Doona Trilogy Omnibus

by neetha Napew

  “He’s doing the best he can,’ Alison replied.

  Alec suddenly remembered his manners and grabbed hold of Hrrunival, evading the punch that came his way.

  “C’mon, let’s do something that’s fun for all of us. Hey, Teddy, what do you want to do?” he called Out.

  “I would like to swim,’ the cub said. “Swimming here last time was much pleasure.

  “Should we try the creek this time?” Alec asked his twin.

  “No, he wouldn’t get very wet in the creek,’ she replied, scanning the girth of their guest.

  The ducks on the farm pond scattered with noisy pr tests when the children, stripped naked, waded into the water and started to splash one another. Teddy unfastened his collar and laid it and his voder on those of his hosts.

  “Confirmed,’ Lieutenant Gallup whispered, crawling on his knees and elbows into the ditch where Lieutenant Walters crouched. His long, sallow face was filmed with sweat under the camouflage make-up, and his brush-cut black hair was dusty. “The Gringg cub is there with the Reeve and Hrruban kids. They’re swimming in the pond, mother naked.”

  “And the pond right out in the open,’ Walters said, squinting through the tall grass into the sunny yard. His light blue eyes were two pale spots in an irregular stripe of black grease-paint. Raising his scope, he scanned the grounds of the Reeve and Hrriss farms. “D’ja see anyplace we can grab him alone?” Gallup shook his head. “Not so close to the houses. The kids’ll set up a ruckus. We’ll have to wait until they’re further away. Too bad the pond’s visible cause they’ve all stripped off comms and voders. Damn!”

  “Let’s ooze down there anyhow.

  That fancy collar of the cub might be interesting to examine.

  Wouldn’t know what sort of technology’s hidden in it. All the bruins wear something of the sort all the time they’re downside.” Under a sky bluer than any he had ever seen, Teddy dived and swam and played with his new friends in water that smelled of fragrant grasses and weeds.

  It tasted unusual but very nice.

  The Hayumans and Hrrubans taught him games by demonstrating between themselves how they were played.

  One required each swimmer to keep away from one chosen to be “tagger’. Alison lost that draw and the game required lots of splashing and swimming and shrieking for those eluding the tagger.

  Another made use of a coloured ball which the players were required to catch with hands. He had to be careful of his claws which inadvertently unsheathed to make the catch. Where his clawtips touched, the surface indented. He realized how fragile Rraladoonan toys were, as were the persons of Rialadoon, too. It was also very difficult to throw the squishy ball any great distance, depriving Teddy of the advantages strength and speed gave him in the other contests, to the evident joy of the younger Hrruban.

  Hrrunival was so determinedly competitive that Teddy started losing on purpose to keep the young felinoid from feeling bad. The object of the game was to get the ball over cross poles at each end of the relatively oval pond. After a certain number of these objectives had been attained, Hrrunival gestured Teddy and the others to him at his end of the pond. He pantomimed that they should now swim as fast as possible to the other end. Teddy wished that the voder was waterproof. He was losing valuable words which he was certain no other Gringg would collect.

  The children quickly discovered that though Teddy couldn’t move as quickly as they could on land, none of them could touch him for speed in the water. His big paws scooped waves out of his way, and his powerful tail gave him extra thrust. No matter what kind of a head start he allowed the others, he was always at the other side of the pond before any of them were halfway across.

  “No fairrrr!” Hrrunival cried, spitting out a mouthful of duckweed at the end of another unsuccessful race. “He’s got a ruddrrn behind!’ “You’ve got a tail, too,’ Alec told him. “Use it!”

  “Mine does not wrrrk zat way. Also, all my furrr is so wet it holds me back. Your bare skin is an advantage.”

  “Teddy’s got fur, too,’ Alison said, shaking her black mop out of her eyes. “Lots more than you do, that holds litres more water.

  “I’m tired of losing, Hrrunival said, pouting, splashing with his arms. “What if we have a test whrrr Teddy swims, and we run on ze bank? We’ll see who’s fastrrr all over.

  This motion was carried as a good idea and the alteration explained to Teddy. He never objected to staying in water. The Rraladoonans climbed out of the pond and shook the water from their skins and fur. Taking his voder from the pile, Alec named himself as official starter.

  “OK, once around the pond to this point here,’ the boy said, drawing a line in the soft earth down to the water-line with his toe.

  “If anyone falls down or gets hurt, the race stops right there.

  “Agreed,’ Teddy said. This Hayuman was most careful of the safety of others.

  “OK,’ Hrrunival said. The girls nodded.

  Teddy braced his toes in the thick mud. The others bent down with one foot behind,their hands touching the ground on either side of forward foot.

  “On your mark, get set, GO!” Alec shoved off running.

  His long legs gave him an immediate lead over the two Hrrubans and his sister. Teddy thrust off powerfully from the bank and ploughed across the pond.

  Alec was a swift runner. Hampered by having to avoid reeds and water plants, Teddy needed to concentrate closely on his stroke to keep up with him. He could hear the Hrruban boy yards behind them grunting with frustration as he drove his short legs to their fastest pace.

  A small fish, disturbed from its hiding place among the reeds, leaped into the air like a rocket directly underneath Teddy’s face.

  Thinking of the predatory fish on his motherworld, he jumped up to avoid it. It fled him.

  Sputtering, he rolled over in the water to clear his nose and mouth.

  Alec gained a few paces and Hrrunival was closing faster now.

  Teddy kicked to right himself on to his round belly, and paddled furiously to regain the lead. He was nicely buoyant, but the water plants all around him were dragging at his fur, slowing him down.

  Only a few lengths to go. He spat weeds out of his face and sucked in a deep breath of air to sustain himself for one final burst.

  In three strokes, he crossed the shallow line etched in the bank.

  Alec was still right beside him.

  Alison and Hrrunival were nearly together, coming in second.

  Hrrana was dead last. Teddy heaved himself out of the water and stood dripping to congratulate Alec.

  “It’s a tie!” Alec said, slapping him on the back and splashing all of them. “You’re fast.” Teddy reached for his voder and put it on.

  Alec repeated his last words.

  “You are fast, too,’ Teddy said. “I worked hard, but we both won.” He turned to Hrrana. “I am sorry.

  He meant to console her for losing, but Hrruban words failed him.

  The girl seemed to understand his intentions perfectly well. She shook her head with cheerful resignation. “It is all rrright. I nevrrr win,’ she said, “so it does not bozzer me.

  Hrrunival was not such a good loser, but he tried to cover his disappointment. “Well, that. . . was a good contest!” he panted, not yet recovered his breath. “Wanna zry miding hrrses?”

  “Yes! But I do not know how, Teddy said, looking around for his collar. Surely he had put it right with the voder. No, there it was on the bush. He shrugged, not too concerned that it was other than where he thought he had left it. The children finished dressing and strapped on their voders and belt radios.

  “I’ll teach you,’ the young Hrruban said, condescendingly patting Teddy on his arm.

  “Hrrrrrrunival,’ Hrrana said, fuming with embarrassment at her brother’s tone. “You haven’t ze patience to teach anyone to hop.” Not looking back, he twitched his tail at her and led Teddy away, water still dripping off their furs. Alec and Alison followed, grinning.

&
nbsp; “Close, but no luck, Gallup muttered under his breath as they watched the children leave the pond. “Didn’t have long enough to check anything on that collar. Good thing I got it to hang on the branch.” He and Walters had been within metres of the pond when the children climbed out.

  “Commander Greene wants that little bear stat,’ Walters said.

  “Figures questiOning the kid’s our best chance to find out what the Gringg are really doing here. He might even be our ticket aboard their ship, if his folks want him back safely.”

  “The Hrruban kid said they’re going riding.”

  “Couldn’t be better,’ Walters said, grinning.

  His teeth glinted. “We’ll let “em get clear of the yard, jam the kids’ comms and be ready to snatch the bear. He’s sure to fall off a time or two and we ought to be able to isolate him from the others. The ffitter’s waiting for us just this side of the woods.” Teddy had already been introduced to Tornado and Fairy, the twins’ mounts. From among the other mares and geldings, Alec and Alison chose one for their guest while the Hrrubans went back to the stables for their ponies.

  They came back, mounted, before Alec and Alison had decided who suited Teddy best.

  “We need something so bomb-proof you could drop a Big Mamma on its back and it wouldn’t spook,’ Alec decided.

  “That’s Teabag then,’ Alison said.

  “What saddle, though?” Alec asked, critically examining their guest’s body.

  “Gotta idea,’ Alison said. “Hrrana, you saddle my grey for me, please?” “Zure,’ the obliging Hrruban said and expertly threw a pad and then a saddle over Alison’s grey pony mare.

  Hrrunival went so far as to help bridle her. Teddy stood to one side watching, feeling considerable respect for his new friends.

  Little Ourrh was holding the reins of the Hrruban mounts, looking completely at ease though the animals towered above him.

  Teddy was unused to the idea of having pets larger than he was.

  Yet the hrrrsses, who stamped an occasional heavy and dangerous-looking foot down on the concrete floor of the building, seemed content to serve. There were no longer large animals on his home world, though his dam had told there had once been many and different kinds.

  How lucky were Rraladoonans to have such a variety.

  Then Alec came out of the barn with his bay animal.

  “Now, Teddy, watch me! This’s how you mount,’ Alec cried and sprang into the saddle, wiggling from side to side to show how secure his saddle was. “There! See how easy that is?”

  “Alec, you nit,’ his sister admonished him. “Teddy couldn’t vault that.

  He’ll need to mount from something.”

  “Yeah, I guess he would’ Alec said, simply, dismounting, looking around him for a suitable surface. “Sorry, Teddy, we were just about born into the saddle.” The mental picture this elicited for Teddy made him gasp. He could not picture his dam awkwardly poised over the back of an animal. Surely it could not be true! Alec caught his expression of open-mouthed horror and started to laugh. Teddy realized his statement had been a joke, and added sheepish staccato grunting to the merriment.

  Alison looked him over with a measuring eye.

  “And Teddy’s a different shape to us, not much leg.

  There’s no way he could rise at the trot,’ she said, turning to her twin. “But old Teabag’s a pacer, isn’t he? And he’d bomb proof, too.

  “Say, wouldn’t a pack saddle give Teddy a lot of support? I mean, remember when we used them for jousting saddles when we played knights and ladies?” Alec said.

  “Ze very zing,’ Hrrana said. “We can pad it with extra blankets and a sheepskin.”

  “Worth a try,’ the redheaded boy said. He jumped off his horse and ran up to the end of the barn. He came back laden with a strange contraption and an assorted of blankets and numnahs.

  Together, the twins prepared his mount, the goldenbrown horse named Teabag. The children explained that Teabag was a “single-foot,’ which confused Teddy who could see that the animal had four legs, just like all the other hrrrsses. He was a bigger animal than the children’s ponies. And his back, where Teddy was to sit, was higher off the ground.

  “Daddy always gives Teabag to people who’ve never been on a horse before,’ Alison explained with gay reassurance. “He knows more about riding than we do,’ and she giggled.

  His preparation complete, she signalled Teddy to approach. Teabag turned his head to eye this unusual form and he breathed noisily between his lips. Each time the small Gringg attempted to get close to the horse, he edged his backside away. Then Alec pulled sharply on the reins.

  “Get up there,’ and the horse sidled close to bales of hay which had been piled in the form of a mounting block for Teddy’s benefit.

  “Jump up on these, Teddy, and we’ll get you in the pad. We’ve even got a neck strap for you to hang on to. No one’s ever fallen off Teabag.

  “Safe as houses,’ Hrrunival said, snickering a little as Teddy dutifully climbed up on the bales.

  “Throw your right leg over,’ Alec said, pushing against Teabag’s right side so the old horse couldn’t dodge his would-be rider.

  Teddy managed that, though he could feel himself stretching the skin between his legs. Maybe Gringg were not meant to ride horses, even if Hrrubans could. Still, it was not uncomfortable and there was support for his lower back and a slot for his tail to fit through, too.

  “Yeah, the pack saddle even has a tail hole,’ Alec told the others. He grinned up at Teddy. “Now, these are called reins. Reins.

  They guide the horse. Pull left and he’ll go left, pull right and he’ll go right. Pull both reins back hard and he’ll stop.

  “Ol’ Teabag’ll stop more zan he starts,’ Hrrunival said with another snigger.

  Teddy nodded, trying to assimilate the knowledge while the horse moved from side to side under him.

  Inadvertently he clutched both reins back, leaned back and convulsively tightened his legs against the sides of the animal.

  “Whoa, there, Teabag,’ Alec said, grabbing at the bridle by the bit. “Hey, you did just right then, Teddy, leaning back and tightening your legs. You’ll be a rider in next to no time. Just sit deep in the ahemm . . . pack saddle.

  Grab on to the cross piece, here,’ and Alec showed him the leather-covered bar. “All you have to do on al’ Teabag is sit and let your body move with the horse!”

  “I will try,’ Teddy said.

  “Oh, Alec, I’m not sure if he’ll be able to stay on,’ Alison said, frowning at the shortness of Gringg leg about Teabag in stirrups shortened as far as there were holes in the leathers.

  “He’ll do fine, Alec said, nodding his head with assurance. To justify such confidence in his abilities, Teddy determined that he would.

  “Here we go! said Alec as he once again vaulted to Tornado’s back. As soon as he saw the others were mounted, he dug his heels into the flanks and Tornado moved forward. Teddy, right behind him, followed his example. To Teddy’s absolute delight, Teabag immediately obeyed, forcing Teddy forward. Startled, Teddy grabbed at the cross piece and that gave him a feeling of more security. Then they were all out of the barn and walking briskly away from the yard. To his surprise, Teddy enjoyed the movement. It was exciting. The horse smelled good, too, always a propitious sign. He felt that it might not be a bad thing after all to be born into the saddle.

  “Where do we go?” he asked.

  Alec swivelled around in the saddle. “How about just down to the river and back?” he suggested. “We’ll go near the marsh. Maybe see some drrr-frogs?”

  “Towards the marsh,’ Gallup said, scrambling out of the hollow on hands and knees. “Ready to deploy the jammer.” Walters was right behind him. Keeping their distance, they trailed the string of horses. The six young riders kept their horses to a slow steady pace, moving farther and farther away from the security of the ranch houses. When they were far enough away, the two Spacedep men dropped away to on
e side, pacing silently through the standing crops until they were parallel to the little group.

  “Be ready to grab him,’ Walters said.

  The path was a worn ribbon of earth drawn through flower-strewn meadows, skirting golden cropfields and going over green hills. Where it was level with the surrounding terrain, the horses walked abreast.

  Alec and Alison sat so naturally in the leather cradles that they appeared to be part of the animals. Hrrunival would occasionally hurry his horse forward ahead of the others, then turn back to rejoin the formation. Nobody minded the pudgy Hrruban’s plunges and darts, least of all Teabag. It was a peaceful day. Avians winging in the sky sang sweet chirrups, and the breeze smelled delicious and intriguingly different. Teddy felt happier than he could ever remember. He wanted to stay on Rraladoon for ever and ride horses every day until he rode as easily as Hrrunival did. The children chatted and laughed, asking Teddy about life on his world and matching his experiences with some of theirs.

  “I am sad,’ said Teddy. “I am sad to know that in the future I will be too big to ride these beautiful creatures.

  This is more fun than anything I have ever done!” The other four children regarded him with sympathy.

  “Would plough horses be big enough?” Alison asked her brother, eyeing the young bruin.

  “Uh. . .” Alec said, measuring Teddy with an eye. “Not for a really fully grown-up Gringg. Not Captain Grizz’s size, for sure. But Teddy is a male and will never be that size.”

  “What was it like to come all this way in a starship?” Alison asked then.

  Teddy’s Hrruban vocabulary did not include many superlatives soit was difficult to find the words to explain.

  “I was not yet born when the voyage started,’ he said, no longer aware of the hesitation in the voder turning his Gringg into their Hrruban, “but I have been travelling all my life. Always stars around us, some very bright and big. Some dim. We came to one place where there was nothing but big rocks in orbit. My sire said that the sun had burst open in one great whoosh. We have orbited several planets but I was told they were not right for Gringg. Then I had to learn what was right for Gringg which is right for Hayuman and Hrrubans, too.