Damia's Children by Anne McCaffrey Read Free Book Online Page B

the word—in a way no other facet of her Talent did. She’d once tried to explain the complexity of that rapport to her father and stumbled badly. Butthey weren’t telepaths for nothing and he had cradled her in his arms, assuring her, telepathically, that he knew exactly what she meant. That that was how it should be, a transcendence of self. She had been much reassured.
    Despite the fact that she had grown up among high Talents, had given evidence of very strong aptitudes by the time she was three, there were certain aspects of the gifts that were occasionally overwhelming.
    â€œAnd that, my little love,” her father had said, cradling her gently and tenderly, letting his love for her wrap like a warm soft shawl about her, “is exactly how it should be. It doesn’t do to become arrogant and that’s a danger we must studiously shun.”
    Now she made her way down from the Tower, into the main room of the complex, waved to Keylarion, the Tower’s T-6, and Herault the stationmaster who looked inordinately relieved that the transfer of such mass had gone so smoothly. Xexo didn’t look up from the gauges of his beloved generators and Filamena, the expeditor, was busy watching a scroll of incoming cargo assignments.
    Tip and Huf looked up from the complicated stick game they were playing with Mur and Dip when she appeared on the steps. They whistled and began to gather up the splinters in front of them. Mur and Dip protested, and Laria had to laugh. No matter how often the two sets played, Tip and Huf were always the winners and Mur and Dip never seemed to figure out how. She signed to Mur that she couldn’t beat Tip and Huf either but that didn’t much appease them. Thian’sarrival did and the sextet set out back to the terraced house and the tutorials awaiting them. For all six young creatures had lessons to attend and that was how they occupied themselves until it was time to prepare lunch.

CHAPTER
THREE

    W HEN her parents told Laria that she would shortly be going to the Mrdini homeworld, she was at first ecstatic. At the same time, Tip and Huf had been informed by the Aurigaen Mrdini chief and their joy to be going home was expressed in the form of incredible joyous acrobatics of such complexity that everyone in the Raven-Lyon household stopped whatever they were doing to see their display. The other ’Dinis joined in with suitable support gyrations, not as complex as Tip and Huf were managing, for after all, it was Tip and Huf who were going home.
    It was perhaps seeing such antics on her home terrace that made Laria realize that she would be leaving it. Leaving Saki, the Coonies, the Darbuls, even the slithers: leaving her brothers and sisters, and most of all leaving her parents and all that was familiar and homey. Laria suppressed the risingdoubt and nebulous anxieties about her ability to handle all she would experience now. The exchange pact had been explained to her since the day, at five, she’d asked her parents why some people didn’t have ’Dini friends. But oh, how she would miss everyone!
    We would be terribly hurt if you didn’t,
her father said gently, obviously speaking only to her. She managed a smile for him as she turned to where he stood on the top of the terrace steps with her mother.
You will be only a thought away, dear heart,
he added.
We have that advantage.
    Yes, we do, Daddy,
she replied stoutly and resolutely turned her thoughts to positive ones. The first was to fix in her mind’s eye the scene around her; their house with the mountains looming behind them in unbroken stretch, the city below her with the faint rattle and clang of mine machinery (a constant background noise), the ’Dinis dancing, the admiring audience of her brothers and sisters, Coonies and Darbuls, and even a few slithers who carefully kept to the banks where they would be less apt to be trampled by flippered feet.
    The evening sky was a