Changelings
- Автор: Маккефри Энн, Скарборо Элизабет
- Серия: The Twins of Petaybee #1
- Язык: английский
- Жанр: Научная фантастика
Электронная книга - «Changelings». Краткое содержание книги:
CHANGELINGS
They are Ronan Born for Water Shongili and Murel Monster Slayer Shongili. Twin brother and sister. Children of Yana and Sean. Children of Petaybee. As such, theirs is a destiny deeply intertwined with the sentient planet that is their home. For Ronan and Murel are more than human. Like their father, each can transform into a seal and converse telepathically with the planet’s creatures–such as the friendly otter whose life they save one day from a pack of ravenous wolves.
But the twins’ bravery has unforeseen results when a visiting scientist witnesses their startling metamorphosis and becomes obsessed with their capture. To protect their children, Sean and Yana send them to stay with a powerful family friend on an orbiting space station. But no one realizes that Ronan and Murel hunger to discover the origins of their shape-shifting talent–and that their search for knowledge will place them squarely in the path of peril.
Meanwhile, Petaybee is changing–and much faster than an ordinary planet’s natural evolution. It appears that portions of the sea are heating up and a landmass is suddenly rising from the depths. To investigate the startling occurrence, Sean heads out to the open water in his seal form. But the newly unstable region holds untold mysteries–and the potential for disaster.
Ronan, human again, grinned down at him, said, "Thanks, Rory. I can take it now and help Johnny fetch Murel up. Good of you to come to our aid, though."
Rory nodded but looked a little hurt and a lot puzzled. Pet Chan returned with the crane but it wasn't necessary. Johnny and Ronan repeated the previous procedure with Murel, though she kept the towel closer to her than her brother had.
Rory handed lab coats up to them both, since Murel's clothing was at the bottom of the tank, torn during her transformation after Dr. Mabo pushed her in. Ronan picked up his own discarded clothes and put them on, stealing glances at the others. Marmie, Johnny, Pet, Rory, and Ke-ola were there, he confirmed when, fully dressed, he turned to face them. Dr. Mabo was not.
Murel caught his thought before he spoke and said, "Hey, where's Mabo?"
"Oops," Johnny said. "Guess she slipped away while we were all helping you kids and the turtle. Oh well, she can't have gone far."
Pet Chan pulled the radio from her belt and spoke into it. "Chan here. Put out an APB on Dr.
Marie Mabo. Arrest and detain her until I can arrive to take custody. Charges of kidnapping and possible child and animal abuse."
"Sorry, Chan, but she's gone. Her shuttle departed a few minutes ago. You want us to launch a posse?"
Marmie shook her head sadly. "There is no need to risk our personnel. She will not return to trouble us again."
"Good," Rory said when Pet had passed on the order and clicked off the com unit. "I thought it would be so great to have a grandma, and she just kept Mum upset all the time."
Marmie turned to the twins. "You've Rory to thank for alerting us to your danger," she said.
Rory waved his hand in dismissal, "Nothing, really. I went to take her something and caught the old cow watching you on the labcam in her quarters as you entered and dived into the tank, Ronan. I backed out before she saw me, but I knew she was up to no good so I called Madame and raced down here to see if I could help you."
"You're a good pal, Rory."
"Not so much," he said, shaking his head and looking as if he'd just opened what he thought was a fresh can of milk and found it had gone sour.
"Rory," Marmie said, "you cannot hold yourself to blame for your grandmother's actions. If I had realized the connection between her and the twins, I'd never have allowed her on the station. You are not responsible for who your relatives are. It's how you treat your friends that matters."
"What connection, Marmie?" Murel asked. "Mabo said something about Ronan being Da's son like she knew Da or something. She said something about him keeping her from studying the otters and that he knew she'd rather study us."
"Yes. Of course, we knew a group of scientists had been deported from Petaybee after you left, but no one sent any details, just that the otters were safe and their captors had been dealt with."
"When I gave your mum your message about Dr. Mabo keeping a sample of Murel's blood, she was horrified," Johnny told them, speaking carefully. Ronan thought he was measuring his words so he didn't say the wrong thing. What wrong thing could he possibly say now? But Johnny kept talking, as if to ice over the cracks between his words. "Your folks thought they were sending you to safety. They never figured Mabo would follow you here."
"Bad luck for the twins, us being here for my lovin' granny to latch on to as cover," Rory said.
"It's not your fault, Rory. Marmie's right," Murel said, putting a slightly moist arm around him. "If you hadn't been here, she'd have come up with some other excuse since she was so determined to trap us."
"How'd you know to come tonight, Ke-ola?" Murel asked.
"Once I knew the sacred Honu was here, I opened my mind to accept his bidding. He bade me come here double quick and help him, but you got here first," Ke-ola said, his shoulders rolling in a shrug that was like the tide coming in and going out again.
"So what will happen to him now?" Ronan asked. "Will you take him home?"
Before Ke-ola could answer, Johnny Green spoke up.
"Speaking of returning to your native habitat," he said to the twins, "you two need to pack up your belongings and say good-bye to your friends here. You're coming back to Petaybee with me."
"We're going home?" Murel asked. "Just like that?"
"Just like that," Johnny said, trying to sound cheerful, but again there was a cautious note in his voice that neither of the twins cared for. Something was fishy, and it wasn't the edible kind.
Ke-ola said, "The sacred Honu and I come with you."
"Oh, no, Ke-ola," Murel said. "It's much too cold on Petaybee for Honu. Probably for you too.
Not that we wouldn't like you to visit."
"The sacred Honu says a home is being prepared for him and his kind. I will send a message to my family. They will find she who is to be the mate of the Honu and bring her to him."
"You mean on Petaybee?" Johnny asked, looking puzzled. "How would a turtle from here and parts beyond have any idea what might or might not be happening on Petaybee?"
Ke-ola gave him a pitying look. "The Honu are not sacred for nothing. They know many things."
"If he knows about Petaybee and this home he thinks is being built for him, why didn't he know my gran was going to turtle-nap him and experiment on him?"
"I said the sacred Honu and his kind know many things, not all things," Ke-ola said, and after a sigh, added, "They are somewhat more likely to know of distant things and future things than what is right under their flippers, perhaps."
Murel said, "Well, whatever the reason, I think it's brilliant that he's coming to Petaybee with you! I was just thinking that what Petaybee needs are some sea turtles."
"Do they really change, Ke-ola?" Ronan asked. "She said they were shape-shifters."
Ke-ola smiled a smile that made him look every inch of his height and girth. It was a very superior kind of smile. "That is for the sacred Honu to tell if he wishes."
"Do you know, though?"
"That is for me to tell if I wish, and I do not wish at this time."
CHAPTER 19
Marmie was going with them, which surprised the twins. They were more surprised to see several helicopters and small submarines and a lot of diving equipment being loaded onto the ship.
"That going to Petaybee, is it?" Murel asked Marmie as they boarded. Yes, it is.
"Our folks want all that and us too or did you make them take us back if they wanted all the tech stuff?" Ronan asked, teasing.
They were inside the ship and strapped to chairs in the lounge before Marmie answered. "It's search and rescue equipment. Remember how everyone was thinking Petaybee was building a new landmass?"
"Yeah, is that what's happening? The volcano is erupting? Cool! But why the need for rescue equipment? Nobody lives anywhere near there," Ronan said.
"It's probably also for scientists to go study it, isn't it, Marmie? Good ones like Sister Iggierock."
Marmie started to say something, then closed her mouth again and said, "Something of the sort."
"Okay, Marmie, what's going on really?" Murel demanded. "We haven't had any sleep and a tiring time of it lately. You're holding out on us. Why?"
"I wasn't going to tell you or let Johnny tell you either," she said, shaking her head regretfully and smoothing her skirt across her knees. Marmie almost never wore ship suits. She usually wore something elegant and flowing. Today it was iridescent blue synsilk. The rings on her fingers twitched a little, which was unlike her. She was something like an old-time queen, making all sorts of decisions every day. It wasn't like her to act nervous and uncertain. Seeing her that way gave Murel a sick feeling, and she felt the same trepidation from Ronan. "It seems unkind to make this journey last longer for you than need be, when we can have no news between now and the time we land. But your father has gone missing."