the same roomful of ma.s.sive bodies, none of the other lightweights in sight Across the serving table, one of the servants was *watching her with a smirk.

”Come on,” said Zebara, with a touch of impatience. ?You don't really think I'm going to rape you.”

She didn't, of course. But she wished she could find someone, a lightweight on the Team, to let them know ,*he was going with him. She managed not to flinch Zebara took her wrist and led her along the

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serving table toward the short end of the hall. The servant was still smirking, grinning openly finally, as Zebara led her through a double doorway into a wide, carpeted pa.s.sage. Here the crush was less, but still heavyworlder men and women walked by in both directions.

”Restrooms,” said Zebara, still holding her wrist and leading her right along a side corridor, then left along another. He opened a door, and pulled Lunzie into a room lined with gla.s.s-fronted shelves. Broad, heavy couches cl.u.s.tered around a ma.s.sive gla.s.s-topped table. ”Here! Sit down and we'll have a chat.”

”Are you sure this is a good idea?” Lunzie began, as Zebara turned to look around the room, his eyelids drooping. He waved a hand, which she took as a signal for silence.

The couch was too deep for her comfort; her feet did not reach the floor if she relaxed against the backrest. She felt like a child in an adult's room. Zebara walked around the room slowly, obviously intent on something Lunzie could neither see nor hear. She could not relax while he was so tense. Finally he sighed, shrugged, and came to sit beside her.

”We must take the chance. If anyone comes, Lunzie, pretend to be struggling with me. They'll understand that. They know I was fond of you, that I considered you a 'pet' lightweight. That is their term for it.

”But ...”

”Don't argue that with me. We haven't time.” He kept scanning the room. This close, Lunzie could recognize the slight tremor that age had imposed on him; she grieved for the man he had been. ”I know about Ireta, though I didn't know beforehand, and couldn't have stopped it anyway. Please believe that.”

”I do, of course. You aren't the kind ...”

”I don't know what land I am any more.” That stopped her cold, not only the words but the deadly quiet tone of voice. ”I am a heavyworlder, I am dying. Yes, within the year, they tell me, and nothing to be done. I've been luckier than most. My children and grandchildren are heavyworlders, who face the same constraints I do.

.; So while I agree that mutiny is wrong, and piracy is wrong, that we must not make enemies of all you lightweights, I wish the Federation would face facts about us. We are not dumb animals, just as you say that the subhuman animals that all once ate are not 'dumb animals.' How can I convince my children that they should watch their children starve, just to preserve the sensitivities, the 'philosophical viewpoint' of those who don't need meat but do want our strength to serve them?”

Shaken, Lunzie could only stare at him. She had been so sure, for so long, that Zebara was the best example of a good heavyworlder: trustworthy, idealistic, selfless. Had she been wrong?

v ”You didn't mistake me,” Zebara said, as if she'd >':. spoken aloud. Was her expression that obvious? But he I wasn't really looking at her; he was staring across the t.: room. ”Back then, I was what you saw. I tried! You

can't know how hard, to change others to my view-^ point. But you don't know what else I've seen since, .

#. while you were sleeping the years away. I don't want 1 war, Lunzie, as much because my people would lose it