The Ships Of Earth Page 0,150

starmaster and they have to help me put together a starship..."

(Trust me.)

"Yeah, right. I always have, haven't I?"

(Open the door.)

Nafai opened the door and stepped into a dimly lighted room. The door closed behind him, shutting off much of what light there had been. Blinking, Nafai soon grew accustomed to the dimmer light and saw that in the middle of the room, hanging in the air with no obvious means of support, was a block of - what, ice?

(Much of it is water.)

Nafai approached it, reached out, touched it. His finger went in easily.

(As I said. Water.)

"How does it hold this shape, then?" asked Nafai. "How does it float in the air?"

(Why should I explain, when in a few moments the memory will be yours just for the thinking of it?)

"What do you mean?"

(Pass through the water and you will emerge wearing the cloak of the starmaster. When that is in place, linked to you, then all my memories will be yours, as if they had been yours all along.)

"A human mind could never hold such information," said Nafai. "Your memory includes forty million years of history."

Chapter 21

(You will see.)

"Having Father's memory of his vision in my mind almost drove me mad," said Nafai. "Won't that happen this time, having yours?"

(I will be with you as I have never been with you before.)

"Will I still be myself?"

(You will be more yourself than ever before.)

"Do I have a choice?"

(Yes. You can choose to refuse this. Then I will bring another, and she will pass through the water, and then she will be star-master.)

"She? Luet?"

(Does it matter? Once you have chosen not to be starmaster, what right do you have to concern yourself with the person I then choose to take your place?)

Nafai stood there, looking at the miraculous block of water resting in the air, and thought: This is less dangerous than passing through the barrier, and I did that. He also thought: Could I bear to follow the starmaster, knowing for the rest of my life that I could have been starmaster, and refused? And then: I have trusted the Oversoul so far. I have killed for it; I have nearly died for it. Will I now refuse to take the leadership of this voyage?

"How do I do it?" asked Nafai.

(Don't you know? Don't you remember when Luet told you of her vision?)

Only now, with the Oversoul's reminder, did Nafai remember what Luet had said, of seeing him sink down into a block of ice and emerge from the bottom, glowing and sparkling with light. He had thought it had some metaphorical meaning. But here was the block of ice.

"I sink down from the top," said Nafai. "How do I get above this?"

Almost at once, a meter-wide platter skimmed across the floor toward him. Nafai understood that he was to stand on it. But when he did, nothing happened.

(Your clothing will interfere.)

So he removed his clothing for the second time that day. Doing so reminded him of all the scratches and bruises he had suffered from the buffeting of the wind. Naked, he stepped again on the disk. Almost at once it rose straight up into the air and carried him above the block.

(Step off onto the water. It will support you like a floor.)

Having just put his finger easily into the side of the block, Nafai had his doubts, but he did as he was told - he stepped onto the surface of the block. It was smooth, but not slippery; like the surface of the barrier, it seemed to be moving in every direction at once under his feet.

(Lie down on your back.)

Nafai lay down. Almost at once the surface under him changed, and he began to sink down into the water. Soon it would cover his face, he realized. He wouldn't be able to breathe. The memory of his recent suffocation was still fresh inside him - he began to struggle.

(Peace. Sleep. You'll not lack for air, or anything else. Sleep. Peace.)

And he slept as he sank down into the water.

Elemak was surprised to find that it was Shedemei at the door. All things were possible, of course - she might actually be coming here to join him. But he doubted it - it was far more likely that she was here to try to negotiate some settlement on Rasa's behalf. In which case she wasn't a bad choice as an emissary. He had nothing against her, and she had no awkward family connections. Besides, hadn't

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