«You realize,» Laure said, «it won’t be easy to retrace your route. You improvised your navigational coordinates. They can be transformed into ours on this side of the Dragon’s Head, I suppose. But once beyond the nebula, I’ll be off my own charts, except for what few listed objects are visible from either side. No one from this civilization has been there, you see, what with millions of suns closer to our settlements. And the star sights you took can’t have been too accurate.»
«You are not going to take us to Homeland, then,» Demring said tonelessly.
«Don’t you understand? Homeland, Earth, it’s so far away that I myself don’t know what it’s like anymore!»
«But you must have a nearby capital, a more developed world than this. Why do you not guide us thither that we may talk with folk wiser than these wretched Serievans?»
«Well… uh… Oh, many reasons. I’ll be honest, caution is one of them. Also, the Commonalty does not have anything like a capital, or—But yes, I could guide you to the heart of civilization. Any of numerous civilizations in this galactic arm.» Laure took a breath and slogged on. «My decision, though, under the circumstances is that first I’d better see your world Kirkasant. After that… well, certainly, if everything is all right, we’ll establish regular contacts, and invite your people to visit ours and—Don’t you like the plan? Don’t you want to go home?»
«How shall we, ever?» Graydal asked low.
Laure cast her a surprised glance. She stared ahead of her and down, into the river. A fish—some kind of swimming creature—leaped. Its scales caught what light remained in a gleam that was faint but startling against those murky waters. She didn’t seem to notice, though she cocked her head instinctively toward the splash that followed.
«Have you not listened?» she said. «Did you not hear us? How long we searched in the fog, through that forest of suns, until at last we left our whole small bright universe and came into this great one that has so much blackness in it—and thrice we plunged back into our own space, and groped about, and came forth without having found trace of any star we knew—» Her voice lifted the least bit. «We are lost, I tell you, eternally lost. Take us to your home, Daven Laure, that we may try to make ours there.»
He wanted to stroke her hands, which had clenched into fists on the bridge rail. But he made himself say only: «Our science and resources are more than yours. Maybe we can find a way where you cannot. At any rate, I’m duty bound to learn as much as I can, before I make report and recommendation to my superiors.»
«I do not think you are kind, forcing my crew to return and look again on what has gone from them,» Demring said stiffly. «But I have scant choice save to agree.» He straightened. «Come, best we start back toward Pelogard. Night will soon be upon us.»
«Oh, no rush,» Laure said, anxious to change the subject. «An arctic zone, at this time of year—We’ll have no trouble.»
«Maybe you will not,» Graydal said. «But Kirkasant after sunset is not like here.»
They were on their way down when dusk became night, a light night where only a few stars gleamed and Laure walked easily through a clear gloaming. Graydal and Demring must needs use their energy guns at minimum intensity for flashcasters. And even so, they often stumbled.
Makt was three times the size of Jaccavrie, a gleaming torpedo shape whose curve was broken by boat housings and weapon turrets. The Ranger vessel looked like a gig attending her. In actuality, Jaccavrie could have outrun, outmaneuvered, or outfought the Kirkasanter with ludicrous ease. Laure didn’t emphasize that fact. His charges were touchy enough already. He had suggested hiring a modern carrier for them, and met a glacial negative. This craft was the property and bore the honor of the confederated clans that had built her. She was not to be abandoned.
Modernizing her would have taken more time than increased speed would save. Besides, while Laure was personally convinced of the good intentions of Demring’s people, he had no right to present them with up-to-date technology until he had proof they wouldn’t misuse it.
One could not accurately say that he resigned himself to accompanying them in his ship at the plodding pace of theirs. The weeks of travel gave him a chance to get acquainted with them and their culture. And that was not only his duty but his pleasure. Especially, he found, when Graydal was involved.
Some time passed before he could invite her to dinner à deux. He arranged it with what he felt sure was adroitness. Two persons, undisturbed, talking socially, could exchange information of the subtle kind that didn’t come across in committee. Thus he proposed a series of private meetings with the officers of Makt. He began with the captain, naturally; but after a while came the navigator’s turn.
Jaccavrie phased in with the other vessel, laid alongside and made air-lock connections in a motion too smooth to feel. Graydal came aboard and the ships parted company again. Laure greeted her according to the way of Kirkasant, with a handshake. The clasp lasted a moment. «Welcome,» he said.
«Peace between us.» Her smile offset her formalism. She was in uniform—another obsolete aspect of her society—but it shimmered gold and molded itself to her.
«Won’t you come to the saloon for a drink before we eat?»
«I shouldn’t. Not in space.»
«No hazard,» said the computer in an amused tone. «I operate everything anyway.»
Graydal had tensed and clapped hand to gun at the voice. She relaxed and tried to laugh. «I’m sorry. I am not used to… you.» She almost bounded on her way down the corridor with Laure. He had set the interior weight at one standard G. The Kirkasanters maintained theirs fourteen percent higher, to match the pull of their home world.
Though she had inspected this ship several times already, Graydal looked wide-eyed around her. The saloon was small but sybaritic. «You do yourself proud,» she said amidst the draperies, music, perfumes, and animations.
He guided her to a couch. «You don’t sound quite approving,» he said.
«Well—»
«There’s no virtue in suffering hardships.»
«But there is in the ability to endure them.» She sat too straight for the form-fitter cells to make her comfortable.
«Think I can’t?»
Embarrassed, she turned her gaze from him toward the viewscreen, on which flowed a color composition. Her lips tightened. «Why have you turned off the exterior scene?»
«You don’t seem to like it, I’ve noticed.» He sat down beside her. «What will you have? We’re fairly well stocked.»
«Turn it on.»
«What?»
«The outside view.» Her nostrils dilated. «It shall not best me.»
He spread his hands. The ship saw his rueful gesture and obliged. Space leaped into the screen, star-strewn except where the storm-cloud mass of the dark nebula reared ahead. He heard Graydal suck in a breath and said quickly, «Uh, since you aren’t familiar with our beverages, I suggest daiquiris. They’re tart, a little sweet—»
Her nod was jerky. Her eyes seemed locked to the screen. He leaned close, catching the slight warm odor of her, not quite identical with the odor of other women he had known, though the difference was too subtle for him to name. «Why does that sight bother you?» he asked.
«The strangeness. The aloneness. It is so absolutely alien to home. I feel forsaken and—» She filled her lungs, forced detachment on herself, and said in an analytical manner: «Possibly we are disturbed by a black sky because we have virtually none of what you call night vision.» A touch of trouble returned. «What else have we lost?»