"Good. I'll fetch them," Nadhari said, and before anyone could stop her she pushed past them and entered the hotel. Moments later she emerged, looking most uncharacteristically embarrassed and shame-faced. "Why didn't you tell me they were-uh-occupied? " she demanded. "I thought you had all been playing a game or having a meeting or something! What were you doing, using their rendezvous as a training class?"
Maati's face fell. "Noooo, we were trying to get them together. And we did, too. And now it's all ruined!"
"Uh-not entirely," Nadhari said. "Not from what I saw. But I certainly spoiled the mood."
Annella groaned. "It took us weeks to set that up."
"Set what up?" Becker asked suspiciously, but Annella, Markel, and Jana were shaking their heads slightly that Maati should say no more.
In a few minutes, Aari and Acorna walked purposefully from the hotel, as if they hcu) been interrupted in nothing more personal than a meeting, except that every once in a while one of them would steal a look at the other one. And smile. Or sigh. Or get lost in looking and stumble.
Nadhari said nothing as she led the way back to the spaceport. Becker talked rather a lot.
The Niriian refugees endured the Linyaari reunion and the subsequent confusing introductions as well as they could, until at last they met someone whose name they recognized. "And this," Vi^ec>haanye-ferUU Neeva said, "Is Mr. Haz Harakamian."
"The Hafiz Harakamian of the message?" they cried, and faced him with broad smiles. "Ah, it is you, exalted sir, who will save our world and our people. But it must be done quickly. Many die even as we stand here -wasting time with these formalities."
Neeva translated and Hafiz smiled broadly back at his guests. "I am very sorry for the plight of your planet, dear alien beings, but you see, I am a merchant. While it was within my power to provide you and the neighboring worlds with a warning about the Khieevi menace, I am not a -warrior or a warlord, merely a humble tradesman."
This was the point when Khornya was sorely missed. Neeva understood Niriian very well indeed, but she missed many of the nuances of Hafiz's speech.
"He says he can't save them," Neeva said. "He is no -warrior, merely a rich merchant." Hafiz caught her look and saw that he had fallen somewhat in her estimation. The Niriians weren't buying it, however. They set themselves even more squarely in front of him and stuck their round jaws out a bit and smiled even more broadly and determinedly.
"Sister-child's father's sister-brother Hafiz," Neeva said, for had he himself not said he felt as if he were related to the Linyaari as he was to Khornya herself-therefore he would naturally also be related to Neeva. "I must tell you that these Niriians are very stubborn people. Once they put their minds to a thing, they do not budge until they have achieved their goals."
"Most admirable," Hafiz said nodding and smiling still. "But their tenacity cannot change the facts."
At this impasse, Nadhari Kando and Captain Becker and the little cadre of security troops Nadhari commanded marched into the reception area. With them were a gaggle of children including Maati, as well as Thariinye, Aari, and Khornya.
"My husband is a merchant, as he has explained to you elevated alien beings," Karlna Harakamian now addressed the Niruans with an apologetic flutter of lilac-and-violet draperies and a sparkle of amethyst-jeweled hands. "Surely you would not wish him to subject himself and those he protects to the same fate your planet has met? Hafiz is a genius at accumulating and distributing useful things and services. The idea of the sort of mass destruction the Khieevi wreak is abhorrent to him, but also totally incomprehensible. I don't know how you could possibly imagine he could be of assistance."
Liruli had a fine curl to her lip and to " Neeva, said in Linyaari, "It is as I suspected. Your great hero-our adopted 'uncle'-is perfectly willing to trade with us but as far as being a true friend of anyone but himself-hah!"
Neeva tried valiantly not to let the disappointment show in her eyes as she murmured to the unflinching Niriians.
Acorna was roused from her bemusement by this exchange, and separated herself from Aari and the others to go stand next to Hafiz.
To Liriili she said, "That is not fair. Uncle Hafiz is responsible for the lives of all of the people here and their welfare has to be his first consideration. And he and Captain Becker have been making some strides in perhaps finding a way to combat the Khieevi without risking more lives."
"Is that so?" Liriili demanded. And before anyone could stop her, she translated a version of what Acorna had said to the Niriians. The result of this was that one of them, following Acorna's glance to where Becker stood beside Nadhari, reached out a muscular arm and hauled Becker into a great crushing hug.
Liriili smirked. "Our allies say the junk man is their hero and surely if he knows a way to fight the Khieevi, he will use it quickly to save what is left of their world."
Acorna translated to Becker, "They want you to use the methods we have discovered to fight the Khieevi now, Captain, to save the rest of their -world."
"Okay, okay!" Becker hollered. "Just tell them to let me go! We'll talk."
This time Thariinye stepped in to translate, adding his usual flourishes.
The Niriian did not loosen its grip on Becker.
"What did you say?" Aari asked Thariinye. "It's not working."
"I told them the captain was a great hero and had already slain many Khieevi and would save their homeworld with the help of the philanthropist Uncle Hafiz."
"Tell them they have to let Captain Becker go before he can help them," Acorna suggested.
Thariinye spoke to the Niriians again and the one who held Becker released him with such an enthusiastic clap on the back that the captain staggered into the arms of Nadhari Kando, and stepped on the cat's tail as he stumbled.
RK rewarded him by opening his leg from kneecap to ankle.
Nadhari patted Becker absently and shoved him gently aside to pick up the cat and croon to it. "Your servant meant no disrespect, sacred feline. Is your magnificent tail broken?" She looked at the nearest Linyaari, -who happened to be Liriili. "Please heal the tail of the sacred temple cat."
Liriili, much to the surprise of anyone who was paying attention to her, abandoned her goading behavior of the rest of the humans to add one of her hands to Nadhari's in RK's thick fur, cradle his tail in the other hand, and gently lowered her horn to touch it. The cat immediately began purring and rubbed his cheek against Liriili's.
"If that isn't adding insult to injury!" Becker yowled, clutching his bloody pant leg.
Aan scowled at Thariinye, who quickly stopped jabbering to the Niriians and knelt beside Becker. "Sorry, Captain, allow me." He placed Becker's foot upon his own bent knee and ran his horn the length of the cat scratch.
Becker let out a long sigh of relief.
Liriili was crooning to RK. "I had a little pahaantiyir once and you are very like him, sacred temple cat, yes, you are, you lovely creature!" Tears were actually coming to her eyes now. "Oh, how I wish he were with me now, my little friend, when I am surrounded by ill-wishers."
RK purred as if he had found a new best friend.
"Traitor," Becker growled.
Come, my friends, let us refresh ourselves in the gardens and discuss this brilliant plan of ours." Hafiz waggled an eyebrow at Becker, but the eye under the brow was extremely skeptical.
Of course, Becker didn't really have a plan. Acorna knew that. But between the experiences the current crew of the Condor had and the skills and resources of Hafiz Harakamian, Acorna saw the components of a rather good plan taking form. All it took to formulate -was for everyone involved to pool their resources.
As the others trailed off behind Hafiz, Acorna fetched Mac. "The captain told me I should remain here, Acorna, and monitor the Khieevi broadcasts."
"You are recording them, aren't you?" Acorna asked.
Yes.
"Then you can listen to the recordings when you return. We need you now, MacKenZ. Captain Becker is going to explain to Uncle Hafiz how we can defeat the Khieevi."
"Oh, that would be most instructive. I am grateful you thought to bring me, Acorna."
She smiled and eased him away from the Khieevi shuttle. He had spent so long with it the smell had permeated him and she had to stop and give him a once-over -with her horn to erase the unpleasant odor.
"Of course you must come, Mac. Without you and your skills, we would not have a hope of defeating the Khieevi."
"Now then, Captain, we are all eager to hear your plan," Neeva said.
"Ye-es, dear fellow," Hafiz said. "Please enlighten us."
"Oh, you're part of it, too. Uncle Hafiz," Acorna assured him. "In fact, we can't do it without Uncle Hafiz's holographic magic can -we, Captain Becker?"
"Uh-no, of course not," Becker agreed.
They sat on low cushioned chairs positioned near the fountain. Servers brought delicacies for the humans, while the Niriians and the Linyaari -were invited to pluck -whatever appealed to them from the bounty of the lush gardens surrounding the pool into -which the -waters splashed from the horn of a unicorn, rampant. The Linyaari who had not yet seen this fountain re garded it with wonder, even Liriili. This was not the usual way in which homage was paid to the Ancestors, but no doubt the Ancestors would approve.
"And as I was telling Mac, we can't do without his skills. Of course, if Aari had not made an effort to recall all he knew of the Khieevi, had not concentrated so hard on the piiyl that was, I am sorry to say, Toroona and Byorn, the legacy of one of your brave crews, we would never have learned their language or anything about how they function." The Niriians were actually a mated couple, female and male, rather than two males as those unacquainted with the species had assumed. Becker was surprised to find that his ribs had almost been broken by Toroona, the female.
"Yeah," Becker said, "Aari found out about another important part of the plan too. Namely that a substance we discovered while on a salvage mission is toxic to the Khieevi. And what Kaarlye and Miiri have been doing is analyzing the damage to the corpses as well as the effects of the substance on other things. What have you folks come up with anyway?"
"We are still exploring possible ways to synthesize the substance, Captain, and to utilize it in a controlled fashion outside its native environment."
"That's okay," Becker said. " 'Cause the truth is, there's nothing wrong with using it in its native environment. See, it's this vine world, full of these big plants that secrete the sap that eats through the Khieevi shells. The way I figure it, if Hafiz here can make use of his holos to make the vine world appear to be like a Linyaari outpost or something,'and Mac can persuade the Khieevi that he's one of their guys who survived in the shuttle we've been-well, Mac's been-studying, and we can set up drones and such to make it seem inhabited, then the Khieevi will maybe leave the Niriians to come to the vine world, and the vines will attack 'em, sap 'em, and no more Khieevi."
Everyone agreed that it was a brilliant plan. Almost all of it could be carried out by remote control, once the vine world had been prepared to look inhabited. The only danger was that the vine world was closer to both the Moon of Opportunity and to narhii-Vhiliinyar than the Niriian homeworld, but they could not, of course, let that weigh too heavily against the lives of any Niriians still surviving the initial Khieevi attack.
The Niriians listened anxiously to the translations, their faces stoic, but when they spoke at last their words sounded urgent.
"Time is of the essence," Neeva interpreted. "They implore us to begin implementing the plan immediately."
The Moon of Opportunity shut down its recreational functions and trade centers. Personnel were reassigned to emergency functions. If the plan worked as everyone hoped it would, security, medical, and reconstruction teams would be sent to Nirii following the destruction of the Khieevi.
Aboard the ConSor, Mac reassembled the Khieevi shuttle.
Kaarlye and Miiri continued their experimentation with the sap and their studies of Khieevi anatomy and physiology in the laboratory.
The children were assigned to either the AcaBecki or the Haven for evacuation. However, Annella Carter, Markel, and Jana were remaining as long as possible in order to help Hafiz prepare the necessary holograms.
"We must simulate a civilization sufficiently luscious to induce salivation among the Khieevi," Hafiz instructed his pupils. "We shall transfer the holos of Linyaari pavilions to nestle them among the vines. We will also need to use the Baiakiire as a model for simulating other Linyaari vessels of different designs."
"Oh, goody," Annella said. "It will be like decorating giant Easter eggs!"
"Also, we must have holos of individuals-Linyaari and the Nirnans. We can do several sims of each of the Linyaari guests and hope the Khieevi will not be aware of the duplication."
"We already have done ones of Aari and Acorna," Annella told Hafiz.
"Have you?" Hafiz asked. "That is excellent. Excellent indeed."
"Yes, and we can do me and Thariinye next," Maati said. "Except I want my holo to be really large and fierce."
"Why bother?" Thariinye said. "All they have to do is make an ^altered holo of Liriili and she'll probably frighten the Khieevi into leaving a slime trail all the way back to their homeworld."
Seventeen.
The first invasion of the vine world was both human and Linyaari. Acorna, moving gently among the fragrant vines, felt remorseful for what her people -were about to bring upon this self-contained ecology.
The plants felt far less alien this time, and far more friendly, now that she knew what their sap could do to Khieevi. She had scarcely noticed before how exquisitely beautiful the flowers were, with their petals shaded from cream to ivory to milky white and translucent, with the barest hints of pink near the stamen.
The scent did not seem so overpowering as it had before. Instead it was rather hypnotic, permeating her other senses so strongly that it seemed to be a color, a taste, a voice, as *well as a smell. As technicians and scientists barged through the vines so quickly the plants whipped back and forth as if in a strong wind, Acorna merely held her hand aloft and the ropes of leaf and flower parted for her like a curtain. Perhaps she was thinking of these vines as saviors, champions, defenders of her kind against Khieevi kind, but they were altogether more attractive to her than on her last visit.
Kaarlye and Miiri led teams of volunteers in the harvesting of the sap. They brought containers, of course, but all the really needed was their own footwear and gloves, which collected plenty of the sticky substance as the people plowed through the vines.
Technicians carefully placed the drones that would transmit signals to lure the Khieevi away from the Niruans. These would be overlaid with holograms of Linyaari ships and pavilions being projected by other technicians while the programmed Linyaari holos began milling around among the holo-structures like so many ghosts.
Acorna found it quite startling -when she parted the vines *with a small gesture to face herself on the other side of them, a self apparently kneeling to collect sap and murmuring oddsounding words. Acorna retreated two careful steps and the vines closed back over the projection.
"Hmmm," she said to herself, and returned to where the ships that had brought the technicians, scientists, and equipment were almost totally wrapped in vines.
"Captain, I think I may have learned something about these plants," she began.
"Yeah, well, save it, Princess. We got us a situation here. Most of the holos are being hidden by the vines. Except for the projections we can make from above, of the tents and the ships, and only the tops of them are showing, this is still looking pretty much like -what it is, a vine world. It's going to take either some earth-moving machines or some heavy machete work to clear spaces for the holos and then these things have a way of growing back. The only good thing about it is that mowing a few of them down will produce more sap. But how it's going to work for a decoy, I dunno." He scratched his mustache in a thoughtful way.
"Wait, Captain. Perhaps that won't be necessary. Perhaps we can communicate with them."
The Captain looked at her as if she were insane. "Acorna. Darling. Sweetie. Princess. Honey. Excuse me. You're a real bright kid, but they are plants. You eat them. You <)on't discuss strategy with them."
"Perhaps not. But if you use heavy equipment or even machetes to clear the area around the holos, then won't that defeat the purpose? Especially if the vines do not regenerate quickly enough in this area? Then the Khieevi will simply land in an area filled with holos, and once they discover that the bait is indeed, merely a collection of holograms, they will go back to the Niriians, or what will be worse for all of us, follow the projections back to the source and prey on the Moon of Opportunity instead."
The mustache bristled and Becker scratched it again. "OK. Guess we better have a council of war here."
Acorna made the same speech to Rafik, Gill, and via transmitter to Hafiz, orbiting the planetoid in the Ail Baba, one of his more modest vessels. Karina Harakamian, who had come along as the mission's "spiritual adviser," answered for Hafiz. "Of course, Acorna, dear, you are quite right to try gentle persuasion first. I will have the first officer transport me to the surface at once so that I may assist."
"How kind," Acorna said, quite insincerely, but there was no point in hurting Kanna's feelings. Fortunately, her new "auntie" was a mind reader only on very sporadic occasions, and those were never the ones Karina predicted or anticipated.
At Acorna's signal, the Balakiire landed beside the holos of the other Linyaari ships, some of them decorated with bunnies and flowers as well as the more usual rococo designs that symbolized the great families and heroes of the Linyaari people.
Thariinye and Maati, who had been setting up the smaller holos and who had also noted the problem of the vines obscuring them, responded to Acorna's mental summons, and Aari, who had been keeping her within sight as much as was possible, joined them.
"I don't suppose the LAANYE will be of any help here," Acorna said. "But I think we must try thought transference with the beings on this planet."
"The vines?" Aari asked.
"Yes," she said. "It came to me while I was out among them that they may communicate by their scent. Remember, the first time we came here, it was almost overpowering."
"It still is right around the ships, and where Captain Becker and the scientists are working," Maati said. "But I noticed as we got a little farther away, planting some of the holos, that the smell was actually kind of pretty."
"Sexy," Thariinye said.
-Maati put an elbow in his ribs. "Trust you to think so, even about vines!"
Aari shrugged. "I don't see what help I can be. I'm not very psychic without my-"
Acorna had to turn to face him as he was behind her, one hand resting lightly, reassuringly on one of her shoulders. "Aari," she said, staring, not into his eyes, but slightly above them.
The other Linyaari, including his parents, who had just arrived, panting, hefting their collection bags, followed her gaze. "Aari, what is that on your scar?" she asked, a little breathless with hope as she reached up to touch, thinking realistically that she would probably encounter a piece of a petal from one of the vine flowers. Her finger and his touched the little white protuberance at the same time.
"It's horn!" he said. "My horn is regenerating. The graft is finally taking."
(And I'll bet I know why,) Thariinye whispered, laughing.