Jeanne G'Fellers - Sisters Flight (5 page)

"Norlynn
will remain with the group." Evangeline drummed her fingers against her
forearm. She spoke again to her charges in her native tongue then turned back
to me with the same charmed smile she had given when she'd probed my mind.

"They
are a youthful lot," she said. "And being such, none of them shall be
fit to be around until they get what they desire. If you will inform us of the
location of such indulgences, we will take care of the situation."

Isabella
turned to me. "Compensated women?"

"Compensated
for what?" I asked Evangeline, throwing all the Old Tongue speaking Yauld,
save Evangeline, into a fit of laughter.

"For
their phase and physical pleasure, of course," said Evangeline with a most
serious tilt of her head. "What is the Tekkroon term?"

"I
don't believe we have one," I said as Isabella's face turned crimson.
"But our Autlachs call them khata."

"Interesting,"
said Evangeline. "So you do not have khata or compensated women in your
midst?"

"I'm
sorry." I found it all quite humorous. Let prodding Evangeline and overly
bold Norlynn think what they would of that. "The Tekkroon have liberal
ideas concerning sex, but paying for the act is still beyond us."

"Not
even mental relations are available for a fee?" asked Norlynn in a wilted
tone as her eyes turned back to me. "There is no one available?"

"Oh,
I'm sure someone somewhere will be more than willing to accommodate you and
more than likely for free." I suppressed the urge to laugh. "Beg
pardon, but you people must have had a very long trip to be willing to
pay."

"Are
your girlfriends and mates among the missing?" Isabella glowered at
Norlynn.

"Kimshees
are rarely monogamous," said Evangeline. "It does not fit the
lifestyle, and your reactions reveal that our inquiring about distractions
obviously does not fit yours. My people shall simply have to contain
themselves."

The
topic dropped as the healer in charge of new arrivals entered to read over the
physicals. She did so, then after looking over the most injured, added her
symbol to the scrolls and said the housing assignments were listed on the
boards in the central work cavern where Harlis was waiting to speak to
Evangeline. Without the courtesy of conversation, I escorted the Yauld leader
there for debriefing, remaining at Harlis's request to provide translation at
awkward moments.

"I
am sorry that we cannot tell you of your people's whereabouts." Harlis
struggled with her Old Tongue as she and Evangeline examined the map scrolls
pinned to the workroom wall. "You landed here?" Harlis indicated the
shallow bay a day or so ride from Rankil's Autlach home.

"We
fractured our boat then sent it out with the tide to conceal our arrival."
Evangeline stood almost a head taller than the Tekkroon leader, forcing Harlis
to look up or gaze into the other woman's chest. She nodded and Evangeline
continued. "We traveled the coast two days in each direction searching for
our people. We found their landing spot on a rough stretch of coast. I believed
that they had already begun their inland journey, so we followed them. Their
trail ended here." She pointed to the foothills. "And it split in
twenty or more directions." Evangeline fanned her fingers across the map.
"There were animal tracks among them, like those your riding beasts leave.
I believe the Autlach here have such creatures as well?"

"Yes."
Harlis's furrowed face became more so. "No nassies where you come
from?"

"They're
called nassies?"

"Yes.
How do your people move about? Foot power?"

"Besides
a few domesticated wapiti we use for packing, we've no beasts of burden."

"Wapiti?"
Harlis turned to me.

"Deer,"
I said. "Resemble our grazing stock. Not for riding."

"Hmmm."
Harlis's eyes brightened. "Young woman, has your mate become efficient
with the scopes yet?"

"Rankil's
learning." I didn't care for the incredulous look I received from the
Tekkroon leader.

"Then
we shall, uh, the word? Ah, yes. We shall
test
her knowledge."
Harlis grabbed the cloak draping her padded chair and unpinned the map they'd been
discussing, rolling it between her palms. "Come, ladies, our business is
elsewhere."

"Ladies?"
Evangeline protested under her breath as Harlis headed toward the nearest
central cavern exit tunnel.

"A
figure of speech. She meant no disrespect," I said as I whirled about to
follow.

"I
know it was not intended to be insulting." Beside me, Evangeline's steps
were light as they skimmed the tile floor. "However, Kimshees are not
referred to as ladies."

"You're
a woman, aren't you? A gentlewoman?"

Evangeline
slowed her strides to match mine. "Again, Kimshees are not referred to as
ladies,
especially
the ones resembling what your people call
gentlewomen." Evangeline's steps echoed her indignation. "It deters
from our reputation. Most of what we do is anything but ladylike."

"You
say that like being a lady is a bad thing."

"Certainly
not." We were now outdoors in the Tekkroon central marketplace. Here,
Evangeline stopped between the tents to catch me by the shoulder. "I
assume she will proceed without us?"

"Harlis's
mind often wanders when she walks." My voice still held its rancorous
edge. "She won't miss us until she reaches the spacecraft."

"You
know the way?"

I
nodded.

"Good."
Evangeline stepped between booths, motioning me to join her in the shade they
provided. "We should end this before it gets any deeper. I am afraid I
managed to insult you more than once this morning," she said. "I do
apologize for my mistakes, including the inexcusable rudeness of the phase I
launched at you earlier. But you must understand that being a Kimshee is
difficult, dangerous work that makes us overly blunt at times and easy to take
offense when others attempt to stereotype us."

"The
Yauld have no broadbacks and gentlewomen?"

"We
need no definitions to know who we are."

"Then
how do you know?"

"We
just do," said Evangeline. "Or we ask. It shouldn't matter. Are we
not all women underneath whatever trappings we coat our exteriors with?"

"I
suppose." I stood on tiptoe to see Harlis's disappearing figure.
"I've heard gentlewomen troopers talk like you."

"One
of them was posted at the mouth of the isolation cavern last night."
Evangeline ran a hand over her darkening hair. "While I commend her
dutiful service, I can assure you that her assumption that Kimshees are all
lovers of your gentlewomen types is simply not true."

"Gentlewomen
troopers normally are."

"The
one posted at the isolation cavern made quite a point of it," said
Evangeline with a laugh that dissolved all stress between us. "She made
innuendos which my apprentice was quick to squelch."

"Laszlo?"
I inquired.

"Yes,
and I admit to being a bit jealous."

I
certainly hadn't expected such a revelation from a woman I had just met.
"Were you?"

"Why
wouldn't I be? Laszlo has been by my side for several passes, but
unfortunately, she is rather nebulous as to her preferences." Evangeline
ran her hand over her hair again. "And then there is the issue of
age."

"She
is young." I peered up at the taller Evangeline. "I like
Laszlo."

"You
should like her. She is quite like you in her mindset and only five or six
passes younger. You would be a good friend to her. She could use one in this
new land."

"And
you?"

"Me?"
Though Evangeline seemed troubled, she glanced down at me with a smile.
"Um, should we not be making our way to this place of scopes Harlis spoke
of? She seems the type to object if we are more than a moment behind."

"She's
more apt to have a full-blown fit when she realizes we're not on her cloak
tail." I emerged from our hole to trot toward the field where the mine
transport rested.

"Then
we shall arrive on her cloak tail." Evangeline whisked by me, grabbing me
under the arms and breaking into a full run before I could object. "Which
way?" We moved at a dizzying pace, but I was the only one out of breath
when we reached Transport Two and my feet had never touched the ground!
Evangeline drew in one long breath then grinned as she deposited me on the ramp
to Transport Two's open main hatch.

"Kimshee
trick," she said then sighed. Harlis was calling to us from inside.
"And, for future reference, all leaders are capable of full-blown fits. It
seems necessary for the position."

"My?"
Rankil startled at sight of the company I kept. "You'd best come inside.
Harlis is getting impatient."

"I
am sure clan leader Harlis is busy," said Evangeline in dignified Old
Tongue as she swept past us. "And I am anxious to find my people. Come
along."

"Who's
that?" Rankil's eyes darted from Evangeline to me.

"Yauld
Master Kimshee Evangeline." The title rolled off my tongue so fluidly I
wished I could have such an inspiring name.

"And
she's made quite an impression on you," mused Rankil as she led the way
through the entrance. "Let's go."

The
space behind Transport Two's tiny helm was cramped when we squeezed in. Rankil
slid into her seat, returned Genevic's apprehensive glance then waited for
instruction that came when Harlis held the map for us to see.

"See
this area?" She stabbed her index finger at the foothills where Evangeline
said her people had scattered. "Find it."

"I—"
Rankil began, but Harlis thrust her finger into the hide again.

"Did
I assign the wrong troopers to this post?"

"No,
Harlis, it's just—"

"Find
it!"

"Yes,
Harlis." Rankil rotated the primary helm terminal to Genevic, who had a
better understanding of the lengthy inputs involved in obtaining such
information. Genevic thinned her lips, swallowed hard then began initiating the
program. I knew that, at best, the ragged intelligence satellite orbiting Saria
would cooperate. At worst, they would look incompetent, landing them back in a
Tekkroon trench line.

"Attempting
uplink," the computer said. Harlis, Evangeline and I all jumped, looking
about for the speaker.

"Talking
metal?" the Yauld leader asked, placing a curious hand on the bulkhead.

"A
return to our beginnings," Harlis said, craning her head to view the
information scrolling across Genevic's monitor. "Is it working?"

"Only
if the satellite is in position." Rankil pulled up a picture of Saria on
the main viewer. Its single moon, Langus, spun in an elliptical orbit.
"Langus briefly pulls on the satellite when it passes, drawing it out of
range for a while until Saria's gravity draws it back into place. Maeminya says
it's a perpetual fight that follows the tides, the pulls being the only thing
that kept the satellite from burning in the atmosphere long ago."

"I
see," said Harlis. "And when will you know if it is in a good
place?"

"Shortly,"
said Genevic. The wait did prove short as the computer acknowledged the
completed uplink a moment later, displaying a current image of Saria on the
helm monitor.

"We
have access?" Harlis's hands were on her hips. "We can proceed?"

"Not
exactly," Rankil said pensively. "You see, we haven't completed the
lessons about satellite communications."

"But
we only require the scopes." Harlis frowned. "And you have schooled
in them, haven't you?"

"The
satellite is required for the scopes to work over long distances," said
Genevic, inputting another string of commands. "We've just started those
lessons."

"Then
how far can you take us?" Aggravation sharpened Harlis's tone.

"To
here." Genevic pushed back in her seat, letting Harlis see the screen
listing the satellite's capabilities. "We don't know how to proceed from
here."

Evangeline
had chosen to remain silent until this moment. "Perhaps," she said in
an astute, collected voice, "we should bring in your teacher."

"Our
teacher is nothing but—" Rankil began, but then she stopped. "Why
not? The satellite uplink and Captain Tara's teaching program can run
simultaneously if enough power can be pulled. Computer, initiate flight
instructions program three."

"Sufficient
power is unavailable for this action," said the computer, flashing a low
energy reading across Genevic's terminal. "Power must be diverted from the
downloading process to maintain the satellite uplink."

"So
divert it," Rankil demanded then glanced at Harlis in trepidation.
"With your permission?"

"Yes,
yes," Harlis said without pause. "By all means halt the print works.
We've several passes backlog as it is."