Becker, however, struck a pugnacious pose, sticking his lower jaw out and glaring at the old despot. "Look, Hafiz, Acorna doesn't need to be hassled right now."
"Oh, no, my estimable Becker, that is very true. And naturally I would not suggest it if I thought it would, as you so colorfully express, hassle her.
"As for rebuilding Vhiliinyar, well, it occurs to me that the Niriians, as old and trusted trading partners indebted to the Linyaari for their continued existence, have resources and goods that may be useful to the Linyaari in the rebuilding of their worlds - both Vhiliinyar and narhii-Vhiliinyar.
"Under their current circumstances, the Niriians may be inclined to have a bit of a fire sale, and such items as our Linyaari friends find desirable might be exceedingly cheap at this time - free even, to the dear friends who saved the Niriian home.
"But some kind soul, someone who would perhaps be willing to collect or trade damaged goods, to salvage them, shall we say, must first confront the Niriians with a Linyaari ambassador to whom they may express their gratitude and eagerness to do business. And it comes to me that they will be more eager yet to reward such a person with low prices for high value. That is, if you-or any wise salvage merchant who seizes this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity-and a Linyaari ambassador should arrive at this time bringing news of the Linyaari plight. Not to mention the gift of two louts with strong backs to assist in the manual labor of restoration."
Hafiz shrugged ingeniously. "It was a little idea I had, nothing more. Please do not let this humble and useless old man impose upon your other pressing plans."
The red-haired Wat, bored with the unfathomable exchange of words going on around him, let his eye wander to Karina. He made a flirtatious but forceful gesture in her direction, no doubt intending to charm her with his "wit."
Karina looked thoroughly revolted and alarmed. Her eyes rolling upward, she half swooned into her husband's arms. "Ooooooh, I am having one of my visions. Yes, yes, I see clearly now. Hold me, my protective pasha, while I clear my channels."
With one arm she clung to Hafiz's neck-the side of his neck farthest from the Wats -while with the other she batted at the air as if being attacked by miniature Khleevi.
She made an odd puffing sound as she performed this ritual.
Karina knew that the Linyaari were genuine psychics, and she knew in her innermost mind that she was not psychic, or at least mostly was not, no matter what she publicly claimed.
This in no way prevented her from carrying on the periodic charades with which she hoped to impress others with her "powers."
On the other hand, when Hafiz had wavered when it came time to inconvenience himself on behalf of the Linyaari, Karina had persuaded him, not with a vision, but with the threat of performing the necessary manual labor herself. There was much to like in such a person.
(Indeed there is, Son's Beloved,) Miiri agreed with Acorna's estimation. (Some of us have tried to communicate with her mentally, to touch her mind and school it in nonverbal communication, to encourage the psychic powers she seems so desperately to desire. But try as we will, we cannot affect her. Poor Karina is absolutely the least receptive being any of us have ever encountered when it comes to reliable day-to-day thought transfer.)
"Oh, yes! Yes!" Karina cried, waving the billowing lavender sleeve of her robe about before touching the back of her plump beringed hand to her forehead. "Oh, I will tell her. Be sure that I will tell her."
Her eyelids had been fluttering like butterfly wings above the whites of her upturned eyes, and now she opened them all the way and stared full at Acorna. "You must undertake this journey, not for itself but for where it will lead you, Acorna. What you seek is not on Vhiliinyar. It is not near. It is very far. You are meant to take this journey."
Acorna had not been reading the likable but slightly ridiculous wife of her "uncle." Her own sensitivity, which had been rubbed raw by the loss of her lifemate so soon after they were joined, was outraged with the presumption of this person she considered a friend. To so blatantly try to manipulate her, and in that fashion…
(On the other hand…) Miiri continued, her voice full of grudging admiration (there are times when not even Karina knows that it is happening when she is wide open. At such times, totally unexpected and uncanny things issue from her.)
Acorna turned to look Aari's mother full in the face. "You mean, you felt that she was genuinely in touch with something just then?"
"Oh, yes, I felt it myself as she spoke."
It occurred to Acorna that Hafiz was not the only one who was self-absorbed. Once more she realized that the pain of her loss was blunting her perception of other people's problems - and in this case, abilities. Aari's parents had told him that during the time he was imprisoned by the Khleevi, his mother, a powerful empath, had experienced the pain of his torture sessions to such a degree that she was violently ill most of the time. It took all of the healing strength of their people to help her bring his little sister Maati into the world. Karina might lightly fake such a message, but Miiri would never lightly endorse it.
(Do you - should you and Kaarlye or Maati come, too?) Acorna asked. She knew that if it had been one of them who received such a clear message and she was not asked, she would insist on being included.
Miiri read that thought and smiled. (No, Khornya. The message really was for you.)
(Was it from Aari? Is he all right? Will he show me how to find him?)
(Sweet child, you know nothing is so direct as that. No, I do not think it was from Aari. I can't actually say where it came from. But I know it was genuine, and it was meant for you. You still don't realize, do you, that though you are Linyaari like the rest of us, you have special abilities and qualities that make you better suited for some missions than others of us? Perhaps it is your unusual upbringing. I don't know. I can tell you that if Aari were in serious pain, or… no longer lived, I would know and I would tell you. You know, too, that Kaarlye, Aari's father, is as powerful a transmitter as I am an empath. If we have word of our son while you are gone, we will get a message to you, no matter where you are.)
(I know. I know.) Acorna was trying to be reasonable, sensible.
Miiri reached inside the neck of her tunic and pulled from it a silvery chain Acorna had often noticed glinting at her neckline. Three small silvery disks jingled together upon it. Miiri lifted the necklace over her head, undid the catch, removed two of the disks and slipped them into her tunic, then ceremoniously placed the chain and the remaining disk around Acorna's neck.
(This is Aari's birth disk,) Miiri told her. (I had been meaning to give it to you anyway.)
(Birth disk?)
(Yes. When a baby is born to our people, it is customary for the artisans to make a disk like this with the exact position of the stars overhead inscribed upon it, as well as his unique personal code. It is a gift for the mother at her birthing. When the child reaches maturity, generally the mother gives it to him on his birthday. When he takes a lifemate, it becomes what you would call a wedding gift. I was going to give this to Aari, but then you two became lifemates, and I thought perhaps I would give it to you when we were all together. Now I think you must have it, as a token of the love you share with my eldest. I can get another chain for Maati's and Laarye's disks.)
Acorna examined the little disk, which shimmered in her hand with a shine that was not silver, but more like the opalescent fire of a healthy Linyaari horn. She recognized the constellation from the night sky-Hronii's Book, the source of knowledge of the universe.