over her head to Barabadar.
‘So, now what, Learned Mother?’ he said instead. Oomoing looked back at the extraterrestrials. One was eating, the other apparently worshipping some personal god contained in that bracelet. Oomoing congratulated herself on returning it; another calculated risk, but clearly it was safe and it seemed to have generated some good will.
‘We continue to observe,’ she said.
‘With respect, Learned Mother, your brief from Marshal of Space Barabadar was to learn about them.’
‘I’ve learnt a great deal already,’ Oomoing said.
‘Such as?’ Stormer said sceptically.
‘I’ll make my report to the Marshal of Space,’ Oomoing said, with a childish measure of satisfaction. Stormer wouldn’t Share, so . . . ‘Ultimately, I’d like to take these two back to Homeworld.’
‘You’d like to what?’ Stormer exclaimed. ‘Learned Mother,’ he added again.
‘I have to study them properly,’ Oomoing said patiently. ‘I can only make so many observations here. I’ll never be able to learn anything definitive about their language, their biology, their culture . . . Do you have a problem, Colonel?’
‘Oh . . . tell her, Worthy Brother,’ Stormer said to Fleet.
The younger male looked abashed. ‘I think my Worthy Brother means,’ he said, ‘that your brief from my mother was to assess their level of threat, their military capability, their technology—’
‘
Definitely
their technology,’ Stormer added.
‘Well, of course,’ Oomoing said. ‘But there’s the whole contribution to science to consider . . .’
‘That won’t be relevant if my mother considers them a threat to the state, Learned Mother,’ Fleet said. ‘She’ll only be interested in anything we can use to a military advantage.’
‘And that won’t include their mating habits and artistry,’ said Stormer. ‘If these two can tell us anything useful, we’ll keep them. Maybe we’ll learn how they Share. Maybe we’ll have to extract the knowledge neuron by neuron, or kill them trying. But if My Martial Mother decides we’re better off just observing the equipment on this base and drawing our own conclusions, then that’s what we’ll do.’ He looked back at the two extraterrestrials. ‘We won’t starve them, don’t worry. A shot to each head and they’ll never know what hit them.’
‘I see.’ Oomoing looked sadly back at the two. There was so much knowledge locked up in those heads that Stormer had just so casually offered to blow apart for her, and Barabadar’s orders would override her own. ‘How soon does the Marshal of Space get here?’
‘Her ship arrives the day after tomorrow, Learned Mother,’ Fleet said. ‘She’ll listen to your report and then decide their fate.’
‘Then I’ll have to find out what I can, as quickly as possible,’ Oomoing said.
‘Indeed, Learned Mother.’
Four
Day Ten: 12 June 2153
Oomoing and Barabadar met in the Marshal of Space’s cabin on her ship, shortly after it had braked into a parking orbit around the asteroid.
The cabin was in one of the ship’s rotating sections. The return of weight, and going back to full white light and the familiar surroundings of a ship and other Kin, were most welcome.
And then they were at Barabadar’s door. Fleet opened it without knocking.
‘The Learned Mother Oomoing, My Mother,’ he said.
‘Thank you, Third Son,’ said a female voice. ‘Wait outside. Learned Sister, please come in.’ So Oomoing entered.
‘Learned Sister,’ Barabadar said again. The Marshal of Space rose up from a squatting cushion and presented the Bow of Equals. ‘How good to meet you at last.’
‘Martial Sister,’ Oomoing returned. Barabadar, she sensed, was a formidable hunter. Every movement was carefully controlled and spoke of the strength of her animal nature, lurking just below the surface of her conscious mind. Her talons slid in and out frequently and rapidly, all the way out to their quarter tips and then back
‘So, now what, Learned Mother?’ he said instead. Oomoing looked back at the extraterrestrials. One was eating, the other apparently worshipping some personal god contained in that bracelet. Oomoing congratulated herself on returning it; another calculated risk, but clearly it was safe and it seemed to have generated some good will.
‘We continue to observe,’ she said.
‘With respect, Learned Mother, your brief from Marshal of Space Barabadar was to learn about them.’
‘I’ve learnt a great deal already,’ Oomoing said.
‘Such as?’ Stormer said sceptically.
‘I’ll make my report to the Marshal of Space,’ Oomoing said, with a childish measure of satisfaction. Stormer wouldn’t Share, so . . . ‘Ultimately, I’d like to take these two back to Homeworld.’
‘You’d like to what?’ Stormer exclaimed. ‘Learned Mother,’ he added again.
‘I have to study them properly,’ Oomoing said patiently. ‘I can only make so many observations here. I’ll never be able to learn anything definitive about their language, their biology, their culture . . . Do you have a problem, Colonel?’
‘Oh . . . tell her, Worthy Brother,’ Stormer said to Fleet.
The younger male looked abashed. ‘I think my Worthy Brother means,’ he said, ‘that your brief from my mother was to assess their level of threat, their military capability, their technology—’
‘
Definitely
their technology,’ Stormer added.
‘Well, of course,’ Oomoing said. ‘But there’s the whole contribution to science to consider . . .’
‘That won’t be relevant if my mother considers them a threat to the state, Learned Mother,’ Fleet said. ‘She’ll only be interested in anything we can use to a military advantage.’
‘And that won’t include their mating habits and artistry,’ said Stormer. ‘If these two can tell us anything useful, we’ll keep them. Maybe we’ll learn how they Share. Maybe we’ll have to extract the knowledge neuron by neuron, or kill them trying. But if My Martial Mother decides we’re better off just observing the equipment on this base and drawing our own conclusions, then that’s what we’ll do.’ He looked back at the two extraterrestrials. ‘We won’t starve them, don’t worry. A shot to each head and they’ll never know what hit them.’
‘I see.’ Oomoing looked sadly back at the two. There was so much knowledge locked up in those heads that Stormer had just so casually offered to blow apart for her, and Barabadar’s orders would override her own. ‘How soon does the Marshal of Space get here?’
‘Her ship arrives the day after tomorrow, Learned Mother,’ Fleet said. ‘She’ll listen to your report and then decide their fate.’
‘Then I’ll have to find out what I can, as quickly as possible,’ Oomoing said.
‘Indeed, Learned Mother.’
Four
Day Ten: 12 June 2153
Oomoing and Barabadar met in the Marshal of Space’s cabin on her ship, shortly after it had braked into a parking orbit around the asteroid.
The cabin was in one of the ship’s rotating sections. The return of weight, and going back to full white light and the familiar surroundings of a ship and other Kin, were most welcome.
And then they were at Barabadar’s door. Fleet opened it without knocking.
‘The Learned Mother Oomoing, My Mother,’ he said.
‘Thank you, Third Son,’ said a female voice. ‘Wait outside. Learned Sister, please come in.’ So Oomoing entered.
‘Learned Sister,’ Barabadar said again. The Marshal of Space rose up from a squatting cushion and presented the Bow of Equals. ‘How good to meet you at last.’
‘Martial Sister,’ Oomoing returned. Barabadar, she sensed, was a formidable hunter. Every movement was carefully controlled and spoke of the strength of her animal nature, lurking just below the surface of her conscious mind. Her talons slid in and out frequently and rapidly, all the way out to their quarter tips and then back
Similar Books
