Read Online Children of the Old Star by David Lee Summers - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: David Lee Summers
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ways of space.” Ellis smirked.
Richard turned on his belly again, blowing a waterspout. The water came down in a shower, drenching the smoldering pipe. “Whales know not the ways of space. Whales do know some of the people. Only the Rd'dyggians speak to the humpbacks, the spermaceti, and man. From them you can learn."
Ellis removed the sopping pipe from his mouth. “I only really know one Rd'dyggian,” he said, remembering the mission to Sufiro. “A warrior named Arepno."
"Arepno, I know not.” Richard was silent for a moment. “Seek the philosopher, not the warrior."
"I don't know any Rd'dyggian philosophers,” shrugged Ellis. He put the drenched pipe in his pocket.
"I do,” clicked the whale. “Seek G'Liat. He knows the song, the hunt, and the death."
"How would I find him?” asked Ellis, excitedly.
"Whales know not the ways of space,” said Richard. “You must use your knowledge to find him."
"Thank you, old friend.” Ellis noticed that the sun was approaching the tops of the clouds on the horizon. “It's about time for me to be going."
"For me as well,” said Richard. “I hope to see you again. The cycle resumes.” With that, Richard sunk below the water. Ellis returned to the controls and lowered the boat to the ocean's surface. Just as he did, he heard a great crash of water. Again, Richard rose from the waves, leaping higher than Ellis had ever seen before. The water cascaded off his body and onto the boat's deck. In the air, the whale performed a miraculous spin and turn and returned to the sea forehead first, his tail waving goodbye. Laughing, Ellis turned his boat to starboard and made for Nantucket.
REVEREND CLYDE'S OLD TIME CLUSTER REVIVAL
Clyde McClintlock had never considered himself a very religious man. It was true that his parents like many civic-minded Iowans from Earth, went to the mosque and followed the way of Islam. Clyde was familiar with the ways of Allah and his prophet Mohammed. However, his parents seemed to attend the services more out of fashion than out of any actual belief. That seemed true of most people Clyde knew, whether Moslem, Jewish, or Christian. As a citizen of the American Sector, it only mattered that you belonged to one of the sanctioned religions. When Clyde's parents moved to Sufiro, they kept their morality but pretty well dropped the religious trappings. Clyde had been ten years old when that happened.
At the tender age of ten, Clyde was not all that comfortable with the apparent change of belief his parents had undergone. It had confused him and made him wonder about many things adults said. Seven years later, Clyde moved to Earth, to find his roots, figure out just who he was and what he did believe in. Clyde found the Gaean Navy.
In the Navy, Clyde discovered discipline and a world order like none he had ever known before. In the academy, his professors gave him a defined and straightforward sense of what was right and wrong. Quite simply, what his superior officers said was right. Anything else was wrong. This was a world Clyde could understand and, for a time, he was happy.
The first time Clyde's faith in the military was thrown into question was when he was aboard a Gaean destroyer, hunting privateers. His ship, the Beacon , was in pursuit of a pirate vessel. The captain had given explicit orders not to fire on the pirate ship. However, the Beacon's gunner had scanned a rear-mounted weapon's rack disguised as a thruster pack. Without informing the captain, the gunner had fired, destroying the weapon's mounting as well as the pirate ship. Clyde, who had been piloting the ship, had been shocked at the loss of life and the callous action. However, the sensor logs bore out the gunner's story. The gunner, who had violated the sacred principle of following orders, had been granted a promotion. Meanwhile, Clyde remained pilot of the tiny destroyer for another five years, continuing to follow orders, never coming to notice.
The second time Clyde's
Richard turned on his belly again, blowing a waterspout. The water came down in a shower, drenching the smoldering pipe. “Whales know not the ways of space. Whales do know some of the people. Only the Rd'dyggians speak to the humpbacks, the spermaceti, and man. From them you can learn."
Ellis removed the sopping pipe from his mouth. “I only really know one Rd'dyggian,” he said, remembering the mission to Sufiro. “A warrior named Arepno."
"Arepno, I know not.” Richard was silent for a moment. “Seek the philosopher, not the warrior."
"I don't know any Rd'dyggian philosophers,” shrugged Ellis. He put the drenched pipe in his pocket.
"I do,” clicked the whale. “Seek G'Liat. He knows the song, the hunt, and the death."
"How would I find him?” asked Ellis, excitedly.
"Whales know not the ways of space,” said Richard. “You must use your knowledge to find him."
"Thank you, old friend.” Ellis noticed that the sun was approaching the tops of the clouds on the horizon. “It's about time for me to be going."
"For me as well,” said Richard. “I hope to see you again. The cycle resumes.” With that, Richard sunk below the water. Ellis returned to the controls and lowered the boat to the ocean's surface. Just as he did, he heard a great crash of water. Again, Richard rose from the waves, leaping higher than Ellis had ever seen before. The water cascaded off his body and onto the boat's deck. In the air, the whale performed a miraculous spin and turn and returned to the sea forehead first, his tail waving goodbye. Laughing, Ellis turned his boat to starboard and made for Nantucket.
REVEREND CLYDE'S OLD TIME CLUSTER REVIVAL
Clyde McClintlock had never considered himself a very religious man. It was true that his parents like many civic-minded Iowans from Earth, went to the mosque and followed the way of Islam. Clyde was familiar with the ways of Allah and his prophet Mohammed. However, his parents seemed to attend the services more out of fashion than out of any actual belief. That seemed true of most people Clyde knew, whether Moslem, Jewish, or Christian. As a citizen of the American Sector, it only mattered that you belonged to one of the sanctioned religions. When Clyde's parents moved to Sufiro, they kept their morality but pretty well dropped the religious trappings. Clyde had been ten years old when that happened.
At the tender age of ten, Clyde was not all that comfortable with the apparent change of belief his parents had undergone. It had confused him and made him wonder about many things adults said. Seven years later, Clyde moved to Earth, to find his roots, figure out just who he was and what he did believe in. Clyde found the Gaean Navy.
In the Navy, Clyde discovered discipline and a world order like none he had ever known before. In the academy, his professors gave him a defined and straightforward sense of what was right and wrong. Quite simply, what his superior officers said was right. Anything else was wrong. This was a world Clyde could understand and, for a time, he was happy.
The first time Clyde's faith in the military was thrown into question was when he was aboard a Gaean destroyer, hunting privateers. His ship, the Beacon , was in pursuit of a pirate vessel. The captain had given explicit orders not to fire on the pirate ship. However, the Beacon's gunner had scanned a rear-mounted weapon's rack disguised as a thruster pack. Without informing the captain, the gunner had fired, destroying the weapon's mounting as well as the pirate ship. Clyde, who had been piloting the ship, had been shocked at the loss of life and the callous action. However, the sensor logs bore out the gunner's story. The gunner, who had violated the sacred principle of following orders, had been granted a promotion. Meanwhile, Clyde remained pilot of the tiny destroyer for another five years, continuing to follow orders, never coming to notice.
The second time Clyde's
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