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babbling. Those Ryxi pay well, or you may be sure we wouldn t keep renewing
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the contract. He leaned across the table and patted Varian s shoulder
reassuringly.
Now, you need anything me or my men can cobble up for you to get settled in?
I got a few more items
Lunzie requested. That nice little girl Cleiti s been helping us. Too bad
she s so long separated from her folks.
Cleiti s here? Varian reached for another cassette.
She s out in the cave, setting up the bunks.
Varian went out, followed by Godheir who assured her that Cleiti was only
supervising as Obir was under strict orders to prevent her doing anything
strenuous. And to be sure, Cleiti was perched on a stool of recent
manufacture, listening to the comments of the garrulous jack of all trades .
She rose when
Varian appeared, with a brave, sad, little smile more poignant than tears
would have been. Varian repressed a self-indulgent urge to hug Cleiti. Instead
she explained the necessity for the report.
I can do it while Obir s busy, Cleiti said, holding the cassette with
curious awkwardness. I ll have no trouble remembering everything exactly as
it happened. After all, for me, it was only the week before last.
Varian managed to murmur something appropriate, catching Godheir s amused
wink, as she turned away. Rain still lashed down and the screen of vine waved
with erratic vitality in the squally winds. The vine should be cut down now,
she thought. The screen s purpose had been accomplished. She wished hers could
and Ireta s weather was frustrating. So ... she d work on that blasted report
until the rain abated.
You ve probably got a lot to do, lassie, Godheir said, hearing her sigh of
exasperation. He took a bulbous object from his thigh pocket and a small pouch
from another. I ll just blow a cloud of my own.
Varian recognized the artifact as a tobacco pipe. Not that I could smell
anything in this atmosphere. Nor will I be polluting it! He chuckled as he
settled himself on another stool. Half the pleasure of smoking a pipe is the
smell of the tobacco.
What s the other half?
The pure relaxation of fussing with a pipe.
Varian watched the process for a moment. It looks complicated.
Then she thanked him once again for all his courtesies. Would you give me a
shout when the rain stops, Captain?
My pleasure!
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It could have been imagination, but Varian did think, as she returned to the
shuttle, that she could smell the aroma which rose from the captain s pipe.
As Varian organized her recollections of the events leading up to the mutiny,
she envied Cleiti her innocence of the week before last . Varian made copious
notes, additions, and changes until she was sure she had events in order. She
made no comments, such as her initial suspicions about the heavyworlders
unsavory activities of that fateful rest day, for the mutiny was an undeniable
fact, emphatically substantiated by the time gap between the two groups. She
listened carefully to the replay of her report, aware that she could not erase
now. She added a few brief explanations to her remarks. Then she strode to the
shuttle iris and looked out toward the cave entrance.
Cleiti, Godheir, and Obir were seated in a companionable group about the fire,
the captain s pipe still sending gray blue plumes of smoke to waft about in
vagrant puffs of wind. No question of it, Varian thought. She could smell the
tobacco above the usual pungency s. When she saw Varian, Cleiti brought over
her cassette.
Captain Godheir seems to know all about the mutiny, Varian, she said in a
low voice, her eyes round with surprise. Is it all right to talk about what
happened? Or are details classified?
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You can talk about it all you want, Cleiti, Varian replied, hoping
discussion might restore the unnaturally subdued child to her former
ebullience. Damn Paskutti and Tardma for the shock they had given the child: a
shock undiminished in Cleiti s memories of the week before last.
Captain Godheir said he s never talked with a person who d been mutinied
before.
It s not something that happens frequently, Cleiti. He s had our official
report, but I think he might be interested in your reactions. But don t talk
about it if you don t want to.
Cleiti considered pensively. Then, with a slightly less strained smile, added,
Yes, I think I d like to tell the Captain and Obir. They both listen so
politely. They say, and the smile betrayed a touch of Cleiti s old
impishness, that it s because I m older than they are. She rejoined the men
at the fire.
Varian was still muttering imprecations against the heavyworlders when Lunzie
appeared with her record cassette.
Isn t Cleiti abnormally quiet, Lunzie?
All elements considered, not too much so. Part of it s due to the
restoration, and part to delayed reaction. That s why I want to keep everyone
as busy as possible. Gives em less time to worry and think.
Aulia?
Lunzie snorted with derision. Oh, she s busy, too. Feeling sorry for herself.
She can make that into a full-time occupation. I expect Portegin will change
her mind if he ever surfaces from the shuttle s control panel. Varian, do you
think you could get a specimen of the fringes from the giffs eating rock?
D you mean, would I oblige you or would I be able to? Because the giffs like
me and someone else tried and failed?
Lunzie twitched her nose.
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Well, he might have succeeded if he d waited until the catch had been
distributed. But they do know you. An analysis of fringe toxins would be
invaluable in healing Kai s condition.
I ll have to wait until this squall blows over.
I was thinking that the squall would keep the giffs in their caves and this
would be the safest time to collect fringe. Take the stairs to the surface.
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