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surgeries per day, but the more dilatory pace allowed the anxious patients to
re-ceive greater individual attention during the recovery period, while
simultaneously helping to assuage the lingering unease among the as yet
untouched.
Having thus insured the Cossuutian prodigals against fu-ture Amplitur mental
manipulation, Weave Command had no more idea what to do with them than if they
had suddenly been presented with two dozen defecting griffins. Their view of
Human culture and Humanness being understandably skewed, instructional materials
suitable for correcting a life-time of misconception were provided for the use
of the Restorees as they came to be called. These, combined with the Hivistahm's
expert cosmetic surgery and the friendship and compassion of those Humans on the
medical staff, helped to speed and ease the defectors' mental and emotional
transi-tion from Ashregan to Homo sapiens.
As their new Humanness began to take hold and the full import of what the
Amplitur had done to them sank in, several volunteered their fighting abilities
on behalf of the Weave. Such offers were not so much denied as avoided. Despite
the assurances of the Hivistahm surgeons, Weave Command was still suspicious of
them, Ranji knew. They could hardly be blamed. He and his friends were an
unknown quantity. How unknown not even his brother suspected as yet.
The defectors were kept under close observation, osten-sibly to insure their
complete and successful recovery. They complied by adapting to their new
circumstances with gratifying speed. Before long they were wandering freely
among the rest of the Usilayy Human contingent, which was to say that they were
restricted to the confines of the military compound lest their appearance on the
city streets actively disconcert the natives.
The only Wais Ranji encountered were those official translators and support
personnel who had survived the rigorous psychological training that allowed them
to inter-act with combative sentients like Humans and Massood without suffering
consequent mental damage. Ninety-eight percent of the population had never seen
a Human being in the flesh, and their protective government wanted to keep it
that way. The invasion had caused trauma enough.
Not that the Weave compound was confining. It was as lavishly landscaped and
exquisitely maintained as the rest of the capital's facilities. The Wais desired
to make con-ditions for their vitally needed if inherently unbalanced allies as
comfortable as possible. Grassy hills, streams, small waterfalls, flowers, trees
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alive with delicate, brightly hued arboreals; all contributed to a placid
tranquillity that belied the seriousness of the situation.
Ranji explored the compound with a dedication that provoked mild amusement among
his comrades. Rather than being frantic for exercise, however, he was seeking a
location where they could hopefully gather in compara-tive solitude. For mutual
contemplation, as he explained to one curious soldier. In reality he was trying
to find a place out of sight of prying eyes and ears where he could prepare them
for developments they were as yet unaware of.
Eventually he settled on a smooth-sided hollow in a cluster of round, reddish
boulders located at the northern limits of the compound. The small pond at the
bottom was fringed with tall yellow reeds from which pinkish puff balls
occasionally issued, fragile hallmarks of inter-mittent propagation. Amphibious
ground-dwellers scuttled through the water or peeped from cracks in the rocks.
It was a natural place to mingle, and their presence there should not provoke
excessive comment.
They assembled in twos and threes, chatting among themselves, curious and by now
more than a little bored. Ranji had a couple of technicians surreptitiously
check the boulders and plants for concealed sensors. They found nothing. Their
inspection was far from thorough, but it would have to do. He couldn't wait any
longer. If he did, those who had been operated on first might start suspect-ing
things, and in the absence of understanding that could prove dangerous. None of
his companions were blessed with his perspective.
Just in case, he restricted the initial discussions to in-consequential matters.
Having established a pattern of meeting regularly in the hollow, he was careful
to divulge nothing of import for several days.
When he finally did broach his feelings they were met with the expected
skepticism. Then a soldier named Howmev-eir recalled requesting and finally [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]