Power Play - Anne McCaffrey [72]
Then they were beyond the steam and the islands and back into the iceberg-clogged waters near the southern coast. Breakup was just beginning there, even as winter was beginning in the north, and great rushes of water spumed in the air as the icebergs broke free and calved from the ice pack. She saw a white bear jump from one piece of ice to the other, trying to reach shore. The bears were very hungry and ate people, but still she hoped he made it. He was trying so hard.
They didn’t even stop and refuel at Portage but flew straight on to Sierra Padre, where Loncie and Pablo and their family lived.
But as they passed over the broad plain between rivers and mountain ranges, they saw a strange sight. The ground was as bare for miles around as if it had been closely grazed by some animal, and many people were bent over, harvesting what looked like weeds. ’Cita could see no reason for it.
Johnny flew low, buzzing the people playfully—but also curiously, ’Cita thought. These might be like the hunters and the funny people in white robes and the serious businesspeople she had seen before.
Whatever they were, Coaxtl didn’t like them. Without so much as a warning, the cat sprang to her feet and threw herself against the door.
“Coaxtl, no! We’re high up! You would be killed.”
Coaxtl scratched long rents in the steel of the door, snarling. One will go out. Now.
’Cita ran to throw her arms around the cat and was dragged to the window; as the copter canted to the right, she suddenly found herself looking into the face of a boy a few years older than herself, with features that reminded her somewhat of Pablo’s. He had been holding something, and his arms were still stretched toward it, where it cut a swath through the untouched undergrowth.
Coaxtl’s scratching grew less furious as Johnny circled the area twice, thoroughly confusing the Nakatira Company crane copter, which hovered uncertainly before flying slowly forward, waiting until Johnny finished his survey. The people on the ground below looked up. They were not well dressed for winter.
When the people were at last far behind them, Coaxtl heaved a great sigh and jumped up on the seat ’Cita had occupied, parts of her hanging over the edges. ’Cita plopped down within the overhang of the cat’s giant paws and scrunched the thick soft fur of her friend’s belly with her fingers.
Coaxtl did not speak for the remainder of the flight, though she rumbled contentedly from time to time as ’Cita stroked her. ’Cita would have spoken, but the roar of the copter jets was too loud, and besides, she did not know what to say.
As soon as the copter landed and the door was open, Coaxtl streaked out and bounded away.
“Wait!” ’Cita cried.
The Home is in need, Coaxtl’s voice told her. Bring help.
Johnny jumped down from the copter and helped ’Cita out. “Looks like your friend had an urgent appointment.”
“She said the Home needed help,” ’Cita told him.
“Yes,” Johnny said. “I can see that. Don’t worry, ’Cita. As soon as we’ve had a word with Loncie and Pablo and O.O. installs his cube, we’re outta here, and I think we need to pay our respects to the planet’s newest guests and ask them what the frag they’re doing here. I have a hunch we’ll find Coaxtl there.”
“You are wise, Captain Johnny. Surely that is where Coaxtl will go, for she opposed their presence.” ’Cita pointed to the long rents in the steel door.
Johnny groaned. “That’s not going to be easy to explain to the company.”
But there was no need to explain to Loncie and Pablo, beyond telling them of the barren swath the newcomers were cutting. Loncie told O.O. to put the cube behind the house, and ran out the door just ahead of her husband, who grabbed both of their coats and summoned several neighbors. All of them crowded into the helicopter,