"//We understand now, Chinchee.//" Krinata's voice cracked on the high note, and she doubled over in a fit of raw, throaty coughing.
"Is she sick again?" It was Terab striding into the outer court on four legs. She was wearing a field worker's cloak over a tool harness and carrying a small grenade-thrower under one arm.
While Cyrus explained, Jindigar told Krinata, //I'm sorry. If anybody else could have done that//
//It's all right,// she returned. Cyrus handed her a cup of tea the herbalist had brewed, and she accepted it gratefully. It soothed her throat, and she could speak again by the time Terab was ready to hear what Chinchee had to say.
Folding her walking legs under her, Terab faced them both and heard the Oliat out before objecting, "I don't care how, but find some way of explaining to him that they've got to move. We don't want neighbors that can blow our minds to spacedust. We can't let them have the ships. 'Specially not now."
"//Chinchee is learning Cassrian. In a few weeks he may be able to negotiate some sort of access treaty. That's the best 1 think you can hope for.//" It seemed a forlorn hope-. For all Chinchee's skill as a Herald, he knew nothing about different cultures on his own world, let alone assimilating different species. He'd never have enough Cassrian to handle something delicate like this.
"Krinata—" started Terab, then corrected herself. "Oliat, listen to me. While you were saving Eithlarin, four people have come down with Krinata's Fever—" She broke off again to apologize, "Krinata, if you can hear me, I'm sorry, but that's what they're calling that fever you had after the clickerhive attacked us. The lab just identified the mutated strain that's turned up now. It's a bad one, Jindigar—vectored across species, different life stages, too complicated for an old spaceship captain to understand. But one thing's sure—it's got a short incubation time.
"The children are malnourished—it's going to hit them hard. And the Lehiroh are frightened for those nursing infants—because they've sacrificed their oil. What drugs we have are on those ships. The lab was working on Jindigar's blood and asking for more Dushau blood. We thought we had it under control—but now... And one way or another we've got to rescue those lab techs."
Overwhelming despair swept through the Oliat, sapping the very last of their strength. Krinata buried her face in her hands, needing to cry and not daring to unleash the turbulence among the Oliat. //Jindigar, oh, Jindigar.//
Cyrus pulled his hand back from touching her and offered, "I'll make them change the name. It wasn't your doing, Krinata."
"//She knows,//" answered the Oliat with Krinata, and Jindigar added, "//Terab, your lab techs are dead. And—we lost Eithlarin.//" Reception wavered as Zannesu recoiled into himself. Jindigar closed down his link to Receptor as much as he dared and told the Oliat along with the ephemerals, "//We can't, Terab. We simply cannot.//"
He'd said that before. He'd lost credibility as, time after time, they'd responded to new emergencies. He saw it in Terab's dark eyes as she gazed at Krinata. But then Krinata met her eyes, and Terab believed. Jindigar could see it, even though Holot was not included in the multieniulation. Stricken, Terab looked into failure, final and absolute. But she said, "I'm sorry. I thought—since you were still functioning, I thought..."
"//Trinarvil has been able to take Office–but only very temporarily.//"
Terab understood something of the problems Dushau had with colonizing. She accepted that. "You've done enough miracles for us. 1 guess we're on our own now." She rose. "I'll send someone to find Shorwh. Maybe he can get through to Chinchee." To the Outriders she said, "Take care of him. He may be the most important Native on this planet."
As they watched her leave Jindigar addressed the two Dushau with the litter. "//It doesn't seem that Krinata can walk back to us.//"
They left Storm to set the other Dushau's broken arm and carried Krinata back to the Temple.
After a few hours' rest under Trinarvil's therapy lamps, some solid food, and endless amounts of herbal potions, they were able to join Zannesu in grieving Eithlarin. It helped, but even by late afternoon of the next day, Zannesu was still glassy-eyed and sluggish in his responses. Jindigar didn't want to adjourn, leaving him like that, and didn't want to try the Dissolution until Zannesu could work.
They were gathered in the Temple near the new, enlarged worldcircle, their Dushau Outriders on guard outside the front entry. The Oliat formed up around Jindigar in working array, silting cross-legged on the floor. Jindigar surveyed his officers, clean and neatly bandaged, dressed in carefully patched clothes. None of them were in much better shape than Zannesu. It was u good thing, he reflected, that they had worked past exhaustion, considering the forces they had stirred up among themselves, trying to save Eithlarin.
There wasn't a trace of sexual energy left in any of them. Perhaps it would leave them in peace until they'd Dissolved.
Jindigar put it to his Oliat. //My judgment is impaired.
I'm no longer fit to Center.// Jindigar glanced at Dar. The feeling of Dushaun emanating from the worldcircle was strong enough to set off whole trains of association for them both. It wouldn't take much to stir any of them again. //But it seems to me that we'd best not delay any longer.//
Krinata objected. //The colony needs us. Isn't there some way we can at least* go and talk to the hive? I don't want to go out there to live with that sitting on the doorstep—and with the fever loose...//
Venlagar answered, //It isn't up to Jindigar and Darllanyu
to deal with these matters right now. It really isn't their responsibility—nor Zannesu's, either. That's a fact they're having a hard time facing too.//
III can't face it,// announced Darllanyu, looking straight at Jindigar. //Krinata's right. We should at least try to discover something to help.//
Ill have made too many wrong decisions in the midst of operations. I don't dare take you back into the field.//
Darllanyu turned to the worldcircle. //And do you call this a wrong decision?//
Ill didn't do this! It just—happened. I didn't know it was even possible to bring one world through another world's circle!//
//Listen to yourself,// argued Darllanyu. //You performed according to the highest Aliom ideals—you executed a "strike"—acting and reacting perfectly. You've worked three thousand years to develop that ability. Why should you be surprised when it produces the very serendipity Aliom promises?//
Trinarvil passed her hand through the zone above the circle. //Dar, I don't think he realizes what he's done. He hasn't suffered much, yet, from dysattunement.//
//He may never now. Maybe no one will.// Darllanyu rose and stepped into the circle, her form instantly enveloped in the shrouding whiteness.
Jindigar's breath caught in his throat, for despite the bandage slanted over one side of her head, she was the image of the bride awaiting the marriage trial. He almost didn't register Trinarvil's comment. //Maybe it's not a myth that Dushaun was colonized.... Jindigar has discovered a way it could have been done! He's brought through to Phanphihy that overtone which we think of as Dushaun, but which is really from our planet of origin. I wonder if even Threntisn's Archive has anything on that!//