distant ocean. Mary steered for the hard, damp sand that the retreating tide had left. Two moons were just rising, casting sparking diamonds on the gentle sea swells from beach to horizon.
Relaxing again into the seat, Ray took several deep breaths as Mary cruised north, away from civilization as it named itself here. His mind ordered his thoughts for his call to Matt.
The captain was eager to be away. There were several theories of how they might find their way home; the only proof of the pudding was going out and nibbling at it. Was Ray ready to declare his tiny downside command fit to stand on its own two feet?
Mary eased the mule to a halt, midway between waves and dune. "We're far enough up the coast to miss any search our trailer is doing. Besides, we'll see them coming." Ray nodded. "Mind if I take a walk, sir?" Mary's eyes were fixed on the lapping waves, mesmerized by them.
"Take care. You don't know where the drop-off is out there. You can't swim, and I sure can't come in after you."
"Don't worry, sir. Space ain't killed me in twenty years. A little bit of water ain't gonna get me now."
"That's not a little bit."
"Yes, sir." Mary got out and started a slow, pensive walk to the ocean. She wore a dress, a gift from Henrietta San Paulo, the Chair of the Great Circle of Lander's Refuge. Made of cotton so fine and tightly woven it might as well have been silk, Mary had spun around in delight, a girl-woman in her first formal. Then she'd lifted it far higher than their relationship on Wardhaven would have allowed to show him her sidearm. The asteroid mines had taught Mary none of the modesty and delicacy that Wardhaven inculcated in its women. Then, Rita had been Wardhaven's most instructed of debutantes .. . and gone on to skipper an attack transport. And her courtship of Ray had been far from delicate. Ray suspected few men ever understood women.
"God, I miss you, wife." Sighing, Ray tapped his comm unit. "Communications, Longknife here. The captain available?"
"He's expecting you, sir. Wait one, please."
Mary had about reached the water. The dress came up and over her head to flutter down on the sand. Her body was in moon shadow; he could not tell if she'd worn anything more. The male part of Ray's mind decided she hadn't; it made the view more enticing. Her silhouette was trim and sleek, no bulge for a bra, panties ... or sidearm. A glance in the front showed automatic and holster on the seat. Ray reached for it, checked the safety, then set it down beside him. Mary reached the water; she stooped to touch the lapping waves. Ray wished for about the millionth time that Rita was here. Or, more correctly, he was there.
"Ray, how are things?" the captain asked.
"I'm surviving down among the natives. And you?"
"Nothing's changed. We've completed the planet survey. Enough irregularities to keep the scanning team happy, but nothing to raise a red flag. Some interesting electromagnetic anomalies. We sent the database down. An interesting planet."
"Full of interesting people," Ray added dryly.
"Want to tell me about them?"
"You know, Matt, I always thought if you marooned three hundred hard-headed, rational people on a planet, you'd have a hard-headed, rational population when you got done."
"Gosh, Ray, I never knew you were such a dreamer."
'Take the Covenanters up north, those dozen or so medium-size towns that Kat couldn't figure out why they were in such a crazy pattern. Blame it on the Bible."
"Somebody brought that book!"
"It was in their database. More about that database in a minute. Anyway, during the worst of the times after landing, some folks found religion. Later, after things got better, their kids decided the rest were all going to hell and moved off to keep their 'purity.'"
"Let me guess," Matt broke in. "They couldn't agree among themselves on how to read the book, so ..."
"You got it—split and split again. Most of them want to just ignore us. Hope we'll go away. But one of them, the guy
Relaxing again into the seat, Ray took several deep breaths as Mary cruised north, away from civilization as it named itself here. His mind ordered his thoughts for his call to Matt.
The captain was eager to be away. There were several theories of how they might find their way home; the only proof of the pudding was going out and nibbling at it. Was Ray ready to declare his tiny downside command fit to stand on its own two feet?
Mary eased the mule to a halt, midway between waves and dune. "We're far enough up the coast to miss any search our trailer is doing. Besides, we'll see them coming." Ray nodded. "Mind if I take a walk, sir?" Mary's eyes were fixed on the lapping waves, mesmerized by them.
"Take care. You don't know where the drop-off is out there. You can't swim, and I sure can't come in after you."
"Don't worry, sir. Space ain't killed me in twenty years. A little bit of water ain't gonna get me now."
"That's not a little bit."
"Yes, sir." Mary got out and started a slow, pensive walk to the ocean. She wore a dress, a gift from Henrietta San Paulo, the Chair of the Great Circle of Lander's Refuge. Made of cotton so fine and tightly woven it might as well have been silk, Mary had spun around in delight, a girl-woman in her first formal. Then she'd lifted it far higher than their relationship on Wardhaven would have allowed to show him her sidearm. The asteroid mines had taught Mary none of the modesty and delicacy that Wardhaven inculcated in its women. Then, Rita had been Wardhaven's most instructed of debutantes .. . and gone on to skipper an attack transport. And her courtship of Ray had been far from delicate. Ray suspected few men ever understood women.
"God, I miss you, wife." Sighing, Ray tapped his comm unit. "Communications, Longknife here. The captain available?"
"He's expecting you, sir. Wait one, please."
Mary had about reached the water. The dress came up and over her head to flutter down on the sand. Her body was in moon shadow; he could not tell if she'd worn anything more. The male part of Ray's mind decided she hadn't; it made the view more enticing. Her silhouette was trim and sleek, no bulge for a bra, panties ... or sidearm. A glance in the front showed automatic and holster on the seat. Ray reached for it, checked the safety, then set it down beside him. Mary reached the water; she stooped to touch the lapping waves. Ray wished for about the millionth time that Rita was here. Or, more correctly, he was there.
"Ray, how are things?" the captain asked.
"I'm surviving down among the natives. And you?"
"Nothing's changed. We've completed the planet survey. Enough irregularities to keep the scanning team happy, but nothing to raise a red flag. Some interesting electromagnetic anomalies. We sent the database down. An interesting planet."
"Full of interesting people," Ray added dryly.
"Want to tell me about them?"
"You know, Matt, I always thought if you marooned three hundred hard-headed, rational people on a planet, you'd have a hard-headed, rational population when you got done."
"Gosh, Ray, I never knew you were such a dreamer."
'Take the Covenanters up north, those dozen or so medium-size towns that Kat couldn't figure out why they were in such a crazy pattern. Blame it on the Bible."
"Somebody brought that book!"
"It was in their database. More about that database in a minute. Anyway, during the worst of the times after landing, some folks found religion. Later, after things got better, their kids decided the rest were all going to hell and moved off to keep their 'purity.'"
"Let me guess," Matt broke in. "They couldn't agree among themselves on how to read the book, so ..."
"You got it—split and split again. Most of them want to just ignore us. Hope we'll go away. But one of them, the guy
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