The Gentle Seduction by Marc Stiegler

Author:Marc Stiegler [Stiegler, Marc]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Science Fiction, General
ISBN: 9780671698874
Google: R1XFPQAACAAJ
Amazon: 0671698877
Publisher: Baen
Published: 1990-06-02T04:00:00+00:00

"You wish me to feast a larva with the blood of Prai Kan Tor Loov?" The Bloodkeeper scowled at Sorrel. "He is a Supremi Keeper, not an FTLcom tech. Why would you want him?"

"Do we have a 1A priority or not?" Sorrel snapped; he'd already bungled this operation, and he feared that soon the Keeper would deduce the truth. "The FTLcom tech bloodlines have all been destroyed—your ancestors already took care of that. We're searching for the closest derivatives of those lines. There are only a few bloods with even brainparent histories of FTLcom blood. The computer searches show Prai Kan to be one such."

The scowl did not ease. "You have no jurisdiction over the blood of Keepers."

Sorrel crossed his arms. "Do I have to go to the Bond and embarrass you? Does our priority not tell you the importance of my presence here?"

The Rosan ground his teeth, then at last signed the papers. "He shall join us in the next generation. May you die by a rising star, Sacred One."

The next day Sorrel returned to the Bloodkeep. He found that a smiling face had replaced the scowling one. "My children will remember this moment, Man Everwood," the new Keeper began. "My name is Col Salm Keer Prai."

"Descendant of Mai Toam Let Call?"

The Rosan's eyes danced with laughter. "Are you a member of the Supremi ruling family? If so, then I am not. If not, then I am so."

Sorrel laughed with the Keeper. "How is your bloodmemory?"

"Keen. I have taken the liberty of arranging a number of bloodfeasts for you already. I trust you'll be surprised at how swiftly my bloodmixes bear techs with good memories for FTLcom work."

"I trust also. But there's other blood even more important that you don't know about." Sorrel told him of the secret FTLcom cavern. "The brainbloods of all the techs who died in the labs should still be there. We'll truly have a Renaissance, if you can somehow return their bloods to the system."

Col Salm pondered a moment. "Difficult, but worthy. It shall be done." He looked at Sorrel with the too-common awe of a child. "Youve performed a miracle, saving so many of our people."

"Umph," Sorrel still chastised himself for not having done better, but then, it was also true that no Rosan could have done as well. "Yes, the techs have been saved. I just wish I knew what to do about the Supremi, whom I would like not to see saved."

Col Salm's petals waved in agreement. "How sad there are no more politicians or theologians like Prim Sol Mem Brite."

Sorrel looked away. "Yes. Or even like Or Sae Hi Tor." A puzzled thought overtook him. "That reminds me of something I've wondered about for a long time. What ever happened to the brainblood of Prim Sol Mem Brite? I would have expected all the political bloodlines to trace back to the First Disciple of the Faith of Six."

"Didn't you know the fate of the first carrier of your Gospel?" The Rosan must have been stunned by such ignorance; Sorrel blushed furiously.

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