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"Butnottheappet.i.tes,"Tirlasaid,brooding."Likethatscuzzyprince."Intheprivacyofherroom,herfacetookonamalicious.e.xpression."Isitdifficulttostrandakid?Ca.s.sandSuzsaidtheywerestrandingkidsinLinearE.Havetheyimprovedthestrandforalongtermuse?"
"Iknowyou'rebiologicallytwelveyearsold,Tirla,butyousoundfifty."Saschawas.e.xasperated.
Shetiltedherheadupathim,regardinghimthroughslightlynarrowedeyes,alittlesmileplayingatherlips."IntheLinearsIam.Yousurelydon'twantanotherscamlikethatRIG,doyou?Andlikeyousaid,evenillegalkidshaverights!IknowCa.s.shashadherbabyandwouldn'twanttogoundercoversosoon.ButI'dbetmylastcredit""AllofthemaretheCenter'snow,remember?"Saschateased,andcaughtaslygleaminhereyes.SoDoroteawasrightabouthersquirrelingsomefloatersaway.Oldhabitsdiedhard.
"AndtheCenteralsohastogivemeanythingIwant""Withinreason."
"Well,I'llbereasonable.I'mgoodatlanguagesanyone'sbutIcan'tkeepsharpifI'mhere,"shesaid,gesturingoutthewindowatthelawn."AndTeachersaysIdon'tknowallthelanguagesoftheworldyet.I'lldoyouadeal,SaschaRoznine."Shec.o.c.kedherheadathiminwhathehadcometocallher"hagglingmanner."
"I'llstrandillegalsineveryJerhattanLinear.I'llstrand'em,butIwon'treport'em."Shegaveamirthlessgrin."Ifthere'resweeps,andIwasblamedfor'em,I'dlosemywhatdoyoucallitcredibility?Igotethics,too,youknow.ButI'dknowwhentroublewasbrewing,andthatIwouldreport.That'dhelp,wouldn't.i.t?I'dbeabettertroublespotterthananyofthoseLEOplantsofyourbrother's!"Thenotionseemedtoamuseher,andcertainlyshehadbecomemoreanimated.
"IalwaysknewwhowasLEOevenwhowasTalent."
WhiletherewasnoquestionofheraffectionforSascha,shewasnevereasyinBoris'spresence,thoughhehadtriedtobeingratiating.AningraineddistrustofallLEOswa.s.sascha'sdiagnosis,notwishingTirlatobeatoddswithhistwin.
"Youreallywouldn'tconsiderstayingherewithDoroteaandextendingyourTalents?"
Tirlawaggedherhead,grimacing."It'snotthatIdon'tlikeDorotea.
She'sthebestever.It'sjustIdon'tfeelcomfortableinallofthis."Herglancesweptaroundthewellappointedroom."I'maLinearbrat.MyTalent,asyoucallit,"shesaid,wrinklinghernoseinselfdeprecation,"worksbestinaLinearenvironment."Hereyestwinkled.
"Youcan'tliveallyourlifeinaLinear,"Doroteasaid,enteringtheroom,herexpressionworried.Sheradiatedaffection,rea.s.surance,andsupport.
"Whynot?"Tirlademanded,liftingherhandsinaquickgestureofexasperation.
"Indeed,whynot?"Saschaechoed.
"Ca.s.sandSuzliveonthehighsideofLinearswhenthey'reundercover.
I'dreallylikemyownsquaton,say,Level19,soI'dhaveaviewandnotsomuchsmog."Hergrinwa.s.sheerimpudence."Incasehehasn'tbeenlisteningin,askyourbrotherifIwouldn'tbemoreusetohimlivinginaLinear."
Saschalaughed.Bro?Didyouhearthat?
Littlebint!You'11neverknowwhereyouarewiththatone,w.i.l.l.you?
It'sdemonstrablethatshe'ssuperbasapulsekeeper.TherearefarmoresquabblesandargumentsinLinearGthanwhileshewasthere.IcoulduseaTirlainallthebigLinears.IfRhyssadoesn'tmind...
Dorotea:Imind!
Boris:Sorry,Dorotea,b.u.t.tirla'saRegisteredTalentandtood.a.m.nedvitaltolayaboutuntilshe'sof.a.ge.b.u.t.there'snothingthatsaysshehastoliveattheCenterwhileshe'swaitingforhereighteenthbirthdaytocomearound.Ifshe'dbemuchhappierinaLinear,shecouldliveinone.WithLessudandhisfamilyinIslandK?Gotoschoolproperlyandstillkeepherearsandeyesopenforthegeneralwellbeingofthecommunity.WiththescamdriedupinJerhattan,LongIslandisthenextlogicalpooltofshinforillegalkids.WecoulduseareliablepulsekeeperlikeTirla.
"Didyougetanyofthat,Tirla?"Saschaaskedher,grinning.Sittingbesideher,hecouldfeelherconcentratingon"listening,"buthermindechoednothingb.u.t.thedesiretohear.
Sheshookherheadandgaveasadlittlesigh,withalookofapologytoDorotea,whohadbeentryingsohardtotrainher.
"TheBrowantstoknowifyou'dprefertoliveinaLongIslandResidentialwhileyou'rewaitingtogrowup,"Saschaexplained.
"AResidentialinLongIsland?"Tirlabecameanimatedatonce,sittingupinherbed,herbigdarkeyesglittering,adelicatetingeofcolorsuffusinghercheeks,andahopefulsmileonherlips."That'dbelivinginhighstyle!"
EPILOGUE.
Threemonthslater.
Rhyssa?
Thetone,apologeticbutfirm,rousedRhyssafromoneofthoseintensesleepswhereitisdifficulttomovethebodyevenwhenthebrainhasbecomealert.Shelayheavyinthebedandmanagedtoopenoneeyetoseetheclock;thensheheardthefamiliarsoundofDavesingingsoftlytohimselfinthebathroom.Onceagainshehadoverslept.Shereallydidnotknowwhatwasthematterwithherthesepastfewweeksshesimplycouldnotseemtogetenoughsleep.
Rhyssa!Thetonewasmoreurgent,andthenrecognitioncame.
Yes,Madlyn?What'sthematter?
Ididn'twakeyou,didI?IthoughtIhadEarthtimesdownpat.
Ioverslept.What'sthematter?
It'sher!Disgust,frustration,anger,andexasperationpackedintothatonep.r.o.nounforewarnedRhyssa.She'sat.i.tagain.SayingweTalentsarenotdoingourjob!Wehaveonlypulledheroutofhermiddenandyetshehasthegalltoblameusforanythingthatgoeswronguphere.
Whatisitthistime?RhyssahauledherselfupagainstherpillowsandreachedforthecoffeethermosanotherelegantnotionofMr.Lehardt's,andsocivilized.Shestartedtopourherselfacupandthenstopped.
Thesmellofitturnedherstomach.
There'sonelastverycriticalshipmentduetocomeup,Madlynwenton,onlyithasn'tbecauseJohnnysaysbewon'tshipityet.
Won'tshipit?ThatblewthelastofsleepfogfromRhyssa'smind.
WhatwasColonelGreeneuptonow?Andnaturallyit'sessentialforhertocompletetheinstallation?
Vital!It'sgotthelastoftheinternalmechanismsandremotes.Verydelicatestuff,Iknow,andnotsomethingyouwantbouncedabout.Andthere'sonlyaweekmorebeforethecompletiondate.Thenweca.n.a.llcomedowntoearth!TherewasheartfeltreliefinMadlyn'stone.Sowewanttoknowwhyit'sbeingheldup.becauseweare,too,youknow..
Iknow.I'llsort.i.tout,Madlyn.Indeed,Iwill.
Davewaswhistlingloudernowthatheknewshewasawake.Hemightnothavebeentelepathic,buthedisplayedakeensensitivitywhereshewasconcernedthatmorethanmadeupforitinwaysshecouldneverhaveantic.i.p.ated.Shegrinnedtoherselfandthenrecalledthetaskathand.EightthirtywasnottooearlytorouseColonelJohnGreeneoutofhisFloridiansack.
Johnnyboy,phoneme!Hewastoofarawaytolinktelepathicallywithher,buthercallwouldreachhimeasilyenough.Shelookedatthephone,countingdown.Itranginexactlytenseconds.
"Youwishedparlancewithme,MadameLehardt?"
"Idoindeed,ColonelGreene.WhathankypankyareyoupullingonpoordearLudmilla?"
Johnny'schucklewasdrenchedinmalice."Onlywhatshedeserves,petal.SheconscriptedusTalentstobesureshefinishedontime,andfinishedontimeshewillbe.Notonemomentearlier,notonemomentlater.Why?"
"Oh,Isee."Rhyssachuckled."Andyouhaveittimedtothefinalhour?"
"LanceandIworkedoutthetimeitwouldtaketoinstallthosecontrols,andwe'vescheduledthekineticsneeded.Weknowexactlyhowlongitwilltake.LancemusthaveforgottentoclueMadlyn.I'msorryshe'sgettingha.s.sled,butshe'swellableforit.
Sootheherdown,w.i.l.l.you,Rhys?We'redoingitourway!"
"Oh,Iquiteagree.Notanhourearlyandnotanhourlate."
a.s.shehungup,Davecameintheroom,atoweldrapedabouthisleanhips."Ididtrytowakeyou,Rhys,"hesaidwitharuefulexpression.
"Youjustdon'twanttogetupinthemorning."
"I'mwantonenoughtoadmitthatIlovebeinginbedwithyou,Dave,butpreferablyawake,notsleepinglikethedead."Sheliftedherarmsandbegantostretch,thenstopped."Andwhat'swrongwiththecoffee?
Thesmellmakesmenauseous."
Davegrinnedashesatdownontheedgeofthebed,lookingather.
Hisblueeyescrinkled."Figureditoutyet?"heasked,glancingdownatherabdomen.
"IthoughtImean,Ihaven'tbeenill,"Rhyssasaid,withdawningawareness,"justsleepy!Oh,Dave,couldIreallybepregnant?"
"Thinkabout.i.tamoment,Owisewoman!"Hegotup,sheddinghistowelashebegantodress.Shelovedlookingathim,nomatterwhathewasdoing,andtheintimacyofthisdailyactwa.s.somethingspecialforher."Afterall,I'vebeendoingmybestforseveralmonthsnow!"
Awedbythepossibility,Rhyssadidstartthinkingaboutherbody,placingherhandsgentlyonherbelly,intuitingthebiofeedback.
"Oh,Dave,Iampregnant.Iam!"
"Ithinkyou'rethelastonetohavecoppedon,then,"hereplied,grinningbroadly."Doroteaknows."
"Andshesaidnothing?"Rhyssasatboltuprightagain,startledandsomewhatmiffedthatshehadbeenleftinthedarkandbyDorotea!
"Well,there'ssomethingsit'smorefuntofindoutbyyourself,"hesaid,grinningashestoopeddowntokissherlovingly."There'sasortofglowaboutyou,too.Everyone'snoticed.They'vebeenpolitelywaitingforanofficialannouncement."Hestrokedhertangledhair,runningfingersdownhersilverstreak.
Shesighed,thenblurtedout,"DoesSaschaknow?"
Davestoppedintheactofpullingonhistunicandduckedhisheadoutofthefoldstoregardherwithsomealarm."Sascha?Iknowyou'reclosebut""Well..."Rhyssapaused.TherewasoneofthefewdrawbackstoDave'slackofTalent.SometimesshehadtoexplainwithfarmoredetailthanaTalentwouldrequire."Well,Sascha'sgottowait,that'sall,andhedoesn'ttakewaitingkindly."
"Wait?"Davepulledthetunicdown."Waitforwhat?"
"ForTirlatogrowup,ofcourse,"shesaid,gatheringherselftorisefromthebed.Shefeltoddlyprotectiveofthenewlifeinsideher,whichwa.s.silly,sinceitwasobviouslywellsettledin.
"Tirla?"Dave'seyesnearlypoppedinastonishment."He'sgoneonher?Dirtyoldman!"
"NotsooldandcertainlynotdirtywhereTirlaisconcerned.Boltoutoftheblueonhim,allrightenough.He'sneverfeltthatwayaboutanyotherfemale."Rhyssapermittedherselfalittleknowingsmile.
"Butshe'stheoneforhim,andheknowsit.Hejusthastowaitafewyears."
"Thatwight'snoteven""Tirlaistwelvenow,goingontwohundred,"Rhyssarepliedwithsomeasperity.Tirlawasaveryinterestingpersonality,andsheandSaschawoulddealverywelltogether.Itwasincredible,really,tohavefoundtwosuchdiverseTalentsduringherdirectorship:onemacrowhowouldshiftworldsandonewhoseskillwasamicroTalent,erodinglanguagebarriers."NeestersripenalotfasterthanweNorthernandOccidentaltypes.She'llbemorethanreadyinfouryearstomarrySascha."
"Andthat'sdecided?"Davewa.s.skeptical.
Rhyssasmiled."Saschaprecoggedittohisintenseastonishment.Nexttimeyouseethemtogether,noticehowshelooksathim.QuiteproprietarythatyoungladyiswhereSaschaisconcerned.Andshe'sbetterforhimthanMadlynwouldeverbe."
"Andthey'llhaveTalentedkids?"
"That'saveryhighprobability."Rhyssasmiledsmugly.
Davepaused.Inherpresencehealwaysallowedhisemotionstoshow.
Heclearedhisthroatandaskedbriskly,"Whataboutus?Whenwillweknow?"
Torea.s.surethemansheloved,Rhyssasmileda.s.shenodded."Noproblemthere."
"Yousoundsosure."
Sheputherarmsaroundhisneck,lettinghergravidbellyrestagainsthima.s.shepulledhisheaddowntokisshim."Iam.Hejusttoldmeso."
ABOUTTHEAUTHOR.
BetweenherfrequentappearancesintheUnitedStatesandEnglandasalecturerandguestofhonoratsciencefictionconventions,AnneMcCaffreylivesatDragonhold,inthehillsofCountyWicklow,Ireland,witha.s.sortedhorses,cats,andadog.Ofherself,Ms.McCaffreysays:"Ihavegreeneyes,silverhair,andfrecklestherestchangeswithoutnotice."
TheEnd
