Second Wave by Anne McCaffrey Read Free Book Online Page B

home.”
    Khorii brightened, clapping her hands excitedly at the news. “I knew that! It was in my dream. I must have been picking it up from your thoughts as you landed. There was a wonderful party at home with my parents and everyone. I even dreamed I had a twin sister!”
    “That would be startling news to your parents,” Aunt Neeva said with a smile in her thought. One without visible teeth, of course. Showing teeth, Khorii would have to remember when she went home, was considered hostile among the Linyaari. To show teeth meant “I’m thinking of biting you.”
    “I had a good rest,” Khorii said. “I should be ready to go with you soon.”
    She pulled on her shipsuit and slipped on the starscape bracelet Captain Bates had made for her so she could show it to Aunt Neeva and the others. Elviiz was waiting for her outside, but she found that hearing Aunt Neeva’s news had a restorative effect that, coupled with her sleep and the wonderful dream, made her feel downright frisky. She passed Elviiz and trotted down the hall so full of energy that a straight run was too tame for her, so she had to do pirouettes and leap up and try to touch the ceiling from time to time just for the joy of it. The dream wasn’t just a wish! It was going to come true very soon. She wondered if the poopuus could come for a holiday. Maybe what was left of their families on their old world could come, too. Their planet was dying. Other species had never been allowed on Vhiliinyar, but that was changing a little, now that her people had seen how good people like Uncle Hafiz and Captain Becker were. And so many Linyaari had come to the rescue of the plague-ridden planets—some of the most conservative of her people, who ordinarily would never leave their homeworld, had come to help. In the process they would no doubt have become less wary of other races, even the humanoid ones populating most of this galaxy.
    She raced down toward the common room, but even before she reached it her mood changed abruptly. An overwhelming wave of fresh grief flooded through her. Entering, she saw the noon meal in progress and the room filled with youngsters and elders, many of whose faces were so mournful the emotions overflowed into tears. The younger children howled and shrilled demands for their mothers, fathers, or other loved ones, long since dead and buried.
    Khorii sighed. Abuelita and her helpers, also sniffling, carried plates of cinnamony churros from table to table, calming a slender path through the cacophony. Khorii met Jalonzo’s grandmother in the middle of the room, when her plate was empty. “What brought this on?” she asked, having no wish to try probing all of these chaotic minds.
    “Last night three of the niños saw their mothers, two saw their fathers and Concepcion Mendez saw her daughter, Anunciata, who left behind three children. Two died but the other, little Elena, saw her mother, too. Anunciata and all of the others have been dead since before you arrived, Khorii, and are buried in the square with the others.”
    “Why would they all dream the same thing in the same night?” Khorii asked, looking around.
    “They swear, Concepcion as well as the children, that it was no dream that woke them, but truly their lost ones. No sooner had each of them awakened than the dead relative left them. Concepcion, who was a schoolmate of mine and, I tell you, lacks all imagination, was so convinced she saw her daughter that she grabbed her cane and pursued the girl, convinced a miracle had occurred.
    “But the girl did not look back and did not wait and disappeared down the street.”
    “Did any of the children try to follow their parents?”
    Abuelita nodded. “But none turned back for them or spoke a word. If they were ghosts, it was cruel to return and remind people of what they’ve lost, especially the little ones. The young forget and get on with life quickly if allowed. But deep down, they still grieve and are confused, and these