Quest by Shannah Jay Read Free Book Online

found Robler so irritating, so ponderous and unleavened in his nature. Lenlin could be irritating too, at times, for she had a similar mercenary bias, though she could be fun to be with. And she was very beautiful, of course, with her fine blonde hair and elegant curves. He loved to watch her eyes sparkle with pleasure when she was in a good mood.
    Of the other observers on the satellite, only Soo shared his love of art, and the two of them had become good friends, though nothing more. Strange, how he had never been attracted to Soo as a woman. Maybe it was because she didn’t encourage that sort of attention. She’d had a short liaison with Robler when she first arrived, very short.
    After that she’d steered clear of any relationships, although they were encouraged among long-term personnel on satellites and her total abstinence was highly unusual. He exchanged rueful smiles with her across the com-room, then turned to study the image again.
    On no planet that he'd ever heard of, Davred thought, was there so much beauty, both natural and created by humans. If there had not been the problem of outbreaks of violence in this sector, Confex would have done something about Sunrise before now, sent a bigger cultural expedition, an ambassador, perhaps. Beauty like that was a precious commodity everywhere.
    When the planet was eventually opened up to trade, art dealers and collectors would swarm in to rape it of its wares - and in the process would ruin its culture, as they had so many others, for all the so-called fair trading safeguards. As a xeno-anthropologist, Davred intended to fight that. There were a lot of things about the way Confex was run that he would like to change.
    'I think we of the Confederation could learn a lot from the Sisterhood,' he said, speaking his thoughts aloud. 'One day, somehow, I shall get permission to go down and attend a Gathering, really attend, not just watch it second-hand. What do you suppose they feel? What happens to them when they ?'
    'Why did you pronounce that word so strangely?' asked Mak, always a stickler for correct details.
    Davred blinked in surprise. 'Because - well, because that's how it should be pronounced. Can't you hear the difference?'
    'Not really. But about this gathering business,' Mak tried to imitate Davred's pronunciation, but failed to get the correct tone, 'I, too, would like to know what they feel. The act resembles meditation, but it's clearly more than that.
    There's something I've never seen before in their expressions. It would merit investigation, I think.' Mak had medical training, among his other skills.
    'What I'm wondering is why Herra chose to prophesy now.' Soo spoke quickly, before Lenlin, who was still looking sharp and unhappy, could say something else provocative. 'Why at this particular time? What sparked it off, do you think, Davred? And did you notice that Herra linked the prophecy openly to the two babies they'd saved?
    Why did you arrange to save them, anyway? Even in your role as Manifestation of the God, should you be interfering that much in minor local politics?'
    'He enjoys playing God to the savages,' sneered Lenlin. 'He can't resist tampering.'

    QUEST Shannah Jay 19
    Davred ignored her jibe. 'I don't know, Soo. It just seemed, well, the right thing to do.' He couldn’t explain his actions, even to himself, though he’d have to find reasons to justify them later in his report. It had seemed at the time as though something was urging him to intervene, something too important to ignore. It had felt right . He sighed. The more he studied Sunrise and the Sisterhood of the God, the less he felt he knew about anything.
    'What babies are you talking about?' asked Robler. He was more interested in the mineral analysis of the planet and its moons than in the ways of its inhabitants.
    Davred explained. 'It was Herra who arranged the rescue, really. She doesn't like using the com-units, but she has a remarkable grasp of the capabilities of