The Far Shore of Time

I put that aside for later thought. Inside the room were the chamber pot and the bed. Their purposes were unmistakable. I used them in turn.

Thankfully, this bed was a lot softer than Pirraghiz’s. It was basically a sort of round mattress on the floor, maybe a hundred and fifty centimeters across-just about long enough for me to stretch out. The mattress was covered with something that felt like flannel, and stuffed with little round lumps like bolls of cotton. When I sprawled out on it I meant only to rest and think about what I was going to say to Beert when he arrived, but I think I dozed off.

What roused me was a sound from outside.

It was an airplane. When I got to the balcony to look out it was just landing in one of those untended fields, coming down slow and nearly vertically, like one of the Bureau’s VTOLs. It rolled only a few meters, and as soon as it stopped a Horch got out, met by a couple of others who had been standing by.

Was the one who had just arrived Beert? I couldn’t tell, but he was wearing the cloth belly patch, while the abdomens of the two who were meeting him glittered metallically in the sunlight. The three of them were having an animated conversation, snaky arms and necks swirling around. I couldn’t hear, of course, but I wished I could; some of the flailing arms were pointing toward the building-in fact, to the balcony I was standing on.

I hastily stepped back, more or less out of sight, but it was too late to matter. The three had finished their conversation. One of the shiny-bellied ones climbed into the plane, still yammering at the other. And the one who had just arrived entered the building.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

The newcomer was Beert, all right. When I went to the door of my room and peered down the circular stairway, I saw him coming up, the ropy neck pointed straight at me. He called, “I did not think you would come here without authorization, Dan.”

He sounded aggrieved. I didn’t want him angry at me, but I stood my ground. I said, “I’m well now, Beert. I didn’t see any reason to wait.”

He came up and stood beside me, his pointy little face only centimeters from my own. “You do not know all the reasons for what I do, Dan,” he said glumly, and waved me into the room. He closed the door behind us and sat on the edge of the bed, regarding me. “The Greatmother did not expect you yet,” he sighed. “I will have to apologize to her.”

Greatmother? That was the second or third time I’d heard her mentioned, and she sounded important. “I’m sorry if I got you in trouble,” I apologized.

He waved the apology away with both sinuous arms. “I am not in trouble, Dan, but it is not appropriate for things to happen in the nest that the Greatmother doesn’t know about. Where is Pirraghiz?”

“She went back to get some stuff. It isn’t her fault, Beert. It was all my idea.”

“Yes, I had supposed so,” he said moodily. “It has been observed that your species is often unruly.” He thought for a moment, long neck swaying, and then said, “You see, Dan, I am engaged in a number of discussions with the cousins. I had to leave them to come here, and I cannot stay very long. Perhaps we can spend a little time together, but first I must speak with the Greatmother about your presence here. Can you remain in this chamber while I make arrangements for you?”

“Sure I can, but I’d rather-“

He was waving both arms and the neck at me again. “Please, Dan. Do not be still unruly. It will not take me long. Stay here.”

When he came back he looked less fussed. “The Greatmother extends you the courtesy of the nest,” he told me, sounding pleased about it. “When she has time she wishes to meet you in person, but when that may be, I cannot say. Do you need to eat?”

Actually I had been beginning to think of food, but I shook my head. “Pirraghiz doesn’t want me eating anything until she comes back to check it out.”

“Yes, that’s wise. Very well. I’m afraid everyone is quite busy, since we are so shorthanded now, but I think I have something that will occupy you until Pirraghiz shows up. Come, first I will show you the parts of the nest.”

He did, too. From where we stood on the landing he showed me the door to something he called the Repository of the Nest-a sort of library, I gathered. We looked in on the children’s dormitory, where a dozen or so little ones were taking their naps-the same ones I had seen at the band shell, I thought, because the female who was standing guard over them was familiar. Beert told me her name. He told me the names of all the five or six Horch we met along the way, but I didn’t retain any of them. They all greeted Beert with friendly respect, sometimes intertwining necks. Even the teacher-guard. They seemed to be an affectionate bunch.