For the hum an s , this w as an unexpected re ward . But for the Simiu , who had lost their bid for full membership because of their mish an
dling of their a tt empt at First Contact with the hum an s , this was a shameful disappointment . Even now , m an y Simiu held the humans re sponsible for their perceived dishonor in the entire affair.
As for the human s , they had to get used to the idea that the universe w
as n't theirs alone . At that time , Earth had already profitably colonized three pl an ets. Columbus was still venerated on Terra , and colonizing was big business . However, Terra's new half membership made some
politici an s realize that the re might be other p ro fitable things to do in space. The oldest an d founding members of the CLS, the snakelike , m an y-tentacled Mizari , were much more adv an ced scientifically th an the Terr an s. Mutual trade could be ve ry beneficial . Many hum an s felt that full membership in the CLS would help Ea rt h immeasurably.
24
One of the most crucial requirements to be granted full membership in the
Cooperative League of Systems-something the Simiu still coveted-was to
meet and establish nonexploitative, peaceful relations with another
intelligent species. But, what might happen if the Simiu were to gain full
membership first? Full membership had become the pennant in a race,
similar to when one Earth country had raced another to be the first to orbit
the planet, or the first to land on Terra's Moon. Only now, the Terrans were
racing the Simiu.
"Scott and Meg notified the CLS about the Grus," Rob continued, "over the objections of their superiors. They requested that the CLS regard this as a
genuine First Contact, so a board was established to review the progression
of the relationship. That was about three years ago."
Tesa knew that the giant corporations in the colonizing business had a
different view of CLS membership-they were against it . A year after the
Desiree encountered the Simiu, Rob Gable had sponsored a law on Earth
that required all colonizing expeditions to search for intelligent life on the
habitable planets they discovered. The corporations had managed to water
down the law's language-what, after all, was intelligence?
Similar situations had inspired the Mizari to begin plans for StarBridge
fifteen years ago-a school where diplomacy, the diversity of cultural values,
and, above all, the waging of intergalactic peace would be taught. It had taken Rob Gable and the Mizari Mediator, the Esteemed Ssoriszs, almost
ten years to finalize those plans and construct and staff the asteroid school
they were now on . But StarBridge-located in an area of space that had long
been used as a transition point for spacefarerswas now a reality -and
things would begin to change.
"Jamestown Founders didn't want to sink a lot of money into a planet they couldn't colonize," Rob told Tesa, "but they didn't want to lose their claim if the First Contact was denied, either. So the core of their scientific team
stayed at Trinity, including Scott and Meg, but as independent researchers.
We suspect the others stayed to cover themselves-there'll be recognition if
this is a verified First Contact, and they can keep an eye on their claim if it
isn't . Earth sent in a few more staff members to assist the core team."
The holo scenes shifted, and Rob pointed to a group of avian weavers. "The
fabric they make is incredibly beautiful. The weave is very complicated, and
the patterns are illusory,
25
shifting with the play of light." He lifted a case from the floor, re moved a mound of whiteness , then tossed it over Tesa's lap. Rob smiled at her reaction.
"The Grus," he signed , " line their nests with the cloaks. They may also use them in their religion , but we 're not sure." Tesa touched it tentatively , then checked the other side. The
tight , even weaving reassured her, and she stroked the iridescent
feathers.
"Like a lot of beautiful things, these cloaks have tu rn ed out to be both a blessing and a curse. The Grus enjoy giving them away , so we began to trade."
Tesa felt a sense of foreboding. "So what does a space-age planet trade
for this ìncredibly beautiful ' fabric?" she asked. Rob grimaced . " Don't look at me like that , Tesa. Scott and
Meg could only find one thing the Grus wanted that their world didn ' t supply them."
It couldn't possibly be alcohol, she thought . "What?"
" Wind chimes."
Tesa looked at Rob blankly , not understanding.
"Crystal wind chimes, specifically ," he elaborated. "Meg had a little cheap one and the Grus became enamored of it. They said that the
refracted rainbows it threw re minded them of an insect that omens good
luck, so crystal wind chimes have become official trade items." He
shrugged.
Tesa rolled her eyes. "Have we bought Manhattan yet?"
" If you go to Trinity, maybe you can come up with a better solution !" Rob finished his coffee , then continued , "That first cloak was sent to Earth, whe re it generated a lot of excitement. As the Grus gave us more,
museums, gove rn ments , the wealthy and powerful , all lined up for them . Demand far outstripped the supply . Then , two years ago, one of these was found in a ro utine customs search by special agents-biologists working as law - enforcement agents who'd been trained to
recognize illegally obtained wildlife a rt ifacts."
He opened the case again. In it was the feathered skin. Tesa was drawn by
its beauty, but repelled by its b ru tal o ri gin. Rob gestured for her to take it.
Reverently she spread it between them on the couch, marveling at its size.
Here was the long white neck , with tiny black feathers where the head
had been joined, and bits of the knubby red skin that made the c ro wn,
now an ashy plum color. There we re the impossibly huge wings . Tesa shudde re d as her hand
26
touched the black primaries and she felt the delicate bones that made the
three-fingered, almost palmless hand.
How could anyone do this? There were ragged tear holes by the spine.
"When this was confiscated," Rob signed, "it had a datacard identifying it as a genetic reconstruction. The card was an incredibly sophisticated
counterfeit that got the skin past a lot of spaceport checkpoints. We traced it
as far back as we could, but the trail died when it entered Sorozssow
Sector."
Tesa started in surprise. Rob had spelled the Mizari word that most Terrans
translated to Sorrow or Outlaw Sector. Literally, the Mizari word meant
"place outside the law," or "place with no ethics," since, to the Mizari, law and personal ethics were one and the same. It was all the more astounding
that the notorious criminal underworld operating out of a mysterious, distant
cluster of systems was supposedly run by a very old Mizari-a Mizari without
ethics. To Tesa's knowledge, the ancient renegade had never actually been
seen, but then, no law officer or journalist who'd entered Sorrow undercover
had ever emerged to confirm or deny his existence.
Sorrow Sector was home to anyone needing refuge from the law and willing
to support the operations of its network, which included the best in illegal
technology. In Sorrow Sector, everything was available-for the right price.
"When Scott and Meg found out about the skins," Rob signed, "they were
stunned. Because of the connection to Sorozssow, no one can find out
who's obtaining the skins, how they're
getting off-planet, or who's fencing
them. Those marks on the hide are from a predator attack, so it was
presumed at first that privateers had found the planet, and were stealing
dead Grus from predators and salvaging the skins." He paused for a
moment.
"However," Rob signed, "things are getting worse. Lately, flawless skins have been impounded-hides that could've only come from Grus killed with
modern weapons. Of course, our staff isn't permitted to have weapons, so
they're exonerated."
"Aren't the League Irenics doing anything?" Tesa asked. The CLS
peacekeepers were charged with protecting intelligent life.
Rob nodded. "Meg and Scott petitioned the CLS board for protective status
for the Grus until the First Contact could be resolved. However, a Terran on
the board vetoed that request."
27
Tesa's eyes widened indignantly. "What the hel for?" Rob smiled ruefully.
"Because , of the two Terrans on the board, one is a past president of Jamestown Founders. She, and others like her, believe that membership will
severely limit Earth's ability to colonize newly discovered planets. If the CLS
intervenes on Trinity, it could set a precedent, giving the CLS a say in all
Earth's colonizing expeditions. If the Grus aren't intelligent , Trinity belongs to Earth-and Jamestown Founders. If the CLS steps in now, Trinity might
never belong to anyone."
Tesa felt as though she'd traveled back in time and was hearing Columbus
tell Queen Isabella how he had "discovere d" an inhabited continent , and how all its re sources we re now hers.
"The corporations' opponents," Rob continued, "insist the companies would be happy to thumb their noses at CLS membership and all it represents in
long-term achievements just so they can have unfettered opportunities to
pursue short-term profits."
Tesa sagged back on the couch. "I shouldn't be surprised."
"Those of us who are convinced of the Grus' intelligence are hampered in
other ways as well. There are many different species of Grus ... and not all of
them want us on Trinity."
Rob leaned forward. "Fortunately, the most respected of all the Grus leaders-
the avian named Taller who had so boldly met Scott-has befriended the
humans. However, he's old and his power is waning. His people are edgy
about his alliance with aliens, making our situation there very sensitive.
"As a result, Taller has insisted on limiting the number of hum an s permitted at Trinity. If we believe in the Grus ' intelligence, then we have to respect
his wishes. So, only six people were posted there, with only Scott and
Meg living planetside. It makes it impossible for them to do much about
the invaders, but, really, even if we had six hundred people there, they couldn' t police a planet."
Rob touched the skin gently. "Trinity is too far removed from the hub of CLS
activity to get quick assistance in an emergency. After the skins started
showing up, Meg and Scott asked Taller to allow more staff, but his people
objected. I'm not even sure I can blame them. Somewhere on their planet
there are privateers-possibly human-who are killing Grus ... should they
believe we're harmless just because we say
28
so?" Rob frowned. "We've got to prove the Grus are intelligent. Then,
anyone possessing those skins will be accomplice to murder. "
"Haven't the voder translations proved that?" Tesa asked. "They might have, if the Founders had had Mizari voders, but the company used old-style
Terran voders."
"Those voders were good enough for you aboard the Desiree," Tesa signed impatiently, "and they've been upgraded since then."
"And a study of recent voder upgrades," Rob signed, "found a glitch in one program that would allow some voders to translate any communication-even
an interaction with domestic animals-into meaningful conversation.
Jamestown Founders presented the study results to the board. Of course, it
was the same program they use, and it cast doubt on the Grus' intelligence .
The Founders insist the Grus are very intelligent animals, perhaps on the
level of apes or dolphins, but not intelligent enough for a First Contact. And certainly not intelligent enough to avoid having their planet colonized."
Rob shook his head at Tesa's expression. "In spite of that the other Terran
board member"--he smiled faintly"Mah ree, voted for the Grus' protection,
essentially neutralizing the corporation's vote. However, the Simiu saw this
as the perfect opportunity to prevent us from getting full membership. They
voted against protection and those three votes encouraged the Heeyoon to
side with them. They're colonizers themselves. The board had to table the
request."
"That's ridiculous!" Tesa signed. Irritated, she crammed powdery doughnut
into her mouth, carefully avoiding the Grus skin.
Rob shrugged. "That's politics. When Meg and Scott found out, they were
crushed. They appealed to the board for Miz voders, and they've just
gotten clearance . Meg's going to pic them up when she comes."
Tesa stuffed the last of the pastry into her mouth, brushed her hands off, and
signed, "So, how do I fit in?"
"I told you," Rob reminded her, "that Meg had lost her hearing on Trinity."
"I remember," Tesa signed.
"There was a terrible accident, and it's changed everything. Taller ' s son , Water Dancer , was being trained to become leader so Taller could `
retire.' Taller ' s almost seventy Terran
29
years old. Water Dancer had become good friends with Scott." Rob glanced
at the peaceful holo-vid view of Grus lazily walking along, probing the
ground with their bills.
"There was an early-morning predator attack," Rob signed flatly. "Water
Dancer was killed. And so was Scott Hedford." Tesa felt as though she'd
been slapped. She recal ed Scott's
delight and awe as he touched the gift of another being. After seeing him on
the holo-vid and calmly discussing his work, she felt as if she'd come to
know him. "No!" she signed. "He was killed by animals on Trinity?"
Rob shook his head. "I feel like I've told you this backward. He was killed,
accidentally, by the Grus."
She was completely bewildered now.
"The Grus sign, but they use their voices, too." Tesa nodded numbly.
"However," Rob continued, "their voices are so loud, the vibrations so
powerful, it can be fatal to humans. We had to send special filming
equipment that wouldn't be affected by it. The films are all soundless. Meg
and Scott had to begin wearing industrial sound nullifiers when they
arrived."
Rob paused, glancing at the holo where Scott still walked, vibrant and alive.
"Over the years, they got careless. They wouldn't wear the nullifiers in the
evening when it was usually safe . The night before the attack, Scott had
dismantled them to recharge the batteries, something they did once a month.
The next morning they were watching the sunrise without the devices. The
Grus called out a warning. Meg was deafened and knocked unconscious,
but Scott had a weak blood vessel in his brain. It burst, killing him."
"How terrible!" Tesa signed.
Rob sighed visibly. "Water Dancer was also killed, as was his mate, and
their egg with its unborn male chick. This
brought new politics into play. With
no heir, Taller is now in real danger of being deposed." Rob paused to sip
his cooling coffee. "From the very beginning," he told her, "Taller has
instinnctively grasped that our presence has changed the lives of his people
in ways he can't yet comprehend. Many of them would prefer to either ignore
the humans or drive them from Trinity."
"Either scenario," Tesa signed, "would be perfect for the Terran colonialists or the privateers marketing those skins."
30
"Exactly. Right now things are bleak." Rob smiled ruefully. "But there's one ray of hope."
Tesa looked at him curiously.
"Taller' s mate, Weaver, laid an egg after Meg left. That in itself wasn't any big deal, she lays one every year. However, for the last ten years they've
been infertile."
Rob fixed Tesa with a look. "Three days before your tapping, the crew called
Meg at Shassiszss where she was hospitalized. This egg is fertile. Taller
says it's a male."
Is this where I come in? Tesa wondered.
"Before the accident, Scott was going to be àdopted' by Water Dancer and
help rear Dancer's chick. This was Taller's idea, and it's very radical, since
chicks are usually raised in st ri ct isolation until they can fly."
So, that's why they need an interrelator, Tesa thought. "Taller wanted to wed Scott to the Grus through family ties, but Scott would have had to wear his
nullifiers twenty-four hours a day. He wouldn't have been able to take them
off even for an hour. Meg would have had to shuttle recharged units to him,
but then Scott died, and Meg had to leave."
"And that's when you learned about the surgery?"
Rob nodded. "While recuperating, Meg looked for someone to take Scott's
place. She had decided, impulsively, to ask Gallaudet to recommend some
deaf candidates, when the crew told her about the egg. That lent real
urgency to the search. Then Meg found out about you, she called Kkintha,
and here we are."
"Was it your idea to throw me a curve about that surgery?"
" It wasn 't a curve," he responded defensively. "I couldn't ask you to do this while withholding information that could mean a lot to you, personally. Meg had her work done on Shassiszss , but yours would be much more
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