Cherryh, C. J. - Chanur 02 - Chanur's Venture by Cherryh C. J

Author:Cherryh, C. J. [Cherryh, C. J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2011-08-29T17:09:55+00:00

"Get the galley cleared," Pyanfar said- "Tully. You just became juniormost. Help Hilfy with the galley. Khym -- you fetch and carry on the bridge. Whoever needs it."

"I want to talk to you," Khym said, unbudged.

"No time to talk." She turned her head and met his scowl with her own as he stayed put on the bench, still blocking her way out. "Look, Khym, we've got a vane in partial failure. One of us may have to take a walk after it yet. You got a question that tops it?"

His ears went down in dismay.

"Out," she said.

"We could go to Kura, couldn't we?"

"No. We can't. Can't shift course again this side of Urtur -- we're in the dust; we've got a vane down . . . .The last course change gods-rotted near killed us, you understand that? I haven't got time to discuss it." She shoved and he moved. She got up and looked back at him, at Hilfy and Tully who were gathering dishes at furious speed. But Khym lingered, a towering hurt. She gathered up her patience, took him by the arm, walked him to the privacy of the bridgeward corridor. "Look, Khym -- we've got troubles."

"Somehow," he said, "I figured that."

"Kshshti's mahen-held," she said. "Barely. If the kif have Kita watched they've likely got something in at Kshshti. But there's help there or the mahendo'sat wouldn't send us that direction."

"You trust what they say?"

She looked behind him, where one stark-pale human hastened to hand dishes off the table and close doors.

"I don't know," she said. "Go."

"You don't put me off, Py."

She gave him one long burning look.

"Chanur property," he said. "I do forget."

"What do you want, Khym? I'll tell you what I want. I want that gods-rotted vane fixed. I want us out of here. Are you helping?"

He drew a long, long breath and cast a look over his shoulder in Tully's direction. "Pet?"

"Shut it up. Right there."

The ears that had half-lifted sank again. "All right. That was low. But for the gods' sake, Py, what have you got yourself into? You can't make deals outside the _han_. They'll have your hide. That Ehrran ship-="

"Noticed that, did you?"

"Gods, Py!"

"Hush."

He coughed. Caught his breath. "Chanur property. Right."

"Did you expect different?" She jabbed him hard. It took a lot to get through a male's skin when he had that look in his eyes. "Are they right?"

"Who's right?"

"The stsho in that bar."

His nostrils dilated, closed, dilated, and his nose went pale round the edges. "I don't see what that has to do with it."

"Hilfy back there. You hear a question out of her?"

He looked over his shoulder, where Hilfy was closing cabinet latches, click, slam, click, one after the other; and Tully was folding the table up. He looked round again and his ears were flat.

"Go help Tirun," she said.

"I asked a question."

"No. You _questioned_, and by the gods that's different. You want Haral's rights, you by the gods earn them."

He brushed past her and stalked off bridge-ward. And stopped, about half a dozen paces on -- faced her, to her relief and her dismay.

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