The Inheritors - A. Bertram Chandler [34]
Abruptly the drums fell silent and the drummers divided their ranks to let the queen pass through. She advanced steadily, followed by her standard bearer. Her skin was black and gleaming, but there was no hint of negroid ancestry in her regular features. Apart from the absence of rudimentary nipples she was what Grimes was coming to consider a typical Morrowvian woman.
Grimes saluted.
The standard bearer dipped her flag.
The queen smiled sweetly and said, "I, Janine Morrow, welcome you to Ballarat—the landing place of Lode Cougar and of our forebears. I welcome you, spaceman, and I welcome you, sister."
"Thank you," said Grimes. (Should he call this definitely regal female "Your Majesty" or not?)
"Thank you, Janine," said Maya. "I am Maya, of Cambridge."
"Thank you, Janine," said Grimes. "I am John Grimes, of the Federation Survey Service ship Seeker."
17
Grimes called the others down from the pinnace and introductions were made. Then Janine led the way to her palace, which was the long, low building hard by the ancient spaceship. In a room like the other rooms in which they had been similarly entertained there was the ritual sharing of food and water, during which the Queen of Ballarat read the letter that Maya had brought. Grimes was about to get a glimpse of it during her perusal; the paper was coarse-textured and gray rather than white, and the words had been scrawled upon it with a blunt pencil.
Janine said, "Lilian is favored. Twice she has been visited by Captain Danzellan, and now Commander Grimes is calling on her."
"Now Commander Grimes is calling on you," Maya pointed out.
"And so he is." Janine smiled sweetly, her teeth very white and her lips very red in her dark brown face. "And so he is. But what brings you to Ballarat, Commander Grimes? Do you have gifts for me?"
"I shall have gifts for you—but I have nothing at the moment. You will appreciate that we cannot carry much in a small craft such as my pinnace."
"That is true," agreed Janine. "But every time that Captain Danzellan has wished to look for information in the museum or the library he has brought me something." She gestured toward one of the walls where a new-looking clock, with a brightly gleaming metal case, was hanging. "That is a good clock—far better than the old one with its dangling weights. This one does not have a spring even—just a power cell which Captain Danzellan tells me will be good for centuries."
"From the way that you greeted us," said Grimes, "I thought that you were pleased to see visitors from the home world of your ancestors."
"But I am, I am! Too, it pleases me to try to—what is the word?—to reconstruct the old rituals. I have studied The History, as have we all. Also, I have access to records which my sisters elsewhere have not. I received you as important visitors must be received on Earth . . . ."
"Mphm."
"I am sorry that I could not fire a salute, but we have no big guns. In any case, the supply of ammunition for our rifles is limited."
"You did very nicely," said Grimes.
"Bring on the marching girls . . ." muttered Maggie.
Grimes, surreptitiously, had eased his watch off his wrist. The instrument was almost new; he had purchased it from the commissary just prior to departure from Lindisfarne. He said, "Perhaps you will accept this, Janine. It is a personal timekeeper."
"Just what I've always wanted," she said, pleased.
"I take it, then," said Grimes, "that you are the custodian of the books, the records, the . . . "
"Of everything," she told him proudly. "Perhaps, while Maya and I have a gossip, you would care to be shown around?"
"We should," said Grimes.
* * *
Their guide was the young woman who had carried the