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Kennard said, He was there all the time, holding all the structures; it was
easy with him in the net. He s going to be as good a technician as you are,
Rannirl.
That wouldn t take much doing, Rannirl said. I m a mechanic, not a
technician; I can do a technician s work, but I look pretty bad when there s a
real technician around. Kerwin can have my place any time he wants it; you
could, Ken, if you were strong enough.
Thanks. I ll leave it to Jeff, bredu, Kennard said, with an affectionate smile
at Rannirl. He leaned forward, resting his head for a minute on Taniquel s
shoulder, and Kerwin caught a fragment of her thought, he s too old for this
work, and a furious surge of resentment, we re so damned short-handed&
But we did it, said Corus, looking at the map, and Elorie touched the surface
of the map with a light finger. Look, Kennard has measured every copper
deposit in the Kilghard Hills, and all the places where the ores are richest, as
well as those places where they are so mixed with other ores as to be
practically useless. Even the depth is marked, and the richness, and the
chemical composition of the ores so they will know what equipment they will
need for assaying and refining. Suddenly, through her heavy-eyed weariness,
her eyes were exultant. Show me the Terrans who could do so much, for all
their technology!
She stretched, catlike. Do you realize what we ve done? she demanded. It
worked, all of you it worked! Now are you glad you listened to me? Who s a
barbarian now? She went to Jeff, stretched her hands to him, and her
delicate fingertips just touched his; a gesture, he sensed, as meaningful to
Elorie, behind the structure of taboo and untouchability, as another girl s
spontaneous hug would have been. Oh, Jeff, I knew we could do it with you,
you re so strong, so powerful, you helped us so much!
Impulsively, his hands tightened on hers; but she drew away, her face
suddenly white, and her eyes met his; he could see the flash of panic in them.
She clasped her hands together in a terrified gesture, and there was sudden
appeal in her eyes; but it was only a moment. Then she slumped, and Neyrissa
caught the girl in her arms.
Lean on me, Elorie, she said gently. You re exhausted, and no wonder,
after all that.
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Elorie swayed tiredly and covered her eyes, childishly, with her clenched fists.
Neyrissa lifted her into strong arms, and said, I ll take her to her room and
see that she eats something.
Kerwin was aware again of his own agonizingly cramped muscles; he
stretched and turned to the window, where the sun was flooding in, already
high in the sky. He had not been aware of its rising. They had been within the
matrix, and in rapport, for more than an entire night!
Rannirl folded the map carefully. We ll try again in a few days with iron
samples, he said. Then tin, lead, aluminum it will be easier next time, now
that we know what Jeff can do in the network. He grinned at Jeff and said,
Do you know this is the first time there s been a full circle at Arilinn in twelve
years or more? He looked past Auster, frowning. Auster, what s the matter
with you, kinsman? This is a time for rejoicing!
Auster s eyes were fixed on Kerwin with steady, unblinking malevolence. And
Kerwin knew: He s not happy that I did it.
He wanted me us to fail. But why?
Chapter Eleven: Shadows on the Sun
« ^ »
The depression lingered even after Kerwin had slept away the fatigue. As he
dressed himself to join the others, near sunset, he told himself that he should
not let Auster s malice spoil this for him. He had come through the acid test of
full rapport within the Tower Circle, and it was his triumph. Auster had never
liked him; it might even be that he was jealous of the fuss they were making
over Kerwin. Probably there was no more to it than that.
And now, he knew, there would be a free interval, and he looked forward to
spending some of it with Taniquel. Despite Kennard s warning, he felt fresh
and rested, eager to join her. He wondered if she would consent, as she had
done often, to spend the night with him, and there was a pleasant anticipation
in his thoughts as he went downstairs. But there was no hurry; if not tonight,
then later.
The others had all wakened before him and were gathered in the hall. The
very casualness of their greetings warmed him; he belonged, he was family.
He accepted a glass of wine and sank down in his accustomed seat. Neyrissa
came over to him, trailing an armful of some kind of needlework, and settled
down near him. He felt a little impatient, but there was time. He looked
around for Taniquel, but she was near the fireplace, talking to Auster, her
back to him, and he could not catch her eye.
What are you making, Neyrissa?
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A coverlet for my bed, she said. You do not know how cold it is here in the
winter; and besides, it keeps my hands busy. She turned it to show him. It
was a white quilt, with cherries in three shades of red stitched on in clusters,
with green leaves, and bands of the same three shades of red at the edges; and
the whole now being quilted with delicate stitches in a pattern of loops and
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