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.
"Hah!" Otter said, and at once she knew that although he had no real wish to go up in the copter again, he was now a sky otter, and having said so of himself, his relatives would expect him to want to go into the sky. That is true. Sky otters could go.
Of course, they might have better things to do, Murel said, to give him an out.
But Otter said staunchly, River seals help river otters, and river otters who are also sky otters help river seals.
The little guy was trembling as Murel carried him back into the copter. At her signal, it had landed once more on the shore. The hundreds of relatives-there were actually probably less than twenty- chittered and chattered anxiously as she and Otter climbed aboard the noisy, smelly, wind-blowing machine and rose into the sky over the ocean. Otter himself kept saying
"Hah!" a lot.
Mother smiled at her and nodded to Otter as if he were a respected acquaintance.
Ready when you are, Murel told Ronan.
Okay then, sea otters, shall we swim?
You realize that we are very tired, having just come from there, the one they'd been speaking to said. However, some of us did not get clams, and these otters will return to the lava beds with you, river seal, because of your song.
Without further fanfare, the sea otters knifed into the waves and Ronan followed.
Murel put her earphones on and heard Mum say to the pilot, "Just keep them in sight. We don't want to frighten the otters. They might be able to lead us to Sean."
Murel thought her mother was awfully brave. Da had been missing for more than a week now. Where would he go in the middle of the ocean that he might be safe? He was all alone unless those deep sea otters knew where he was. Murel didn't want to think about it where anyone could read her, but she didn't see how Da could still be safe. There was no way, really. And yet, if he were gone for good she was sure she would know, sure that Mum would know, and Ronan too. Da? she called experimentally, and imagined her thought sending out ripples in the waves, ripples in the air like a very special kind of father-seeking sonar.
It rippled away into nothingness though, if she didn't count Ronan's irritated, You think I haven't been trying that?
I think you're doing what you show me you're doing, she told him.
We're still not to the place where the sea otters lost him, so you may as well save your energy.
Within another four hours, however, there was a different kind of energy crisis. The pilot's voice boomed and crackled inside Murel's earphones. "We're going to have to go back to refuel pretty soon, ma'am."
"Frag," Mum said, pounding her knee with her fist in frustration. "How close are we now, Murel?"
It had been a long time since Ronan had sent her pictures of anything but waves rolling around his ears, or diving under ice, or otter hind ends. The sea could be very boring if you weren't actually in it. And it wasn't as if they could see much of anything in the copter. You couldn't even make out the otters swimming right below. The farther they flew, the worse the fog became.
In fact, Murel realized she'd been dozing when the pilot's voice awakened her.
So, Ro, how are we doing down there? she asked her brother.
Good! The water is a lot warmer here and it smells like rotten eggs, which seems about right for a -place with volcanic vents, from what we studied in science class. The otters have been getting more and more excited, and making me hungry talking about those delicious red clams.
River otters like those too, Otter said suddenly. He'd been very quiet, and Murel thought he might have been napping.
Ooops, there goes an otter bottoms up, and another. We must be there. I'm diving too.
"Well?" Mum asked impatiently. Murel had almost forgotten about her.
"We're at the clam beds now. The sea otters say this is where Da left them."
"Tell your brother to steer clear of those vents. They have sulfuric acid coming out of them."
"We know all that stuff from school, Mum. Besides, we can smell the difference in the water.
So can the otters."
"We have to turn back now, ma'am," the pilot's voice boomed into their earphones once more.
"Just enough fuel to make it back."
"Let me get out, Mum. We'll lose Ronan and the otters otherwise."
"I don't want to risk losing you both. Besides, what about your little friend here? Didn't you say he doesn't do salt water?"
Another voice crackled into the headphones. "This is Captain Johnny Green aboard the amphibious yacht Melusine, registered to Lady Marmion de Revers Algemeine of Versailles Space Station. We are desperately seeking Petaybean Chinook-class helicopter zero-seven-three-niner-penguin-tango-bear, newly renamed the Flying Otter. Lady Marmion wants to know, 'Is that you, Yana? Have you found him? Do you need fuel because the Melusine is equipped with a helipad and a fueling station.' "
"Yes, no, and merde alors! Marmie, but you think of everything," Mum replied.
Johnny and their copter's pilot exchanged coordinates-normally you could see from a copter, but the smog from the volcano kept that from happening. The result was that soon the copter banked to the left, flew for a while, then settled down toward the sea like a bird fluffing down into her nest.
"Hah!" Otter said. We have left Ronan and the sea otters, Murel. Where are we?
The Flying Otter needs fuel, she told him.
Yes, even flying otters get hungry, but there will be clam meat later.
I didn't mean you. They've renamed the helicopter after you. It's called the Flying Otter now.
And I was thinking. We always think of you, and you refer to yourself, as Otter. But with so many other otters around, and you being our special friend, maybe you would let us call you a special name. How about Sky?
Hah! Sky! Hah! Of course this otter is called Sky by his friends the river seals. Other otters know each other only by individual scent names, but Sky has friends who are not otters and must make sure it is their friend who hears them. Yes, this otter is Sky. Sky is a good name. A high name for an otter so special that even flying machines are named for Sky the sky otter.
Murel had to smile. Otter-Sky-was obviously well pleased with the distinction he had picked up simply by flying with them.
Well, at least things were going well for someone.
Ronan, can you still read me?
Yeah, but I can't hear you anymore. Where did you guys go?
We have to refuel, but Marmie brought her special refueling yacht she packed with her aboard the ship when we came here. So we're not far. Any news of Da yet?
No, mostly just the sound of breaking clamshells and otter bodies diving back down for more goodies. They got a little sidetracked.
CHAPTER 21
WHAT IS THAT? Sky asked, as Murel opened her arms to let him leap from the copter to the pad on the deck of Marmie's yacht.
Sky was looking through the puffs of smog and smoke at the Honu's tank, and Ke-ola beside it.