Power Play Part 1

Power Play.

by Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough.

1.

Yanaba Maddock and Sean Shongili held hands in a darkness illuminated only by the glowing eyes of hundreds of animals and the flames of hundreds of candles. The drumming had stopped now, replaced by the sweet slapping of sliding water, the beat of many hearts, and the breathing of many creatures. One pulse was louder than all the drums had been, one breath a wind that guttered and flared the candles with each respiration.

"So how do we do it here?" Yana whispered nervously to the father of her unborn child. "Does the planet give me away or what?"

Sean smiled and winked. "No one has that right but you, love. Let's just say that the planet acts as witness and honorary best being."

"...best being..." an echo sang from the cavern walls. "...best being..." an echo sang from the cavern walls. "...best being..."

He stopped walking and she stopped beside him. All she knew was that they were getting married, Petaybean-style.

She'd been so busy with her new duties as Petaybee's administrator over the last two months that she hadn't had enough time to inquire as fully as she would have liked into the rituals or folkways of the Petaybean marriage ceremony before it was upon her. Sean's niece, Bunny Rourke, one of her chief informants on matters Petaybean, had told her that it was a special sort of latchkay with a night chant at the hot springs. Yana had attended the breakup latchkay when she first arrived. This occasion differed in that the night chant was at the beginning of the latchkay instead of at the end. As at all latchkays, there would be much singing; however, there would probably be more at this particular one. Sean and Yana were each to prepare a song for the other. Songs were how Petaybeans celebrated or commemorated all their most noteworthy experiences. The mode was mostly either a rhyme scheme to some ancient Irish air, or a free-verse poem, chanted Inuit-style to the accompaniment of a drum. Yana, whose heart was full but whose mind was too crowded with administrative details while her body was having to make physical accommodations to her pregnancy, had finally created her song. Other than that, she simply hoped that things would go well and allowed herself to be led through the proceedings by the people she had trusted with her life more than once.

Two hours earlier, Kilcoole's premier couturier, Aisling Senungatuk, had arrived with the gown she had created for Yana-rabbit hides crocheted together with woolen yarn in a long, paneled design with a flared skirt, scooped neck, and long sleeves. The crocheted lace inserts were heavily decorated with beads made from scavenged wire and the little pebbles found in certain Petaybean streams. Tumbled, polished, and drilled, the stones were lovely and translucent. The gown was yellow, the Petaybean wedding color, Aisling explained, "because most of the plants make yellow dye." The rabbits were contributed from the collecting places of all of the hunters in the village. Sean's vest was a darker shade of the yellow, trimmed with beaver fur and blue and white beads.

Now the light motes formed a circle around the two, and Clodagh Senungatuk, Aisling's sister and the village's healer, stepped into the center with Sean and Yana. Yana noted with some amus.e.m.e.nt that as many of Clodagh's orange-striped cats as could crowd around her feet did so, their eyes eerie and iridescent in the candle glow.

"Sean Shongili and Yanaba Maddock, we've come here because we understand you got somethin' to say to all of your friends and kin here where the planet hears you best, is that right?"

"It is," Sean said. "I have a song to sing for you all."

"Sing for us," soft voices said from the shadows, accompanied by an underlying rumble of throaty feline purrs, the whicker of the curly-coats, and the affirmative yips of the dogs.

"Sing," the echo said.

Yana had no idea how many bodies were cl.u.s.tered into the cave that day. The line seemed to stretch clear back to the village and included every man, woman, and child, horse, cat, and larger track-cats, and even everybody's dog teams. And she could have sworn that she saw wild game emerge from the brush and join in the procession just before Clodagh led them into the darkness of the cave behind the hot-springs waterfall.

Sean cleared his throat. The candle flame shadowed the chiseled planes of his face and softened the outlines of his mouth as he began to chant.

"Yanaba, she met the enemyComing to us, she met friends as wellAnd honored them.She met me, and I met love.Aijija With her friends, here around herWith her lover, I who take her handFor these people and this world embracing usShe met the enemy again and againIt is in her name to do so.Aijija Yanaba, who knows my aspectsYanaba, who has my heartYanaba, who honors my world and my peopleYanaba, who carries our future in her bodyYanaba, you are already part of my lifeYanaba, you already possess my heartI tell you this here, with our world as witnessI want you with me foreverAiji."

Yana's mouth went suddenly dry. Something soft and furry rubbed against her bare ankles. Her stomach gave a heave and she wondered if the baby could be moving so soon, pus.h.i.+ng her to speak. She took Sean's hands as much for support as encouragement and clung to them so tightly that she was afraid she'd leave bruises. But he returned the strong grip, and that gave her the courage she needed. Suddenly light-headed, she felt as if she needed to hold on to him to keep from floating to the top of the cave.

"Sean Shongili, my truest friend and love.Here I am, a woman whose only songWas of war and death.How can I sing what I feel for you?You gave me life when I was dyingA home when I had known none inMany years of wanderingA family when all of mine is deadA life to bearWhen I thought I could give only deathYou showed me a new world andInvited me to make it my own.

And I do.In old songs by better singersThey say, 'You are all the world to me.'I say so too.Sean Shongili, you are all the world to meAnd the world to me is you.I love you. Take me as I take you.As they used to say on earth, 'I do.' "

Sean took her in his arms then and kissed her, letting his body rest against her belly, which, although still not too obvious, was growing fuller and rounder by the day.

Then Clodagh clapped her hands and everyone dispersed, leaving Yana and Sean alone in the cave, but not in darkness. As the candles departed, a warm soft glow pulsed throughout the cavern, and he eased her to the rock, which seemed to melt into a comfortable bed as she and Sean made love. They always enjoyed that occupation, but here, now, in the cave, where the planet was also part of their communion, she felt as if she had never before been so consumed by the pa.s.sion that always fired up between them in the act of love. Sean felt it, too, for his hands were tender, possessive in a fas.h.i.+on she would once have resented, exciting in ways she had never experienced. The climax was so extraordinary that she wept and knew, from the wetness of the cheek he pressed hard against hers, that he also had been rocked by the intensity of their consummation. For a moment, she thought she had died.

This time they did not sleep afterward; nor did they dress before leaving the cave to join the throng waiting outside at the thermal pools.

Cheers and laughter greeted them. Overhead the stars and moons, real and man-made, lit the sky, while the candles planted along the sides of the pool garlanded it with ribbons of light. The big cats sported rather clumsily in the water while the dogs fetched various things thrown by their masters. The smaller cats sat disdainfully on the edge of the pool. Yana laughed when one of the curly-coats took a running jump and dived into the pool, making a whale-sized wave that swamped the sh.o.r.e and wet several disgusted felines, who began furiously to lick themselves dry.

Then Sean pushed her in and, a moment later, a seal appeared among the splas.h.i.+ng, laughing, naked company. This activity continued till daylight and was the merriest, raunchiest festivity she had ever attended. Periodically, someone would hoist himself out of the water and run bare-a.s.sed to the baskets beyond the candles to fetch something to cram into his mouth before diving back into the pool.

At daylight, everyone went ash.o.r.e, dressed, and walked limply home except Sean and Yana, who rode double on one of the curlies, following Bunny and the village girls, who strewed flower petals and seeds on the path before them.

"I'm starving," Yana muttered up into Sean's chin.

He nuzzled the top of her head. "Good, you'll like this part then. The feast was prepared before we left. But don't eat so much you'll be too full to dance with me afterward."

"Dance? You have to be joking! My legs feel like noodles. Umm, noodles. Do you suppose Clodagh made hers? The ones with the smoked fish and dried tomato sauce?" You have to be joking! My legs feel like noodles. Umm, noodles. Do you suppose Clodagh made hers? The ones with the smoked fish and dried tomato sauce?"

"I have it on good authority that she did. Is all you think of your stomach?"

"I'm eating for two!"

"So you are. Forgive me," he said, lifting her down from the curly-coat's back.

During the feasting, she had an ample chance to rest and gaze into Sean's eyes and messily feed him and be fed by him, also part of the wedding protocol. The food was arrayed in the middle of the meeting house, and Sean and Yana and the other adults sat on benches along the wall, while Bunny led the youngsters of Kilcoole in offering them food.

Meanwhile, everyone occupied themselves by singing the songs they they had written for Sean and Yana. Bunny sang of her first meeting with Yana and their wild ride down the river. Sean's sister, Sinead, told how she knew Yana would be one of them from the time she went on her first hunt. Adak sang of the hiding of Sean in the snocle shed with Yana, making frequent clandestine trips which the Powers That Be did not know anything about. had written for Sean and Yana. Bunny sang of her first meeting with Yana and their wild ride down the river. Sean's sister, Sinead, told how she knew Yana would be one of them from the time she went on her first hunt. Adak sang of the hiding of Sean in the snocle shed with Yana, making frequent clandestine trips which the Powers That Be did not know anything about.

Even Steve Margolies, now residing in Kilcoole with his partner, Frank Metaxos, and Frank's son Diego, sang of how Yana and Sean had reunited him with his family.

Yana's neighbor across the street had a hilarious pantomime song about Yana throwing Colonel Giancarlo out of her cabin with the burned fish. That was one of the few songs rhymed and sung to an old Irish air instead of chanted to drums. Clodagh said she believed the tune went originally to a song called "The Charladies' Ball."

As the other young people began to clear away the empty serving plates, Diego took his newly crafted guitar and joined the drummers, Old Man Mulligan on his whistle, and Mary Yulikilik on her handmade concertina. All together, they wheezed up a quite respectable dance tune.

Sean took Yana's hands in his, led her out on the floor, and then swung himself opposite her at the top of the cleared hall. Two by two, the others followed: Dr. Whittaker Fiske, who had returned especially to dance at the wedding, partnered Clodagh, followed by Sinead with Aisling, Moira and Seamus, Bunny and her sister 'Cita, Frank Metaxos and Steve Margolies; Liam Maloney and Bunny's cousin Nula completed the reel line. Captain Johnny Greene, who had extended his sh.o.r.e leave for the occasion, had Captain Neva Marie Rhys-Hall from s.p.a.ceBase as his partner for the dance in another reel line, while his fellow copter pilot, Rick O'Shay, gallantly led old Kitty Intiak onto the floor. Orange cats tiptoed daintily to the food that had been put on the side for them, while the dogs went home to their kennels to eagerly await sc.r.a.ps from the feast. Track-cats lounged by the doors and on top of the roof, and the curlies grazed in the last of the green fields left by the unusually long, warm summer, now turning to fall.

Somewhere in the middle of the third dance, Terce, who was minding the snocle shed, came in and tapped Adak on the shoulder; Adak, in turn, tapped Johnny on the shoulder and whispered something in his ear. The men left, accompanied by Captain Rhys-Hall, and returned in time to rescue Yana from a fifth dance. Marmion de Revers Algemeine and two company corpsmen in dress-white uniforms were with them.

Yana and Sean stopped dancing to greet their friends. Marmion was elegant as usual, in a royal blue tunic with a purple underdress, the top heavily embroidered in jade and silver, matching her earrings and rings.

"Marmie! How wonderful that you could come!" Yana cried. Marmion kissed both her cheeks, then Sean's.

"Yes, and in addition to your wedding present, I'm afraid I've come to take you away from all this. The CIS court is reconvening a week from now and your testimony will be necessary to augment Commissioner Phon Tho Anaciliact's decision on Petaybee. I thought you'd want to do it yourself, since going off-planet would be lethal to native Petaybeans." She glanced down briefly at Yana's middle and a look of consternation flowed over her cla.s.sic features. "Oh, my. Time flies, doesn't it?"

Yana smiled. "It does indeed. But I see no reason..."

"I don't think it's wise for you to go off-planet this far into your pregnancy, Yana," Sean said, his hand on her shoulder tightening protectively.

But others in the room had joined them by now. Clodagh and Whit Fiske greeted Marmie with busses on the cheeks, and Bunny pushed her way through to them, trailed closely by Diego, who had stopped playing and slung his guitar across his back as soon as he saw the newcomers arrive.

"How long does she need to be gone, Marmie?" Clodagh asked.

"Not long, I should think. Counting the journey, two weeks your time, three at the most."

"Huh," Clodagh said. "I'd never last that long. Sean, neither."

"I mean to be there, too, Yana," Marmion said, "though as an Intergal board member, my testimony is a.s.sumed to be biased and self-serving in one of those peculiarly bureaucratic fas.h.i.+ons that people can't really explain anyhow. It's too bad there's no qualified native Petaybean to testify."

"I qualify, and I think I could go, too," Bunny said, pulling at her sleeve. "I'm young enough to go off-planet without any ill effects, and I know everything that's happened. I could sing them the song I made about it. Though Diego's songs are better."

"If you're going, I'm going," Diego said. "Now's my chance to show you all those technical things you keep telling me couldn't possibly work! Besides, I wouldn't want your head getting turned by all those guys in uniform. And I could see my mom," he added with a glance at Marmion, as if the more conventional reason might sway her where his desire to be with Bunny might not.

"Still, we need Colonel Maddock-or is it Shongili now?" Marmie asked with a twinkle.

"I think for courtroom purposes I'd better remain Maddock for the time being," Yana said.

"Yana, you're four months pregnant," Sean said. "With my my child." The emphasis, Yana knew, was not merely possessive. Because of Sean's dual nature as man and seal, he was concerned about just how many of his traits his children would inherit and how deeply an off-planet experience would affect them. child." The emphasis, Yana knew, was not merely possessive. Because of Sean's dual nature as man and seal, he was concerned about just how many of his traits his children would inherit and how deeply an off-planet experience would affect them.

"Many women are on duty right up until delivery now, Sean," she said, dropping her hand to his arm and giving it a rea.s.suring squeeze. "And you heard Marmie, it will only be three weeks. If I have Bunny along-"

Clodagh touched Sean's hand. "It should be okay that long, Sean. And Petaybee needs her to do this."

"I suppose so. I only wish I could accompany her."

"I'd take good care of her, Uncle Sean. You know I would," Bunny said, throwing her arms around his waist.

"And I'd take care of both of them, Dr. Shongili," Diego said, with a challenging look at Marmion.

Marmion smiled at him, then turned back to Yana. "With you as adult guardian, I see no problem with Bunny and Diego accompanying you, Yana. In fact, I'm sure the CIS Anaciliact would appreciate all the support he can get. I don't suppose little 'Cita..."

But Sean denied that choice with a firm shake of his head. "After all she's been through, she's much too fragile in my opinion. 'Cita stays here. Besides, Coaxtl frets herself into molting mountains of hair if the girl is out of sight for any extended period."

"I can tell what needs to be told, to anyone who asks," Bunny said at her staunchest.

"Sean," Yana said, turning to look into his dear, worried face. "Duty does have a way of calling regardless of personal convenience, love."

"I wouldn't stop you from doing what you think you need to do, even if I thought I could get away with it, Yana." His grin was slightly strained and anxious, and so were his eyes. "But be careful."

Yana understood his concern, maybe more than just "understood" after their union in the cave, and she deeply regretted the necessity of leaving her new husband so precipitously. She consoled herself with the knowledge that what they had between them would keep, on the ice and in the heat, come what may.

Two hours later the envoys were ready to depart.

Clodagh gave each of them an almost ritualistic kiss and embrace, putting a little leather bag on a thong around each of their necks.

"What's this?" Yana asked.

"It's dirt," Clodagh said simply.

"Dirt?"

"Yes. Petaybee wants you to have something to remember it by. The dirt's from the cave."

Not long before, Yana would have been stymied by such a statement, but now she squeezed Clodagh warmly in an embrace of her own. "This makes me feel a lot better."

Then Sean clasped her in a farewell embrace and she, Bunny, and Diego boarded the company shuttle that would take them to Marmion's executive s.p.a.celiner, waiting in orbit. In Yana's carryall was Sean's wedding vest, to sleep with, and a hastily made town recording to Petaybean relatives in company service. Bunny carried a frozen fish for her cousin Charlie from his parents and a basket of pemmican from the wedding feast for homesick Petaybeans. Diego carried letters from his father to his mother, and a basket of his favorite Petaybean foods, plus nutrients to keep himself and Bunny healthy on the journey.

Once aboard the s.p.a.celiner, Sally Point-Jefferson, Marmion's aide, carefully placed Charlie's fish in the freezer. Bunny remained glued to the viewscreen, watching Petaybee disappear into a tiny point of light in the vastness of black s.p.a.ce. She bent and unbent her fingers against the port in farewell as her home disappeared altogether.

2.

Bunny turned away from the window, a little gasp of dismay escaping her throat, her eyes misty with suppressed tears.

"I never thought I'd see the last of Petaybee," she said mournfully. Diego immediately took her into a warm embrace, murmuring rea.s.surances and some of the silly names that he had created for her.

"Now, gat.i.ta gat.i.ta," he said, the name meaning "little cat" or "kitten," "it's not as if you won't be coming back, or anything. It's only for a little while. And I bet no one from Kilcoole has ever seen Petaybee from s.p.a.ce like you just did. Looks like one of those stones Aisling polishes up, the bluey ones with the white bands."

"Yes, I guess it does at that," Bunny said, sniffling until Marmion handed her a tissue. "Oh, sorry. Didn't bring anything to blow into."

"What the well-appointed vessel has in quant.i.ty-things you don't remember to bring with you," Marmion said kindly. "I forget how hard it is to leave a place you love. Only think how excited you'll be to see it in the viewscreen on your way back. The better view!"

Marmion then organized everyone into keeping busy; settling into their cubicles, getting food, making themselves comfortable. "I've had Sally acquire clothing for you, since you'd all be overwarmly dressed where we're going. It's also very important, I think, that we choose garments that will seem appropriate to our mission."

"What's wrong with what we're wearing?" Bunny asked. She was wearing the beautiful Gather Blouse Aisling had made out of the material Yana had gifted her with. The blouse made her feel very elegant and adult, and Diego said it was the nicest thing he'd seen her in.

"I'm not suggesting you change your style, dear," Marmion said in a conciliating tone, "and that blouse is certainly lovely, but you can't appear every day in it. So Sally and I scrounged around to see what would be you you as well as, ah... not as well as, ah... not too too conspicuously different. Oh..." She gave an exasperated sigh as she saw the defiant look on Bunny's face. "For all I'm conspicuously different. Oh..." She gave an exasperated sigh as she saw the defiant look on Bunny's face. "For all I'm supposed supposed to be so diplomatic, I'm not putting this in the right words, am I? But then, where we're going, one is not often judged by what one is, but what one to be so diplomatic, I'm not putting this in the right words, am I? But then, where we're going, one is not often judged by what one is, but what one seems seems to be. You know what I'm talking about, Colonel Yana dear, don't you?" And Marmion appealed to Yana on more than the one count she was trying to explain. to be. You know what I'm talking about, Colonel Yana dear, don't you?" And Marmion appealed to Yana on more than the one count she was trying to explain.

"I do, indeed, Marmion." Yana tried to pull a fold over her belly from the material of her one-piece suit and failed with a laugh. "I'll need a size larger, I know."

"Oh, you're easy to do, Yana," Marmion said. "Wasn't she, Sally?"

The aide laughed and nodded. "With trouser pleats for expansion," she said. "And a tunic tailored just that little bit fuller across the... ah... hips."

"It isn't my hips that worry me," Yana said with a grin, hoping to clear Bunny's troubled expression.

"Diego, we've ordered you the very latest," Marmion went on, and then giggled in one of those displays of amus.e.m.e.nt which charmed her friends. "In fact, the whole operation was a great deal of fun. Why don't you and Bunny go see what's in your wardrobes? We'll still have time to discard what you really can't possibly be seen in before you have to be seen in it."

Diego escorted Bunny firmly to the cabins they'd been a.s.signed. Only when the panel had slid shut behind them did Marmion's expression alter to one of concern.