Regeneration (Czerneda) by Julie E. Czerneda

Author:Julie E. Czerneda [Czerneda, Julie E.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: PENGUIN group
Published: 2010-01-02T16:08:47.692000+00:00

Alluring as the idea of real privacy was, Mac didn’t plan to waste time sitting in her new quarters. She had too much to do, starting with the Sinzi.

Too much to do, but she caught herself hesitating as she made to leave. Her lips curled to one side. “Why not?” she said, and dug into her pocket for what she’d carried since that night in the Yukon.

The little carving fit along the palm of her hand, its tail flexed to give the body a line of muscular tension. The pale blue of her pseudoskin might have been the waters of a river, the salmon surging upstream.

Her first gift, and he’d returned it. Seemed her luck with men hadn’t improved.

There was a transparent shelf over the narrow desk, the desk itself beside the bed. Mac placed the carving so she would see it even when lying down.

He’d returned it because he needed her help, and knew she’d give it.

She’d never had patience for romance. Her fault, she admitted. But what was the point in not speaking your mind? Not to mention she failed to find pleasure taking forever over an elegant candlelit meal when there was data waiting.

To Emily’s outspoken disgust, Mac usually found a way back to her data. Without her date.

Her eyes rested on the little carving. She pressed her lips to the rings on her finger.

Candles were irrelevant.

Promising herself a locked door and her own bed, Mac went in search of aliens.

The first she encountered was the Cey, Da’a, dragging a roll of fabric through the door nearest the shaft. “Hello, Mac,” he greeted, both arms around the roll. She knew it was used as part of the Cey’s mode of worship, although not how. The fabric was intricately woven and faintly aromatic, with more than enough in the roll to make a full-sized tent for the two Cey who’d come with Lyle. The other pair had stayed on Myriam, joining a Cey expedition. Had enough of Humans or not invited by the IU to the Gathering? she wondered, then thought it just as likely they’d simply preferred to stay with their work.

“Let me help with that,” offered Mac.

As well she did, for the heavy roll was slightly longer than the room and it took both of them to finally wedge the thing inside so the door would close.

“Thank you,” Da’a said when they were done. “My au’us fit in the other room. I didn’t anticipate this problem.”

“Why did you move?”

Impossible to read a face made of heavy, overlapping wrinkles, but Mac had come to some conclusions regarding a Cey’s body language, when she had context. A slight hunch of the shoulders during a discussion signified agreement; the same posture while working alone, concentration. A gentle nodding while another spoke was the Cey equivalent of wild impatience; nodding while speaking himself, emphasis. And the ball of a thumb rolled just so against the other palm?

Amusement, at any time.

Although exactly what Cey found funny? She was still working on that.

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