Acorna’s Search by Anne McCaffrey Page B

weren’t lost forever—or surely they would have broadcast some kind of distress call that she could have heard. There had to be some explanation for their absence. Perhaps they all were suddenly taken on a voyage off-planet together, and were waiting for her elsewhere. Her feelings were leading her thinking, she knew, but she realized that she had often gone with her gut feeling in solving problems. She just didn’t have any idea how to proceed in this case. So, even though she hated to leave Vhiliinyar, Hafiz’s counsel was good. It was time to hold a planning council and decide what to do next.
    Neeva and Melireenya were among the missing, though Kaari and Hrronye remained to bring the Balakiire back to base camp. The remaining Linyaari survey members straggled in with their flitters, along with their data and the precious specimens they had gathered for the aagroni . Under the supervision of Fiicki, all samples of material from Vhiliinyar were carefully packed. Aside from her personal losses, Acorna knew that aagroni Iirtye’s absence would be a crushing blow to any hope of restoring Linyaari life as it had once been, if he was not found again. Especially when not only the rather gruff old scientist but all of his colleagues had been taken at once. They had to find the missing Linyaari, not just to ease her own heart, but also to save her people’s hopes.
    For all her conflicted feelings about leaving Vhiliinyar, she was incredibly glad to see the Moon of Opportunity again, and to be crushed in Becker’s bear hug. She had been holding RK, but the cat simply prowled back and forth between her shoulders and Becker’s for the duration of the hug, kneading his claws in and out and purring louder than the Condor ’s engines.
    “I sure am happy to see you, Princess,” Becker said. “Good thing I sent that cat along to look after you. And I know it’s hard, but try not to worry about Aari too much. He is what we call one tough hombre. I mean, the Khleevi messed with him, and he came out of that and look what happened to the Khleevi! Nah, anything takes a bite out of that boy is gonna need a big chunk of something else to take the taste out of their mouth! We’ll find him. Mark my words.
    “Hafiz has got a feed and a bunk organized for all of your folks, but Mac and I would really rather you’d come back aboard the Condor with us when you’re done eating.” He winked at her. “You could bring some chow with you if you really love us,” he said. She could tell he was as worried as she was. He was talking nonstop—as fast as if he was selling salvage, and mugging as he did so. With that last request he batted his eyelashes, ridiculously long and curly on such a rough-looking character, to cajole her. His efforts to distract her drew one corner of her mouth up slightly.
    “Okay. I’d like that,” she said.
    Thariinye, who had been consoling a young female who had lost three members of her team, left her being cosseted by a bevy of Linyaari females who had remained on MOO. He caught up with Becker and Acorna just as she was about to go eat.
    “How about me, Captain?” he said. “Can I come back on the Condor as well?”
    “If you think you can make yourself useful in other than a supervisory capacity, yeah,” Becker said. “Just kidding,” he added, seeing, as Acorna did, that Thariinye appeared to be genuinely upset.
    “Don’t worry about Aari,” Thariinye said. “I think I’ve figured out what happened, Khornya. Something went after those elders and you know how Maati is, she would have been in the middle of whatever it was before it knew what hit it. And Aari wouldn’t let anything happen to Maati so he went, too. To tell you the truth, I’m glad in a way that, since the others disappeared, Maati and Aari are with them. They can take care of themselves, and save the others, too.”
    “Your confidence in our friends is very sweet and I know they would both be touched by it,” Acorna