Valhai (The Ammonite Galaxy) by Gillian Andrews Page B

or hot chocolate, or anything?”
    “Just water.”
    She shuddered. “Eugh! what a life! No wonder you are always in a bad mood, nomus. That must make even the food and drink here taste good in comparison?”
    He stiffened. “We have the best fruit in Sacras,” he told her. “Just because it isn’t like Coriolis doesn’t mean it’s bad. It’s beautiful in the uninhabitable zone. Icy and misty and wild, with winds so cold that they can kill a grown man.” His gaze was far-away.
    She gave a brief shiver. “Not my cup of tea, I’m afraid. Anyway, you can’t live off fruit and nothing else.”
    He hesitated. “We sometimes ate meat.”
    “Yuck!” She put one of her fingers to her mouth and made gagging sounds. “How could you! On Coriolis we haven’t eaten meat for centuries!”
    “Well bully for good old Coriolis,” snapped Six. “I’m glad you spent your time sitting around sipping hot chocolate. We couldn’t, so what?”
    “Sorry. It’s just that . . . wow . . . meat! That is so gross!”
    “It wasn’t very often. No need to make such a big thing over it.” He gave a sigh. “Tell me, been eaten by your bed yet?”
    “Every day I seem to sink deeper, but it hasn’t quite gobbled me up yet, no. You?”
    “I put one hand against one of the walls the other day and started to fall through it. Atheron came to life and caught me up to my elbow in wall. He wasn’t best pleased.”
    “I bet! He can be horribly sarcastic when he wants, can’t he?” she said. “And always so condescending!”
    Six gave a rueful nod. “Reminds me of the matron at the birth shelter. Except he smiles, if you can call it a smile, something she was not renowned for exactly.”
    “Was it very bad, being a no-name?”
    He looked at her steadily. There was no way this pampered girl could even begin to imagine what his life had been like.
    “Perhaps it suited me,” he said lightly. “I don’t think I would have been much of a success as an Elder’s daughter on Coriolis.”
    “I had a perfect life!”
    “Look what it turned you into!”
    “Of all the cheek . . . she began, but luckily at that moment the doors to their respective bubbles thinned, so they decided to acknowledge a draw, and said goodbye by touching their eight fingers together again respectfully, leaving the thumbs back. Diva pressed the first finger of her right hand against his finger, four times. He knew that she had picked up the code.
    “See you next commontime Diva. Be good!”
    “I’m never anything else, Kwaidian. You’re the one who might find it difficult!”
    “You have no idea,” he admitted.
    They each made their way back into their bubble with little heart for more classes. Still, any kind of communication would be an improvement on their day to day lives as prisoners.
    Atheron finished his report quickly. Both of the apprentices seemed to be settling down satisfactorily into the program. Efficiency had improved, especially in the case of the boy, Point five six. He had at first been uncooperative and unwilling. It now seemed, however, that his progress was firmly within the proposed parameters, and he was certainly capable of attaining impressive academic achievements. The conversation which had just been monitored seemed to confirm the preliminary findings. Both candidates had adapted and were now on their way to becoming acquiescent participants who would prove uncontroversial students, although the girl was rather slower than the others academically.
    Atheron forwarded the report to Xenon with a flick of his hand and turned his attention back to the master screen.

Chapter 6
    GRACE WAS DEEP into the interscreen that Vion had sent her as promised when the tridiscreen flashed. It was her brother’s wife, Amanita, calling with her weekly punctuality.
    The thin face which came up on the tridi looked at her though beady, bird-like eyes. “Grace,” she said, “How are you?”
    “Fine. Busy.”
    “Busy? Doing what . . . if I may