Conquerors' Heritage

The first protector gestured to his partner as he glanced over the top page. "Give Prr't-casst-a call," he said. "Let's see what she has to say about this."

The other protector nodded and stepped back into his dome. A beat later his amplified voice echoed across the shrine enclosure, summoning Prr't-casst-a to the domes.

She was there almost before the echo of the loudspeaker had died away over the hills. "So you made it after all," she said, looking back and forth between Kl

"One of our other volunteers quit on us at the last hunbeat," Thrr-gilag said, pulling a small flat box from his waist pouch and lifting the lid. "We decided we had enough time to swing by here. If you'll clear us with your protectors, we can get started."

"Not so fast," the first protector growled, stepping forward and plucking the box from Thrr-gilag's hand. "I haven't been told anything about any experiments with Prr fsss organs."

"It's something new," Thrr-gilag told him. "A series of experiments to see if new sensory enhancements can be created for Elders. Don't worry, it's perfectly safe."

"We'll decide how safe it is, if you don't mind," the protector said, frowning at block of reddish gel and the spoon with its thick, cylindrically shaped handle occupying the two parallel compartments in the box. "What is this stuff?"

"The complete composition report is in the authorization," Kl

The protector blinked at her. "You're kidding. A basting sauce?"

"That's rather an oversimplification, of course," Thrr-gilag said curtly, throwing a look at Kl

The protector thrust the box back at Thrr-gilag. "Prove it's safe," he challenged. "Eat some."

Thrr-gilag shrugged. "Certainly." Picking up the spoon, he scooped up a small portion of the gel and licked it off. "Perfectly safe," he said, holding the spoon poised for another scoop. "Rather tasty, actually. Would you like to try some?"

The protector made a face. "No, thanks," he said. "Prr't-casst-a, you sure you want to go through with this?"

"Very much," the Elder said, her voice low and with a quiet passion that required no acting at all on her part. "Please let them in."

The protector sighed. "All right, come on. Prr't-casst-a, go ahead and show us to your niche."

They headed off toward the shrine, Prr't-casst-a hovering in the lead, the second protector bringing up the rear. Kl

Prr't-casst-a's niche was located about three strides up the northwestern wall of the shrine. Using a control set into one edge of the white ceramic, the first protector unfolded a mechanical top-tethered platform from the apex section at the peak. Just barely big enough for three, Kl

She was right. "I'll need to go up with you," the protector said, stepping through the gap in the guardrail onto the platform and moving to its right end.

"Other end, please," Thrr-gilag said, motioning him to the left side of the platform. "I need to be in the middle, with my assistant on my right."

The protector moved to the left end without comment. Kl

"Good," Thrr-gilag said briskly, handing the open box to Kl

Kl

But then, she wasn't pla

"Good," Thrr-gilag said again, wiggling his fingers as he checked the feel of his gloves and peering in through the opening at Prr't-casst-a's fsss. "If you'll hold that door open for me, Protector? Excellent. You ready, Kl

"I'm ready," Kl

"Prr't-casst-a?"

"I'm ready," the Elder said, hovering half in and half out of the shrine in front of Kl

"All right, then," Thrr-gilag said. "Here we go." Getting a good grip on the spoon, he pulled it away from Kl

And as he did so, the spoon's end cap came loose in her grasp. Leaving her holding the end of the needle-tipped tissue sampler that had been hidden inside the spoon's thick handle.

"Here we go," Thrr-gilag said again, adjusting his grip on the spoon so that his hand was covering the missing end cap as he scooped up some of the red gel. "Okay, Prr't-casst-a. Tell me how this feels."

He began smoothing the gel onto Prr't-casst-a's fsss organ, the two of them keeping up a ru

For a beat it didn't work. Then, abruptly, the outer layer yielded and the needle slid into the softer part inside. Kl

It seemed to take forever before the gentle vibration stopped. If she and Thrr-gilag had done their calculations correctly, the sampler tube should now contain the same volume of fsss cells as a standardly cutting. Whether it would work the same way, though, was something they wouldn't know until they got the sampler to Thrr-mezaz on Dorcas. If then.

Second stage: passed. Now came possibly the most delicate part of all. Easing the sampler back toward her until the fsss was pressed up against the ceramic mesh, Kl