the exact shade of Janina’s looked him up and
down.
The other, younger woman was stunningly
beautiful, with golden hair and a mature, well-rounded body. She
wore pale blue trimmed in silver. Reid saw her eyes fix first upon
Osiyar’s handsome face before moving to his own face, then back to
Osiyar again, as though looking for some clue from him.
Osiyar had just presented him to the
priestesses when, to Reid’s great relief, Janina reappeared,
without the water jar.
“You are late,” Sidra told her harshly. “You
have delayed the midday ritual by your dallying.”
“Never mind,” Tamat said in a patient voice.
“Janina has an excuse for keeping us waiting.”
Then, at Tamat’s order, Janina described how
she had found Reid, while he wondered again that telepaths should
use speech to communicate when there was no need.
“And there were others with you?” Tamat asked
Reid.
“I don’t know if they are dead or alive,” he
replied. “We mean you no harm, priestess, nor will we interfere in
your lives in any way. The purpose of our small settlement on this
planet is to watch the movements of Cetan warships and report them
to the Jurisdiction. We would be happy to inform you of any
possible danger to you from the Cetans.”
“The Jurisdiction has banished all
telepaths,” Sidra said, her lovely face cold.
“Commander Tarik has a kinder view of those
who differ from Jurisdiction norms,” Reid responded. Then, deciding
there would be no better time, he made his important request of
Tamat. “Priestess, I have lost my communicating equipment, so I
have no way to contact my friends. Would you use your telepathic
powers to reach our headquarters? I believe you would find Tank
open to such a message.”
Sidra’s indrawn breath sounded like the long
hiss of a beautiful, dangerous reptile.
“How dare you?” she whispered. “The Gift may
not be used for trivial matters.”
“I have lost a cousin and a friend out there
in the forest,” Reid declared. “I want to help them. Tarik will
send others to try to find us, and they may fall into danger, too.
The safety of intelligent life forms is not a trivial matter.”
“Well said.” It was Tamat who answered
him.
Reid had looked at Sidra as he spoke to her,
but now he turned his attention back to Tamat. Their eyes met and
held, and Reid experienced the oddest sensation. It was as though
gentle, invisible tentacles entered and caressed his mind, pressed
delicately, and then withdrew.
Reid’s jaw fell open. It had been so easy, so
effortless, yet he was certain Tamat now knew all that was in his
mind at the instant she had touched it. He knew something else,
too. She had wanted him to be aware of what she was doing. If she
had not wanted it, he never would have known.
Everything in his mind. That meant Tamat knew
how intensely aware he was of Janina, now standing quietly beside
Sidra, and she knew what they had almost done in the grove. He
thought he saw astonishment, anger, and then understanding in
Tamat’s eyes, though the aged face did not change expression.
“He speaks true,” Tamat said.
“Then you will help me?” Reid asked, so
relieved he almost forgot his embarrassment about Janina, as well
as his concern that his mind had been entered and explored so
easily. “You will contact Commander Tank and tell him where I am
and about Herne and Alla?”
“I will consider it,” Tamat replied.
“While you are considering, my companions may
die.” Reid reacted to Tamat’s measured tones with impatience. “They
need help now.”
“You must understand,” Tamat said, “that the
safety and security of my people is my primary concern. I will try
to devise a means of warning your Commander Tarik about your lost
friends without divulging the presence of our village. But you,
Reid, cannot be allowed to leave Ruthlen to report our location, to
bring other outsiders here.”
“I wouldn’t do that,” Reid began, but Osiyar
interrupted
down.
The other, younger woman was stunningly
beautiful, with golden hair and a mature, well-rounded body. She
wore pale blue trimmed in silver. Reid saw her eyes fix first upon
Osiyar’s handsome face before moving to his own face, then back to
Osiyar again, as though looking for some clue from him.
Osiyar had just presented him to the
priestesses when, to Reid’s great relief, Janina reappeared,
without the water jar.
“You are late,” Sidra told her harshly. “You
have delayed the midday ritual by your dallying.”
“Never mind,” Tamat said in a patient voice.
“Janina has an excuse for keeping us waiting.”
Then, at Tamat’s order, Janina described how
she had found Reid, while he wondered again that telepaths should
use speech to communicate when there was no need.
“And there were others with you?” Tamat asked
Reid.
“I don’t know if they are dead or alive,” he
replied. “We mean you no harm, priestess, nor will we interfere in
your lives in any way. The purpose of our small settlement on this
planet is to watch the movements of Cetan warships and report them
to the Jurisdiction. We would be happy to inform you of any
possible danger to you from the Cetans.”
“The Jurisdiction has banished all
telepaths,” Sidra said, her lovely face cold.
“Commander Tarik has a kinder view of those
who differ from Jurisdiction norms,” Reid responded. Then, deciding
there would be no better time, he made his important request of
Tamat. “Priestess, I have lost my communicating equipment, so I
have no way to contact my friends. Would you use your telepathic
powers to reach our headquarters? I believe you would find Tank
open to such a message.”
Sidra’s indrawn breath sounded like the long
hiss of a beautiful, dangerous reptile.
“How dare you?” she whispered. “The Gift may
not be used for trivial matters.”
“I have lost a cousin and a friend out there
in the forest,” Reid declared. “I want to help them. Tarik will
send others to try to find us, and they may fall into danger, too.
The safety of intelligent life forms is not a trivial matter.”
“Well said.” It was Tamat who answered
him.
Reid had looked at Sidra as he spoke to her,
but now he turned his attention back to Tamat. Their eyes met and
held, and Reid experienced the oddest sensation. It was as though
gentle, invisible tentacles entered and caressed his mind, pressed
delicately, and then withdrew.
Reid’s jaw fell open. It had been so easy, so
effortless, yet he was certain Tamat now knew all that was in his
mind at the instant she had touched it. He knew something else,
too. She had wanted him to be aware of what she was doing. If she
had not wanted it, he never would have known.
Everything in his mind. That meant Tamat knew
how intensely aware he was of Janina, now standing quietly beside
Sidra, and she knew what they had almost done in the grove. He
thought he saw astonishment, anger, and then understanding in
Tamat’s eyes, though the aged face did not change expression.
“He speaks true,” Tamat said.
“Then you will help me?” Reid asked, so
relieved he almost forgot his embarrassment about Janina, as well
as his concern that his mind had been entered and explored so
easily. “You will contact Commander Tank and tell him where I am
and about Herne and Alla?”
“I will consider it,” Tamat replied.
“While you are considering, my companions may
die.” Reid reacted to Tamat’s measured tones with impatience. “They
need help now.”
“You must understand,” Tamat said, “that the
safety and security of my people is my primary concern. I will try
to devise a means of warning your Commander Tarik about your lost
friends without divulging the presence of our village. But you,
Reid, cannot be allowed to leave Ruthlen to report our location, to
bring other outsiders here.”
“I wouldn’t do that,” Reid began, but Osiyar
interrupted
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