Horizon Storms - Kevin J. Anderson [143]
In a nearby star system, the old Ildiran starcharts showed an unnamed planet that had broad oceans and icy seas. He decided to go there. He studied the destination and coordinates again and caught a navigation mistake before he entered it, realizing he had transposed two digits on the astral grid.
When he had finished his calculations, Nikko eagerly tried to press the conversation with the wentals. “Faeros, wentals, hydrogues. Say, what was that ancient war about, anyway? Why were you fighting the hydrogues in the first place? Why did you ally with the worldtrees, and…what did the faeros do to make you distrust them so much? Did all wentals fight on the same side?”
He felt the thrumming presence inside his skull. Wentals are essentially the same entity. Although we exist in different locations, our minds and thoughts are linked.
“Just like the worldtrees, then.”
In a similar fashion, though in the past there have been occasions when some parts of the wental body became…tainted.
Curious, Nikko waited, but the water entities sent him no further thoughts. “What do you mean, tainted? Like bad water?”
The subtle details would be incomprehensible to you, as are the specifics of our war.
“Well, you could at least try me.”
The water beings sent him a series of confusing images, flashes of hydrogues and wentals, towering fire-creatures and withering forests. He felt the horror and dismay of the cosmic war, and was astonished to learn that the insectoid Klikiss—and even the Ildirans!—had been a part of it. Nikko still didn’t know what the powerful noncorporeal entities had been fighting about in the first place, but the reasons no longer mattered. He flew his ship in a daze.
As a young man he had spent years on Rendezvous attending classes, learning about Earth governments and clan history. The Governess compy UR had fielded endless questions, because Roamer children didn’t comprehend the struggles the human race had faced.
“I’ll bet the original reasons for your war were stupid or trivial,” he muttered now. “That’s the way human conflicts always are.”
The Aquarius streamed forward at high speed. Jess’s plan required a substantial investment in ekti, but Speaker Peroni and all the clan elders had agreed. After all, since the embargo on selling ekti to the Big Goose, the Roamers had a modest surplus, and what better use could there be for the stardrive fuel than to help the clans develop an all-powerful ally against the drogues? Nikko was glad to be doing his part.
When he saw a blip on his console, he came out of his daze. They must be approaching their destination…but the star system was not where he’d expected it to be. Scowling, he checked the coordinates, compared them with the Ildiran charts, and realized he had started from the wrong zero point. He sighed, deciding not to admit that he had gotten lost. Again. This place was as good as any.
He adjusted his course and scanned ahead. The star system—he didn’t even know if it was on his charts—had one small planet, on which he detected a broad ocean. “Ah, here we are. A new home for you.”
In their storage tanks, the wentals seemed satisfied. We will reproduce and spread, and our strength will increase yet again.
Nikko entered orbit and wiped perspiration from his brow in relief. This was quite a lucky break. “Just stick with me and I’ll take you all over the Spiral Arm, one way or another.”
Chapter 72 — DAVLIN LOTZE
Since Crenna was just a farming colony, its people did not own much scientific, analytical, or technical equipment. Davlin had little to work with as he attempted to understand the recent storm of warglobes that had passed overhead.
Fortunately, one of the settlement’s architects was an amateur astronomer by hobby. He owned a fairly sophisticated telescope with which he’d intended to study the night skies of Crenna, though his avocation had largely been foiled by the planet’s bright moon,