Lyon's Pride

by Anne McCaffrey

“Ah…” Kincaid began tentatively, “what did happen to your brother’s original ’Dinis? I’ve only caught snatches and I’d rather not misinterpret.”

  Laria and Zara exchanged glances and begged his pardon.

  “Apologies, Kincaid,” Laria said, taking the initiative. She related the incident quickly, trying not to let her emotions color the facts. Neither sister expected his bitter reaction.

  “Bad enough to try that sort of coercion on someone of full age and your own species, but to subject a kid…” He flushed, thinking he might have belittled their brother’s abilities. “I admit that I like Clarf far more than I thought I would, even in the short time I’ve been at your Tower, Laria, but I haven’t changed my mind about naval practices at all.” He looked down at the ground, at the pattern he was scuffing in the thick moss. “You’ll never know how grateful I was to be transferred back to the company of civilians!”

  Zara touched Laria’s wrist, where the riding glove left her hand bare, and Laria “heard” the message: This bears investigation. The problem’s festering. I’ll do it when he sleeps.

  “Grateful, are you?” Laria said with a light laugh. “I haven’t half worked you yet, Kincaid. You may wish to transfer back to the Navy.”

  He looked her squarely in the eyes, his jaw set at an obstinate angle. “No, I wouldn’t. Not ever.” He turned and, with a respectable vault, was astride his pony. “Have we got a large enough bag?”

  “Only if you’re feeling the saddle,” Laria said with a challenging grin.

  The hunt’s good for him, Zara said tightly.

  “I’ll feel the saddle tomorrow,” Kincaid said with a rueful grin as he kneed his pony forward to follow the nearly overgrown path, “but let’s get on with the hunt.”

  * * *

  The hunt had been so enthusiastically pursued by all participants that Damia decided, as the ’Dinis helped them dress down the results, that they probably wouldn’t need to hunt for the rest of the week. She sent Zara out with Petra and their ’Dinis to pull vegetables to go with the evening meal and set Rojer and Ewain and their ’Dinis to dig tubers. With her friends, Laria began to make a dessert while Flavia watched in fascination as Tip and Huf measured ingredients, set out appropriate pots and pans. Thian took Kincaid back to the stable to feed and secure the stableyard creatures. Kincaid enjoyed the chore, having missed working with tamed creatures while on his naval assignment.

  There turned out to be time enough for a quick swim before dinner and there was more aquatic rough stuff than energetic laps of the large pool.

  By dinner, Rojer’s joy had settled to a glow and the new Gil and Kat had acquired enough orientation, between his efforts and those of the other ’Dinis, to appear quite comfortable at the large table. If, at first, they were clumsy with unfamiliar utensils, they learned with amazing speed and obviously enjoyed the meal.

  Leaving children and guests to clear the table and cleanse the dishes, Damia and Afra settled in the lounge to have a quiet liqueur, watch the sun set over the sea, and get a few words with their ’Dinis.

  “TELL US PLEASE,” Damia asked Trp and Flk, “HOW MATURE ARE THE NEW KTG AND GRL?”

  “OLDER THAN THE FIRST BECAUSE THE IMMATURE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ACCOMPANY RJR USEFULLY.”

  “CAN YOU TELL US HOW THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED? WE DO NOT PRY…” Damia left the thought hanging.

  Fok resettled itself right next to Damia, laying one upper hand on her arm, stroking its head against her shoulder.

  “DM IS TOO GOOD A FRIEND TO PRY. IT WAS PART OF MEDITATION THAT THESE BE MORE MATURE. THIS REQUIRES VERY CAREFUL ATTENTION TO DETAILS NOT USUALLY REFINED SO EARLY. HALF-GROWN KTG AND GRL ARE BUT NOT MORE GROWN THAN CAN ABSORB NECESSARY DATA NOW THAT RJR IS OLDER TOO.”

  “DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THIS MEANS TO US AS WELL AS RJR?” Damia said and, although she knew perfectly well there wasn’t an ounce of telempathy in Mrdinis, she exuded gratitude and knew that Afra did, too.

  “WE KNOW. ALL MRDINI KNOW. THE REGRET IS THAT TIME HAD TO GO SO SLOWLY FOR RJR. SUCCESS HAD TO BE ACHIEVED OR DISAPPOINTMENT WOULD MAR RJR FOR ALL TIME.”

  “YES,” Afra said slowly, “TO HAVE RAISED HIS HOPES PREMATURELY WOULD HAVE CAUSED MUCH MORE PAIN. YOU WERE WISE.”

  “YES, WE WERE VERY WISE,” Trp said with such a smug tone in its voice that both Damia and Afra burst out laughing at its uncharacteristic arrogance.

  Then the chores were finished and Damia and Afra were joined by children, guests and ’Dinis. It made for rather a full room, but a very happy one.

  * * *

  The next day, to shake out the kinks caused by riding after a long absence from the sport, Thian, Laria, Zara and the two guests took an easy hack to another part of the foothills. Rojer grinned at their stiffness for he’d been riding regularly on Deneb and he had other plans for his day. Afterwards Thian and Laria gave Flavia and Kincaid a tour of Aurigae City, the ’Dini village, where they caught a fleeting glimpse of Rojer, Kat and Gil making a formal call on the inhabitants.

  “WILL RJR KNOW WHO…” Laria couldn’t resist asking Tip.

  “NEVER KNOW. WE DON’T. WE KNOW IT WAS DONE. THAT IS ENOUGH.”

  Well, you would ask, Thian said when he saw the chagrined look on his sister’s face from the brusque reply.

  There was no harm in asking, she said with a sniff. Otherwise how would I know that there is a limit to the knowledge they have of the process? They aren’t offended.

  No, they’re not. They know us too well for that.

  Thank goodness. Sometimes… and Laria halted, closing off her thought.

  Thian nudged her. Hey, it’s me, your brother.

  Laria gave him a sideways look. If I could analogize the nebulous I would, but I can’t. When I can figure out the question I need to ask, I’ll bring it to you, and Zara. There was a sad and perplexed tone to Laria’s mental voice that Thian had never heard before from his practical, sensible sister.

  Not Mother or Dad?

  Laria gave a little laugh. When I know enough to ask, I might. But I think you and Zara might know better.

  I’m highly complimented. Thian tousled his sister’s hair. She was tall but he had centimeters on her.

  “Hey, what gives you the right to mess me up?” she demanded in mock outrage. Their mental exchange had taken so little time their guests could not have been aware of discourtesy or such a tight colloquy.

  “Hey, I’m bigger’n you now, sis. I got the right!” Thian said, grinning back. He noticed Flavia and Kincaid exchanging amused glances. “Where to now? A view of the open mines? A fascinating scenic tour of the river? Ah, I know. Breakfast was a long time ago and there’s a great place where they’ve fresh crustaceans I’ll bet neither of our guests have ever had a chance to eat!”

  “Gotcha!”

  “I’d rather you didn’t use that word around me, sis,” Thian said, having had to catch his breath at the shaft of remembered fear and terror the innocent vernacular phrase produced in him.

  “Ooops, sorry, Thi,” and Laria was full of remorse. Once again they inadvertently excluded their guests and smiled apologies.

  “Maybe if you spoke of it to us who will understand as others can’t…?” Flavia asked, peering up into Thian’s pale face.

  Thian knew himself to be tempted by Flavia’s obvious concern but he also caught the wariness in Kincaid, a rigid seizing of muscles in the man’s body that made him loath to add to whatever burden Kincaid already coped with. For Thian was as perceptive as Zara about the T-2. So he made himself grin.

  “You would understand, Flavia,” he said, lightly and briefly touching her shoulder, “and so would Dano, but at another time. Laria just caught me unawares.”

  They ate fish of all kinds as well as the fresh crustaceans and Laria put in an order for ten kilos of frozen shellfish to be sent on to Clarf.

  “I’d forgot how much I liked ’em,” she said as they turned back toward the Tower. She took a meandering course, turning the sled just beyond the main mining
complexes and into the next level of hills.

  “You wouldn’t know there was a highly industrialized city just a hill away,” Flavia said, as Laria slowed the sled so they could all enjoy the panorama.

  It was late summer on Aurigae and the ground vines were beginning to turn color, rivaling what flowering shrubs and plants still bloomed.

  “This is a pretty time of year, too,” Laria said with a sigh.

  She was now accustomed to Clarf’s heat, but the crisp air of Iota Aurigae and the softness of its primary’s distant light were subtly soothing, relaxing. But then this was home and all that the term implied: familiar, safe, comforting, pleasant. Even Kincaid seemed easier in himself, his attitude languid. Flavia, on the other hand, was eagerly absorbing all the views, glancing all around her, or peering down as they passed over some particularly lovely setting. Thian had a droll smile on his face as he watched the Altairian.

  She is lovely, Laria said on a thin line.

  No question of that, Thian replied easily and his smile broadened a trifle.

  Grandfather?

  I’d hate to surrender easily to his manipulations.

  Is that fair to Flavia?

  I don’t know. She’s pretty cool. I can’t get past her public mind.

  Have you tried?

  Ethics are involved, Lar.

  In love and war, all’s fair, isn’t it?

  This is neither love nor war, sister dear. Speaking of which, how come Kincaid Dano got posted to Clarf?

  As to that, I couldn’t get on with that wretched Clarissia. She was even worse than Stierlman and proved ’Diniphobic to the point of acute embarrassment for the Tower. I can’t keep breaking up Yoshuk and Nesrun…

  They are a pairing, then?

  Far’s I know.

  How’s Kincaid working out?

  As well as could be expected with someone as mentally fatigued as he is. But he’s improving.

  Laria had been skimming quite low and had set the sled’s speed at almost a walking pace so that Flavia could enjoy the landscape. She was ascending a shrub-covered hill when all of a sudden a large flock of avians sprang up in front of the sled. In an effort to avoid unnecessary slaughter, Laria hauled the sled sideways, but in doing so, unbalanced her passengers so they slid to the port side. What with the sled’s slow forward speed and the proximity of the hill, the imbalance tilted the sled out of control. The humans grabbed at the lighter ’Dinis to keep them from tumbling overboard, but they were, in turn, overbalanced and fell over the side. Laria caught Tip’s arm, saw that Kincaid had Huf, and had to leave Thian and Flavia to manage his ’Dinis. They all ’ported safely away as the sled plowed its nose into the hillside.

  Setting Tip down on its feet, Laria regarded the sled, its motor still running, with stunned surprise.

  “I didn’t think I was that out of practice,” she said, shaking her head. “After all, I do a great deal of sledding about on Clarf and Vanteer prefers me to drive him.”

  The motor cut suddenly, with a loud discharge from its exhaust tubes which blew back a noxious smell.

  “Hoooo,” and Thian waved the reek off.

  “Everyone’s okay?” Laria asked, looking about her.

  “I must say you lay on unusual entertainments for guests,” Kincaid said.

  Laria flushed. “I probably did overcompensate for the flock but they make such a mess if they get sucked into the intake.”

  Kincaid laughed. “Don’t get me wrong, Laria. I’m not objecting. A relief to know that emergency reflexes are in working order.”

  Thian, followed by his ’Dinis, walked over to the tilted sled, peering at the underside.

  “How bad’s the damage, Thi?” Laria asked, not quite sure of Kincaid’s jest.

  “You did a lot worse when you were learning to fly…”

  “Isthian Lyon, I never put a single…”

  Thian laughed and suddenly the sled backed out of the trench it had dug in the shrubs and soil and settled on as even a keel as the rough ground permitted. Flavia and Kincaid joined him so that Laria broke out of her outraged pose and sprinted the few meters to join them.

  “Shouldn’t’ve overbalanced like that,” Thian said.

  “No, this model isn’t supposed to, is it,” Kincaid said and opened the access panel.

  “D’you think it’ll restart?” Laria asked.

  “Probably,” Kincaid said, “but I think there’s something wrong with the fuel lines or there wouldn’t have been that backfire.”

  “I’ll check the intakes,” Thian said and levered himself down for a good look at the hooded opening on the starboard side of the sled.

  “Good heavens, Thian, why not just ‘look’?” Flavia asked.

  “More fun to tinker when I have the chance,” Thian said, his voice muffled by his position. “Yeah, flight pinions clogging this one. Check the other, will you? Laria? Flavia?”

  Flavia made a sound of disgust, totally out of character with her elegant exterior. She deposited a bloodied clump beside the mess Thian had extracted.

  “Couldn’t we just ’port back to the Tower?” she asked.

  “What?” Laria asked, “and admit that we came a cropper?”

  “Any tools on board?” Kincaid asked, holding up a very greasy-looking object.

  “I doubt it,” Laria said. “This sled’s only used for short hops. The big sled has a full kit, of course.”

  “No one’s using it today, are they?” Thian asked.

  “I don’t think so.” Laria concentrated, “found” the mass of the big sled in its garage, “located” the tool kit, and ’ported it to a spot by Kincaid’s feet.

  “Thanks,” he said and, opening the metal locker, began to search for the tool he needed. “No rags?” he asked querulously.

  “Here!” Laria dumped a pile, scavenged from the bin her mother generally kept them in, beside the tool kit.

  Flavia watched another moment and then, turning, leisurely began to venture from the scene of the crash to examine the clumps of little blooms.

  “Any toxic plants I should be aware of?” she asked Laria.

  “None,” Laria replied absently, more interested in Kincaid, the mechanic, for he went about cleaning the component with a competent air.

  Thian cleared all the intake openings.

  “That’s done, but I don’t think that was the whole problem. Xexo usually keeps this serviced,” he said with a frown.

  “Xexo usually does but we don’t know when he did it last and Mother said Morag’s allowed to drive now.”

  “Hey, that’s not fair,” Thian cried with mock indignation. “We were at least fifteen before we were allowed and she’s only thirteen!”

  Laria grinned at her brother. “I suspect they may miss us and have had to revise a few directives now they’re down on staff. Besides, Morag’s capable.”

  “I think we have to get to the fuel injection and clear the line,” Kincaid said.

  “That’s underneath,” Laria said, pointing to the bottom of the sled.

  “No problem!” The two men said it simultaneously, grinned at each other, and the sled slowly rose to a suitable height to allow them to work easily on its underside.

  She could see Flavia off in the distance, picking wild flowers, occasionally holding a bloom up for inspection and smelling it for scent. Not many had any aroma, but none that Laria could see in the immediate area were the stinkweeds which had a reek that could linger in nasal passages for days.

  “I’ll hold the sled up if that’ll free you up to do the nitty-gritty,” she offered, leaning comfortably against a boulder. “Vanteer says that helps him no end.”

  “Oh, well,” Thian said in reply to her offer, “if you want to feel part of the team…”

  She took over the “lift” and the men “removed” the bolts holding the panel, slipping it to one side where it hovered as a receptacle for the pieces they began to remove to get at the line.

  “Can’t you just ‘see’ into it, Thi
an?” Laria asked. “You’ve spent the last couple of weeks ‘looking’ inside pipes and conduits, haven’t you?”

  “Not quite the same thing, Laria,” Thian said with an obvious exercise of patience. “This is hands-on stuff.”

  “Ah!” Kincaid had given a moderate tug to a hose and it had not only come away in his hand but disintegrated. “I didn’t pull that hard!” he said in surprise, looking at the mess and the fuel that spilled down his hand.

  “But that’s the faulty part,” Thian said. “Completely perished. Where does Xexo keep his spares, Laria? Can you remember?”

  “I couldn’t but Roj would know.”

  Thian grimaced. “I’d hate to interrupt him…”

  “Well, it’s that or admit to Xexo we crashed,” Laria said.

  “What’s wrong with that?” asked Flavia, returning. Then she began to laugh. “Xexo’s a T-8. You could be in and out of his mind before he knew you were there.”

  Laria and Thian exchanged thoughtful looks and then began to grin at each other. Thian chuckled and scratched his cheek with a dirty finger. “Old habits surface when you least expect them.”

  “You’re not that old, Thian,” Flavia remarked, thoroughly amused.

  Holding the damaged hose line by each end, Thian could be seen to concentrate on it briefly. Then a second length of similar but brand-new hose appeared.

  Laria cheered, then said ruefully, “I suppose it’ll be my job to tell Xexo who messed up his inventory.”

  “Leave him a docket. That keeps everything in order.”

  The sled was quickly repaired. Kincaid even straightened the ding in the prow. “While we’re about general repairs.”

  They were all in good spirits on the way back, Laria giving Thian the drive since she wanted to name the blooms in Flavia’s bouquet of wild flowers.

  * * *

  The first week passed very quickly in all kinds of leisure pursuits that the Talented enjoyed as ordinary people. Laria and Kincaid went to the mixed school the younger Lyons attended to speak to both Human and Mrdini students about working on Clarf. Although Kincaid begged off, Thian and Rojer were also in demand in secondary-level classes, describing their adventures with the two Squadrons. With his ’Dinis back, Rojer had no trouble taking part with discreet evasions. Afterwards they told the dinner table that they might have made the service seem a bit too adventurous for some of the young people.