20 Shadow of Heaven by Christie Golden

Author:Christie Golden [Golden, Christie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: General, Fiction, Science Fiction, Space Opera, Adventure, Janeway; Kathryn (Fictitious character), Dark matter (Astronomy)
ISBN: 9780671035846
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Published: 2000-11-28T00:00:00+00:00

The rain fell in sheets. Ioni and her companions were drenched, and had been for some time. Nonetheless, they slogged on determinedly. There was something important waiting for them at the end of their quest.

It was in the large, hollowed center of an ancient, fallen tree. This village had a sacred tree instead of a sacred mountain. As always, the anger rose inside Ioni as she beheld the helpless infant. Kaminor reached and picked it up. She couldn't even see what was wrong with this one until her Recovery team leader held it up, to get a full view. A twining birthmark. To superstitious eyes, it could resemble a snake. Therefore, the poor infant must be cursed. Alilann doctors wouldn't even bother treating this one. There was nothing wrong with it.

"Hush, little one," soothed Shamraa Kaminor, his big, powerful body at odds with the soft voice and gentle handling of the child. "You'll be in loving arms soon."

"Blasphemy!"

The team whirled to behold a young woman. She was crying, but outrage shone on her wet face. "You blaspheme the Crafters by stealing the child that they have marked for their own!" The woman, probably the baby's mother, stooped to pick up a stone.

For a moment, they all stood still. This had never before happened to a Recovery team. They had gotten careless, failed to monitor their instruments to see if there were any Culilann lurking nearby. Sometimes that happened. Sometimes someone, usually the parents, wanted to behold with their own eyes the Crafters taking their child. All that could be done in such situations was wait and hope the parents would grow weary of their vigil. Sometimes, and Ioni had seen it happen, the child had died before the parents left. Ioni wondered what the Culil of the village told a distraught mother at such times.

The woman pulled back her arm to fling the stone, and Ioni's weapon came up. She fired, two quick shots that ripped through the woman's torso. The Culilann woman fell without a sound, her belly blackened and smoking.

"Kilaa Ioni!" Kaminor's shout cracked loudly in the stunned silence. "What have you done?"

Ioni regarded the dead body that a few seconds before had been a living, breathing woman. She felt no flicker of remorse.

"The right thing," she said.

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