Admiral Benden proudly remarked that by the time the ships were completely evacuated, the first chicken eggs were likely to hatch on Pern. He went on to announce that there was evidence that the planet harbored its own egg-layers, too, for broken shells had been found above the high-tide line on the beach where the harbor and the fish hatchery were being constructed. Zoologists were trying to figure out what sort of creature had laid the chickenlike eggs; they hoped it was the rather beautiful and unusual avians mentioned by the EEC team, but so far, the reptiloid creatures mentioned in the survey report had not been observed. As the analysis of the shells showed a high level of boron, the team put egg and its inhabitant on the dubious list indigenous inedibles.
The shuttles made only two trips a day for the next four, since the loading and unloading of all that materiel was time-consuming.
“I prefer a few passengers,” Barr remarked as the off-duty pilots were enjoying dinner in the mess hall, “as a leaven to crates and crates, big, little, medium. Or all those absolutely irreplaceable herbs and bushes. There’s still plenty of people to go down.” The mess hall, not nearly so crowded anymore, was still full of diners.
Looking about, Sallah noticed the redheaded family seated at the far left. She waved, smiling brightly because the youngsters looked so glum.
“Gorgeous red hair, isn’t it?” Sallah said wistfully.
“Too unusual,” Avril Bitra said derisively.
“I dunno,” Drake remarked, staring at the party. “Makes a nice change.”
“She’s too young for you, Bonneau,” Avril said.
“I’m a patient man,” Drake countered, grinning because it was not often that he got a rise out of the sultry beauty. “I’ll know where to find her when she grows up.” He appeared to consider the prospect.
If course, the boy is much too young for you, Avril. A full generation away.”
Avril gave him a long, disgusted look and, grabbing the wine carafe, stalked to the dispensers. Sallah exchanged glances with Barr. Avril was scheduled first the next morning, and the wind factors provided sufficient danger even without alcohol-blurred reactions. They both looked toward Nabol, her copilot, but he shrugged indifferently. Sallah hadn’t hoped for much support from the man. No one had much influence on Avril.
“Hey, Avril, hold off on the sauce,” Drake began, rising to intercept her. “You did promise me a rematch in gravity ball. The court’ll be empty now.” His smile was challenging, and from where she sat Sallah could see his hand slide caressingly up Avril’s arm. The astrogator’s mouth assumed a less discontented line. “We’d best use it while we may,” he added, his smile deepening. Moving his arm up to her shoulders, he took the carafe from her hand and placed it on the nearest table as he guided her out of the mess hall without a backward look.
“Wow! Charm has its uses,” Barr said.
“Shall we see if it’s ball they’re playing in the grav court?” Nabol suggested, an unsettling glitter in his eyes.
“There’s ball games and ball games,” Sallah said with a diffident shrug. “I’ve seen ‘em all. Excuse me.” She stood up and strode over to the Hanrahans’ table. She knew she had left her friend stranded, Barr could leave, too, if Nabol made her uncomfortable. “Hi, there. When do you drop?” she asked, as she reached the Hanrahans.
“Tomorrow,” Red said with a welcoming grin. He pulled a chair over from the next table. “Join us? I think we’re on your ship.”
“We are.” Sorka beamed at Sallah.
“You’ve had a long wait,” Sallah remarked, sitting down.
“I’m vet, and Mairi’s childcare,” Red replied. “We aren’t exactly essential personnel.”
“Perhaps not now,” Sallah replied with a wide grin that acknowledged the future importance of their specialties.
Is it really as nice down there as it looks?” Sorka asked.
“I can’t say I’ve had much time to find out,” Sallah said with a rueful expression. “We drop, unload, and lift. But the air is like wine.” She flared her nostrils in deprecation of the recycled atmosphere of the ship. “And a breeze, too.” She laughed. “Sometimes a bit stiff.” She pantomimed fighting with the control yoke of the shuttle. Mairi looked wistful, while her husband looked eager. Sallah turned to the kids. “And school’s great. Outdoors! Teaching you all we know about our new home.” The two children had groaned at her first phrase, but began to brighten as she went on. “Sometimes the teachers are just a skip ahead of the students.”
“They didn’t have bonfires last night,” Brian said, disappointed.
“That’s because they got light pylons up, but watch tonight. You aren’t the only one who missed ‘em. I heard they decided to have a bonfire square, and every night someone new gets a chance to light it if they’ve worked very hard and earned the privilege.”
“Wow!” Brian was elated. “Whaddya have to do to get to light it?
“You’ll think of something, Brian,” his father assured him.
“See you all bright and early?” Sallah rose, giving Sorka’s hair a ruffle.
“Be there before you,” Red replied with a grin.
To Sallah’s surprise, they were, for Mairi had insisted on reassuring herself that their precious personal baggage was safely stowed in the cargo hold. Mairi had worried and worried about her precious family heirlooms, especially the rosewood dower chest which had been in her family for generations. It had been carefully unglued and took up most of the weight allowed them, but Mairi had insisted that it accompany them to Pern. Indeed Sorka could not recall her parents’ bedroom without the dower chest under the window. Sorka had been forced to reduce her treasured collection of toy horses to three of the smallest, and her book tapes to ten. Brian’s ship models had been dismantled, and he, too, fretted about finding the proper glue.
That was his urgent question when Sallah and Barr greeted them.
“Glue?” Sallah repeated in surprise. “They’ve dropped everything else; why on earth would they leave glue out?’’ She winked at Red, who grinned. “Otherwise our local experts are sure to be able to whomp something up. Pern seems to be well supplied. On board with you now, Clan Hanrahan. We’re only a skip ahead of today’s horde.”
As the first arrivals, the Hanrahans got their choice of seats, and Sorka suggested that they take the last row so they would be the first out. It was almost agonizing to have to wait until everyone else was strapped in and the drop begun. Excitement almost strangled Sorka. She was disappointed that the forward screen was malfunctioning, because then she did not know exactly when the shuttle left its bay. And a display would have given her something to distract her from the shuttle’s vibrations. She looked anxiously at her parents, but they had their eyes closed. Brian looked as bug-eyed as she felt, but she would not give him the satisfaction of appearing scared. Then, suddenly, she remembered Sean Connell, hiding in the garden, and forced herself to imagine Spacer Yvonne Yves leading an exciting mission to a mysterious planet.