Anne McCaffrey Ship 06 The Ship Errant

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say they are not to be found here, then we go to where they are."
"I will train them," Tall Eyebrow said, tapping himself on the chest. "To
survive I
know this."
"Ship is ready interstellar travel," Narrow Leg said, with a throwaway
gesture. "All supplies were loaded on board at departure. As for defense, half
my crew are assembling two more ships from old ones and new parts. Cridi will
be defended in atmosphere and out of atmosphere."
Keff shook his head at the old male's expansive signs.
"Captain, it'll take a long time to reach our destination, and we may not even
find what we're looking for at this first stop. It could, no, it will be
dangerous. I can't let you&
er, take such important conclave councillors as Big Voice."
Narrow Leg didn't miss the subtlety. He rolled a beady black eye at Keff.
"That fat one will be all right. There is no time to waste. We must not divert
back to Cridi. You must be after the villains track to source."
"We come, too," Tall Eyebrow said, sweeping his hands to include his two
companions and Big Eyes.
"Yes," Big Eyes agreed, with a brilliant glance at him. "We follow Tall
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Eyebrow.
Experienced twice in space."
"Can? We have to pursue this to the end, but they don't."
"I'm torn," Carialle said. "We could use the backup. It won't come from CW for
ages,
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JODY LYNN NYE - [The Ship Who Sang Series - 06] The Ship Errant even providing
they know where we are going, which they do not, and we're not armed. The
Cridi want to be our allies. On the other hand, I don't like it that they're
entirely without experience. Particularly, I do not like flying interplanetary
distances with a possibly explosive emotional problem."
"Big Voice?" Keff asked sublingually, without moving his lips.
"He's the only one who's manifested openly so far. Who knows if any of the
others will destabilize during a long trip."
Tall Eyebrow had not missed Keffs eye passing from Cridi to Cridi. "I vouch
for each," he said in Standard. "They will not fail."
"I think you'd better ask them," Keff said, both in Standard and sign. Tall
Eyebrow looked a question at Narrow Leg, who raised his thin shoulders
eloquently and let them drop. Big Eyes made a tentative sign, then glanced at
Keff. He heard a faint peep as one of the engineers spoke through the amulet
fink.
"Privacy," Carialle said.
"Right you are," Keff said. He turned his back on them and studied the
navigation tank. After a brief conference, punctuated by shrill exclamations
and much rolling about the deck, Keff felt a tap against his leg. He looked
down at Tall Eyebrow.
"It is decided. We will come with you." He looked at the other seven Cridi.
"We are all willing to go. The crew also." Big Voice, at the front of the
group nodded vigorously, and favored Keff with a humanlike smile.
"I wish to come. Otherwise this one," he pointed to Narrow Leg, "blames me for
spoiling virgin ship flight."
"You will be acclaimed hero, once home," Big Eyes squeaked, with mischief in
her eyes. Big Voice relaxed back in his globe, a happy expression on his face.
"All will recognize& "
"No," Tall Eyebrow said, stopping her with a downward stroke of his hand. He
turned to Keff. "Not for that reason. He will go because he recognizes his
fear and uncertainty, as we all do. No one goes just to prevent us from
turning back."
"I am selfish," Big Eyes said, her exuberance dimmed slightly by shame. She
covered her eyes with her hands, then peeped coyly between her fingers at
Keff. She was so cute he couldn't help but smile.
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JODY LYNN NYE - [The Ship Who Sang Series - 06] The Ship Errant
"I go," Big Voice insisted. "Who else will see you do right? Also, I must meet
the leaders of here he hooked his long thumbs together and spread his hands
in imitation of wings "griffins."
"I wish to know why they hate us. I must ask. We will& negotiate." He paused
before the last sign and glanced at Narrow Leg as if defying him to laugh.
"You must teach us what we do not know." Keff smiled down at him. At last he
understood why the plump amphibioid was one of the eight most important frogs
on Cridi.
"Thank you," he said. "It'll be good to have you along."
"And we will teach you the joys of Myths and Legends," Tall Eyebrow squeaked
happily.
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As soon as Keff had disconnected from the ship computers I/O port, the Cridi
destroyed the unit with the same thoroughness that they had the one in the
dome. Keff examined the rest of the control board and indicated the
communication set and guidance system. Tall Eyebrow delicately disassembled
those, taking care to leave life support intact. The lights dimmed briefly,
but came up again with a steady glow. At a nod from Narrow Leg, the ship's
engineer and two of the crew went aft ahead of the rest of the group. Keff
heard clashing and breaking sounds. When the three Cridi rejoined the others
in the ship's main cabin, they bore between them a Core unit. It was old, and
looked to be in bad shape.
"I'd forgotten about that," Keff said. Narrow Leg looked grim.
"We, never," the commander said. "And this ship will not rise again. We have
destroyed the engine. Let us leave now."
Free to use Core power, the Cridi swept their globes and Keff high over the
dusty landscape, back toward the small valley where the ships lay hidden.
Unwilling to look straight down, Keff turned his gaze back over his shoulder
toward the dome, watching it until it vanished among the battered ridges. He
signed a question to Narrow Leg.
"What about the griffins?"
"We can hold them all as long as need," the old Cridi replied.
"Good. Release them when we leave orbit," Keff said. "I think we're safe, but
I want to make sure."
Narrow Leg sketched a quick OK with his long fingers.
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JODY LYNN NYE - [The Ship Who Sang Series - 06] The Ship Errant
"I want you to hear this, Keff," Carialle said. "I'm shipping this off to the
CenCom, and it's the last word they're going to hear from us until we find
'Griffin Central.'"
"You sound so serious, Lady Fair," Keff said. He smiled at the frogs who
glanced over when they noticed the movement of his head.
"Never more in my life, but this is plain mutiny. I won't send it unless you
give me your all-clear. I want to live to report to the Inspector General. If
there's the least chance, I will show him who was crawling over my skin twenty
years ago, and that he's been harassing me for nothing, but I refuse to
endanger you
. All I need is a single piece of my first ship for proof or an eyewitness,
and if it's anywhere, it's in one of those three systems. Recording:
"This is the CK-963,'" her voice said, sharp and metallic in intonation in his
ear. "'We wish to confirm absolutely that the DSC-902 was the victim of a
fatal attack by alien forces. Three ships, carrying stolen Cridi artifacts and
CW mining lasers, ambushed the DSC-902 while on its way into this system for a
purely peaceful mission. All the crew are dead. Ten of the perpetrators have
been marooned on the fifth planet from the Cridi sun. Video accompanying this
message will show that this is a life-form with which Central Worlds is
unfamiliar. We are following information received, to what we believe to be
the aliens' home-world at once. Coordinates for three potential systems are in
the visual portion of this message. We will transmit again with further
information when we have reached our final destination. Carialle out.' What do
you think?"
"Send it, lady," Keff said, firmly. "I'll be aboard in five minutes." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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