The Rowan
- Автор: Маккефри Энн
- Серия: Tower and the Hive #1
- Язык: английский
- Жанр: Научная фантастика
Электронная книга - «The Rowan». Краткое содержание книги:
The kinetically gifted, trained in mind/machine gestalt, are the most valued citizens of the Nine Star League. Using mental powers alone, these few Prime Talents transport ships, cargo and people between Earth's Moon, Mars' Demos and Jupiter's Callisto.
An orphaned young girl, simply called The Rowan, is discovered to have superior telepathic potential and is trained to become Prime Talent on Callisto. After years of self-sacrificing dedication to her position, The Rowan intercepts an urgent mental call from Jeff Raven, a young Prime Talent on distant Deneb. She convinces the other Primes to merge their powers with hers to help fight off an attack by invading aliens. Her growing relationship with Jeff gives her the courage to break her status-imposed isolation, and choose the more rewarding world of love and family.
Not today's darkness, a smelly, clanging, revolving darkness.
That was what had set off her panic - revolving around to see Earth…
…Just as the bucking Miraki had panicked her with Turian sailing up the Straits that time.
But it had been a "spinning" motion that had triggered her on the Jibooti on her first space voyage.
Cargo coming in, Afra said, bringing her back to her responsibilities.
Once again Callisto Tower staff moved with dull efficiency through the day's tasks, with none of the livening humor or even bad temper that signalized an off day for the Rowan.
Callisto was space-side of Jupiter and receiving the last of the in-bound receipts, which would be downshipped once the Moon was again Earth-side, when an emergency signal for live cargo lit up the board.
Live one coming in, Rowan, Brian Ackerman warned her in his capacity of Stationmaster. She'd lost her deft touch in the late afternoon, unusual enough for her, but as the packets were not marked fragile, he hadn't remonstrated.
Now what? she demanded but she retrieved the capsule with more care.
Some Fleet nerd to judge by the ID - then broke off.
At first the Rowan did not notice the silence from her staff. It was day's end and, with that tardy capsule, the generators were growling down to rest. She was making a neater pile of deliveries and transshipment copies when she heard someone taking the Tower steps two at a time.
"Tut tut, I didn't think I could really put this over on you so easily!" And it was Jeff Raven who swung the door wide, his blue eyes brilliant with teasing - and his love. "I don't think you've missed me at all!" The Rowan didn't bother to answer his jibe. She grabbed his hand and launched them into her quarters, into her bedroom, out of their clothing, proving in every way possible just how much she had missed him and exactly what she had missed the most of him.
At several points during that magical night, they had time to exchange words rather than emotional extravagances.
"I've a new nephew, you see," he said, cuddling her against him, her head on his shoulder, her body edged as closely to his as was possible, her legs entwined about one of his. With one ear on his chest, she could hear his voice rumbling up from his diaphragm. "And I was congratulating Mother when she reminded me that a day of rest from hard labor has long been ordained. So, with the impetuosity for which I am known on Deneb, I tagged an assortment of reliable people to hold the planet secure for at least one day, and came back for what I've been aching for!" "I shall bless your mother forever!" "She's mighty curious about you, I will say. I have informed her that holograms do not do you justice." "Does she have any Talent?" "Oh, masses, but she's never trained much, so sometimes her use of what she has can be quite devastating," and Jeff's chuckle began where her left hand rested on his flat belly. There wasn't, the Rowan realized, a spare ounce of flesh on him anywhere. He was much too thin. Eating's the last thing on my mind, love! "I don't think she has enough range for Callisto but, if she put her mind to it, she could blast a message to us anywhere in the City and down on the farm." His chuckle turned rueful.
"Could never put anything over on our Mom." "I never knew my mother!" Jeff's arms pressed her lovingly. "I know, pet. I know."
He shifted suddenly, raising up on one elbow, breaking the physical closeness that the Rowan was reveling in.
"Why is that Purza on your mind again? I know the function of a pukha, but it's no surrogate mother!" "You're digging deep." "No," and Jeff frowned slightly, soothing her hair back from her face and gathering up a handful from the pillow, fascinated by its paleness in the dim tight of the room. "I'm not. Not half as deep as I intend to dig. And speaking of digging, or delving… And that ended that conversation though the Rowan was fleetingly aware as Jeff stroked her body with deft erotic caresses that the interruption was deliberate.
She was soon too involved on too many levels of exquisite lovemaking to complain. Jeff was incredible and kept urging her on to new delights.
When at last they moved apart an inch or so, Jeff's stomach emitted a rolling growl which the Rowan's answered.
"By God, we've even got compatible digestions."
"And you need feeding up. Does no-one take care of you on Deneb?" she demanded, half her attention on manipulating food items from freezer to heating chamber.
"Got any Terran beef steak up here?" he asked, following her efforts. "We lost most of our food animals in the bombardments and we can't really plant until we clear the fields of metal objects. I don't care how nutritious the processed stuff is supposed to be, it tastes bloody awful.
"Oh," and he inhaled the aroma of grilling meat that wafted into the bedroom, "and never smells right. What a talented woman I've found!" And he expressed his appreciation in the most delightful way.
"Jeff! The meat'll burn!" "Oh, a little charcoal does you no harm! Got to eat a peck of dirt, you know…" "JEFF! That's the only decent steak I have right now!" "Oh, in that case…" and he desisted.
After they had ravenously consumed a huge meal - with the Rowan going back again and again to her larder to supply them with the high-protein substances they both needed to fuel their ardor - they made love again. They slept so soundly that neither heard Afra's discreet knocking, nor the ringing of the comsystem.
I do beg your pardons! Afra inserted the phrase politely in each mind, repeating it with more mental force until the Rowan roused.
She felt deliciously rested, totally sated. Rowan! You're broadcasting… Afra said with a discreet mental cough.
Startled into full consciousness, the Rowan felt the unexpected heat of a blush. Afra would never "look" but nonetheless she covered herself with a fold of the thermal sheet. Jeff Raven grumbled sleepily, one hand searching for a touch of her.
"Jeff! Wake up! We've overslept!" "Nonsense. Today's my day off!" He opened one eye.
"I think that was yesterday, Jeff." She's right! Reidinger doesn't know you're here. Why not? Jeff pulled himself to a sitting position and then hauled the Rowan back into his arms, his hands lightly caressing her.
He's not… Afra faltered. He's in a very touchy mood.
That's not unusual! Jeff refused to be cowed. He threw us together on purpose and now I'm here on purpose so he can like it or lump it.
Tell him the truth, Afra, the Rowan added. I overslept and I'll be back at work as soon as I've had a decent breakfast.
Aware that she had, indeed, been delinquent in her own responsibilities, the Rowan tried to wriggle free. But Jeff merely tightened his arms, keeping her close.
Trouble with Reidinger is, he says jump, and every single one of you asks how high! Well, this Denebian lad doesn't!
"IS there anything left to eat in the house, darling?" And, as if he hadn't a care in the world, Jeff grinned fondly down at the woman held firmly against him.
The Rowan swallowed, both appalled by and admiring of Jeff's nonchalance.
"I think, lovely, it isn't only Siglen's conditioning you must slough off." His voice was soft, very gentle but with an edge in it that gave her another, totally new perspective on Jeff Raven of Deneb.
"That FT amp;T of yours has exploited you for such a long time that you've never stopped to realize that you, as a Prime AND a citizen of Central Worlds, have certain inalienable rights that you haven't even bothered to exercise!" He dropped an affectionate kiss on the end of her nose.
"And it's time to exercise! Last one in the pool has to take the day off." He began to unwind himself from her and the covers.
With all respect, Rowan, Raven, Afra said, still standing outside the dwelling, we managed well enough yesterday but there's a passenger carrier coming in that needs the Rowan's gentle touch.
So it has to stay cradled for half an hour, Jeff replied, employing his mouth to plant kisses on places of the Rowan that he had somehow missed earlier. Tell the Captain it's generator trouble. I have it all the time on Deneb.