Silent Dances

by A. C. Crispin

  hearing," he explained patiently. "If you had perfect hearing and perfect speech, you couldn't hear or talk to the Aquila without a voder. I thought you

  knew that."

  She shook her head, surprised by what he'd told her. "Have the surgery if

  you want, but only if you want it for Tesa--not for any other reason."

  Tesa blinked, then nodded, smiling. "Thanks, Thorn, thanks for telling me,"

  she signed, simply.

  He gave her a quick hug, then, glancing at his voder, gestured for her to read

  the information displayed there. As the privateers called up their own

  translating programs to communicate with the Aquila, Peter's program was

  picking up both sides of the interpreted dialogue from the privateers' voders.

  This would, in effect, allow Tesa and Thorn to "overhear" whatever the two

  parties had to say to each other. Thorn nudged Tesa as Maltese moved

  toward the Aquila perched on the ship.

  His words were relayed clearly to Thorn's voder screen. "You're late!"

  Maltese said to the avians.

  "Where's our child?" cried the Aquila female. "You promised us the child if we brought the people. Where is he?"

  The blond man gestured and Deborah went into the ship. "You'll see him.

  What have you decided to do? Wil you help?"

  "It's against our nature to hunt this way," the female insisted. "We don't kill wastefully or consume carrion. We've killed for you too many times. The

  people won't help anymore."

  The dark woman came out with a closed shipping box.

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  "Are you sure that's your answer?" the man asked the Aquila.

  "This is senseless," the female said. "We've changed our whole way of life because of you, and you're not of the World." Maltese gestured to Deborah

  and she lifted the container's

  lid. Tesa could see the hooded head of a very young Aquila chick. The sight

  of him threw all the avians into a frenzy. "Are you sure you won't do this one last thing for us?" the privateer asked, approaching the box. Tesa's stomach

  twisted. Casually Maltese wrapped a big hand around the chick's small

  neck. The baby's beak gaped as he struggled for air.

  The parents went wild and flew at the human, but two other men pulled out

  weapons and hit the nearest trees with powerful blasting rays. They

  shattered, and all the Aquila took to the air, circling frantically. Terrified, the

  two parents landed back on the ship, screaming for their suffering child.

  Tesa glared at Maltese, infuriated to see how these c ri minals had

  discovered the Aquila's intelligence--only to use it for their own advantage.

  "Stop!" begged the Aquila. "Stop! We yield for the child!" Maltese released the chick's neck and slammed the lid closed. Deborah carried the container

  back into the ship. "I knew you'd see things my way. We'll meet at the

  scientists' camp when the sun is there." He pointed to a place in the sky.

  Three hours from now, Tesa thought.

  "Remember," Maltese said, "all the Grus must be killed, and all the humans, as well. If anyone survives, I'll wring that chick's neck right in front of you."

  The avians thrust their heads out, screaming their hatred. Suddenly another

  female Aquila landed roughly on the slick surface of the ship. "Haven't you

  taken enough from us already?" the newcomer demanded. "You've killed so

  many males that the trees hold only empty nests. Our children no longer

  know what is the hunted, and what isn't. Who needs courage to eat the

  dead? We were Hunters, but because of you we've become what the White

  Winds have always called us now, we're only Death."

  This avian favored one leg, placing it down gingerly when she stepped.

  "You have never kept even one promise. Why should we think you will keep this one, and return this child?"

  "We're leaving after this," the human assured them. "Once the other humans are dead, the World will be yours again."

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  "There ' s no truth in you ," announced the female . " You'll re tu rn again an d again , until the White Winds are gone , killing our mates an d terrorizing our children to get your way. And when the White Winds a re finished , whose skins will you want next?"

  Maltese gazed at her coldly. " I'd have thought , Rain, that after losing your chick and your mate, you'd have lea rn ed to keep silent . If the others listen to you , they ' ll end up just like you--alone an d childless."

  Tesa grabbed Thorn' s sleeve an d signed, "That's Thunder's mother ! I know it!" She glanced at the Aquila chick , who was quive ri ng with excitement at the sound of this avian ' s voice.

  Rain bobbed her head. " We'll obey . What choice have we? At least this task wil be a pleasure!" She tu rn ed one searing red eye on Maltese . "

  Since you came to the World, I have waited for the day I could kill humans and taste their living flesh." She launched herself into the air and the others

  followed.

  The crew of pri vateers glanced around ne rv ously as they removed

  their earcuffs , but Maltese only laughed. They grouped the now-empty

  a-grav sleds and began moving them through the forest . This time ,

  however, eve ry crew member went.

  "They were only posting guards to watch for Aquila!" Thorn signed excitedly.

  "Talk about an uneasy alliance . No wonder they ' re not wor ri ed about little old me. Good thing I avoided Aquila territo ry this last week, or I'd '

  ve been lunch!"

  " He'll kill that baby , won't he?" Sailor asked Tesa. "Not if I c an help it ,"

  she promised g ri mly.

  "This may be my best shot," Thorn signed. " They won't be gone long

  since there are more of them to move the goods." He looked at Tesa . "

  You stay here . It'll only take me ..."

  "I'm not leaving that chick behind for those murderers!" Tesa informed him.

  She rummaged hastily through her packs, pulling out an empty mesh bag.

  "We can waste time arguing, if you insist." She stripped off her bulky

  clothing down to the remnants of her StarB ri dge jumpsuit , now cut

  down to a camisole.

  "You are not going!" Thorn's face tu rn ed beet-red. "You'll freeze , dressed like that!"

  Tesa began climbing through the log pile. "You coming?"

  Thorn's jaw clenched . " You are the most infu ri ating wom an !

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  Why must you do the exact opposite of every thing you' re told?"

  She gri nned at him . " I can't help it . It's my way."

  She crept on hands and knees over the tangled mass of logs. Thorn crawled

  behind her. When they reached solid ground, they scur ri ed to the ship.

  Eve ry airlock was open , inviting.

  When Thorn stepped inside the vessel he winced. "Now I know why all the

  doors are open ," he signed. "This place re eks."

  The interi or of the ship smelled like a slaughterhouse. Tesa could smell

  blood , fat, flesh, and strong chemicals. White feathers we re eve ry where , broken and di rt y.

  "This ship is too big to search," Thorn signed . " How will you find that chick ? I can ' t hear it ." He rummaged quickly through the nearest closets. Sealed boxes were eve ry where. He snapped one open , only

  to find glimme ri ng skins inside.

  Tesa was moving quickly, frantically , jerking open doors and floor holds.

  She yanked open a drawer and waved to Thorn. "Well, I found

  something useful." The re was a neat row of sound nullifiers and a group of small hand weapons.

  " Grab those nullifiers," Thorn told her.

  "Bett er yet ." Tesa snapped open the batte ry c
ompa rt ment of the nearest one and tu rn ed the tiny , powerful cell upside down . " It'll discharge in an hour. But they won't know that."

  Thorn looked at her appraisingly as he grabbed the weapons and stuffed

  them into his pack. "You know, you have a really nasty stre ak ." He g ri nned . " I like that."

  "If you're going to disable this ship, you'd better do it," Tesa suggested .

  " I'll find the chick."

  As Thorn raced to the control area, Tesa pulled out her Swiss Army knife

  and unfolded the bioscanner . Activating it, she canceled her own and

  Thorn ' s life readings . Hurriedly she strode through the vessel , scanning cabinets , closets, and floor holds. Finally , the scanner

  blinked . Tesa pulled open a cramped closet and found the chick

  huddled in the closed box, shive ri ng with cold . Seeing a pile of

  clothing , she grabbed a shi rt and wrapped the chick , placing him in the mesh bag she'd slung across her chest . She ran back to the

  control room.

  Thorn was removing computer boards neatly an d stuffing them in his

  pack . " What a re you doing ?" she demanded. "Take one of those blasters and melt this stuff to slag!"

  "We want them to be surpri sed," he explained , opening

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  another console and unsnapping the boards . " We want them to waste

  time figu ri ng out what ' s wrong . It'll give us a head start . Besides, if we cause too much damage , they 'll hear us."

  "Oh," signed Tesa . She'd forgotten about that.

  "I'm done," he signed , fastening the pack . " These boards a re a ll Simiu , ri ght down to the designer ' s number . Let's go." They wasted no time ge tt ing back to the streambed.

  "Let's take this baby home ," Tesa told Sailor and Thunder. "What?"

  Thorn looked alarmed. "Didn ' t you read what that female said! It' s way too dangerous, I can ' t let you--"

  "It'll be okay," she reassured him. "Her daughter , Thunder, is with me , and this chick will give us a big bargaining wedge. It's time for me to do

  my job, Thorn. Then Sailor and I will talk to Taller, convince him to evacuate the flock."

  "If you live!" Thorn signed , exasperated . " I don't like it, but"--he smiled slightly--"if you could pull it off ... Look, without the ship , Maltese only h as the sleds, and the weapons they ' re car ry ing now ... and the Aquila.

  They' ll be depending on them to make the difference . You really think

  you can ...

  "I don' t know ," she signed, honestly . "I can only try." Impulsively Thorn hugged her, then gave her a b ri ef, hard kiss on the mouth . " Be ca re ful! " he demanded.

  Deep in the forest, beside the giant fallen limb, Tesa knelt, fingering the

  corner of her grandmother's quilt, grateful for modern fabric preservatives

  that would keep the fibers from being damaged. Thunder clung to the limb

  that had once housed her nest and called to the skies.

  Sailor was apprehensive. Tesa knew he questioned the wisdom of

  deliberately calling down Death. "Good Eyes," he signed, "we must agree on something, before we suggest this compromise."

  She looked at him , surprised. "Yes?"

  "Let me suggest the compromise after we return the chick. If I don't speak for my own people, Death-the Hunters, that is-will have no respect for us." He

  peered at the bundle huddled against Tesa's chest. "This chick can't be part

  of the compromise. We'll return him simply because my people value

  children. That's the only trait their people and mine share. I don't know if

  that' s enough to build a compromise on."

  "If that's what you want," Tesa agreed.

  A shadow passed, then Rain backwinged onto the log.

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  I KNEW she had to be near here! Tesa thought , anxiety knotting her

  stomach . But will she recognize her daughter? The Aquila stare d wa ri ly at the grown chick as Tesa checked the voder on her w ri st.

  "I'm Thunder, daughter of Rain and Wind," the youngster said , " and I '

  ve brought this from my first kill." She plucked out the thong from

  under her mantle of feathers, the long Ripper claw d an gling from it.

  The older female just stared , clearly disturbed . Tesa tensed . They had no Pl an B.

  Rain moved her head. " You-you weren ' t killed when the nest fell , and Wind died ?" She seemed stunned.

  Thunder told her mother of how she'd sat under leaves, cold and hungry,

  waiting to die. She told of being found by an alien and one of the White

  Winds' children . She told about their jou rn ey , an d how the two fed her , cured her illness, and taught her their l an guage . Then she spoke of how they ' d fought together and killed the people ' s most - feared enemy ... how two beings who had not hatched her had ri sked their

  own lives for her.

  Rain eyed Sailor, Tesa , and the conspicuous Ripper robe warily . She

  thrust her head at Tesa . " I know you ! I spoke to you when you first came, but you wouldn ' t answer me."

  "I'm deaf to your language," Tesa explained as Thunder tr an slated . "

  The day you attacked us , you talked to me again, but I still couldn ' t understand . I'm sorry."

  "You were brave that day ," the Aquila remarked grudgingly . " Your courage saved you and the White Winds' child. That' s why I spoke to you again . I wanted to know why one human could che ri sh one child ' s life while another human saw our children only as vermin . You

  protected that child like a parent."

  "I am his parent." Tesa indicated Thunder . " And hers, too."

  Rain seemed to ponder this, then tu rn ed to Thunder. "To kill a Ripper ...

  is unknown ! The volcano is far from here--you've flown that distance?"

  " It took m an y days, but yes," Thunder said.

  Rain turn ed to Tesa. "It ' s hard to accept , but you've raised her well--I only wish that you had kept her there . There's nothing for us here

  now , since your people have made us scavengers . Take Thunder

  back to the volcano , where she can

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  SILENT DANCES 247 live f re ely ... if you stay here , human , it won't be safe for you.

  Tesa and Sailor exchan ged a ne rv ous gl an ce. "There may be

  something we can do about that problem ," Tesa suggested, re aching into the mesh bag.

  Taller pee re d at the midafte rn oon sky. The weather was good , but he sensed something troubling , like the touch of a spi ri t that couldn ' t find its way to the suns . He shudde re d, then gl an ced at Shimmering and Flies-Too-Fast to take his mind off it . The two we re playing at

  catching fish, but were paying much more attention to each other th an

  the swimmers weaving safely around their legs. Perhaps there ' d be an

  egg next year...

  "Taller, look!" Weaver was pointing to the west . A young Grus came winging home and beside him flew ... one of the humans ' flying sleds!

  Taller dropped his wings, th re w his head back to call t ri umph an tly .

  His son was home! His son and Good Eyes!

  When he turn ed , Shimme ri ng and Flies-Too - Fast had melted into the reeds , to give the parents p ri vacy with their child. Sailor backwinged into the clear water while Good Eyes

  hove re d her sled next to the platform . Taller an d Weaver both we re shocked to see what she wore , but befo re they could wonder much

  about it , Taller re ally looked at his son. His eyes widened . Weaver saw it, too. Sailor had grown . He stood taller than his father now.

  The male Grus swelled with pri de.

  The adults enveloped the return ing wande re rs with joy and rapid - fire g re etings . Taller could see plainly how weary they both were . " Come into the nest shelter," he urged. "I c an see you have sto ri es to tell. "

&n
bsp; They' d barely se tt led comfo rt ably befo re Good Eyes began signing- "

  Taller , the re' s something we must tell you, ri ght now."

  The avian w as surp ri sed at the anxiety the two displayed. Youngsters retu rn ing f ro m a flyaway we re usually happy to re st and draw out the sto ry telling of their expe ri ences.

  "You must evacuate the flock, immediately !" Good Eyes signed bluntly . "

  D an ger ' s coming, ve ry soon."

  Taller felt his crown shri nk . " Is it flood?"

  "Worse," Good Eyes signed. "It's human ." Quickly she

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  explained about the evil beings who'd killed so many and wanted to kill still

  more. The avian's feathers stood straight out as she told him that these

  hum an s could speak to Death. She said they had even forced those

  hated murderers to help them. This was a horrifying concept for Taller, that

  humans could produce individuals so malignant they could bend even

  Death to their will. The Grus leader felt a wave of helplessness wash over

  him.

  "What can we do in the face of such a threat," Taller asked, bitterly, "but flee? And how long can we hide on our own World?"

  "We'll fight them, Taller," Good Eyes signed angrily. "My people won't lie down before these murderers, I promise you!"

  "You said Death flocked to them like seed-eaters."

  "Father," Sailor moved forward to speak. "There's one chance. Let me tell you what happened on my flyaway." Taller's son began to relate a story

  unlike any Taller had ever heard.

  "You compare your talk with ... Death ... to the compromise your grandfather built with the Blue Cloud people?" Taller asked, amazed, when his son had

  finished his tale.

  "The Hunters are people of the World, just as we are," Sailor insisted.

  "However, the Blue Cloud people all think alike, while the Hunters are

  individuals. I don't know if ..."

  "Hunters? " Taller stormed. "Killers, you mean!"

  "Father, we ate the Blue Cloud people," Sailor reminded him. "Until

  Grandfather changed that."

  Taller stood rigidly straight, and Sailor matched his posture. The two stayed

  locked in position, each unbending.

  "My friend," Weaver signed to Taller, "try to understand. We made a new

  kind of family to solve a problem, and our son and our partner have tried to