“Just don’t fail to leave
sufficient time for the danae hunt.”
“I
won’t forget. I’m looking forward to that myself.”
“I’ll
keep you in mind,” Mahdi said absently, “and if I want companionship during the
hunt, I’ll let you know. You may go now.”
“Yes,
sir.” Again her fist tightened around the vial. Her knuckles were white and
Mahdi suspected her tongue was clenched between her teeth. But Roma would say
nothing for the next three months though she’d wonder what kind of
companionship he meant. She would never find out. He had no intention of asking
for her company. Not this time.
Chapter 6
Calla walked to Round House in the late afternoon, but
stopped off at the terrace garden to see if the danae were there. She topped
the limestone hogback and paused, shielding her eyes from the sun. A danae
clung to the trunk of a stunted tree not ten meters from her, wings coiled into
translucent cylinders along its back. The compound eye between the wings
blinked and seemed to focus on her, but the avian did not move. This was as
close as she’d gotten to one in these last two weeks though she’d visited
nearly every day. Moving slowly, Calla sat on a boulder to rest her leg while
she studied the danae. It was neither Old Blue-eyes nor Tonto, but she believed
she’d seen this one a few days ago or one that had similar yellow mottles along
the spine. It had fled that day when she tried to approach it, so today she
decided simply to wait and watch. After a few minutes, the compound eye
swiveled in its socket, coming to rest its gaze on Calla no more frequently
than any other feature in the garden, and the danae returned its primary
attention to whatever it was doing to the tree trunk.
The
danae’s body was better than a meter long, divided almost evenly between a
thorax on top and an abdomen below. It had no true head but it’s brain was well
protected by a special network of hollow bones, floating ribs really, located
under the powerful wing muscles. Shiny brown scales covered the body with the
yellow mottled circles along the back and dusting out onto the wings. When it
moved, the slender body looked almost snakelike, it was so flexible, but it
stepped using two short arms and grasshopper-like legs to keep it against the
tree trunk. She got a glimpse of its brown belly around a face with green eyes
and from this new angle she could see its purple tongue flick out to the trunk,
perhaps to snare an insect, and from time to time one of the arms would dart
out to grab something from the air and press it between the O-ring lips that
covered the gullet.
Without
warning, the danae unfurled its wings and half flew, half leaped through the
branches to the uppermost perch where the long hind legs straightened, suction
pad toes wrapped around mere twigs while the wings beat the air to hold it
erect. It was tall now, two meters with the legs extended, the short forearms
pressed under blurred wings that made the air hum. From the direction of Round
House, Calla saw Jason walking toward her along the top of the hogback. He was
holding his arm high above his head, a sprig of berries between his fingers.
“Stay
still,” Jason said when he was close enough for her to hear, “and I’ll see if I
can get her to come closer.” He continued walking until he was next to Calla. “It’s
Builder. She doesn’t come here often, but she’s usually friendly when she does.”
“You
think she’ll take the berries from you?”
Jason
nodded. “They like fresh fruit and they can’t get it this early in the spring
around here, except from our freezer.”
“She . . .
why she? Never mind; she’s a nest-builder and you’re an old romantic. She seems
interested.”
“Oh,
she’s interested all right. Hasn’t had anything but bugs and buds since she
flew up from the south last month. And she’s curious, too. She spent the
afternoon watching my people cut steps down there, tried to lift a jack-light,
but it was
sufficient time for the danae hunt.”
“I
won’t forget. I’m looking forward to that myself.”
“I’ll
keep you in mind,” Mahdi said absently, “and if I want companionship during the
hunt, I’ll let you know. You may go now.”
“Yes,
sir.” Again her fist tightened around the vial. Her knuckles were white and
Mahdi suspected her tongue was clenched between her teeth. But Roma would say
nothing for the next three months though she’d wonder what kind of
companionship he meant. She would never find out. He had no intention of asking
for her company. Not this time.
Chapter 6
Calla walked to Round House in the late afternoon, but
stopped off at the terrace garden to see if the danae were there. She topped
the limestone hogback and paused, shielding her eyes from the sun. A danae
clung to the trunk of a stunted tree not ten meters from her, wings coiled into
translucent cylinders along its back. The compound eye between the wings
blinked and seemed to focus on her, but the avian did not move. This was as
close as she’d gotten to one in these last two weeks though she’d visited
nearly every day. Moving slowly, Calla sat on a boulder to rest her leg while
she studied the danae. It was neither Old Blue-eyes nor Tonto, but she believed
she’d seen this one a few days ago or one that had similar yellow mottles along
the spine. It had fled that day when she tried to approach it, so today she
decided simply to wait and watch. After a few minutes, the compound eye
swiveled in its socket, coming to rest its gaze on Calla no more frequently
than any other feature in the garden, and the danae returned its primary
attention to whatever it was doing to the tree trunk.
The
danae’s body was better than a meter long, divided almost evenly between a
thorax on top and an abdomen below. It had no true head but it’s brain was well
protected by a special network of hollow bones, floating ribs really, located
under the powerful wing muscles. Shiny brown scales covered the body with the
yellow mottled circles along the back and dusting out onto the wings. When it
moved, the slender body looked almost snakelike, it was so flexible, but it
stepped using two short arms and grasshopper-like legs to keep it against the
tree trunk. She got a glimpse of its brown belly around a face with green eyes
and from this new angle she could see its purple tongue flick out to the trunk,
perhaps to snare an insect, and from time to time one of the arms would dart
out to grab something from the air and press it between the O-ring lips that
covered the gullet.
Without
warning, the danae unfurled its wings and half flew, half leaped through the
branches to the uppermost perch where the long hind legs straightened, suction
pad toes wrapped around mere twigs while the wings beat the air to hold it
erect. It was tall now, two meters with the legs extended, the short forearms
pressed under blurred wings that made the air hum. From the direction of Round
House, Calla saw Jason walking toward her along the top of the hogback. He was
holding his arm high above his head, a sprig of berries between his fingers.
“Stay
still,” Jason said when he was close enough for her to hear, “and I’ll see if I
can get her to come closer.” He continued walking until he was next to Calla. “It’s
Builder. She doesn’t come here often, but she’s usually friendly when she does.”
“You
think she’ll take the berries from you?”
Jason
nodded. “They like fresh fruit and they can’t get it this early in the spring
around here, except from our freezer.”
“She . . .
why she? Never mind; she’s a nest-builder and you’re an old romantic. She seems
interested.”
“Oh,
she’s interested all right. Hasn’t had anything but bugs and buds since she
flew up from the south last month. And she’s curious, too. She spent the
afternoon watching my people cut steps down there, tried to lift a jack-light,
but it was
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