Acorna's Children #02 - Second Wave by Anne McCaffrey

Author:Anne McCaffrey [McCaffrey, Anne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 0060525401
Publisher: Eos
Published: 2006-08-07T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

As more and more of her new family returned from the plagued worlds, Ariin met her uncle, Lariinye, her father’s brother, as well as her grandparents on her mother’s side of the family. She visited her parents often by com unit and also got to know “Uncle Joh” Becker and his odd-looking first mate Maak, who seemed to have a screw stuck in the center of his forehead where a horn would be. She also caught glimpses of the father of most Petaybean cats, the bushytailed RK.

She learned about the ways and customs of her people, stopping to wonder now and then that she not only had people but they had customs of their own, an advanced society, and a role in the broader universe much more important, it seemed to her, than the one the Friends played. Her people did a lot of good without kidnapping poor innocent eggs from their mothers’ wombs. Even their scientific probing was done in a more kindly manner.

She was pleased to see that the Others had survived, unchanged, from her time as well, though people referred to them as the Ancestors. Her parents were quarantined in the midst of the grazing grounds preferred by these ancestors, who were apparently unaffected by the plague. Probably because it was gone, she thought.

Which made her all the more anxious to put her plan into action. She was able to do it more quickly and easily than she expected, and with less deception.

“Ariin,” Mother said to her one day while they were chatting on the com unit, “do you remember the first day you met us speaking to Uncle Hafiz and Karina?”

“No,” she said. “I remember you, and Maati, but I have not met these—”

“They were the colorfully dressed humans,” she explained. “Karina was very excited because she had seen in one of her visions that you would be coming to us.”

Ariin, who had had a lot to get used to over the past two weeks, still felt doubtful, though she began to recall some non-Linyaari biped—

“She wears a lot of purple, and an immense amount of jewelry,” Mother added.

The woman’s image swept into Ariin’s memory at once. “Oh, yes, she reminded me of Akasa, only more”—she started to say fleshy, but Mother seemed to be fond of these people so she corrected herself, “purple.”

“Yes, I can see the resemblance although I believe that Karina is a much more well-meaning person than Akasa, from what you’ve told me. At any rate, they would like to invite you to the Moon of Opportunity so they can meet you personally. Uncle Hafiz is one of my human family, and, as you have no doubt heard, has been a great benefactor to our people.”

“So I have to do what he wants?” Ariin asked.

“No, dear, of course not. But you will enjoy MOO, and Hafiz and Karina grow lovely things in their gardens just for us and give entertaining parties. He is interested in you because he considers me a

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