Doona 1 - Decision at Doona by McCaffrey Anne

Author:McCaffrey, Anne [McCaffrey, Anne]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: General, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, Science Fiction - General, Fiction - Science Fiction, Space Opera, Fantasy, Adventure, Fantasy - General
ISBN: 9780345353771
Google: Aznt7icdjC0C
Amazon: 0345353773
Publisher: Del Rey
Published: 1987-10-12T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter XVII

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THE NEWS of Todd’s invitation was all over the camp by morning. Pat remarked acidly to Ken that she thought the general relief was almost indecent. After all, Todd wasn’t a monster and he certainly was the only one of the children who got along on Doona. She felt as if she were paroling him to the custody of the Hrrubans instead of sending him as an honored guest.

“The Hrrubans wouldn’t have any of their mealy-mouthed kids,” she said, loftily maternal.

“Honey,” Ken drawled warningly.

“Well, he is my child,” and she glowered at Ken.

“And be honest, hon, you’re the gladdest of all to get rid of him.”

“It just isn’t natural,” she wailed, abruptly contrite.

He pulled her into his arm, kissing the end of her nose affectionately.

“I’ll get you an appointment with the colony head-shrinker for those guilt complexes,” he said. She gave a little sigh and leaned against him.

Once Ken reached the lumber team, he took so much teasing that he began to understand Pat’s irritation. Before he reached the end of his patience a minor emergency diverted everyone’s thoughts from Todd.

That night Todd returned from the village, relatively clean, two new cuts neatly bandaged. Proudly he handed over to his mother four brace of the small ground fowl the Hrrubans relished. He had trapped them all single-handed.

“You should have seen his little face when he presented them to me, Ken,” Pat murmured, her eyes misting.

“You should see yours,” Ken retorted.

“Oh, you! Yipe!” because Ken had pinched her after the fashion of husbands who wish to prevent their females from waxing oversentimental.

“We’ll be barn raising day after tomorrow right enough,” Ken announced at the dinner table. “Todd, do you think you and Hrriss can catch a whole mess of these whacha-callums?”

“Brrnas? Sure!” Todd replied, his eyes snapping with pleasure at the challenge.

Ilsa regarded him with an expression akin to awe.

“How do you catch them?” Pat asked.

Todd launched into a blow-by-blow description of the process that made Ken’s eyes widen. Pat’s face took on an expression of horrified fascination.

“I think it’s cruel, cruel,” Ilsa cried out in anguish jumping up from the table and running from the room in tears. Pat, with an angry glare at Todd, rushed from the room to comfort her daughter.

Todd gave his father a what-have-I-done-now look. Ken shrugged his shoulders and, for a few moments, a bond existed between the two males of the house drawn together against the vapors of their women.

When the children were in bed, Pat settled down on the wall couch, and curled up against Ken. There was a pungent aroma emanating from her hair and Ken sniffed experimentally.

“Oh, dear, that rlban sap stink just won’t go away,” she apologized. “Did you know, they use it as a coating on their pottery before they fire it. That’s why their pots have that high glaze we couldn’t identify.”

“Hmmm,” Ken mumbled contentedly, settling his cheek against her soft hair. God, it was good to have your arms around a woman.

“You know, I’d very much like to—well, do something for Mrrva.

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