Doona Trilogy Omnibus

by neetha Napew

  Kelly was busily preparing a big lunch for the kids who’d surely be hungry after swimming. It was only as she walked into the living room that she realized there were no sounds coming from the direction of the pond. She had also just realized that there was a horse tied up to the door post and a hovercar on the drive when the doorbell rang.

  “Who -?”

  “Kelly, my dear!” She opened the door to see Jilamey Landreau, finger poised over the bell for a second stab.

  If she had thought that Jilamey had toned down his wardrobe in the years since she had first met him, she was profoundly wrong. He was dressed in bright, bull-angering red that stood out from the surrounding landscape like an out of season poppy. Still, when Kelly considered it, the colour was perfectly becoming to him. She didn’t know why she thought men shouldn’t wear bright colours.

  “Hello, dear Jilamey,’ she said, leaning over to collect a kiss.

  “Barrington, this is an occasion.” The gentleman’s gentleman waited down beside the hover. He was clad in sober brown, a colour which blended into the scenery as thoroughly as his master’s garb didn’t.

  “Mrs Reeve.” Kelly thought for a horrible moment Barrington would bow to her, but he only nodded.

  “Old Caution there insisted on following me here in the car,’ Jilamey said, plaintively. “You see why I don’t bring him to Rraladoon very often? He mothers me, Kelly.

  Make him stop.” Kelly shook her head. “You need it sometimes, sweetheart. Come in, both of you. Where are Todd and Hrriss?” Jilamey laughed. “Oh, likely in their office in the government building,’ he said. “I thought I heard something about “too much to do before Snake Hunt” as they left.”

  “Sometimes, I wish they were both twins,’ Kelly said, her hands on her hips. “I love having these visitors, but I wish that things would calm down a little so I could see my husband once in a while.” She sighed. “I can’t damn the man for having priorities, but it does get a little lonely.” Jilamey laughed and seized her hand.

  “Now I know you’re telling a fib, beautiful lady. Where are the children?”

  “I’d just realized that it was too quiet out there,Kelly agreed. “Teddy, Grizz’ cub, came today. With all the mighty discussions at full spate, no one has time for the youngster. Well, they won’t want to miss their favorite uncle.”

  “Good!” Jilamey said.

  “I have a special present. It finally arrived from Terra on the latest shuttle.”

  “Good heavens,’ Kelly exclaimed, going over to the communit and punching in the twins’ codes. “What is it?”

  “A model airplane, made from blueprints centuries ago.

  It really flies! I tried it from the roof of Alreldep block.”

  “Only you could get away with that, too,’ Kelly said, all too aware of the repressive character of Terran society.

  “That’s funny. There’s no answer. She punched in the code again, thinking she had gotten the signal wrong.

  “Nothing.” Nrrna arrived with her sleeping cub, greeting Jilamey graciously before she saw the anxious expression on Kelly’s face.

  “Somezing is wrong?”

  “I told those children to take their radios!

  No, they did take them,’ Kelly said, glancing at the rack which held only one, hers. “I remember the Cats picking them up as they went out the door.”

  “So why do zey not answerrr?” Nrrna asked, anxiously.

  “I don’t know,’ Kelly said, biting her fingers. “Oh, wait, maybe they’re out in the barn. No need to turn them on there. Only surely, we’d hear them . . .” She looked anxiously at Jilamey.

  “Barrington? Search the barn for the youngsters, would you?” Jilamey said and his servan moved with great alacrity, covering the distance to the main barn in seconds.

  “He keeps fit,’ Jilamey remarked as he gently extracted the communit from Kelly’s hand and punched in a sequence.

  “Just a little trick I learned . . - to see if the units are broadcasting. Ah, that’s odd. There’s a jammer in operation somewhere.”

  “A jammer?” Kelly cried, really alarmed now.

  “Could be natural “Maybe David’s seen them,’ and Kelly regained possession of the unit and called the ranch manager. “He hasn’t seen them at all,’ she said, severing the connection.

  “I wonder. . . .” She punched in another number. “Todd?

  Hi. Are the children with you?”

  “No,’ Todd’s voice replied. “Are they on their way here?

  I’ll keep a look-out for them.” Kelly winced because suddenly she was sure that the kids were in trouble, only Todd had broken the connection before she could tell him that. Then Barrington mounted the steps to the porch.

  “I’m sorry to report that there is no sign of the children in the barn or the pond. Further, six stables are empty.

  Would that be significant?”

  “It would! Oh God,’ Kelly said, “they should have told me they were going riding. And with a total novice in tow, too.”

  “There is the vehicle which could be used to search,’ Barrington offered.

  “And I can summon my personal heli from the house,’ Jilamey added.

  “We’ll find the children in next to no time, Kelly. Don’t you bother your head.” He took the communit back and dialled for his pilot to bring the heli immediately to the Double Bar Gemini. Then he strode to the wall where the big map was tacked. “Hmmm, let’s see. Where do the children usually ride, Kelly?” Kelly shrugged. “They ride everywhere.” “But not everywhere with a complete novice like Teddy-‘ Kelly frowned, glancing at Nrrna for help. “No, they would probably go across the meadows and into the forest “Well, that would require the heli.

  Meanwhile, Barrington, you take the road towards the village in case they went that way. Your children are very resourceful, Kelly, Nrrna.

  I wouldn’t worry - yet! No sooner do we leave than they’ll come back, having done a tour of the meadow for Teddy’s sake-‘ Not quite convinced, Kelly and Nrrna nodded, for each could think of all the dangers that could befall six small children on Rraladoon so close to Snake Hunt time.

  Just then, three things happened: a riderless horse clattered into the barnyard, Jilamey’s heli arrived and so did the big Gringg shuttle.

  Chapter10

  ALTHOUGH KELLY AND NRRNA WAVED FRANTICALLY at the shuttle, it took off once it had deposited Grizz.

  “Oh, Lord! And that’s Teabag coming in all a-lather, too.” Kelly groaned, hiding her face in her hands.

  “With a pack saddle on?” Jilamey inquired, mystified.

  “When I get hold of those twins, I’ll larrup them to within an inch of their lives,’ she said so fiercely even Barrington regarded her in some surprise. “Jilamey,’ and she pushed the entrepreneur towards the porch, “you meet the captain, be gracious, offer her food and drink, while I see what I can find out from Teabag.”

  “He talks?” Jilamey said to Kelly’s back as she strode to intercept the gelding, wearily plodding towards the safety of his stable “No,’ Nrrna said, her eyes flashing, “but ze mud on him and ze grasses caught in ze girt will tell us where he has been. The young Gringg cub’d be more comfortable riding a pack saddle zan a normal one. At least, zat Hrrunival cub of mine had some sense!” She was not one bit less annoyed than Kelly though her aggravation was expressed by the lashing of her tail.

  As he obediently went to greet Grizz, Jilamey mused on the maternal trait that caused each to blame her own offspring for whatever had happened to Teddy.

  He devoutly hoped nothing had for it might have a devastating effect on delicate negotiations now in progress.

  “How nice to see you, Captain,’ he said cheerfully.

  “Didn’t realize you were expected and Kelly’s had to go tend to that loose horse,’ he added, waving in that direction. “Are you hungry or thirsty? Kelly offers you hospitality. You’ve been here to the ranch before, I understand? Great place, isn’t it?” Teabag, only too grateful
to be home, allowed Kelly to approach him, especially as he had just stepped on the longer of the broken reins and answered the tug on his bit. But that was the least of the details she observed. The blanket under the pack saddle looked to have been sliced by a sharp object;

  Teabag’s neck bore shallow scratches and his hide was sticky with half dried sweat so he hadn’t come from all that far; the still-slightly wild white eye he gave her as she caught up the shorter dangling rein proved that his fright hadn’t been that long ago. She soothed him as she examined the claw marks on the cross piece and noted the scratches on the thick leather of the reins but, apart from his scratches, there were no other bloody spots. Kelly tried to reassure herself that falling off a horse was part of learning how to ride.

  Probably even al’ bomb-proof Teabag found a Gringg too much to bear. A real all-out howl from a fallen Teddy might well have made Teabag bolt.

  Nonetheless, spooking was most uncharacteristic of the docile Teabag.

  She felt his legs warm but not hot, so no tendon damage. Her hand came away with swamp mud, the stink apparent even at arm’s length.

  “Well, clues of sorts,’ she said, still trying to reassure herself that Teddy had merely fallen off. In the swamp - which Teabag would have avoided on his own - Teddy would at least have had a soft landing.

  But WHY didn’t the kids call in? Ask for reinforcements. Why were the communits dead? That was disturbing. Quickly then, she stripped off the saddle, dropped some feed in his manger and left Teabag in his stable to recover.

  Jilamey and Grizz were booming at each other on the porch as she returned to the house and she gritted her teeth. The truth was always preferable, wasn’t it, even if it showed her up as a less than careful guardian.

  “I am so sorry, Captain. The children have all gone off, on horseback, I believe, though the last time I looked they were all in the pond,’ she said and managed a smile. “I didn’t realize you’d be able to join us or I’d have kept them about the place.”

  “Grrgggl. . .

  the meeting ended sooner than expected,’ Grizz said amiably, glancing towards the pond.

  “And you thought of a swim, no doubt,’ Kelly said, managing to act casually. “Well, while you’re indulging yourself in a well earned relaxing swim, we’ll just go back along the trail and hurry the kids in. Here’s Nrrna, too, Captain,’ and Kelly, turning her back briefly on the Gringg, beckoned furiously at the Hrruban to join them.

  “How fortunate you came by heli, Jilamey,’ and she firmly tucked her arm in his, elbowing him to fall in with her scenario.

  “Easiest way to travel speedily,’ Jilamey said on cue.

  “This won’t take long,’ he added as he guided Kelly toward the vehicle where Barrington awaited.

  “Any instructions?” Barrington asked as they began to board.

  “Oh, would you please man the communications channels, Barrington?” Kelly said, scrambling into a window seat. “And keep trying the kids’ frequency.” She gave him the code and he bowed politely in acceptance.

  The small craft lifted off and Kelly’s heart did a flip as she saw Grizz, dwarfing Nrrna’s slight figure, standing in the yard.

  “Where do you think they went?” Jilamey called over his shoulder as they cleared the trees. The heli’s engine was reasonably quiet, but no way to silence the whup-whupwhup of rotors tearing the air had ever been discovered.

  “They must have taken a trail ride,’ Kelly shouted back and remembered then to turn off her voder before she damaged her eardrums.

  “Then they might just have turned their handsets off?” he asked.

  “No, a call alert would get through. Nothing did,’ Kelly said, disturbed by that. “Those units’ll even continue broadcasting near high-power sources.

  “Think they went mda-watching?” Jilamey asked.

  “They wouldn’t dare!” Kelly exclaimed, horrified. “Or maybe they would, the rascals. They were dying to show off the whole planet to Teddy.

  “Would they have known to keep the pace slow for Teddy’s sake?”

  “Alison and Hrruna have more common sense than the three boys but Ourrh isn’t up to much riding either so they’d have kept to a reasonable pace. Turn towards the swamps, Jilamey. It was swamp mud Teabag had on his legs.” “Swamp? This close to Snake Hunt?”

  “Yes, I know.” Kelly grimaced. “But Teabag wouldn’t spook at any old tiddler’ “What about a Big Mamma?” Kelly shook her head impatiently. “I’ll skin them, so I will, when I find them. Let’s backtrack Tea’s probable route home. He came in on the swamp road.”

  “No sooner said than done, milady,’ said Jilamey.

  “Look, where the terrain opens, can we skim to see if I can spot hoof prints?” Kelly asked, reached for the case that held binoculars.

  Jilamey was a deft pilot and, in the soft ground of the track, Kelly could make out the darker colour of disturbed ground in the even pattern made by a single-foot. Skimming along as far as they could until the bushes grew too close, she could also see where the tracks were those of a gallop stretch.

  “Well, he was still running scared here,’ she said as Jilamey lifted the heli above the thick shore growth.

  Now she scanned more widely as they passed over the marsh toward the dunes.

  “This’s getting all too close to snake hatching grounds, isn’t it?” he asked.

  “It certainly is,’ Kelly said, leaning forward with the field glasses.

  Jilamey had just angled the heli up and over another line of drifts, and a wide prospect spread before them. She caught her breath at the oh-so welcome sight of a handful of small figures crouched on a blanket on a dune ridge.

  Slightly below them were five horses, apparently tied to a driftwood log. “And there they are, the scamps! Teddy’s with them.” Only then did Kelly admit to herself how terrified she had been that he’d be missing. “Set down!” With one eye on the tracer screen and the other looking out for riders, Walters drove the small flitter around the edge of the dune where Gallup was waiting. He killed the quiet hum of the motor, and the small vehicle coasted silently to a halt. Gallup gestured for him to climb out, and pointed up the hill at the six youngsters. Walters nodded and swung the pack off his back.

  “This place is full of snakes,’ he whispered. “Damn near stepped on one that was sleeping! They give me the creeps.

  “Shh!” Gallup said, flattening himself on his belly on the hot sand. Together, they inched up towards the crest of the dune where the children were waiting.

  The whupping of heli blades startled them. Hastily, Gallup and Walters burrowed into the sand and covered their heads with their arms.

  The copter set down on the sand hill between them and the children.

  “Aw, hell!” Walters exclaimed, slamming his fist into the hot, dry dust. “Commander Greene is going to be furious!” Gallup plucked at Walters’s collar. “Come on, we have to get out of here before they spot us.” He reached into his pack and switched off the jammer.

  Together, the two men crept backwards down the hill to the ffitter.

  “Snakes!” Kelly cried, pointing.

  There were only a few, and relative tiddlers at that, but they were gathering just out of sight of the cluster of children. Kelly knew that the smaller reptiles wouldn’t attack something big by themselves, but when they were hungry after laying their eggs, and there were a bunch of them, they’d been known to trap urfa or even small mda and rend the animals apart. Jilamey whirled the craft around so that the fine sand blew directly into the faces of the waiting snakes. Most of the snakes fled over the dunes and into the marshweeds before he landed.

  Kelly sprang out, ducking under the still whirring blades. “There you are! Teddy, you’re all right?” and fumbled to turn on her voder.

  “You’ve had us worried half to death,’ Kelly said, running a hand down Teddy’s sticky matted fur before she turned on her twins. “Why didn’t you let us know you were in trouble?”

  “We tried,
Mama,’ Alison said, ducking her head in shame. “We tried “We did, Mom, Alec said stoutly, reinforcing his sister.

  “And we made sure the red “charged” light was on before we took them off the rack. They just wouldn’t work when we tried to call you.”

  “Well, you nearly caused an interplanetary incident, young lady,’ Kelly said sternly, but she hugged her daughter and ruffled Alec’s hair before she plucked Alison’s radio out of the belt clip. She thumbed the switch and then stared at the unit. “It’s working now.” she added expressionlessly.

  “It wasn’t before, Mama, honest!” both twins clamoured, tugging at her arm.

  “Alley tells ze exact truzz, Hrrunival said, twitching his tail in emphasis.

  While it was like these rascals to stick together, Kelly knew that they were always truthful. Kelly compressed her lips tightly.

  “Furthermore, you all know how dangerous the dunes can be at this time of year so why under the sun did you bring Teddy here of all places?” “We didn’t bring him, Mom,’ Alec began in an exasperated voice as if she had added insult to the injury of underestimating his common sense. “Teabag did, and Teddy didn’t have much choice.” Alec pressed his lips against a grin. “We followed.”

  “Well, then, young man, what spooked Teabag to run off?” Alec shrugged his shoulders. “I was leading, Alison behind me, then Hrrunival and Ourrh with Hrrana behind Teddy.”

  “Teabag just took off,’ Hrrana murmured, obviously upset and feeling responsible.

  “Well, no one has been hurt and Teabag got home.

  Teddy, did Teabag actually run away with you?” Kelly turned back to the victim and only then saw that the yolk streaking the fur around his muzzle. It gave him a ludicrous “Pooh Bear’ look: he’d had a little something this hour or two. The verse rattled unbidden through her mind.