won’t hurt you now he knows you. They’vebeen servants to our families for generations.”
Larry allowed the nonhuman to take his cloak, looking curiously at the creature. It was erect and vaguelymanlike, but covered with a pelt of long grayish fur, and it had long prehensile fingers and a face like amasked monkey. He wondered where the kyrri came from and what sort of curious relationships couldexist between human and non-human. Would he ever know?
“I brought you the books I promised,” he told Kennard, and the other boy took them eagerly. “Oh, good! But I’ll look at them later. We needn’t stand here in the hall. Do you know how to play darts? Shall we have a game?”
Larry agreed with interest. Kennard showed him the game in a big downstairs room, wide and light, with
Page 28
translucent walls, evidently a game-room of some sort. The darts were light and perfectly balanced, feathered with crimson and green feathers from some exotic bird. Once Larry grew accustomed to their weight and balance, he found that they were well matched in the game. But they played it desultorily, Kennard breaking off now and again to leaf through the books, stare fascinated at the many photographs, and ask endless questions about star-travel.
They were in one such lull in the game when the curtained panels closing off the room swirled back and Valdir Alton came in, followed by another man—a tall Darkovan, with copper hair sweeping back froma high stern forehead marked with two wings of white hair. He wore an embroidered cloak of a curiouscut. The boys broke off in their game, and Kennard, with a start of surprise, made the stranger a deepand formal bow. The newcomer glanced sharply at Larry, and, not wishing to seem rude, Larry repeatedthe gesture.
The man spoke some offhand phrase of polite acknowledgment, nodding pleasantly to both boys; but ashis gray gaze crossed Larry’s, he started, narrowed his brows, then, turning his head to Valdir, said, “Terran?”
Valdir did not speak, but they looked at one another for a moment. The stranger nodded, crossed theroom and stood in front of Larry. Slowly, as of compelled, Larry looked up at him, unable to draw hiseyes away from his intense and compelling stare. He felt as if he were being weighed in the balance,sorted out, drawn out; as if the old man’s searching look went down beneath his borrowed clothes,down to the alien bones under his flesh, down to his deepest thoughts and memories. It was like beinghypnotized. He found himself suddenly shivering, and then, suddenly, he could look away again, and theman was smiling down at him, and the strange gray eyes were kind.
He said to Valdir, speaking past the boys, “So this is why you brought me here, Valdir? Don’t worry; Ihave sons of my own. Introduce me to your friend, Kennard.”
Kennard said “The lord Lorill Hastur, one of the Elders of the Council.”
Larry had heard the name from his father, spoken with exasperation but a certain degree of respect. Hethought, I hope my being here doesn’t mean trouble, after all , and for a brief instant almost regrettedcoming; then let it pass. The tension in the room slackened indefinably. Valdir picked up one of thebooks Larry had brought Kennard, turning the pages with interest; Lorill Hastur came and looked overhis shoulder, then turned away and began examining the darts. He drew back his arm and tossed oneaccurately into the target. Valdir put the book down and looked up at Larry.
“I was sure that you would be able to come today.”
“I wanted to. But I may not be able to come again,” Larry said.
Valdir’s eyes were narrowed, curious: “Too dangerous?”
“No,” said Larry, “that doesn’t bother me. It’s that my father would rather I didn’t.” He stopped; he didn’t want to discuss his father, or seem to complain about his father’s unreasonableness. That was something between his father and himself, not to be shared with
Larry allowed the nonhuman to take his cloak, looking curiously at the creature. It was erect and vaguelymanlike, but covered with a pelt of long grayish fur, and it had long prehensile fingers and a face like amasked monkey. He wondered where the kyrri came from and what sort of curious relationships couldexist between human and non-human. Would he ever know?
“I brought you the books I promised,” he told Kennard, and the other boy took them eagerly. “Oh, good! But I’ll look at them later. We needn’t stand here in the hall. Do you know how to play darts? Shall we have a game?”
Larry agreed with interest. Kennard showed him the game in a big downstairs room, wide and light, with
Page 28
translucent walls, evidently a game-room of some sort. The darts were light and perfectly balanced, feathered with crimson and green feathers from some exotic bird. Once Larry grew accustomed to their weight and balance, he found that they were well matched in the game. But they played it desultorily, Kennard breaking off now and again to leaf through the books, stare fascinated at the many photographs, and ask endless questions about star-travel.
They were in one such lull in the game when the curtained panels closing off the room swirled back and Valdir Alton came in, followed by another man—a tall Darkovan, with copper hair sweeping back froma high stern forehead marked with two wings of white hair. He wore an embroidered cloak of a curiouscut. The boys broke off in their game, and Kennard, with a start of surprise, made the stranger a deepand formal bow. The newcomer glanced sharply at Larry, and, not wishing to seem rude, Larry repeatedthe gesture.
The man spoke some offhand phrase of polite acknowledgment, nodding pleasantly to both boys; but ashis gray gaze crossed Larry’s, he started, narrowed his brows, then, turning his head to Valdir, said, “Terran?”
Valdir did not speak, but they looked at one another for a moment. The stranger nodded, crossed theroom and stood in front of Larry. Slowly, as of compelled, Larry looked up at him, unable to draw hiseyes away from his intense and compelling stare. He felt as if he were being weighed in the balance,sorted out, drawn out; as if the old man’s searching look went down beneath his borrowed clothes,down to the alien bones under his flesh, down to his deepest thoughts and memories. It was like beinghypnotized. He found himself suddenly shivering, and then, suddenly, he could look away again, and theman was smiling down at him, and the strange gray eyes were kind.
He said to Valdir, speaking past the boys, “So this is why you brought me here, Valdir? Don’t worry; Ihave sons of my own. Introduce me to your friend, Kennard.”
Kennard said “The lord Lorill Hastur, one of the Elders of the Council.”
Larry had heard the name from his father, spoken with exasperation but a certain degree of respect. Hethought, I hope my being here doesn’t mean trouble, after all , and for a brief instant almost regrettedcoming; then let it pass. The tension in the room slackened indefinably. Valdir picked up one of thebooks Larry had brought Kennard, turning the pages with interest; Lorill Hastur came and looked overhis shoulder, then turned away and began examining the darts. He drew back his arm and tossed oneaccurately into the target. Valdir put the book down and looked up at Larry.
“I was sure that you would be able to come today.”
“I wanted to. But I may not be able to come again,” Larry said.
Valdir’s eyes were narrowed, curious: “Too dangerous?”
“No,” said Larry, “that doesn’t bother me. It’s that my father would rather I didn’t.” He stopped; he didn’t want to discuss his father, or seem to complain about his father’s unreasonableness. That was something between his father and himself, not to be shared with
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