Power Play - Anne McCaffrey [36]
“Looks like them fellas are more interested in horseplay than the curlies are,” Seamus said, watching the hunters dive and splash each other and try to catch the curlies’ tails.
One of them was busily trying to uproot lilies, hoping to curry favor, no doubt, Sinead thought with a wince at her own unspoken pun.
Liam said, “Their feet probably hurt and they know well enough that once they’re out of there, they’ll have riders back on ’em.”
Seamus grinned. “Ah, Sinead, it’s a cruel taskmaster you are.”
“Maybe so,” she said. “But I don’t seem to be gettin’ through to them, now do I?”
“I always thought it was simple,” Liam said. “All my life, everybody I know, any time they wanted anything, just listened to what was wanted and did it and they were taken care of. It’s not like it’s difficult or anything. But these fellas just don’t seem to think that way.”
Seamus whistled for his curly, and the others automatically followed. The men playing in the water either didn’t see or pretended they didn’t.
“Ah, we’ve worried them enough, Sinead,” Seamus said with a wink. “They’ve no guns to do great harm with now. I say we take our curlies and leave them on their own a bit.”
Sinead returned his wink. “An excellent idea. Perhaps without us looking on they’ll figure things out for themselves.”
9
Clodagh looked over the four white-robed figures and shook her head. “I don’t know what Sean thinks I’m going to do with all of you. There’s only me at the house, but I don’t think there’s enough stretching space for all of you.”
“Please, Clodagh,” Sister Igneous Rock said. “We don’t want to put you out. But we have learned that the Beneficence manifests itself to you in certain caverns warmed by its blessed blood and breath. We could ask for nothing better than to be allowed to live there.”
The others nodded eagerly, but Clodagh shook her head. “The caves aren’t living places. It’s okay to take shelter there if you’re caught out in the weather, of course, and it’s okay for animals. Not for people.”
“Forgive my ignorance, Clodagh, but why is that, would you say?” Brother Shale asked.
Clodagh shrugged. “We talk to the planet most directly in the caves. If someone’s living there, it wouldn’t be polite to go in and have a chat with their house. And on the other hand, how would you like someone setting up housekeeping inside your mouth?”
Sister Agate beamed. “Oh, she is so wise. They said you were wise, and you really are just as wise as they said. Isn’t she wise, brothers and sisters?”
“Indeed. But might we, at least, become acquainted? Would you introduce us to the planet?”
Clodagh shrugged. “You’re standing on it. But I don’t see why not. Only thing is, we just had one latchkay, and there’s not another one s’posed to happen till Snowdance. And a latchkay is really the best time. But things are happenin’ so fast, maybe we should have another one sooner.”
“How soon is the next one?” Brother Shale asked.
“Two, three months. Depending.”
“Oh,” Sister Igneous Rock said. “But that won’t do.”
“Why not?”
“We had hoped to come and worship and return home to spread the Word within the next month.”
“Hmph,” Clodagh said. “If you go that soon, you’ll miss most of the winter.”
“Well, yes,” Brother Shale said. “It is said that the exterior temperature gets down below minus two hundred Fahrenheit, and I have rather poor circulation to endure that sort of cold.”
“Never mind that,” Sister Igneous Rock said staunchly. “Now, Clodagh, I appreciate your importance as the nominal high priestess of the Beneficence, but I really don’t understand why we should wait for a latchkay. Brother Granite told us that significant communication had taken place quite extemporaneously when people wandered into or were taken to the caves by one of you. That is what we wish.”
Clodagh said, “Okay, but I’m not any kind of priestess. I guess I better take you tonight, and we all can sleep there. This once.”
“Fine,” Brother Shale said. “Now then, what will the Beneficence perceive as an appropriate sacrifice?”
De Peugh was the