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

Terab came over to Krinata and addressed the now-reconvened Oliat through her. "Everything is ready
as Jindigar's requested."

Cyrus maintained his vigilance beside Krinata, having seen that she was wrapped in an extra cloak for
work in the chilly cave. Jindigar felt the human male's protectiveness and barriered himself against the
sexual overtones Cyrus couldn't suppress.

Surveying the cave one last time, Jindigar used Oliat perceptions, not vision, for the only lighting was a
yellow flame. The committees' representatives were clustered around the sun-bright cave
mouthтАФupper-class Cassrians with carapaces engraved and inlaid with precious gems and a few
Lehiroh, humans, and Holot who might once have been aristocrats or tradesmen.

Apart from them stood a group of Dushau who had volunteered to interact with the colony's government.
Trinarvil, their head of medical services, was not among them. Her health was too fragile for her to
become involved. But Threntisn, their chief Archivist, was there recording the event into the great
memory pattern passed from Historian to Historian down the ages from the dawn of Dushau history.
Jindigar himself had carried that particular Archive, sealed and entrusted to Jindigar at death by Grisnilter.
The seal had broken, but Jindigar had delivered the Archive intact to Threntisn, who was trained to
handle it safely.

Threntisn and the other non-Oliat Dushau wore photo-multiplier filters to see by firelight. Jindigar felt the
Historian's recording gaze settle upon him as he responded to Terab's report through his Outreach.
"//Thank you, Terab. Cy, you may close access now.//"

They had all seen the Oliat or its subforms working in the settlement. They knew that during this
operation there could be no information exchange with the Oliat. The Outriders would see that the
officers remained undisturbed.

Cyrus signaled, and the other Outriders came to attention. Before reconvening and balancing, Jindigar
had explained to the Outriders that they were now more vulnerable to distractions. He had not told them
of Eithlarin's episode or that Darllanyu had wanted to use pensone on herself while Krinata had flatly
refused to be a party to it. The others had supported their human zunre, saying that if Darllanyu felt she
couldn't do this undrugged, then they'd better Dissolve.

As the intensity of her current hormonal surge had abated, Darllanyu had agreed to work drugless, but
Jindigar had resolved to keep his attention away from Krinata as much as possible while timing this
operation for the natural trough in Dar's cycle. They had all agreed, knowing the risks, for he had
explained it, telling them plainly, "If we ever reestablish contact with Dushaun, I'll be brought up on
charges for allowing this."

So Jindigar was not surprised when the Oliat trembled nervously in his grasp, balance among them and
attunement with the world around them eluding him. He felt Krinata's heart leap with apprehension and
shut down the open channel to her awareness lest it upset everyone else. Krinata turned to him, alarmed.
//Jindigar- don't. I can do it.//

//Relax,// advised Jindigar. //Only the Outreach can do this first part of the operation. But let me set it up
for you.// He focused on Zannesu, his Inrecach, whose job it was to hold the balance among the linkages
once Jindigar had set it. //Do you want to try to reinforce Center's pattern?//

Zannesu had never done this maneuver before, but he tackled it with a calm professionalism. Jindigar felt