Silent Dances

by A. C. Crispin

make a new compromise to end an old conflict. Whether it works or not,

  they've done this to help us. We can't deny their goodness of heart, their

  strength of spirit. "

  Taller gazed at her, seeing the wisdom in her words even though he felt

  torn--and afraid. He stared at the clothing the human had made from such a

  formidable creature, a creature his son had helped kill. He could not deny

  their strength of spirit.

  "You named this child of Death, Thunder?" he asked Sailor. "Yes, Good

  Eyes named her," the youngster replied stiffly.

  249

  Taller fixed his son with a cool sta re. "Then your name must

  now be Lightning- the pa re nt of Thunder." He reached into the bowl of the nest where Sailor's hatching cloak lay folded; lifted it, and handed it to

  his son. "Welcome home, Lightning."

  Sailor seemed stunned for a moment, then fluffed his feathers and took

  the cloak as his avian parents enveloped him under their wings . Taller

  could see Good Eyes wiping water off her face. "I have no new name for

  you," he told her. Taller thought he could see disappointment etched on

  her features.

  "It seems," he continued, " that all unknowing, I've al re ady given you the best name. Good Eyes, you see what others can't , you see the truth ,

  even when it's upside down, even when it's backward." He enveloped her

  under his wing, and Weaver and Sailor - Lightning! he reminded himself-joined him in the special greeting . Whatever happened , they were a

  family again.

  Meg poured a cup of coffee, trying to shrug off her depression. It had settled

  on her like a cloud, since the day Thorn abandoned camp . It was hard to

  accept the things Bruce said about him-but it was harder to deny them,

  now.

  She felt as if her sense of purpose had left with Thorn. Or maybe it had

  been trickling away since Sco tt 's death , and she just hadn ' t re alized it . You're an old babushka , she told herself. You can't take the pressure.

  When the CLS reps come, put in for your retirement. It's time. In the back of

  her mind she heard Scott trying to tell her something, but she ignored it.

  She'd become good at that lately . It was time to get over his death.

  She leaned against the kitchen counter. Bruce and Lauren were huddled

  at the table , as usual , as Bruce worked at chee ri ng the despondent woman. Meg would be glad when the CLS ship arrived-Szu-yi wanted

  Lauren to have long-term psychological care, perhaps even drug therapy.

  The doctor didn't think the tech would ever work in space again ... or maybe

  anywhere else.

  With a sigh, Meg moved to join Bruce and Lau re n at the table -- when , without wa rn ing , the front door crashed open! Thorn crouched before them , brandishing a weapon , as though her thinking about him had

  somehow conjured him up . Sta rt led, Meg dropped her cup and it

  bounced wildly , splashing hot coffee on her ankles.

  250

  Lauren screamed an d leaped away from the table as Bruce feinted

  toward Thorn , but then the meteorologist saw the weapon an d froze.

  "That' s ri ght! " Thorn said to him . " Don't move . Stay ve ry still. One twitch is all the excuse I need."

  Meg could see that the young biologist was strung wire tight. She caught

  Szu-yi ' s eye across the room . The doctor had somehow kept her seat

  through Thorn ' s entrance , and now sat ri gid.

  "Laure n !" Thorn barked . " I want Bruce tied . Get some cable."

  The tech just blinked dazedly.

  " I knew you ' d be back ," Bruce said quietly.

  Meg groaned inwardly. This was not time for one of Bruce's moments in

  machoism. "Thorn," she said softly. "Let's talk ..."

  "No time, Meg. Lauren! Oh, forget it. Szu - yi, you tie him, or I'll stun him."

  He glared at Bruce . " Stunning a man your age could be dan gerous.

  Your hea rt might not take it."

  " Is that the gun you used on Peter ?" Bruce drawled.

  The expression on Thorn' s face tu rn ed deadly . Suddenly Lauren

  lurched in front of Bruce , but the weatherman only pushed her away . "

  Don't , darlin'. He's capable of ..."

  "Tell her the truth!" Thorn roared . " You were too damned sma rt to kill Peter yourself , but Ùncle Brucie ' fixed it so Peter would never bother his li tt le girl again . After I found Peter, you hoped I was close to cracking , so you sent me out to pick up that camera . You wanted me

  to find Tesa, too."

  Lauren collapsed against Bruce, moaning . Bruce stared over her bowed

  head at Thorn , his brows furrowed.

  " What camera ?" Dr. Li asked quietly.

  Meg couldn't believe Szu- yi was going to wor ry about invento ry now !

  She tried to signal the doctor to drop it. "Scott ' s camera ," Thorn barked . " I don ' t have time for this ! Meg! Szu-yi!"

  The doctor hurried to the supply cabinet an d rummaged for cable . Meg

  spoke softly , " Take it easy, Thorn. We'll tie him." Meg gl an ced ne rv ously at Bruce , who was t ry ing to comfo rt Lau re n , mumbling to her, stroking her hair.

  "Hurry !" Thorn dem an ded . " Your buddy the Falcon's coming for a visit ," he told Bruce . " Deborah, too."

  "What?" Meg re acted as though she'd been jolted. "Deborah?"

  251

  "Yeah , they 're coming with a flock of Aquila to tu rn us all into raptor food." He glared at Bruce . " You included, you traitor. Damn it , Szu-yi!"

  The doctor waved the cable and approached Bruce. Lau re n had

  managed to control her sobs . " Szu-yi , stop," she gasped brokenly . "

  What did you say?" she asked Thorn.

  Suddenly the front door opened. Thorn dropped, swinging his arm toward

  it. Lau re n lunged at him, pulling Bruce with her.

  "NO!" Szu- yi screamed as Meg hurled herself across the distance ,

  tackling Bruce and Lauren both , knocking them down . Thorn swung

  back and fired . The shot went over their heads, hi tt ing a sound

  barrier , blasting a hole in it . Lau re n was struggling with Bruce , sc re aming to be let go . Meg was trying to untangle herself and grab

  Lauren . Szu-yi was scrambling for cover . Then , as quickly as it had begun , eve ry thing stopped.

  A tall figure entered the shelter , clad in a red and white Ripper skin , bearing a Clovis- point spear decorated with feathers. The shaggy

  animal head shadowed the figure ' s face.

  Meg knew immediately that it was Tesa, and was tremendously grateful to

  Taller for his earlier wa rn ing.

  Tesa pushed back the animal head.

  Laure n let out a moan and sagged against Bruce. "I'm sorry," she

  whimpe re d , "so sorry. I told them, begged them not to kill you . But they ' d al re ady killed Peter ... Peter ..." She looked at Meg wildly . "

  What happened to Scott and you was an accident ! I swear! The Falcon

  promised ... no one would be hu rt ."

  Every one in the shelter stared , immobile , while Lauren sobbed.

  She looked into Bruce' s face . " It was our big chance, Uncle Bruce , our big st ri ke . They were going to take it all away from us over a bunch of damned birds . The Falcon , and Deb ... they ... said if we worked it ri ght , we'd all benefit ... I just had to put in some equipment , transmit some data, be his contact ... no big deal ..."

  She touched Bruce' s cheek . " I knew if I didn't, there'd be no cities

  named after you ... we ' d never get another chance like Trinity . We

  couldn ' t let them take it away." She looked back at Tesa . " But they said no one would get hu rt. The Falcon pr
omised . Just a bunch of

  damned birds . I'm so sorry, Tesa, re ally, so, so sor ry you died ... and Peter , God, oh, Peter ..."

  252

  She dissolved into sobs an d hiccups an d incohe re nt babbling. Bruce patted her hair. He gl an ced dazedly at Tesa , but then turned to Thorn .

  " I didn ' t know about that camera, Thorn. Lau re n told me about it. I re membered we'd discussed them, that you ' d said they didn ' t work ...

  Lau re n suggested I ask you to re trieve the camera , so I could t ry an d catch you in that lie. You were p rett y glib about it . I just knew that you"--he paused -' ` you we re re sponsible for eve ry thing that had happened . Lau re n ... ag re ed with me, encouraged me to believe that ." He stared at Thorn , as though he couldn ' t think of an ything else to say.

  Thorn' s weapon hung by his side . He gazed at Lau re n, shock an d disgust mingling on his face.

  Szu-yi was still kneeling under her computer table , her eyes ne rv ously da rt ing f ro m Lau re n to the apparition that was Tesa. Meg grappled with the multiple re velations that had been flung out in these las t few minutes . The pain she ' d felt when Deborah had fought her decision to call the CLS on behalf of the Grus w as nothing to the an ger an d betrayal she felt toward that wom an now . But that failed re lationship was the le as t of it.

  She glared at Lau re n as Bruce helped her to her feet, her hea rt feeling as though it would explode in fu ry . Befo re she re alized what she w as doing, Meg stalked over to the computer tech an d yanked her from the

  safe ty of B ru ce ' s arms. "You killed Scott!" she growled at the limp wom an, shaking her violently. "You! You did it. You killed him, you killed Dan cer, an d Black Feather an d the one hund re d fo rt y - th re e intelligent beings that made up his flock . And you killed Peter. Suka! Why didn' t you just stab him when he lay sleeping next to you!"

  Laure n st ru ggled to cover her ears , then B ru ce an d Thorn pulled the two women apa rt . Meg sagged as she released Lauren, an d nearly fell against Thorn . He gave her a ro ugh hug. " You all ri ght ?" he asked.

  The old woman took a shudde ry breath . " Yeah . Fine." She gl an ced at Lau re n sobbing in B ru ce ' s arms an d felt nothing, just an aching ti re dness . Oh, Scott , what a mess ! she thought.

  "Can I t ru st you to h an dle this ?" Thorn h an ded her a weapon.

  She man aged to focus on it. "Whe re 'd you get this?" He smiled grimly.

  "It's 'borrowed.' C an you h an dle it?"

  253

  Meg took it and checked its settings, range, and power pak.

  She hadn't handled anything like this in years, but it felt comfortable in her

  palm. "Sure, I can handle it."

  Thorn walked over to Szu-yi, handing her one of the palmsized devices as

  she continued to huddle under the table. "This is a weapon!" the doctor

  protested. She touched the small device as though it were a dead skunk.

  "This is completely against ..." She lifted her eyes to see everyone staring at her in exasperation.

  "These people are coming to kill us," Meg said calmly. "We can't let them destroy everything we've worked for! Scott would never forgive us."

  The doctor nodded numbly.

  Thorn approached Tesa. "Did you make your deal?" Meg looked at them

  questioningly.

  "I don't know," Tesa signed. "Rain said she'd talk to her people, but she couldn't make any promises. I can't predict what they'll do. We have to

  assume we're on our own. Taller, Weaver, and Sailor are getting the flock to

  go to the woods to hide. Only the escort will remain."

  "You did the best you could," Thorn consoled her. "Better than I thought possible ... you're here!"

  He handed Tesa a weapon, but she waved it away, lifting her spear . " I'll be all right."

  Thorn looked at her wearily. "You are the most ... contrary woman!" She just grinned weakly.

  He held one out to Bruce, but the weatherman shook his head. "I've ... got to

  take care of Lauren," he said.

  The biologist nodded curtly. "Just don't let her get you killed," Thorn warned.

  "I'll take care of Lauren," Dr. Li said forcefully, taking charge of the woman, who was now snuffling and mumbling her regrets. The doctor handed Bruce

  her weapon. "You can--what's the term--'cover' us." She peered at Lauren.

  "Maybe I'll give her something to calm her."

  "The Falcon' s running this show," Thorn said to Bruce. "He's not coming to talk over old times. Be careful."

  "Look, Thorn," Bruce began, "... I'm sorry..."

  "Yeah," Thorn said, "me, too. We'll talk about it later." Tesa waved to get everyone' s attention . She tapped her voder to make sure theirs we re on an d working befo re she signed.

  254

  "Everyone needs to underst an d something . Under no circumstances is anyone to fire on the Aquila!"

  Blank expressions greeted her. Dr. Li paled. "Aquila?"

  "They are native citizens of Trinity," Tesa signed, "fully intelligent beings.

  As the inter re lator , I'm telling you, the Aquila are not to be fired on."

  "Tesa, what are we supposed to do," Thorn argued. "Let them pick us off like rabbits?"

  She fixed him with a determined stare. "It's their World. Defend yourself, but do not harm them."

  Bruce smiled wanly. "Why is it that people who come back from the dead

  always want their own way?"

  A low humming suddenly rippled through Meg's body. "Oh, chort! The sound

  barrier's breeched! Get your nullifiers ..." Everyone began scrambling. Meg

  only had to turn her ears

  off, an d Thorn ' s nullifiers were slung around his neck. Bruce had a pair in his pocket and struggled to get them on Lauren, but she slapped his

  hands away wildly. Tesa took them and gestured for him to get a set on. She

  put the protectors on Lauren , holding the wom an so the distraught

  technici an couldn ' t remove them.

  Then the sound rocked Meg's body, shaking her spine. "That's the warning,"

  Tesa told Thorn. "They're coming."

  Tesa saw the big sleds, eight of them, flying high. She and Thorn were

  crouched low on their own flyers, hiding in the reeds , the bellies of the

  machines kissing the marsh water.

  "Those fr eight sleds," Thorn signed, "aren't as fast as ours, but the shields are stronger . They can repel an energy beam, but as long as the shield's on, they can't fire out. And they can't lower their force-fields halfway

  like we can."

  I suppose that's the good news, Tesa thought nervously. Aquila flew

  clustered around the big sleds in a ragged formation . The young wom

  an stared at them , wonde ri ng what they we re thinking , what they would do . Rain had just stared at them when they'd made their offer-a

  compromise, for only a day, and if it worked, if they all benefited, then,

  maybe" The Hunters are individuals," she'd said.

  Tesa blinked tiredly. Somewhe re in that mob was Thunder. If an ything happened to her ...

  The reeds nearest them part ed, an d both hum an s jumped. Sailor- -

  Lightning ! Tesa reminded herself-stepped out.

  255

  "What a re you doing here ?" Tesa dem an ded. "I thought..."

  "That I' d stay in the forest with the new pa re nts an d child re n?" He looked injured . " I'm pa rt of the esco rt flock!" Tesa didn ' t know whether to be proud or panicky. "Keep

  your head down, got that ? No heroics ." If anything happened to him ...

  "Taller will keep us in the reeds until the ri ght time," Lightning told them .

  He looked at Tesa . " Be careful , my f ri end." He tu rn ed to Thorn . "

  You, too - f ri end ." The avian slipped back into the reeds before the hum an s could react.

  Thorn smiled at Tesa. " I guess that means we
can date?" Tesa g ri nned weakly, tu rn ing her attention to the sky. The p ri vateers were

  expecting the Aquila to hunt the Grus down, one by one . Tesa gnawed

  her lip. What would the big p re dators do?

  The sky gre w dark with Aquila , until Tesa had to search for the eight

  sleds lurking among the dark wings.

  They came closer, until Tesa could read the numbers on one of the

  sleds. A p ri vateer fired on a nest shelter an d it burst into flames.

  Suddenly the call rang out across the marsh , an d Tesa grabbed Thorn

  ' s arm , pointing.

  Thre e of the p ri vateers clutched at their ears , grabbing at their

  controls . The calling went on and on an d the affected hum an s finally fell across their machines , unconscious. Their sleds began flying in

  circles , as the automatic safety controls engaged.

  Without warn ing , the Aquila converged on the unconscious p ri

  vateers , knocking futilely against the protective force-fields, finally

  forcing the sleds into the water . One sled ' s power system failed befo re it hit , and the field dissolved . The Aquila pulled the unconscious human off the sled , tearing an d ri pping his body until he was almost shredded . Finally , they dropped him. He'd been dead long befo re he hit the water.

  Tesa' s eyes widened at the avi an s ' rage , and she lost any small hope she'd had that the Aquila might ally with them du ri ng the conflict.

  The five remaining pri vateers suddenly realized things we re very

  wrong . Two of them were gestu ri ng at the parked shuttles. Thorn had assured her he'd disabled both vehicles for their own p ro tection . If the p ri vateers got control of them , they could take over the Singing Crane an d m an ufactu re new boards for

  256

  their own ship. Bruce , Meg, and Szu - yi were stationed near the shu tt les, to protect them.

  Suddenly Thorn grabbed Tesa' s arm . " Is that Rain?"

  The big Aquila female was flying low when Jim Maltese loomed over her

  in his sled, bent on punishing the dissident avian. He took aim on the

  raptor , but a pair a tt acked him an d he was forced to put up his shields . Deborah came up beside him an d fi re d on the pair har ry ing him , killing the male. He dropped into the water near Tesa , his body sizzling as it struck.

  Maltese signaled to his cohort s, an d they sped toward the landing pad

  an d the shu tt les . As the five privateers grouped above the Crane crew, Taller burst from cover, the esco rt rising with him.