"Jacqueline Lichtenberg - Dushau Trilogy 03 - Outreach" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lichtenberg Jacqueline)

It was Krinata's visualization of adjournment. They had adopted it for this Oliat because none of their
symbols worked for her. As he finished dogging the hatches, each of them returned to individual
awareness with only subliminal assurance that the others existed. But any trauma one of them suffered
would blow the hatches wide-open. Even separated, they shared holistic awareness, a residual that made
linear, vocal speech very difficult. They could speak with close associates and zunre who could be
trusted to grasp their meaning, but speech with strangers would remain difficult.

Yanking on some clothes, Jindigar took a rain slicker with a deep hood and plunged out into the torrential
downpour. He met no one. The graveled walks were awash in spots, and before he reached the north
gate, he was soaked and chilled again. He came out into the walled courtyard and surveyed the place.

Around the enclosing palisade, warehouses and offices had been built where ephemerals traded with
Dushau who were not in Renewal. Business was suspended today while the community cleaned up from
the battle with the clickerhive.

To his left, against the west palisade, a long building was divided into single rooms, each with its own
outside door and smoking chimney. It housed the seven Oliat Outriders when they were on duty.

Rain poured off the roof that slanted down over the rough wood porch. Bentwood chairs were scattered
against the wall out of the worst of the wet, and in one of them sat Cyrus Benwilliam, feeding shreds of
clickerbeast meat to a young pet piol.

The parent piols had come with them across the galaxy, adopting Jindigar and caring for him with great
propriety. Here, they had settled beside the fish-farming pond and proceeded to try to populate the
planet with piols. It seemed the species' goal was to provide a personal pet piol for every sapient in the
galaxy.

As Jindigar sloshed to the porch and paused to scrape mud off his boots on the rail provided, Cyrus
looked up. His first reaction at the sight of Jindigar was fearтАФthat Krinata was dead, the Oliat shattered.
Jindigar's manner dispelled that, but the human sensed that something was wrong. As he searched
Jindigar for a clue, the piol snatched the remaining meat and ran off to roll merrily in a puddle and pretend
that his prize was a fish.

The human was too professional to speak to Jindigar until spoken to. Jindigar wanted to reassure him,
but the words wouldn't come. He hadn't realized how much harder it would be adjourning from Center
than from any other Office. Before they'd balanced, it hadn't been this hard.

Grasping the difficulty, Cy called over his shoulder, "Storm! Jindigar's hereтАФI think they've adjourned."

The end door opened, sending a shaft of light out into the gloomy morning. Storm, one of Jindigar's
closest ephemeral friends, his most trusted Outrider, squinted out at Jindigar, then turned and shouted, "It
is Jindigar!" He stepped aside to admit the Center. His professionalism was unimpeachable, yet Jindigar
had to set his will not to turn and retreat. How am I ever going to do this?

He shed his slicker into waiting hands, telling himself it would be easier once he broke that initial barrier.
This was yet another reason no one dared serve at Center twice. It could become impossible to rejoin
normal society.

The room was cozy, a fire going and food steaming. To the left, a door opened into the adjacent room,
and beyond, Jindigar glimpsed other doors open down the row of rooms, the other Outriders gathering