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

luminescent paint—one marked D, and one marked U. Laria signed her approval and appreciation.
    Sunlight poured through the wide windows of her own special apartment and she looked about her, clapping her hands, which was fortuitously just the way ’Dinis expressed delight. And it was an amazing surprise. She had fully expected to be living in ’Dini-style quarters: had made up her mind to that necessity if the exchange was to be properly honored. But to have her own space and place was unforeseen.
    There was a human style bed, with beautiful thick covers (for ’Dinis never used any), pillows, a chest, and a small press for garments, a desk, a terminal (displaying a map of the city with her current position shown by the pulsing red cursor icon) and audio equipment, shelving, two Human chairs, and two ’Dini-style stools, with tail-holes. There were two doors: one led out to the roof area and the other must lead to sanitary facilities.
    OH, TIP, BEAUTIFUL LIVING SPACE ! MUCH BEAUTIFUL FOR SINGLE HUMAN. MUCH EFFORT DESIGN AND THINGS. BEAUTIFUL. THOUGHTFUL. CONSIDERATE. FRIENDLY ! In her excitement she had trouble getting her tongue about the ’Dini phrases.
    You’re doing all right, kid!
Yoshuk said, his voice warm with approval.
    Can you understand ’Dini?
    I can understand your surprise and pleasure, Laria, and the syntax has to be ’Dini. I’ll do my best to learn it from you. They want you happy here and, as you see, they went to a great deal of trouble. Obviously worth it.
    Oh, it is, Yoshuk. It is. But . . . I’m going to need drapes on these windows. The light is blinding.
    Didn’t know what colors you liked,
Nesrun put in.
Got some things for you to pick from soon’s you get over here.
    Tip was signing at her, too, stating that as an adult, she naturally had to have her own quarters. The time for her to share her bed with others was over.
    She caught Yoshuk’s chuckle at that comment and Nesrun’s hiss of censure.
    From a ’Dini viewpoint, certainly.
    Huf went on to say that they knew she did notrequire a hibernatory space but she was to make known any other needs that would comfort her.
    THIS ONE TAKES GREAT PLEASURE IN THE QUARTERS. EXPRESSES GREAT PLEASURE AND THANKS. SO KIND. SO CONSIDERATE. SO HONORABLE.
    Someone had brought the lift down again and now it rose to her level with her carisaks. With Tip’s help she cleared them.
    â€œHang on pretty now,” Huf said with a forward jerk of its head, meaning this was very important. From its own pouch, it began to take necklaces of shells and stones, bracelets with uncut gem charms, and what her mother had told Laria was an old mantilla comb, carved of ivory, which Tip carefully secured above its poll eye.
    Understanding came and Laria rummaged in her cases for the pearls her father had given her for her birthday: double stranded necklace, earrings, bracelet, and two rings, one pearl and one of a fire opal. She had been astounded by such a lavish present—and one of jewelry—but now she understood that the jewels were as much a part of her role here on Clarf as her fluency in the language.
    One of the areas in which human and Mrdini compared favorably was in their sociability. ’Dinis loved to have eating sessions with their kin and peripheral groupings. That was the reason for the large empty squares she had seen on the way here. For it was to the nearest of these that Tip and Huf now led her. Huf had put on its special treasures, the mother of pearl crown, various chains of uncut gems and other pretties, with coil upon coil of shell bracelets. Huf nodded approval as it sawhow bedecked Laria was and then her old friends led her to the square.
    A ’Dini percussion band was in place and rivaled even the thunder of departing space vehicles, for that continued. Food had appeared, spread out on great tables which had been set up during the inspection, and hundreds of the small