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mother's tone was sardonic.
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Not particularly, Damia remarked dryly, but Zara does!
Zara? Yes, she's always been particularly sensitive, hasn't she?
But how would she pick that up from looking at a tape? That's real distancing,
the Rowan said thoughtfully. Still, there's a use for that sort of Talent,
too.
Damia caught an undertone in her mother's mind.
Mother, she's not fourteen yet. And -- And. . . Jeff Raven prompted his
daughter when she faltered, although what she was finding hard to say was the
reason for her contacting her parents.
Lately she's been almost ... dysfunctional as a Talent. Cross her off your
list of prospective Tower candidates!
Not fourteen yet? the Rowan repeated. And presently dysfunctional? She's just
started menstruation?
Well, the dysfunction could right itself when her cycle settles.
Is that what you wanted to tell us?
Damia heaved a sigh. Yes, I felt you should know.
The Rowan projected sympathy but again Damia felt that undertone, and a flash
of keen interest and some satisfaction.
I will not say that you were not a handful at that age, dear
Damia, her father said, a ripple of fond amusement in his tone.
I was never dysfunctional as a Talent.
No, that you weren't. There was a shade of irony in the affectionate wave that
washed over Damia and she relaxed.
I just wish I knew what to do to help Zara right now, she said wistfully.
We've tried so hard to support and encourage her.
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There isn't a parent in the universe who hasn't felt inadequate and at fault
at one time or another, Damia, Jeff said.
Like your father, and the Rowan's mental touch was as full of affection as
Jeff's, I feel that you are being unnecessarily anxious about Zara. Perhaps
you aptly chose to name her after Elizara who has such amazing empathy for her
patients. There's no disgrace in having a
Prime medical Talent.
I doubt Zara has the stomach for a medical career, and Damia shot a tableau of
Zara's reactions to limp animal bodies and the preparation of meat for
cooking.
Surgery's only a minor part of medicine. More is done through bio feedback,
metamorphics, mental conditioning, and genuine compassionate therapy than
intrusive methods, the Rowan said. Consult with Isthia and Elizara. Either
would have some insights that will help you.
I felt you two should know first, Damia added lamely. Why had she expected her
parents to solve her parenting problems when neither she nor Afra could?
Because you are closest to us, dear heart, said her father, having picked up
on that thought. Don't be hard on your daughter when she is what she is.
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She is what most people aren't right now, sorry for that wretched
Queen. The mental tone in which Damia said `wretched' indicated that she
didn't apply the usual meaning.
Leave it, Damia. Just love Zara, the Rowan said.
And consult with Isthia and Elizara.
Damia withdrew then, but not without a farewell surge of affection
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and approval from both parents. Wanting to sort this out now she'd admitted
her reservations about her daughter, she checked the time differences. And
swore under her breath.
Isthia would not enjoy being awakened from sleep.
When she tried for Elizara, she touched a mind that was intensely occupied in
something vital. So Damia desisted, waiting for a more opportune moment to
reach the two healers.
Maybe her parents were right: Zara would settle when her cycle did. She'd wait
a few months and meantime give Zara the benefit of unconditional support. That
was, after all, what Afra had recommended.
He'd lived through her mother's vacillations and vagaries . and her own. He
had always shown how much he understood - and loved - her.
And he was very gentle and understanding with Zara. That might be all the
child needed.
When Rojer, Gil and Kat appeared at the captain's mess for dinner that night,
his presence was welcomed by officers keen to hear more details to flesh out
the official communications that Rojer had brought.
`Bare bones of the matter,' Captain Osullivan said. `I believe your brother
went on with the KLTL to check on the exact location of the nova and where the
Hive homeworld was supposed to be.' `Did you know about the great Hive wreck,
sir?' `That was the last communique'
we've received,' Osullivan said.
`Then you don't know that three pods escaped.
Rojer asked.
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`Three? But they only mention capturing one -, `That's the only one so far
located, sir `Any survivors?' asked one officer.
`Any live survivors?' asked another.
Captain Osullivan held up his hand for silence as his usually orderly mess
erupted into minor bedlam of information-starved queries.
`Shall we let our guest explain in his own time? Then, if there are additional
questions, they can be dealt with in due course.
Rojer took a deep breath, sending his recall back to the proper sequence of
events and gave as comprehensive a report as possible. The only thing he left
out was his own participation, limiting it to mention of nameless Talents. He
had `picked up' that most of them identified him as a `kid'. He didn't want
them to add `cocky' to that.
`We have tapes, gentlemen,' the captain said when Rojer had wound down, `but
these can wait until after a very good dinner. Provided, I
might add, by the arrival of Mr Lyon and eight supply drones.
We'll all be the better for a meal.' However, there were questions put to
Rojer that he was not able to answer. Some he knew nothing about and others he
replied to not as fully as he could, but as fully as he should. When pressed
by the engineering officer, Rojer had the chance to describe how the great
Hive ship was being painstakingly reconstructed. This venture, aided and
abetted by so many autonomous groups throughout the Alliance, aroused the
interest of many of the officers. They were suddenly obsessed with the notion
of initiating their own piece table Once again the captain's table erupted
into excited babble. When order was restored, Rojer had to disappoint them
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because he hadn't brought his spec files with him. It hadn't occurred
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to him that the Genesee wouldn't have their own on board.
Every other ship, world, city, town, settlement in the Alliance seemed to.
`While it would have been a nice leisure-time activity during the long
pursuit,' Captain Osullivan said ruefully, `I think we will soon be
concentrating on more immediate concerns, especially if that is indeed a
Hive-colonized system.' Then he leaned on one elbow towards
Rojer. `With your permission, Mr Lyon,' Rojer felt awkward being so formally
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