[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

have to be scared of the flesh mal.
Thann withdrew her hand from the pouch. +Wait. What are you going to do?+
The femlit scowled at xe.  You going to try running my life, too?
+I thin you don t like that much. Hm, say it s curiosity. I like to know
what s happening to people
I ve grown fond of. You know you re a charmer, so untwist that face and tell
me.+
 You re sharp for an anya. They usually dumber n rocks. All right. I m going
to keep my head down till Fishbreath s ship steams out, he works on this coast
trader, then go nosing round and see what s hanging loose.
+Then you ve got time to come in there with me and show me how to work them,
so they don t notice I m not dumber than a rock. Besides, I ll tell you my
story while we re waiting. If you ll tell me yours.+
The femlit eyed xe a moment, still wary, then she grinned and nodded.  You got
it. My name s Zot, and I helped take the Fence down.
Thann waggled xe s hand in anya laughter. +My name is Thann, and I
flew to Linojin on a broomstick with someone I think is a friend of yours,
an offworld person named Shadow. This should be interesting for us both.+
24
Death is the end and the beginning, the change from which there is no
returning.
Chapter 15
Yseyl stood in the shadow of the thile tree on the crum-bling cliff b eside
the last of the wharves along the bayfront of Lala Gemali. She slipped the
carrystrap of the disruptor case from her shoulder, let the case dangle
against her leg, and frowned at the flier as it plunged to-ward the water out
near the middle
of the lake.  I still think that was mistake. You just announced we re here.
a
 Maybe, but when the water hits the lifters and they blow, that erases any
chance the Ptaks will sniff out enough to identify me. That s more important
right now than making this an easy sneak. Shadith reached for the strap.
 Time to pay the bill, Ghost.
Yseyl watched the hunter settle the case against her side.  Now that you have
that, tell me true. Was that job offer real or a delusion.
 Oh, it s real, all right. I get all sorts of nice bonus points if I bring you
back alive and willing. As I
said when we first met, Digby collects talents. Time to split. You know where
to go, what to look for.
See you.
As Shadith hurried along the lanes toward The Strip, she wondered if the
Page 130
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Ghost would trust her enough to show up at the landing field. Yseyl had
only come this far because she wanted to put a lot of distance between her
self and that kid. Shadith sighed.
Complications. Well, I ll leave that for Digby to handle.
The Strip was swarming with unhappy tourists, com-plaining in a melange of
langues about having no
 bots to carry their luggage, about splitcom time booked for days ahead so
they couldn t get reservations on the worldship diverted to pick up the
outflow, about Ptak refusal to re-fund their money, about how bored they were
since the screens went black. Complaining at the top of their vocal ranges
until the noise was enough to shatter a stone.
Shadith moved through those conversations as she d moved through the whispered
enticements of the holoas before, savoring this cacophony a lot more than the
dain-tier blandishments of the ads. She kept her head down and her eyes
lowered to hide the fierce pleasure in them.
Yseyl drew over herself the shape she d worn at Marrat s Market and followed
Shadow into the lanes, trying to keep the map straight in her mind and her
camouflage locked in place.
When she reached The Strip, the sight of Ptaks every-where burned in her
stomach and brought her near a kill-ing rage. It was as well that the only
weapon she had was the stunrod taped to her arm. She grew calmer as she
picked out those complaints voiced in interlingue and be-gan to
understand the implications of taking out those sat-ellites. Killing a few
Ptaks was birdseed besides the hurt Shadow had put on them, a wound in the
purse much more agonizing than a hole in the body.
Zot s face was suddenly in her mind. She shivered and jerked her thoughts away
from the child. Use
Shadow. Use Digby. Learn her way around the starfliers world. Keep herself
clear of all ties. When ready, call Cerex and use him. Nobody was ever going
to crawl under her skin again. Never. Never.
Never.
The landing field was chaos when she reached it, har-ried Ptaks trying and
failing to keep a measure of order in the surge offworld. Yseyl chose her
time, blurred past se-curity, oriented herself, and, headed for the section of
the field where Shadow s ship was supposed to be. If the hunter had spoken the
truth.
If it was still there and wait-ing.
Shadow was seated in an open air lock, a stunrifle across her lap. Yseyl
looked up at her.  Well?
 Hang on a minute, I ll send the lift down for you. She got to her feet,
vanished inside the lock.
When the lift reached her, Yseyl hesitated a moment, looked over her shoulder
at the world she was leaving. She had a choice this time. She could walk away
even now, and Shadow wouldn t stop her.
With a shiver and a touch of anger in her stomachs, she stepped onto the
platform.  Take it up, she said.  Let s get out of here.
Koans
1
From the egg all things arise
2
The Spiral contains all within its coils.
At its heart lies the Truth.
Page 131
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
3
In the Tribond
Cherish difference, celebrate Oneness.
4
Clouds cover the sun, curtains of rain hide what is ahead.
Danger or nurture?
5
Drink deep from the Spring that gives Life, and from life learn Wisdom.
6
The Mountain nurtures and teaches, is cruel and kind.
Teach the Right Path, discipline the heart.
7
Blood is silent in darkness, but screams for justice when it sees the sun.
8
Do everything with the full passion of your heart for by that you serve God.
9
Lightning welds and sunders, casts light and dark
A rail to quickness of mind, eye and hand.
10