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"Newhiveswarm cannot leave. Cannot move again. Greatfursixarms must know.
Swarmed at startime, and settled new land on the plain. Built hive-dome, began
new life." Chinchee's voice took on the cadence of a bard reciting a long
series of great historical events, for Heralds were also the newsbringers of
the hives. "Flood waters came, high and higher, swift as wind, shattered
hive-dome. Survivors flee, across plain, into strange land of hive-bleeders.
Chinchee come, fight hive-bleeders, lead newhiveswarm to safety with fellow
hive-people. Newhiveswarm need friend, need help, need peace. Here, Chinchee,
Jindigar, made peace. Here, newhiveswarm find peace we made here."
All so logical!
"//Why did the newhiveswarm smash into our hive and hurt and destroy?//"
Chinchee folded to the ground, his knees sticking out at an angle, his head
drooping. Through Llistyien Emulation the Oliat knew this was shame. His voice
was tremulous as he told them, "Hive-mind, stripped of hive, so many dead to
plainwater, so many dead to hive-bleeders, so many dead to newlifemaking,
younghivemind broken, hurting, terrified, sensed throb of newlifemaking,
sensed safe goodplace. Chinchee is Herald, not of younghivemind not of hive.
Herald cannot command hive."
He was trying to keep his story simple, but even so, Jindigar knew they
weren't getting all the nuances. One thing was clear. The worldcircle itself
had attracted the swarming hive irresistibly. The Oliat's projection of
Renewal energies into the circle had probably triggered the swarm's headlong
dash toward what they perceived as the oasis of safety the Herald had promised
them. And they had been too mad with the need to settle again in time for new
births to heed Chinchee's objections.
"//We understand now, Chinchee.//" Krinata's voice cracked on the high note,
and she doubled over in a fit of raw, throaty coughing.
"Is she sick again?" It was Terab striding into the outer court on four legs.
She was wearing a field worker's cloak over a tool harness and carrying a
small grenade-thrower under one arm.
While Cyrus explained, Jindigar told Krinata, //I'm sorry. If anybody else
could have done that//
//It's all right,// she returned. Cyrus handed her a cup of tea the herbalist
had brewed, and she accepted it gratefully. It soothed her throat, and she
could speak again by the time Terab was ready to hear what Chinchee had to
say.
Folding her walking legs under her, Terab faced them both and heard the Oliat
out before objecting, "I don't care how, but find some way of explaining to
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him that they've got to move. We don't want neighbors that can blow our minds
to spacedust. We can't let them have the ships. 'Specially not now."
"//Chinchee is learning Cassrian. In a few weeks he may be able to negotiate
some sort of access treaty. That's the best 1 think you can hope for.//" It
seemed a forlorn hope-. For all Chinchee's skill as a Herald, he knew nothing
about different cultures on his own world, let alone assimilating different
species. He'd never have enough Cassrian to handle something delicate like
this.
"Krinata " started Terab, then corrected herself. "Oliat, listen to me. While
you were saving Eithlarin, four people have come down with Krinata's Fever "
She broke off again to apologize, "Krinata, if you can hear me, I'm sorry, but
that's what they're calling that fever you had after the clickerhive attacked
us. The lab just identified the mutated strain that's turned up now. It's a
bad one, Jindigar vectored across species, different life stages, too
complicated for an old spaceship captain to understand. But one thing's
sure it's got a short incubation time.
"The children are malnourished it's going to hit them hard. And the Lehiroh
are frightened for those nursing infants because they've sacrificed their oil.
What drugs we have are on those ships. The lab was working on Jindigar's blood
and asking for more Dushau blood. We thought we had it under control but
now... And one way or another we've got to rescue those lab techs."
Overwhelming despair swept through the Oliat, sapping the very last of their
strength. Krinata buried her face in her hands, needing to cry and not daring
to unleash the turbulence among the Oliat. //Jindigar, oh, Jindigar.//
Cyrus pulled his hand back from touching her and offered, "I'll make them
change the name. It wasn't your doing, Krinata."
"//She knows,//" answered the Oliat with Krinata, and Jindigar added,
"//Terab, your lab techs are dead. And we lost Eithlarin.//" Reception wavered
as Zannesu recoiled into himself. Jindigar closed down his link to Receptor as
much as he dared and told the Oliat along with the ephemerals, "//We can't,
Terab. We simply cannot.//"
He'd said that before. He'd lost credibility as, time after time, they'd
responded to new emergencies. He saw it in Terab's dark eyes as she gazed at
Krinata. But then Krinata met her eyes, and Terab believed. Jindigar could see
it, even though Holot was not included in the multieniulation. Stricken, Terab
looked into failure, final and absolute. But she said, "I'm sorry. I
thought since you were still functioning, I thought..."
"//Trinarvil has been able to take Office- but only very temporarily.//"
Terab understood something of the problems Dushau had with colonizing. She
accepted that. "You've done enough miracles for us. 1 guess we're on our own
now." She rose. "I'll send someone to find Shorwh. Maybe he can get through to
Chinchee." To the Outriders she said, "Take care of him. He may be the most
important Native on this planet."
As they watched her leave Jindigar addressed the two Dushau with the litter.
"//It doesn't seem that Krinata can walk back to us.//"
They left Storm to set the other Dushau's broken arm and carried Krinata back
to the Temple.
After a few hours' rest under Trinarvil's therapy lamps, some solid food, and
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