Playing God(14)

All she could do was turn around and go.

As she retraced her steps down the corridor, Lynn wondered if she should tell Praeis what had just happened. She decided against it. No sense getting the project off on a bad footing. Keale had admitted his idea had no support, anyway. Worrying Praeis about his attitude was pointless.

Lynn picked up her pace. Keale could deal with his own paranoias. She had a meeting to get to.





Chapter III



Praeis Shin watched All-Cradle's sphere, wrapped in its soft wools and creams, turn under the shuttle's cameras. Here and there, the cloud blanket parted to show a ripple of grey ocean, or a wrinkled cluster of green-and-beige islands.

Her daughters pressed close against her, one on either side. The shuttle didn't have artificial gravity, so stiff, magnetic slippers held them to the metal floor.

“So, that's home?” Theiareth peered closely at the screen.

“Profound, Theia.” Resaime's nostrils flared. The sarcasm was light, reflexive, just banter between pouch-sisters. “Brilliant.”

“That's home.” Praeis rubbed her daughters’ shoulders, feeling the strength of their muscles under her hands and enjoying the warmth of pride that spread through her. They were strong, beautiful, well-grown children. Both wore red-on-gold kilts and white tunics. They had been able to leave their clean-suits behind. This shuttle had been sterilized for their use. Under the tunics, their mottled belly guards covered gently swelling pouches. They were nearly adults, almost ready to make her a second-mother.

Theiareth's ears dipped toward the screen. “Looks a lot like Earth, doesn't it? I thought it'd be…” She waved her hand. “I don't know, different.”

“It might be if there weren't so many clouds.” Resaime reached out and tugged her sister's ear absently. “It rains more here than on Earth, right?” She flicked her mother a sideways glance.

Praeis nodded and concentrated on keeping her hand from tightening on Theia's shoulder. It had been twenty years since she'd seen this sight.

In their stiff shoes, Praeis's toes clenched, searching for something to grab to help preserve her balance. Why do I want to turn around? Why do I want to stuff my daughters into my pouch and run screaming back to Mars? I've been longing after home for half my life; why are my muscles melting now?

In response to her silence, both Resaime and Theiareth pressed closer to her. Praeis could feel their warmth through her burgundy sarong. They smelled clean, all Human soap and Human-filtered water. Clean of blood and war and intrigue and lies, all of which she was taking them into on All-Cradle.

Praeis bared her teeth at the planet. If you hurt them, I will make you pay. Earth of my ancestors, I swear I will.

“Attention all hands and passengers.” Praeis's ears jerked. The voice through the intercom had a precise, mechanical inflection. “Margaret Teale will be entering the atmosphere in twenty minutes. All baggage must be securely stowed in marked locations. All passengers …”

Praeis relaxed her ears. She gathered her daughters in her arms for a final embrace before she stepped backwards. The voice went on reeling off its lists of do's and don'ts.

“We'd best obey, my children.” There was only one atmosphere couch per occupant per cabin, which meant they had to split up for this last leg of the journey. She had at least managed to finagle Resaime and Theiareth a dual-occupancy cabin. The only way down from the Human station was the Humans’ shuttle, and Humans went to a great deal of trouble to separate themselves from one another. From enemies, Praeis could comprehend, but from the rest of your family? Incredible. Twenty years of it, and it was still utterly incredible.

“Obedience first, obedience second, obedience third,” quoted Resaime. “Come along, my pouch-sister.” She took Theiareth by the wrist and pulled her along. Theiareth looked back at Praeis, wiggled her ears, and grinned. Bossy, Praeis knew she was thinking. She smiled and felt ears and spine relax. They'd look after each other.

Getting down to the ground was a long, uncomfortable business. The atmosphere couch was big enough for a large man, but barely large enough for her. The pressure of gravity and acceleration after hours of free fall pressed her stomach against her spine and made her very glad she had not eaten breakfast.

Then came the long line of clean-suited Humans, t'Therians, near family, and Others shuffling through the shuttle's too-narrow corridors, trying to keep hold of daughters and luggage at the same time.

But they made it to the open door at last, to breathe the fresh air of the t'Aori peninsula, and to see that a thick curtain of rain fell outside.

“ ‘Esaph piss,” muttered Praeis. She should have thought. There was no room for her to drop her bags and strip out of her sarong. She hated the slimy feeling of wet cloth on skin.