released a minty, soothing odor as they stepped on it. Khyriz might have shown him holo-vid of us, but he's never talked to a human before this.
It was too much to hope that everyone they met would be as easy to talk to as this male. After all, he was Khyriz's pilot--he'd introduced himself to Alexis that way--and he was young. Magdalena knew from Khyriz about some of the more hidebound older and noble Arekkhi. More than she wanted to know, really; but since manners and good behavior counted for so much in this society, she wasn't worried that high-ranking nobles would be openly rude.
Privately offended by, or even afraid of--that she expected. Which was a large part of the argument against any alien group locating on the planet.
Supposedly, the normally unclothed Heeyoons had terrified and disgusted station Arekkhi, at first. Furless (if clad) humans would be at least as bad, especially if allowed to go wherever they pleased.
Or so the argument went. But I don't believe it, Magdalena thought. Ordinary beings adapt--especially if we don't have any other choice. Now, the Prelate.... The Prelate didn't have to adapt to anything, if he chose not to. He barely had to answer to the Emperor, and only on certain matters.
She really didn't want to meet the Prelate; she could only
72
hope any such meeting came soon and was behind her, so she could get on with being useful to Alexis.
But most religious beings here might not be as narrow of belief as all that: Human religious leaders often supported the CLS and StarBridge both. It was the fringe types, like Solomon Smith, who didn't want to adapt. Smith had used a spaceship to travel from Earth to New Am, and still preached that the world was created (flat) by God in the year 4004 b .C.
She came back to the moment as Alexis laughed cheerfully at something Bhelan had said; the Arekkhi's whiskers touched and his ears flicked forward. Khyriz chose us a good companion; let's hope he's as good a pilot.
Bhelan turned left just past the little park. "Apologies for the lack of moving walkways on-station, but they require energy that the station cannot afford...."
"It's all right, I need the exercise," Alexis assured him.
"The boundary for the trader's consortium is just here, at the greensward," he said. That meant the women were the first outsiders of any kind to walk through this part of station, Magdalena realized, and exchanged pleased glances with Alexis. Maybe it wasn't going to be so difficult after all.
Almost at once their surroundings became industrial: Solid flatbed hover-carriers fronted massive, squat buildings--warehouses and factories, Bhelan said. The packers and transporters are inside the buildings, Magdalena thought, with that strong feeling of being watched. The path to the shuttle down to the planet had been cleared for them.
They couldn't see far in any direction here, except overhead: Up there, Magdalena could make out more enormous buildings and plenty of activity--
but it was too far away to make out much detail.
Magdalena gazed around her, ignoring Alexis and Bhelan, who were
oblivious to the silence as they cheerfully discussed his sister's first daughter, who played djiris --something like baseball or maybe soccer, Magdalena didn't know which. She came back to the moment With a start as the interrelator said something about second-class citizens. "If you can believe it," Alexis continued, "females of my own species were once thought too fragile to play games, and not that far in our own
73
past. It's nice to hear that your young females actually play sports that were once reserved for your males."
"Ah... our females ... ah, well, of course. Such things ... well, they go without saying, don't they? After all, only look at my niece...." The pilot suddenly had that harassed look to his whiskers once more, and he was almost
stammering. The tips of his whiskers flicked constantly, a nervous tic that reminded Magdalena of her own habit of drumming her
It was too much to hope that everyone they met would be as easy to talk to as this male. After all, he was Khyriz's pilot--he'd introduced himself to Alexis that way--and he was young. Magdalena knew from Khyriz about some of the more hidebound older and noble Arekkhi. More than she wanted to know, really; but since manners and good behavior counted for so much in this society, she wasn't worried that high-ranking nobles would be openly rude.
Privately offended by, or even afraid of--that she expected. Which was a large part of the argument against any alien group locating on the planet.
Supposedly, the normally unclothed Heeyoons had terrified and disgusted station Arekkhi, at first. Furless (if clad) humans would be at least as bad, especially if allowed to go wherever they pleased.
Or so the argument went. But I don't believe it, Magdalena thought. Ordinary beings adapt--especially if we don't have any other choice. Now, the Prelate.... The Prelate didn't have to adapt to anything, if he chose not to. He barely had to answer to the Emperor, and only on certain matters.
She really didn't want to meet the Prelate; she could only
72
hope any such meeting came soon and was behind her, so she could get on with being useful to Alexis.
But most religious beings here might not be as narrow of belief as all that: Human religious leaders often supported the CLS and StarBridge both. It was the fringe types, like Solomon Smith, who didn't want to adapt. Smith had used a spaceship to travel from Earth to New Am, and still preached that the world was created (flat) by God in the year 4004 b .C.
She came back to the moment as Alexis laughed cheerfully at something Bhelan had said; the Arekkhi's whiskers touched and his ears flicked forward. Khyriz chose us a good companion; let's hope he's as good a pilot.
Bhelan turned left just past the little park. "Apologies for the lack of moving walkways on-station, but they require energy that the station cannot afford...."
"It's all right, I need the exercise," Alexis assured him.
"The boundary for the trader's consortium is just here, at the greensward," he said. That meant the women were the first outsiders of any kind to walk through this part of station, Magdalena realized, and exchanged pleased glances with Alexis. Maybe it wasn't going to be so difficult after all.
Almost at once their surroundings became industrial: Solid flatbed hover-carriers fronted massive, squat buildings--warehouses and factories, Bhelan said. The packers and transporters are inside the buildings, Magdalena thought, with that strong feeling of being watched. The path to the shuttle down to the planet had been cleared for them.
They couldn't see far in any direction here, except overhead: Up there, Magdalena could make out more enormous buildings and plenty of activity--
but it was too far away to make out much detail.
Magdalena gazed around her, ignoring Alexis and Bhelan, who were
oblivious to the silence as they cheerfully discussed his sister's first daughter, who played djiris --something like baseball or maybe soccer, Magdalena didn't know which. She came back to the moment With a start as the interrelator said something about second-class citizens. "If you can believe it," Alexis continued, "females of my own species were once thought too fragile to play games, and not that far in our own
73
past. It's nice to hear that your young females actually play sports that were once reserved for your males."
"Ah... our females ... ah, well, of course. Such things ... well, they go without saying, don't they? After all, only look at my niece...." The pilot suddenly had that harassed look to his whiskers once more, and he was almost
stammering. The tips of his whiskers flicked constantly, a nervous tic that reminded Magdalena of her own habit of drumming her
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