Silent Dances (49 page)

their location, Tesa ordered Thunder to hunch down. The avian was upset,

but she obeyed. Sailor
did not
have to be told.

Tesa searched for Thunder's mother, wondering if she could
recognize
the

avian-or if she was even alive. The big raptors
settled in
the trees

surrounding the ship. Two Aquila actually landed on the vessel, and walked

its length, wings outspread for balance. All the avians seemed angry, upset.

Thorn's voder began picking up the privateers
' translation
program. Tesa

glanced at the ship and saw the crew
pulling
out small devices
, then

donning
the familiar earcuffs of Mizari voders. They'd have to have

speakers to project their translated words in the Aquila tongue, Tesa knew:

She was disgusted to think how long it had taken her to design her program

when these murderers had had a better
one all along.

Thorn saw the expression on her face. "You okay?"

"Just ... angry. They can communicate with adult Aquila, and my program

can barely translate Thunder's baby talk!"

"Our intelligence thinks a crew was hired from Sorrow Sector to come here

undetected and work up that program. That's
all
they had to do, and with the

best technology
. But I still
can't figure out how they got the Aquila to

cooperate ..."

241

"Technology!" Tesa signed, disgusted. "They can
hear
the Aquila language.

That's
how they translated it!"

Thorn stared at her. "Is that what you think?" She shrugged, confused and

depressed.

"Do you think that if you could hear, we might not be in this situation?" Thorn asked. She didn't answer. "Have, uh, you changed your mind about having

that surgery?" he guessed.

She shrugged, then reluctantly nodded.

The biologist shook his head, smiling. "Tesa, Tesa ... they can't hear the

Aquila's language, at least not all of it."

She turned to him questioningly.

"A large part of Aquila vocalizations are far out of the range of normal human

hearing," he explained patiently. "If you had
perfect
hearing and
perfect
speech, you couldn't hear or talk to the Aquila without a voder. I thought you

knew that."

She shook her head, surprised by what he'd told her. "Have the surgery if

you want, but
only
if you want it for
Tesa--not
for any other reason."

Tesa blinked, then nodded, smiling. "Thanks, Thorn, thanks for telling me,"

she signed, simply.

He gave her a quick hug, then, glancing at his voder, gestured for her to read

the information displayed there. As the privateers called up their own

translating programs to communicate with the Aquila, Peter's program was

picking up both sides of the interpreted dialogue from the privateers' voders.

This would, in effect, allow Tesa and Thorn to "overhear" whatever the two

parties had to say to each other. Thorn nudged Tesa as Maltese moved

toward the Aquila perched on the ship.

His words were relayed clearly to Thorn's voder screen. "You're
late!"

Maltese said to the avians.

"Where's our child?" cried the Aquila female. "You promised us the child if we brought the people. Where is he?"

The blond man gestured and Deborah
went into
the ship. "You'll see him.

What have you decided to do? Wil you help?"

"It's against our nature to hunt this
way," the female insisted. "We don't kill wastefully
or consume
carrion. We've killed for you too many times. The

people won't help anymore."

The dark woman
came out with
a closed shipping box.

242

"Are you sure that's your answer?" the man asked the Aquila.

"This is senseless," the female said. "We've changed our whole way of life because of you, and you're not of the World." Maltese gestured to Deborah

and she lifted the container's

lid. Tesa could see the hooded head of a very young Aquila chick. The sight

of him threw all the
avians
into a frenzy. "Are you
sure
you won't do this one last thing for us?" the privateer asked, approaching the box. Tesa's stomach

twisted. Casually Maltese wrapped a big hand around the chick's small

neck. The baby's beak gaped as he struggled for air.

The parents went wild and flew at the human, but two other men pulled out

weapons and hit the nearest trees with powerful blasting rays. They

shattered, and all the Aquila took to the air, circling frantically. Terrified, the

two parents landed back on the ship, screaming for their suffering child.

Tesa glared at Maltese, infuriated to see how
these c
ri
minals
had

discovered the Aquila's intelligence--only to use it for their own advantage.

"Stop!" begged the Aquila. "Stop! We yield for the child!" Maltese released the chick's neck and slammed the lid closed. Deborah carried the container

back into the ship. "I knew you'd see things my way. We'll meet at the

scientists' camp when the sun is there." He pointed to a place in the sky.

Three hours from now,
Tesa thought.

"Remember," Maltese said, "all the Grus must be killed, and
all
the humans, as well. If anyone survives, I'll wring that chick's neck right in front of you."

The avians thrust their heads out, screaming their hatred. Suddenly another

female Aquila landed roughly on the slick surface of the ship. "Haven't you

taken enough from us already?" the newcomer demanded. "You've killed so

many
males
that the trees hold only empty nests. Our children no longer

know what is the hunted, and what isn't. Who needs courage to eat the

dead? We were Hunters, but because of you we've become what the White

Winds have always called us now, we're only Death."

This avian favored one leg, placing it down gingerly when she stepped.

"You have
never
kept even
one
promise. Why should we think you will keep this one, and return this child?"

"We're leaving after this," the human assured them. "Once the other humans are dead, the World will be yours
again."

243

"There
'
s no truth in you
,"
announced the female
. "
You'll
re
tu
rn
again
an
d again
,
until the White Winds are gone
,
killing our
mates
an
d
terrorizing
our children to get your way. And when the White
Winds a
re
finished
,
whose skins will you want next?"

Maltese gazed at her coldly. "
I'd have thought
,
Rain, that after losing
your chick
and
your mate,
you'd have lea
rn
ed to keep silent
.
If the
others listen to you
,
they
'
ll end up just like you--alone
an
d childless."

Tesa grabbed Thorn'
s sleeve
an
d signed, "That's Thunder's mother
!
I
know it!" She glanced at the Aquila chick
,
who was quive
ri
ng with
excitement at the sound of this avian
'
s voice.

Rain bobbed her head. "
We'll obey
.
What choice have we? At least
this
task wil be a pleasure!"
She tu
rn
ed one searing red eye on Maltese
. "

Since you came to the World, I have
waited
for the day I could kill humans and taste their living flesh." She launched herself into the air and the others

followed.

The crew of pri
vateers glanced around ne
rv
ously as they removed

their earcuffs
,
but Maltese only laughed. They grouped the now-empty

a-grav sleds and began moving them through the forest
.
This time
,

however, eve
ry
crew member went.

"They were only posting guards to watch for Aquila!" Thorn signed excitedly.

"Talk about an
uneasy alliance
.
No wonder they
'
re not wor
ri
ed about
little old me. Good thing I avoided Aquila territo
ry
this last week, or I'd
'

ve been lunch!"

"
He'll kill that baby
,
won't he?" Sailor asked Tesa.
"Not
if I c
an
help it
,"

she promised g
ri
mly.

"This may be my best shot," Thorn signed. "
They won't be gone long

since there are more of them to move the goods." He looked at Tesa
. "

You stay here
.
It'll only take me ..."

"I'm not leaving that chick behind for those murderers!" Tesa informed him.

She rummaged hastily through her packs, pulling out an empty mesh bag.

"We can waste time arguing, if you insist."
She stripped off her bulky

clothing down to the remnants of her StarB
ri
dge jumpsuit
,
now cut

down to a camisole.

"You are
not
going!"
Thorn's face tu
rn
ed beet-red. "You'll freeze
,
dressed like that!"

Tesa began
climbing through the log pile. "You coming?"

Thorn's jaw clenched
. "
You are the most infu
ri
ating wom
an
!

244

Why must you do the exact opposite of every
thing you'
re
told?"

She gri
nned at him
. "
I can't help it
.
It's my way."

She crept on hands and knees over the tangled mass of logs. Thorn crawled

behind her.
When they reached solid ground, they scur
ri
ed to the ship.

Eve
ry
airlock was open
,
inviting.

When Thorn stepped inside the vessel he winced. "Now I know why all the

doors are
open
,"
he signed. "This place
re
eks."

The interi
or of the ship smelled like a slaughterhouse. Tesa could smell

blood
,
fat, flesh, and strong chemicals. White feathers we
re
eve
ry
where
,
broken and di
rt
y.

"This ship is too big to search," Thorn
signed
. "
How will you find that
chick
?
I can
'
t hear it
."
He rummaged quickly through the nearest
closets. Sealed boxes were eve
ry
where. He snapped one open
,
only

to find glimme
ri
ng skins inside.

Tesa was moving quickly,
frantically
,
jerking open doors and floor holds.

She yanked open a drawer and waved to Thorn. "Well, I found

something
useful."
The
re
was a neat row of sound nullifiers and a group
of small hand weapons.

"
Grab those nullifiers," Thorn told her.

"Bett
er yet
."
Tesa snapped open the batte
ry
compa
rt
ment of the
nearest one and tu
rn
ed the tiny
,
powerful cell upside down
. "
It'll
discharge in an hour. But
they
won't know that."

Thorn looked at her appraisingly as he grabbed the weapons and stuffed

them into his pack. "You know, you have a really nasty stre
ak
."
He g
ri
nned
. "
I like that."

"If you're
going to disable this ship, you'd better do it," Tesa suggested
.

"
I'll find the chick."

As Thorn raced to the control area,
Tesa pulled out her Swiss Army knife

and unfolded the bioscanner
.
Activating it, she canceled her own and

Thorn
'
s life readings
.
Hurriedly she strode through the vessel
,
scanning cabinets
,
closets, and floor holds. Finally
,
the scanner

blinked
.
Tesa pulled open a cramped closet and found the chick

huddled in the closed box, shive
ri
ng with cold
.
Seeing a pile of

clothing
,
she grabbed a shi
rt
and wrapped the chick
,
placing him in
the mesh bag she'd slung across her chest
.
She ran back to the

control room.

Thorn was removing computer boards neatly an
d stuffing them in his

pack
. "
What a
re
you doing
?"
she demanded. "Take one of those
blasters and melt this stuff to slag!"

"We want them to be surpri
sed," he explained
,
opening

245

another console and unsnapping the boards
. "
We want them to waste

time figu
ri
ng out what
'
s wrong
.
It'll give us a head start
.
Besides, if
we cause too much damage
, they
'll
hear
us."

"Oh," signed Tesa
.
She'd forgotten about that.

"I'm done,"
he signed
,
fastening the pack
. "
These boards a
re
a
ll
Simiu
, ri
ght down to the designer
'
s number
. Let's go." They wasted
no
time ge
tt
ing back to the
streambed.