Read Online Plan B by Steve Miller, Sharon Lee - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Steve Miller, Sharon Lee
Tags: Science-Fiction
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unwarranted soberness.
"Val Con is Korval Himself—the one who will be delm. He can't leave. There's no clan in the Book who would have him." He sighed. "Korval has this certain—reputation. Even among our allies." He stared into the dregs of his glass, then all at once seemed to shake himself and looked over to her with a wry smile.
"It's been a long day, Priscilla. Will you join me for a nap?"
"Certainly." She came gracefully to her feet, despite the weariness that grated behind her eyes and pulled at her back. "Ken Rik has shift-authority and will call if there's a problem."
"Wonderful," Shan muttered, stepping aside to let her procede him into their private quarters. "I always wanted to be captain of a military vessel, Priscilla. Remind me to give my brother a very sound shaking, when we finally catch up with him."
"Yes, dear," she said placidly and turned to give him a hug.
Lytaxin: Erob's Clanhouse
Val Con struck the last note, held it and looked over to Alys Tiazan, standing alert by the audio unit. He nodded and she pressed a key, ending the recording. Val Con lifted his hands from the keyboard and smiled.
"I thank you, Miss Alys. Your assistance was invaluable."
"You are kind to say it," she responded, very properly indeed, for one rising ten Standards, and then dimpled. "But you had much better have had me than Kol Vus, you know. He fidgets awfully!"
"Then I was doubly fortunate to encounter you," Val Con said gravely, touching the omnichora's power-plate. "Shall we play the tape back, do you think? It would not do to give Kol Vus a muddy recording, when he has been so gracious in accommodating me."
"But he must do that, mustn't he?" Alys said, with the cool matter-of-factness of childhood. "After all, you are Korval."
"So I am, but I am also a guest in your house. Allow me to possess some address, I beg."
That bought a bright glissade of laughter, after which she considered him for a moment more soberly, face intent and looking, so he fancied, very much as Miri had, at ten.
"I don't think you're the least frightening," she stated at last and Val Con inclined his head.
"You relieve me."
"Now you sound like Uncle Win Den," Alys told him severely, and bent to the audio unit, pressing three keys in sequence.
Music swelled out of the tiny unit, filling the room to the walls.
The name of the piece was Toccata and Fugue in D Minor and it had been written many years before Terrans achieved the stars by a man named Johann Sebastian Bach. It had been Anne Davis' favorite piece of music, and for this present purpose Val Con had striven to play it in precisely her style.
The role of Clan Radio Tech Kol Vus Tiazan in the project was to seal the brief recording to Lytaxin's perimeter beacons. Ninety seconds, Val Con thought, would surely be long enough for Shan to descry their mother's favorite and read into it verification that Val Con awaited him on world.
The music-fragment ended, snapped off clean at 90 seconds, and Val Con again inclined his head.
"I believe that will serve the purpose quite well. May I discommode you further, Miss Alys?"
"You would like me to take this down to Kol Vus?" she asked, rising and sliding the unit's carry strap over her shoulder. "That's no trouble. I need to pass the comm room on the way to my tutor." She hesitated. "You play very nicely. I would be happy to hear more, if time allows it during your guesting."
His touch on the omnichora was god-gift, honed by years of study. He could easily have been a master musician—a maestro , according to Anne, who had taught him his scales. But he was Korval: Stranger passions claimed precedence.
He smiled at the child before him, her hair a riot of orange curls, her eyes an intelligent, sparkling brown.
"I would be honored to play for you, Miss Alys. Only name a time."
She tipped her head, apparently consulting some inner schedule. "Tomorrow?" she said eventually. "In the hour before Prime?"
"Done,"
"Val Con is Korval Himself—the one who will be delm. He can't leave. There's no clan in the Book who would have him." He sighed. "Korval has this certain—reputation. Even among our allies." He stared into the dregs of his glass, then all at once seemed to shake himself and looked over to her with a wry smile.
"It's been a long day, Priscilla. Will you join me for a nap?"
"Certainly." She came gracefully to her feet, despite the weariness that grated behind her eyes and pulled at her back. "Ken Rik has shift-authority and will call if there's a problem."
"Wonderful," Shan muttered, stepping aside to let her procede him into their private quarters. "I always wanted to be captain of a military vessel, Priscilla. Remind me to give my brother a very sound shaking, when we finally catch up with him."
"Yes, dear," she said placidly and turned to give him a hug.
Lytaxin: Erob's Clanhouse
Val Con struck the last note, held it and looked over to Alys Tiazan, standing alert by the audio unit. He nodded and she pressed a key, ending the recording. Val Con lifted his hands from the keyboard and smiled.
"I thank you, Miss Alys. Your assistance was invaluable."
"You are kind to say it," she responded, very properly indeed, for one rising ten Standards, and then dimpled. "But you had much better have had me than Kol Vus, you know. He fidgets awfully!"
"Then I was doubly fortunate to encounter you," Val Con said gravely, touching the omnichora's power-plate. "Shall we play the tape back, do you think? It would not do to give Kol Vus a muddy recording, when he has been so gracious in accommodating me."
"But he must do that, mustn't he?" Alys said, with the cool matter-of-factness of childhood. "After all, you are Korval."
"So I am, but I am also a guest in your house. Allow me to possess some address, I beg."
That bought a bright glissade of laughter, after which she considered him for a moment more soberly, face intent and looking, so he fancied, very much as Miri had, at ten.
"I don't think you're the least frightening," she stated at last and Val Con inclined his head.
"You relieve me."
"Now you sound like Uncle Win Den," Alys told him severely, and bent to the audio unit, pressing three keys in sequence.
Music swelled out of the tiny unit, filling the room to the walls.
The name of the piece was Toccata and Fugue in D Minor and it had been written many years before Terrans achieved the stars by a man named Johann Sebastian Bach. It had been Anne Davis' favorite piece of music, and for this present purpose Val Con had striven to play it in precisely her style.
The role of Clan Radio Tech Kol Vus Tiazan in the project was to seal the brief recording to Lytaxin's perimeter beacons. Ninety seconds, Val Con thought, would surely be long enough for Shan to descry their mother's favorite and read into it verification that Val Con awaited him on world.
The music-fragment ended, snapped off clean at 90 seconds, and Val Con again inclined his head.
"I believe that will serve the purpose quite well. May I discommode you further, Miss Alys?"
"You would like me to take this down to Kol Vus?" she asked, rising and sliding the unit's carry strap over her shoulder. "That's no trouble. I need to pass the comm room on the way to my tutor." She hesitated. "You play very nicely. I would be happy to hear more, if time allows it during your guesting."
His touch on the omnichora was god-gift, honed by years of study. He could easily have been a master musician—a maestro , according to Anne, who had taught him his scales. But he was Korval: Stranger passions claimed precedence.
He smiled at the child before him, her hair a riot of orange curls, her eyes an intelligent, sparkling brown.
"I would be honored to play for you, Miss Alys. Only name a time."
She tipped her head, apparently consulting some inner schedule. "Tomorrow?" she said eventually. "In the hour before Prime?"
"Done,"
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