The Crystal Singer

Tic was regarding Killashandra in white-faced perturbation.

“That's all right, now, girl,” Pendel said to her soothingly. “You will, of course, discuss this with no one no matter how you are pressed. I don't think Captain Francu will care to remember the incident.”

“How soon can I get off this ship? No offense to you and Tic, of course.”

Pendel edged himself in front of his keyboard and tapped a code. It took longer than usual for the display to start rippling across the screen, and there were only four lines.

“I wouldn't suggest that one. Drone tanker and primitive food supplies.” Pendel tapped again. The printout was denser. “Ah. We can arrange a transfer to a small but adequate change over station for a Selkite direct to Scoria. Ordinarily, I wouldn't recommend Selkites for any reason, but you'd be the only passenger in their oxygen life-support section.”

“Grand! I'll take it.”

“Means another three days aboard us.”

“I'll sleep a good deal of the time. Light meals when I need 'em.”

“There's just one thing,” and Pendel cleared his throat, ducking his head from her glance. “The Selkite reaches Ballybran just toward the end of the Passover storms. The original E.T.A. would land you well after they'd completed.”

“Oh, you've been doing some retrieving, have you?” Killashandra grinned.

Pendel winked, laying his finger along his nose. “I did feel some objective information a wise precaution.”

“So Chasurt decided the storms produced my mental aberrations?”

“Some such conclusion.”

“No fool goes out in Passover storms. We leave the planet if at all possible. If not, sleep through it!”

“I had heard the rumor that Crystal Singers hibernated.”

“Something of the sort.”

“Well, well. Have another Yarran beer, Killashandra.”

Whatever caused Pendel such satisfaction, he preferred to keep to himself, but they enjoyed several glasses until drowsiness over came her again. Pendel escorted her back to her cabin where Tac stood very much on duty. Small light meals were arranged, and Killashandra lay down to sleep, fervently blessing the fore thought that had provided her with the FSP authority. And what had Francu intended to do with her if he had managed to over rule her? Give her to Chasurt to find out why Crystal Singers are different?

She wasn't well pleased to have to spend a few more days on the cruiser, but she could sleep and relax, now that the pressures of installation were behind her. And she had completed those well. Trag would be pleased with her. Even if some percentage of the Trundimoux were not. Pity about that!

Still, they'd given her a big hand. She'd knocked herself out to give them a new tradition. Her performance at the planet installation had turned an angry mob into a jubilant throng. Yes, she'd done well as a Crystal Singer.

Would she ever again be able to experience that incredible surge of contact as black crystal segments linked? That all-enveloping surge as if she were aligned with every black crystal in the galaxy?

She shuddered with the aching desire. She turned from that thought. There would be other such times; of that she was now certain. Meanwhile, once the storms of Ballybran were over, she could sing crystal.

Sing crystal? Sing?

Killashandra began to laugh, recalling herself as she strode into the planetary communications building, stage center with a near riot occurring around her. She, playing the high priestess, completing the ritual that linked the isolated elements of the Trundimoux! A solo performance if ever there was one. And she had played before an audience of an entire system. What an opening note she had struck with crystal! What an ovation! Echoes from distant satellites. She had done exactly as she had once boasted she'd do, had arrogantly proclaimed to her peers in Fuerte that she would do. She had been the first Singer in this system and possibly the only Crystal Singer ever to appear in Trundimoux.

Killashandra laughed at the twisted irony of circumstance. She laughed and then cried because there was no one to know except herself that she had achieved an ambition.

Killashandra Ree was a Singer, right enough. Truly a Crystal Singer!