"You know how to get straight to the heart of the matter, don't you?" said Vanna dryly. "Telepathy isn't really my field. In fact, I've never really been that involved with any of them till this trip," she said. "I do know that they look at people on a different level than you and I would. They are less attracted to, or influenced by, the outer form because they can 'see' and 'know' them on a deeper level."
"What about the other species?"
"They are all very different from us. You Terrans are the nearest to us in physiology and outlook, and you have Telepaths. I know I have no difficulty in being at ease with your people, nor have most of our crew. Even Guynor seems to be able to be civil with anyone but Carrie!"
"As for Carrie being closer to Kusac than she was to her sister, he is male, you know. Even loving sisters can see each other as rivals."
"It's more than that," said Jo. "Maybe you hit the nail on the head when you said he was male."
Vanna shifted uneasily. "I have to admit that even I've found myself looking speculatively at one or two of your male crew members. I've a feeling that a lot more of our people will find you attractive as a species, and the differences won't matter. In fact, that's what will attract them."
Jo digested this for a minute. "What do you find attractive about our men?" she asked abruptly.
"I'm not sure I can put it into words as I haven't really thought about it. I suppose they just seem more male than our men."
"And what do you think the men see in our women?"
Vanna shrugged. "Perhaps a fragility or a defenselessness that we lack because they have no fur or claws with which to protect and defend themselves. I have no idea. I haven't asked Garras or Guynor."
"Pheromones," said Jo succinctly. "If our people are attracted to each other, I'll bet that our pheromones are similar enough to trigger responses. Have you checked them?"
"No," said Vanna thoughtfully. "It never occurred to me. I only have the facilities for basic tests here, but once I'm back on board ship I can use the labs there. Garras wants me to become involved as a specialist on Terran physiology."
Jo nodded. "That makes sense. But pheromones still don't explain Carrie's relationship with Kusac."
"What relationship?" asked Vanna, turning innocent eyes to her.
"Come on, Vanna, don't be coy with me," said Jo sternly. "There's a look on Carrie's face every now and then that tells me the girl's besotted! And he's not much different, unless my reading of male Sholan behavior is totally wrong. He hardly ever leaves her side. Even you said they were in love with each other."
"My next question has to be, has he used his Telepathy to make her fall in love with him?"
"Don't be ridiculous!" said Vanna, ears flat, her tone one of absolute outrage. "How could you even think that? Even if Kusac were capable of wanting to do that, Carrie's mind is stronger than his! Mental manipulation is one of the greatest crimes a Telepath can commit. Kusac would never stoop so low." Vanna's tail was lashing from side to side in her anger and agitation.
"I had to ask," apologized Jo. "It's what her father, and others, will think. Personally, I couldn't believe him capable of that either."
"Guynor has already leveled that accusation against Kusac," the Sholan said, slightly mollified. "He will have to go before a Guild hearing when the Khalossa arrives. Have you any idea what the penalty would be for such a crime? They would destroy that area of his brain where his Talent is located. Do you think he— or any Telepath— would be foolish enough to risk that just to have a woman?"
Jo reached out to touch the other's arm. "Vanna, I'm sorry. I told you I didn't think him capable of it, but I'd rather it was me that asked than Skinner or her father, wouldn't you?"
Vanna's tail and ears began to still.
"What they feel for each other is theirs and real, not the product of their Link. Just leave them alone, don't interfere in something you don't understand. You could cause untold harm to both of them," she said, seriously concerned that the Terrans would try to force the pair apart.
"How, Vanna? If you don't tell me, how can I help them?"
"They don't need help, they need to be left alone to solve their own problems," said Vanna stubbornly.
"It's the Link," Jo said. "What does that Link entail? It's more than just Telepathic, isn't it?"
"It's not my business to tell you," said Vanna with finality, moving to get up.
"Wait, Vanna," insisted Jo, holding on to her. "Your people know, why shouldn't we? If we're to understand you, we need to trust you! Trust starts here, now, with each one of us."
Vanna hesitated, sitting back down. Common sense told her to keep quiet, but her instincts told her to trust this woman from the Terran world. Ignorance could cause more harm than the knowledge of what a Leska Link involved. She sighed.
"Very well. First, we don't know much about Leska Links because normally missions such as ours wouldn't carry Telepaths. Also, we've never met another Telepathic species before, so there has never been such a Link with a non-Sholan."
"Leska Links are rare to start with, even Kusac knows only a few bare facts. Back on the Khalossa, we have all the data and experts we need, which is absolutely no good to us at all at the present."
Vanna got to her feet and began to pace.
"The Link is permanent, and so complete that if one partner dies, so does the other. They feel each other's pain and joys, something like Carrie did with Elise only more positive."
"I didn't know that the Link was that strong. Still, it sounds pretty much like her Link with Elise so far," said Jo practically.
"Oh, there's more," said Vanna, stopping in front of her. "Telepaths don't like being touched unless they invite the contact because that carries messages, too."
"That explains why Carrie and Kusac touch each other so frequently."
"Yes, but with this Link goes a compulsion to touch, a sexual compulsion. They need each other, physically and mentally. They are life-mates, bound together by their Link."
"Ah," said Jo. "I think I see their problem."
Vanna sat down beside her again. "What I've described is a normal Sholan Leska Link. What Carrie and Kusac have is not necessarily the same. Now do you understand why we must leave them to sort it out for themselves?" she asked.
"Yes," Jo answered thoughtfully. "I'm also beginning to understand something more of Kusac's character."
Vanna raised a quizzical eye ridge.
"You obviously have less inhibitions about sex than we have, so Kusac must have had many opportunities to... er... become closer to Carrie, but he hasn't taken them. It shows a lot of forbearance on his part."
Vanna gave a low chuckle. "It has had the odd humorous moment," she said. "He's paying court to her, and, bless her, there are times when she makes it difficult for him!"
Jo grinned. "Now that tells me a lot more about them than almost anything else you've said!"
"You needn't worry about Kusac," said Vanna. "Unless I'm mistaken, he's well placed in the Telepath Clans. Carrie will be well looked after. She's good for him, and from what I keep hearing about Elise, he's repairing the years of damage Elise has done to her as well as being the first person to ever understand her Talent."
"How will Carrie fit into your society?" asked Jo. "It seems very male oriented."
Vanna looked surprised. "What makes you think we're male oriented?"
Jo gestured toward the hatch. "Most of your crew are men."
"I had this conversation with Carrie the other day," said Vanna, getting up and heading for the galley. "Let's have a drink while we talk."
Jo followed her over to the heater unit.
"Basically, we women mature earlier than the lads and while we get on with our training in the Guilds, they get conscripted into military service to keep them out of trouble."
"Pass me the mugs, please," she said, putting the jug of water into the heater and turning it on.
Jo took a couple of mugs from the shelf under the unit and passed them
up to Vanna.
"What sort of trouble?" asked Jo, somewhat perplexed.
"The usual adolescent stuff, needing to prove their strength and virility," she said, spooning the dried powder into the mugs. "Carrie says your young men are the same but not for so long. You can forget our lads until they hit thirty, then something approaching common sense seems to appear."
"That's a long adolescence."
Vanna shrugged. The heater chimed and she took the jug out. "They don't waste their time here, they're learning Guild accredited trades. When they go back to Shola they do a year in their Guild and then they're fully qualified."
"Aren't they then disadvantaged in their careers because of their time in space?"
Vanna handed her a mug.
"Only for a year or two," she said, picking up her own mug and taking a drink. "Once you get to a certain level in your profession, all that matters is your talent and the dedication you're prepared to put into your work."
"Carrie and Kusac, working as a Leska pair, could have just about any profession they wish since Telpaths are employed in every level of our society. Here in space, at home in the Courts, Alien Relations, Telepaths' Guild, Medical... you name it."
"Now, I'm afraid if you want to find out any more about us you'd do better asking Kusac for a Telepathic cultural transfer," said Vanna. "It'll save me from covering the same ground so often! Also, I'm going to have to get on with my work."
"Thanks, Vanna," said Jo. "You've been a great help. I think I'll take your advice about the cultural transfer. Apart from saving us both a lot of time, it will be interesting to actually experience Telepathy at work."
As she began to move away, Vanna looked at her shrewdly.
"So what are you going to say to Captain Skinner?" she asked.
Jo laughed. "I can't hide anything from you people, can I? I'm going to tell him that I have no intention of interfering between Carrie and Kusac, and if he's got any sense, neither will he."
* * *
Work continued to go according to plan. The interface was finished, and they had even been able to manufacture a plug to fit the diagnostic port in the Valtegan computer. The Sholan computer had been stripped down to its bare essentials, leaving only the actual hardware necessary for what the Terrans had nicknamed the "burglar." All they needed now was the access codes.
Brief reports came in on schedule from Mito and Anders at the edge of the Base. Anders was always careful to head as far away from the Complex perimeter as he dared before using the wrist comm for fear of the Valtegans picking up his signal, but all remained quiet.
One piece of information they did pick up by direct observation was that the cargo ship was carrying not provisions, but unusually large numbers of Valtegan injured.
Traffic heading southeast across the margins of the swamp to Geshader and Tashkerra was heavy as the injured were ferried to the medical facilities, but as the Valtegans passed nowhere near them, this didn't concern them too much.
"I've never seen such heavy casualties," said Anders. "I reckon that this time they've come off worst."
"Give us the details when you get back," ordered Garras. "Close transmission now."
* * *
At dusk on the following day they called in and requested to be picked up. Once more the groundcar was hauled to the edge of the swamp.
Flying in the half light was no easy job. Eventually those waiting in the cramped interior of the pod heard the sound of the returning vehicle. Guynor turned the scanner to track it as it came in to land.
"Suit up," he ordered.
Skinner, Richard, Skai, Peterson, and Vanna hauled the emergency suits on, inflating them with the small auxiliary air supply before sealing the transparent head coverings.
"Davies," said Nelson into his comm unit, "Skinner and the others are coming across. The Sholans have emergency space suits which should protect them from the night life long enough to reach you. Stand by to open the hatch on my signal."
"Hold on a moment," came the reply. "I think I've figured out how to get this thing onto the land. If I can, it will cut the odds down even further in their favor."
"Standing by."
They watched as the noise from the groundcar rose to a roar before it lurched onto the islet, ploughing through the soil until it came to a stop a few meters from them.
"Good work, Davies," said Nelson wryly. "Apart from the noise alerting everyone in the neighborhood, how do we cover those bloody great tracks that you've left before daybreak?"
"You're never satisfied, are you?" came the reply. "When they're aboard, I'll borrow a suit myself to go out and throw some weeds over it till morning."
"See what the Captain says before you take any more risks," warned Nelson. "Get ready to open the hatch. We're sending them out... now!"
As the hatch in the pod opened, the suited figures ran awkwardly through in quick succession, Kusac standing guard at the door with a pistol ready to kill anything else that moved. As soon as the last person left, the hatch slid shut.
It took another quarter of an hour before Mito and Anders were safely aboard the pod.
As Mito pulled off her suit, she caught sight of Garras and Kusac wrinkling their noses.
"Don't," she snapped. "It's going to take weeks to get the stink of the swamp out of my fur! If you think it's bad for you, consider what it's like for me."
"Carrie and I will get damp cloths and wipe you down," said Kusac soothingly, taking the discarded suit from her unresisting hands. "What about you, Anders?"
"I could do with a wash and a change of clothes," he admitted, handing his suit to Kusac.
"Nelson, I don't suppose you have anything I could borrow?" he asked, looking across at the other man.
"Not much. I have a sweater here that you're welcome to, but no pants. What on Earth have you two been doing anyway? You're covered in filth."
"Valtegan patrol," said Mito briefly, trying unsuccessfully to brush the caked mud from the back of her shoulders.
"We had to hide in the swamp," explained Anders. "Luckily, it was during the day."
"The equipment?" asked Garras, eyeing the streaked satchels.
"No problem," he reassured, bending down to take the covers off the recorder. "Nelson, I'll take you up on that offer of the sweater, if I may."
Carrie took the brush from Mito. "Can I help?" she asked.
Mito's eyes widened in delight. "Thank you," she said. "If only this pod had a shower of some kind! I hate being dirty."
Carrie made sympathetic noises as she brushed the Sholan's fur vigorously, the two of them almost disappearing in a choking cloud of fine dust.
"I think that will do," coughed Mito, rubbing her streaming eyes with her hands.
"Turn the extractor on," ordered Garras, also beginning to cough.
Carrie stood back and let Kusac wipe Mito down.
"There," he said at length, "that's gotten rid of the worst of it."
"Thank you both," she said, raising her arms and beginning to sniff along them.
"I still smell," she complained, going back over to her personal pack and rummaging in it. With a small yelp of pleasure, she pulled out a vial of liquid and, unscrewing the top, began to sprinkle the perfume liberally over herself.
"I won't be able to smell anything now," she said happily.
Kusac sneezed violently, followed by Garras.
"Neither will anyone else," remarked Kusac dryly, putting the cloths away to be washed in the morning. "You're too concerned about your appearance, Mito. There's no need for it here, we're all in need of a shower and can probably only smell ourselves."
"In that case," she said, unstoppering the bottle and moving toward him.
Kusac's hand shot out and grasped hers firmly, making sure the bottle stayed upright. In Sholan, he said bitingly, "I'm no longer a boy to be trifled with, Mito. You had your fun on the Ship. Now it's over. Save it for Guynor, if that's what takes his fancy."
"Hey, what's with you two?" as
ked Anders, looking up from the work bunk where he had set the recorder.
"Nothing," said Kusac mildly, releasing Mito's arm.
She rubbed her wrist resentfully before closing the vial and putting it away.
"Just a practical joke," she said. "I don't suppose you left any food for us, did you? We could do with a decent meal before we start decoding our data."
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