Startide Rising (The Uplift Saga, #2) - David Brin Page 0,171
the remnants even as they overpower the Earthlings, and be off before the Tandu and Soro arrive!”
As his ship leapt outward, he had a message sent back to Krondorsfire. “May the Great Ghosts dwell with you.…”
122
Streaker
“That’s a pretty sophisticated little computer you’ve kept hidden away all this time,” Tsh’t commented.
Gillian smiled. “It’s actually Tom’s.”
The fins nodded wisely. That was explanation enough.
Gillian thanked the Niss machine for its hurry-up Thennanin translation. The disembodied voice whispered from a cluster of sparkles that floated near her, dancing and whirling amidst the fizzing oxywater bubbles.
“I could do nothing else, Gillian Baskin,” it replied. “You few lost Earthlings have accumulated, in the course of heaping disasters upon yourselves, more data than my masters have gathered in the last thousand years. The lessons about uplift alone will profit the Tymbrimi, who are always willing to learn—even from wolflings.”
The voice faded, and the sparkles vanished before Gillian could reply.
“The signal party’s returned from the viewport, Gillian,” Tsh’t said. “The Thennanin have gone off chasing our shadows, but they’ll be back. What-t do we do now?”
Gillian felt tremors of adrenaline reaction. She had not planned beyond this point. There was only one thing she wanted desperately to do now. Only one destination in the universe she wanted to go.
“Kithrup,” she whispered.
Gillian shook herself. “Kithrup?” She looked at Tsh’t, knowing what the answer would be, wishing it weren’t so.
Tsh’t shook her sleek head. “There’sss a flotilla orbiting Kithrup now, Gillian. No fighting. There must’ve been a winner in the big battle.
“Another squadron’s heading this way fassst. A big one. We don’t want ’em to get close enough to see through our disguise.”
Gillian nodded. Her voice didn’t want to function, but she made the words come.
“North,” she said.
“Take us out along Galactic north, Tsh’t … to the transfer point. Full speed. When we get close enough, we’ll dump the Seahorse, and get the Ifni-damned hell out of here with … with the ashes we’ve won.”
The dolphins returned to their posts. The rumble of the engines gathered strength.
Gillian swam to one dark corner of the crystal dome, to a place where there was a chink in the Thennanin armor, where she could look at the stars directly.
Streaker picked up speed.
123
Galactics
The Tandu-Soro detachment was gaining on the strung-out fugitives.
“Mistress, a crippled Thennanin is approaching the transfer point on an escape trajectory.”
Krat squirmed on her cushion and snarled. “So? Casualties have left the battle area before. All sides try to evacuate their wounded. Why do you bother me when we are even now closing in!”
The little Pila detector officer scuttled back into its cubbyhole. Krat bent to watch her forward screens.
A small squadron of Thennanin struggled to keep ahead.Further on, at the edge of detection, sparks of desultory battle showed that the leaders were still bickering, even as they closed on the quarry.
What if they’re mistaken, Krat wondered. We chase the Thennanin, who chase the remnants, who chase what? Those fools might even be chasing each other!
It didn’t matter. Half the Tandu-Soro fleet orbited Kithrup, so the Earthlings were trapped, one way or another.
We’ll deal with the Tandu in good time, she thought, and meet the ancient ones alone.
“Mistress!” the Pila shouted shrilly. “There is a transmission from the transfer point!”
“Bother me one more time with inconsequentials …” she rumbled, flexing her mating claw threateningly. But the client interrupted her! The Pil dared to interrupt!
“Mistress. It is the Earth ship! They taunt us! They defy us! They …”
“Show me!” Krat hissed. “It must be a trick! Show me at once!”
The Pil ducked back into its section. On Krat’s main screen appeared the holo image of a man, and several dolphins. From the man’s shape, Krat could tell it was a female, probably their leader.
“… stupid creatures unworthy of the name ‘sophonts.’ Foolish, pre-sentient upspring of errant masters. We slip away from all your armed might, laughing at your clumsiness! We slip away as we always will, you pathetic creatures. And now that we have a real head start, you’ll never catch us! What better proof that the Progenitors favor not you, but us! What better proof …”
The taunt went on. Krat listened, enraged, yet at the same time savoring the artistry of it. These men are better than I’d thought. Their insults are wordy and overblown, but they have talent. They deserve honorable, slow deaths.
“Mistress! The Tandu with us are changing course! Their other ships are leaving Kithrup for the transfer point!”
Krat hissed in despair. “After them! After them at once! We followed