Ancestor's World by A. C. Crispin, T. Jackson King Read Free Book Online Page A

wide in a grin she well remembered. "My colleagues, your assistance is needed. If you wish to help, please join us here at StarBridge Academy for transport to Ancestor's World. Mahree Burroughs has arranged for a freighter to transport us and our equipment. Thank you for your help."
    Etsane rocked back on her heels, and considered Professor Greyshine's message. They needed an Iconographer.
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    Which made sense, based on what she'd heard about the Na-Dina culture.
    Sketchy reports from Mitchell's camp said the aliens lived beside an incredibly long river much like the Nile. They were agriculturalists of high sophistication. And they had built massive stone temples and burial chambers for thousands of years. Just like the ancient Egyptians.
    Could this be her chance to show honor to her father's memory? Studying the Na-Dina might almost be like studying Egypt and Meroe. And with her knowledge of those cultures, she might have insights other Iconographers would lack ...Father, would this satisfy you? she wondered.
    She considered for several more minutes; then, smiling a faint, ironic smile, Etsane rose to her feet and slung the combox over her shoulder. She winked at the hovering autocam to follow her, and began walking down the echoing stone hallway.
    Centuries ago, the Great Palace at Kal-Syr had stood all alone on a headland overlooking the blue waves of an inland sea. No longer. Now, it was an archaeological park surrounded by the capital city of the Heeyoon.
    The spaceport was only a half-hour away.
    Etsane's long strides came faster and faster, until she was nearly running.
    She had to catch the next ship heading for StarBridge Academy!
    Mahree Burroughs was the last person up the ramp leading to the freighter's cargo hold as the Emerald Scales prepared to leave Shassiszss Station for StarBridge, Ancestor's World, and points in between. Her running feet pattered nimbly up the ramp, but she was panting, more from the stress of hurrying than from the weight of the heavy duffel bag she carried over her shoulder.
    Her daughter, Claire Burroughs-Gable, stood waiting for her just inside the corridor leading to the passenger quarters. Seeing her, Mahree smiled tentatively, wondering what kind of mood Claire was in; these days she changed her mood more often than her clothes.
    The girl responded to her mother's smile with an impatient.
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    "Come on!" wave. Mahree sighed, and the heavy duffel bag seemed suddenly to double in weight as she started toward the girl.
    Claire resembled neither of her dark-haired, dark-eyed parents--at fourteen, she was as tall as her mother, nearly as tall as Rob, and fair-skinned, with reddish-gold hair and changeable gray-green eyes.
    At the moment she wore a greenish-gray jumpsuit that clung to every line of her slight, newly developing figure, and turned her eyes stormy gray. The girl's scowl and rigid tension as Mahree approached spoke volumes. Claire had never been separated from her mother for more than a few weeks before this, and Mahree could tell she was uneasy at the prospect.
    "Mom, the Captain's been holding the ship for you for the past half-hour!" she scolded. "C'mon, the CLS won't fall apart just because you're gone for a few weeks!"
    Mahree sighed. "I already contacted Captain Salzeess, and he was able to alter the flight path. I apologized to him, too. Let's go put my stuff away."
    Claire gave her a sidelong glance, but said no more as Mahree hoisted the duffel bag higher on her shoulder and started off toward their cabin.
    "Did you finish that essay assignment Esteemed Rissaszs sent you last week?" she asked, fighting fire with fire. "Remember, you're going to be seeing her in just a little while, and she's going to expect it to be done." The moment the words were out of her mouth, Mahree regretted them. She'd hoped that this trip to StarBridge could be spent regaining some of the closeness she and Claire seemed to have lost lately.
    Coppery hair swung like a curtain as the girl