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Enormous energies were expended, and the Wild Goose Chase squeezed through a hole in the space/time continuum. A moment later, it was somewhere else. Wolruf engaged the autopilot. With careful and precise thruster bursts, the ship stabilized its tumble. The viewscreen blanked, cleared, and displayed a binary star consisting of a yellow giant and its white dwarf companion. With obvious effort, Wolruf relaxed her grip on the jump handle and sagged back into the acceleration couch. Where are we? Derec asked softly. Mandelbrot spoke up. I am working on that. We will have a rough navigational fix within six hours, and coordinates precise enough to begin programming another jump in twenty-three. Twenty-three hours? But what if Aranimas follows us? a a T T n n s s F F f f o o D D r r P P m m Y Y e e Y Y r r B B 2 2 . . B B A A Click here to buy Click here to buy w w m m w w o o w w c c . . . . A A Y Y B B Y Y B B r r Then we are caught. Mandelbrot exchanged a stream of bits with the data terminal. Given the availability of free hydrogen in this system, it will be a minimum of ninety-one point five hours before we have accumulated enough hydrogen to fuel another hyperspace jump. Derec frowned. Well, if that s it, then, it ll have to do. Deploy the ramscoops, Mandelbrot. I have already done so. Thanks. Wolruf? The small alien rolled over and looked at Derec with eyes that had gone past fright and were now simply exhausted. Wolruf? You were his navigator once. How did Aranimas find us again? Wolruf brought a foot up and scratched her ear thoughtfully. Don t know. But his sensor technology Iss whatev r e can steal. No tellin what e s got now. ; Derec frowned again. Then his face brightened. Well, there s no point in worrying about it. As Mandelbrot pointed out, if he can follow us, the Goose is cooked. He turned to Wolruf and smiled. But I don t think that s a real issue. We got away clean. I mean, every schoolboy knows that it s physically impossible to track a ship through hyperspace, right? Wolruf got up on one elbow, reached across the couch, and rested a furry hand on Derec s shoulder. Derec, she whispered, I don t think Aranimas went to ur school. CHAPTER 9 WHITETAIL Old LifeCrier, spiritual leader of the kin of PackHome and self proclaimed First Believer in SilverSides, sat at the mouth of the cave, watching the milling throng in the clearing below. Do you hear that, daughter? he said proudly, using the informal words of KinSpeech. They re all speaking my name. From somewhere inside the cave, WhiteTail answered, That s sweet, Father. He ignored the humoring tone in her voice and looked back out over the crowd. LifeCrier, that s what they re saying. We ve traveled for days to hear LifeCrier. He let his tongue loll out and smiled clear back to his fourth bicuspids. You never thought your old father would be heard beyond the pack. WhiteTail carried a few old dry bones up from the darkness and deposited them in the rubbish heap near the opening. Of course I did, Father. She turned to head back into the darkness, but he reached out a paw and gently stopped her. Look at them, WhiteTail. Just took at them. What do you see? a a T T n n s s F F f f o o D D r r P P m m Y Y e e Y Y r r B B 2 2 . . B B A A Click here to buy Click here to buy w w m m w w o o w w c c . . . . A A Y Y B B Y Y B B r r WhiteTail stood up on her hind legs and surveyed the crowd. Then, with a disgusted snort, she dropped back down to all fours. I see about two hundred extra mouths to feed. We re running low on food as it is. The old kin smiled sadly and shook his head. Oh, ye of little vision. That s the beginnings of the Great Pack out there. WhiteTail sniffed disdainfully. It s a hungry mob of outcasts, younglings, and losers, that s what it is. Not ten decent hunters in the lot of them. And certainly no hunt leader. LifeCrier ignored her. Think of it, daughter. We have the privilege to be a part of the greatest thing that s ever happened to the kin. First SilverSides came down from the OldMother. Now the Great Pack is forming. Soon all the packs will be united, and the sharpfangs will be driven away forever. We re seeing untold generations of prophecy fulfilled right before our very eyes! WhiteTail sighed heavily and cast a distempered look at her father. Do the prophecies say anything at all about how we re supposed to feed them? Oh, my short-sighted daughter. He tried to wrap his tail around her shoulder, but she shrugged it off. Still thinking about mere physical needs when we have the spiritual sustenance of SilverSides? WhiteTail jumped to her feet and impatiently twitched her long, whip- like tail. All I m saying is that somebody better do some hunting around here, or SilverSides is going to be short a few followers if she comes again. When, daughter. LifeCrier slowly roused to his feet and stretched out in an easy yawn. When SilverSides comes again, she will lead us to all we could ever hope for. Good knives. Warm furs. More food than, than WhiteTail s eyes narrowed. Yes? I m listening. Well, more food than you can imagine, anyway. We won t want for anything. And in the meantime we re just supposed to sit and wait patiently? Don t worry, daughter. SilverSides will lead and protect us. She promised she would. Just as she promised that she would return. WhiteTail turned around in a tight, nervous circle, glared at her father, and turned around again. Whatever was left of her patience finally gave up the ghost. You addled old fool! For twelve days and nights now you ve kept the hunt here in PackHome and filled their heads with stories of [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |