Read Online Yesterday Son by A. C. Crispin - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: A. C. Crispin
Ads: Link
handed the younger man the clothes Kirk had provided, and as he helped with unfamiliar fastenings, continued, “What’s a vitha? Was that one of the animals you painted?”
“No. They’re very shy, and you seldom see them. Vicious when trapped, so I didn’t hunt them, usually. Their wounds fester easily—as I discovered.” He made shapes in the air. “About this tall, with big chests, and ears that—I could draw one, better than I can tell you.”
McCoy picked up a stylus and a pad of paper, and demonstrated how to use them. The long, lean fingers with their ragged nails sketched quickly, and produced a picture of a bizarre creature that looked to the Doctor like a combination of otter and goat. He recognized it—he’d seen a skeleton in the book on Sarpeidon’s past, and remembered it had been fully eight feet tall when balanced on its hind legs. “If that’s what they looked like, you were smart to stay away from them.” McCoy studied the hasty sketch further. The style was unsophisticated, but there was accuracy, and a suggestion of life and movement there. “I’ll have to introduce you to Jan Sajii when we get back to the Enterprise. He’s a pretty well-known artist, in addition to his work in xenobiology. Maybe he could give you a few pointers.”
Zar nodded. “I’d like that.”
McCoy took a pair of surgical scissors out of his med-kit, and motioned him to a chair. “It’s almost [68] a shame to cut this,” he commented, hefting the black, slightly wavy mane that fell nearly to the younger man’s waist. “But current male fashion-especially aboard starships—decrees that it’s got to go.” Solemnly, he draped Zar with a sheet, and began to clip briskly. “Used to be that a surgeon spent a lot of his time being a barber. Can’t let the old-timers down.”
His client looked confused. “Pardon?”
“Archaic reference. I’ll explain later. Something you said a few minutes ago is bothering me. How could you ‘feel fear’ at the vitha? What does that mean?”
“It’s what I tried to do to ... Mr. Spock, when I thought you were going to find my cave. His mind was too strong for my fear. And three of you was too many to affect.”
“You mean you can project your own emotions as a form of defense?”
“I don’t know how I do it. If I’m frightened or angry, I can ... focus my mind on a person or animal—if the animal is a higher life form—and I can make the fear and anger I feel go into the other mind. If I try hard, I can make the fear so strong that the animal will leave. The time the vitha attacked me, I was sure I was going to die, and my fear and anger as I struggled with her were so strong that I killed her. At least, that’s what I think happened. I lost consciousness from the pain, and when I came to, she was dead—and my knife was still in its sheath. But I was never able to project that strongly again.”
“Is this something you learned from Zarabeth?”
“No. She told me that some of the members of her family could sense emotions and communicate them to others, but she couldn’t do it herself.”
“What about reading thoughts—ideas?” Zar thought for a careful moment before answering. “Sometimes, when you touch me ... I can tell what you’re thinking. Only a flash, then it’s gone. [69] Today, when I was with others for the first time, I had to block it out, because the impressions were confusing. When I was small, I learned to tell what my mother was thinking, but she, told me it wasn’t polite to do that without her permission.”
So, thought McCoy, Zar may have inherited some of the Vulcan telepathic ability — in addition to whatever this fear projection is. Have to test him when we get back to the ship. He busied himself with comb and scissors, and stepped back after a few more minutes to admire his handiwork. “Not bad. Now let’s get rid of the beard.”
A few minutes later, the younger man ran his hands over his head, then rubbed his
“No. They’re very shy, and you seldom see them. Vicious when trapped, so I didn’t hunt them, usually. Their wounds fester easily—as I discovered.” He made shapes in the air. “About this tall, with big chests, and ears that—I could draw one, better than I can tell you.”
McCoy picked up a stylus and a pad of paper, and demonstrated how to use them. The long, lean fingers with their ragged nails sketched quickly, and produced a picture of a bizarre creature that looked to the Doctor like a combination of otter and goat. He recognized it—he’d seen a skeleton in the book on Sarpeidon’s past, and remembered it had been fully eight feet tall when balanced on its hind legs. “If that’s what they looked like, you were smart to stay away from them.” McCoy studied the hasty sketch further. The style was unsophisticated, but there was accuracy, and a suggestion of life and movement there. “I’ll have to introduce you to Jan Sajii when we get back to the Enterprise. He’s a pretty well-known artist, in addition to his work in xenobiology. Maybe he could give you a few pointers.”
Zar nodded. “I’d like that.”
McCoy took a pair of surgical scissors out of his med-kit, and motioned him to a chair. “It’s almost [68] a shame to cut this,” he commented, hefting the black, slightly wavy mane that fell nearly to the younger man’s waist. “But current male fashion-especially aboard starships—decrees that it’s got to go.” Solemnly, he draped Zar with a sheet, and began to clip briskly. “Used to be that a surgeon spent a lot of his time being a barber. Can’t let the old-timers down.”
His client looked confused. “Pardon?”
“Archaic reference. I’ll explain later. Something you said a few minutes ago is bothering me. How could you ‘feel fear’ at the vitha? What does that mean?”
“It’s what I tried to do to ... Mr. Spock, when I thought you were going to find my cave. His mind was too strong for my fear. And three of you was too many to affect.”
“You mean you can project your own emotions as a form of defense?”
“I don’t know how I do it. If I’m frightened or angry, I can ... focus my mind on a person or animal—if the animal is a higher life form—and I can make the fear and anger I feel go into the other mind. If I try hard, I can make the fear so strong that the animal will leave. The time the vitha attacked me, I was sure I was going to die, and my fear and anger as I struggled with her were so strong that I killed her. At least, that’s what I think happened. I lost consciousness from the pain, and when I came to, she was dead—and my knife was still in its sheath. But I was never able to project that strongly again.”
“Is this something you learned from Zarabeth?”
“No. She told me that some of the members of her family could sense emotions and communicate them to others, but she couldn’t do it herself.”
“What about reading thoughts—ideas?” Zar thought for a careful moment before answering. “Sometimes, when you touch me ... I can tell what you’re thinking. Only a flash, then it’s gone. [69] Today, when I was with others for the first time, I had to block it out, because the impressions were confusing. When I was small, I learned to tell what my mother was thinking, but she, told me it wasn’t polite to do that without her permission.”
So, thought McCoy, Zar may have inherited some of the Vulcan telepathic ability — in addition to whatever this fear projection is. Have to test him when we get back to the ship. He busied himself with comb and scissors, and stepped back after a few more minutes to admire his handiwork. “Not bad. Now let’s get rid of the beard.”
A few minutes later, the younger man ran his hands over his head, then rubbed his
Similar Books
