by Энн Маккефри
«Listen up, sir knight. This fellow could give you some pointers,» Carialle said wickedly. Chaumel aimed a small smile toward Carialle's pillar and returned his entire attention to Plennafrey.
«We will share our power, and together we will teach our fellow Ozrans to adapt to our future. Our society will be reduced in influence, but it will be greater in number and scope. The Ancient Ones can teach us much of what we have forgotten.»
«And one day, perhaps, our children can go into space,» Plenna said, turning to Keff and smiling, «to meet yours.» Leaning over, she gave Keff a sisterly peck on the cheek and moved into the circle of Chaumel's arm.
Over the top of her head, Chaumel winked.
«And now, fair magess,» he said, «I will fly you home, since your own conveyance has come to grief.» Beaming, Plennafrey accompanied her intended down the ramp. He handed her delicately onto his own chariot, and mounted the edge of the back behind her.
«That man never misses a trick,» Carialle said through Keff's implant.
«Thank you, Cari,» Keff said. «Privately, in a comparison between Plenna and you as a lifelong companion, I'd choose you, every time.»
«Why, sir knight, I'm flattered.»
«You should be flattered,» Keff said with a smirk. «Plenna is intelligent, adaptable, beautiful, desirable, but she knows nothing about my interests, and in the long transits between missions we would drive one another crazy. This is the best possible solution.»
***
Chaumel's well-known gifts for diplomacy and the unexpected treat of the thunderstorm began to bear fruit within the next few days. Mages and magesses began to approach Keff and the globe-frogs in the cavern to ask if there was anything they could do to help speed the miracle to their parts of Ozran. Spy-eyes were everywhere, as everyone wanted to see how the repairs progressed.
The greatest difficulty the repair crew faced was the sheer age of the machinery. Keff and Tall rigged what they could to keep it running, but in the end the Frog Prince ordered a halt.
«We must study more,» Tall said. «Given time, and the printout you have made of the schematic drawings, we will be able to determine what else needs to be done to make all perfect. The repairs we have made will hold,» he added proudly. «There is no need to beg the homeworld for aid. I would sooner approach them as equals.»
«Good job!» Keff said. «We'll take our report home to the Central Worlds. As soon as we can, we'll come back to help you to finish the job. I expect that by the time we do, between you and the Noble Primitives, you'll teach the mages all there is to know about weather management and high-yield farming.»
«The fur-faces will show them how to till the land and take care of it. We do not retain that knowledge,» Tall said with creditable humility. «Brannel is our friend. We do need each other. Together, we can fulfill the hopes of all our ancestors. Others will take us up and back to the Core after this,» the Frog Prince assured them. «Many are protecting us at all times. You've done much in helping us to achieve the respect of the human beings.»
«No,» Keff said, «you did it. I couldn't convince them. You had to show them your expertise, and you did.»
Tall signaled polite disbelief. «Come back soon.»
Carialle and Keff delivered Tall and his companions back to Brannel's plain for the last time. The globe-frogs signed them a quick good-bye before disappearing into the brush. Five spy-eyes trailed behind them at a respectful distance.
Chaumel and Plennafrey arrived at the plain in time to see Keff and Carialle off.
«You've certainly stirred things up, strangers,» Chaumel said, shaking hands with Keff. «I agree there's nothing else you could have done. My small friends tell me that shortly Ozran would have suffered a catastrophic explosion, and we would all have died without knowing the cause. For that, we thank you.»
«We're happy to help,» Keff said. «In return, we take home data on a generation ship that was lost hundreds of years ago, and plenty of information on what's going to be one of the most fascinating blended civilizations in the galaxy. I'm looking forward to seeing how you prosper.»
«It will be interesting,» Chaumel acknowledged. «I am finding that the certain amount of power the Ancient Ones have agreed to leave in our hands will be used as much to protect us from disgruntled workers as it will be to help lead them into self-determination. Not all will be peaceful in this new world. Many of the farmers are afraid that their new memories are hallucinations. But,» he sighed, «we brought this on ourselves. We must solve our own problems. Your Brannel is proving to be a great help.»
Plennafrey came forward to give Keff a chaste kiss. «Farewell, Keff,» she said. «I'm sorry my dream to come with you couldn't come true, but I am happier it turned out this way.» She bent her head slightly to whisper in his ear. «I will always treasure the memory of what we had.»
«So will I,» Keff said softly. Plenna stepped back to stand beside Chaumel, and he smiled at her.
«Farewell, friends,» Chaumel said, assisting the tall girl down the ramp and onto his chariot. «We look forward to your return.»
«So do we,» Keff said, waving. The chair flew to a safe distance and settled down to observe the ship's takeoff.
«They do make rather a handsome couple,» Carialle said. «I'd like to paint them a big double portrait as a wedding present. Confound their combination of primrose and silver—that's going to be tricky to balance. Hmm, an amber background, perhaps cognac amber would do it.»
Keff turned and walked inside the main cabin. The airlock slid shut behind him, and he heard the groaning of the motor bringing the outer ramp up flush against the bulkhead. The brawn clapped his hands together in glee.
«Wait until we tell Simeon and the Xeno boffins about the Frog Prince and his tadpole courtiers on the Planet of Wizards,» Keff gloated, settling into his crash-couch and putting his feet up on the console. He intertwined his hands behind his head. «Ah! We will be the talk of SSS-900, and every other space station for a hundred trillion klicks!»
«I can't wait to spread the word myself,» Carialle said with satisfaction as she engaged engines and they lifted off into atmosphere. «We did it! We may be considered the screwball crew, but we're the ones that get the results in the end . . . Oh damn!»
«What's wrong?» Keff asked, sitting up, alarmed.
Carialle's Lady Fair image appeared on the screen, her face drawn into woeful lines.
«I forgot about the Inspector General!»
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Document ID: bb8c240b-6dc2-44ec-9e7c-233ca4f4c8e6
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Document creation date: 12 September 2011
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