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lovely face, the soft mouth, the tiny nose, the smooth rounding of chin and
cheeks. All of the careful repression that had kept him grinning upward in
the Archival hierarchy, everything of his past peeled away. It was an effort
to wrench himself back to duty. He cleared his throat.
Before he could speak, she said: "I told them that runway was too short. But
no! They had to get off right away on the hunt!"
"Easy, Hep," the man said. His voice floated out in an effortless baritone.
Sil-Chan shook his head to clear it of that lovely female vision. "Would you
direct me to the Paternomer, please?" he asked.
"He won't be back for two days," the man aid. "I'm David. This is Hepzebah."
He spoke the names as though they should convey important information. "We're
to take care of you until the PN returns."
Stiffly, painfully, Sil-Chan levered himself to his feet, waving away David's
profered help. "I have to see the Paternomer as soon as possible. Can you
take me to him?" He glanced at the wreck. "This hardly seems the way to get
to him anymore."
"We're very sorry about that," Hepzebah said. "Really, we had nothing to do
with the arrangements."
"I'm afraid you'll have to wait for the PN's return," David said. "No way to
get to him when he's on a hunt."
"But it's urgent and I . . ."
"You sure aren't going back mainland in that." Hepzebah indicated the wreck.
"Best you stay. My brother here has tight quarters and he's a good host when
he wants to be."
Brother!
Once more, Sil-Chan found himself staring at Hepzebah. Lovely. Lovely. And
such a charming name. There was a painful constriction in his chest where the
crash harness could not have touched him. Brother. Sil-Chan had feared they
might be a mated pair. She still might have a mate somewhere.
She blushed under the steadiness of his stare.
I mustn't stare. I must say something.
"It's a very nice day," he said.
"Yes, it is," she agreed. "Let's go over to David's." She waved at a low
structure in the trees at the side of the field. Sil-Chan had not noticed it
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until she pointed, as though she had created the structure by some wild magic
-- red-brown logs, rock chimney, small windows. It nestled among the trees as
though it has grown there.
"You're favoring your left arm," David said. "We'd best go in and have a look
at it." He turned and led the way across the tall grass.
Sil-Chan kept pace behind with Hepzebah walking close beside, studying him.
There was a penetrating quality to her stare which made Sil-Chan uncomfortable
but he would not have had her look away for anything. Lovely! "I'm sorry I
blew up back there," he said.
"You had a perfect right," she said. "I'd have never permitted it, but the PN
makes all his own rules. He sent us in from Big North Cape to greet you and
didn't give us enough help. They wouldn't make other arrangements -- only
what the PN ordered."
"There was the hunt," David said. He spoke without turning.
"The hunt!" she flared. "You're here because you're the Aitch/Aye." She
turned to Sil-Chan. "David has to do all the official work that the PN
doesn't want to do. The PN made me come because I wouldn't take the trothing.
He thinks he's punishing me."
Sil-Chan shook his head. What were they talking about? He said: "I'm afraid
I don't understand."
"He's from far mainland," David said. "You're making no sense to him." David
slowed his pace and walked beside Hepzebah, speaking across her to explain.
"Hep wouldn't accept the mate the brothers picked for her. Made the PN angry.
She really doesn't have to accept, but the PN's K-cousins are expected to
obey. Things are different with H- and B-cousins."
Sil-Chan stared back at David without comprehension.
"No sense yourself!" Hepzebah laughed.
"Is it some special language?" Sil-Chan asked.
David grinned. They were into the trees now, within only a few steps of a
wide split-wood door into the house.
"It's Dornbakerish, I guess," David said. I'll try again. I was tolled off
to greet you because the PN wouldn't miss the hunt. He's getting old and he
figures he doesn't have many more. They're running fallow deer on Big Plain.
That's why I'm here. I'm the Aitch Aye. That means I'll be PN when the
present PN goes upStone. Hep's of the same line, a K-cousin. She . . ."
"What is a K-cousin?" Sil-Chan asked.
They stopped just outside the wide door of the house.
David looked at Hepzebah. She looked at David. Presently, she looked at
Sil-Chan. "Just K-cousin," she said. "It's close. I'm of the PN's line.
One of my boy-children will be picked to succeed David."
"You . . . have children?" Sil-Chan asked.
"Oh, no. I don't even have a mate. And the PN's angry at me, punishing . .
."
"The PN isn't that petty," David said. He opened the door, exposed a dim
interior into which he motioned Sil-Chan. "My honored guest, Sooma Sil-Chan.
Enter my abode and call it your own."
"You know my name?"
"David signed the clearance for the PN," Hepzebah said. She followed Sil-Chan
into the house.
David brought up the rear and closed the door.
Sil-Chan stared at the room -- long with a ceiling which reached away to dim
rafters. Windows looked out onto the landing field and the wrecked jetter . .
. more windows peered into shadowy woods . . . gigantic rock fireplace at one
end, smoke blackened. There was a smell of smoke in the room. Odd
projections on the walls. Sil-Chan peered at them, realized they were the
mounted heads of horned animals. There was a small fire in the fireplace.
David crossed to it, stirred up the flame and added more logs.
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