Outreach

In front of Jindigar Cyrus knelt and pulled Krinata against him. She was crying and laughing simultaneously, and there was no blood on her mouth, / didn't hurt her.

Cyrus's eyes met Jindigar's, and the human gave a tentative smile. But his eyes betrayed pain. How much had Cyrus seen? Would he ever understand?

Jindigar turned to scoop Dar up beside him, at last able to place his hand on her neck—where it belonged. Very deliberately, in Cyrus's sight, he raised Dar's face to his and covered her mouth with his own, putting all his long-denied yearning for her into the contact, trying to let it explain that he had not chosen Krinata—and never would. The touch didn't have the import it would have carried but a moment ago, for she, too, was relaxed now. But neither did her mouth taste of satisfaction.

None of us had a physical release? The curiosity faded more rapidly than he could form the thought. All that mattered was' the surge of mutual response engulfing them. Whatever release they had shared wouldn't last long. Soon they could enjoy each other fully. And in private.

Before they could get too involved, Jindigar broke away and told Cyrus, with the greatest sense of satisfaction that he had ever known at fulfilling a vow, "Krinata's yours now. Just as I promised. It's not that I don't care for her, Cyrus. Don't ever think that I did—what I did—without caring for her. She is precious to me beyond all measure—" To Krinata he added the final words of the Aliom divorce celebration, "I'll never stop caring.*"

She met his gaze levelly. When she intoned solemnly, "Through all of what must yet come, what has been will be as a flame extinguished," he knew she recognized his words.

Everything that they'd ever meant to each other passed between them again. And somehow he knew they, were each thinking how very beautiful it was to give an ex-spouse into the keeping of such a fine new mate.

"I don't think 1 like it," said Cyrus, "when you look at her like that."

Jindigar confessed, "I was thinking how very, very beautiful your woman is. But, Cyrus, I was thinking your woman."

He turned to walk Darllanyu toward the door, more eager by the moment to reach the Renewal compound to rekindle their marriage flame. But Dar pulled back toward the human couple. "Wait–1 want to say good-bye."

As she stepped back toward them she pulled her gold armlet off. Handing it to Krinata, she said, "I want you to have this. It's been very precious to me for a very long time. Takora– understands."

Krinata held it as if it were a fragile egg. "Oh, no–Dar– you it isn't—isn't it the First Renewal gift Jindigar...?" Her eyes went to Jindigar, and he nodded, wondering how she knew. She shoved it back at Dar. "I can't, really...."

Dar put her hands behind her back. "It's yours, because you have given me another First Renewal—a gift too precious to even speak of." She turned away, then hesitated, adding, "Krinata, you've got to explain it to Cyrus—all of it. He really has a right to understand. And don't forget—my zunre are always welcome in my home." Then she came toward Jindigar, and his relief at that movement was incredible.

Threntisn covered the Rustlemother with a blanket and rose to follow Dar to the door. "Jindigar—wait. There's something something about you—Darllanyu, may 1?" He gestured imperatively, signaling Jindigar to move aside as if he were tin apprentice caught doing something naughty.

Jindigar, feeling too mellow to protest, went, grateful that at last he seemed lo be over the emotional turbulence of onset. Perhaps now he could get on with the business of being their Active Priest and putting the Temple in order for the training of new Oliat. And soon there would be children to teach.

Threntisn cupped his palms around the edges of Jindigar's eyes and peered into them. Out of nowhere there came a peculiar response that made Jindigar flinch.

"Hold still!" demanded Threntisn, his voice sounding doubled.

And it came again, raw, discordant, Jindigar wrenched his gaze aside and turned away, protesting, "Don't—what are you doing?"

Threntisn stared at Jindigar, awe on his face and wonder in his voice. "Are you hearing and seeing double?"

"So what? After what we've been through I'm not surprised."

"Close your eyes."

Trinarvil pulled Za

Exasperated but humoring the Historian, Jindigar closed his eyes.

"Do you sense a bright dot or a spot of light floating off behind your vision somewhere?"

"Well, yes—Threntisn, it may be centuries before we under-' stand what happened to us—it violated all kinds of theory. If we suffer a few nervous aberrations for a while, that's a small price to pay for our lives. Renewal will heal it all. Don't worry."

"Renewal won't heal this," returned the Historian ominously. "Jindigar, that light is a new Archive's Eye, just opened and not properly sealed and structured yet. That's why you're seeing and hearing double—you don't have the training to handle it."

"Archive's Eye..." repeated Jindigar.

"I don't think you appreciate how rare an event this is," Threntisn went on. "It happens spontaneously maybe once in a hundred generations, and then only to trained Historians who have just given up an Archive. It usually happens only when there's been some great pivotal event to—oh." He looked around at the Natives who were gathering to watch the knot of colonists.

Jindigar put in, "I conic from a Historian family. I know what you're saying"

"Can you hear them?" Threntisn’s eyes flicked back to Jindigar, "Does your Archive pick up any of that?"

"No," denied Jindigar, wanting to deny the whole concept. All he was interested in was Dar and raising a family.

"They're saying that this is not a Historical event at all but an evolutionary one. The longest Whole Memory doesn't reach back to when the last species was added to the hive. Now they've added five new species all at once. We are a new thing—a completely new thing on the face of this planet, a nine-species hive. A new Whole Memory—a really big Whole Memory is required."

Dismay crept over Jindigar as he began to believe. "Threntisn, I can't—I'm a Priest, not a Historian. I told you that once before."

"Yes—but as I recall, you also told me that you would become a Historian when I became a Priest. And according to you, I have."

"Apparently. But I don't have the gift of prophecy. That's Trinarvil's—"

He traded glances with the Healer. "You did predict this, Jindigar. We've all heard you say it any number of times when the Historians' persistence a

"I'll train you to erect the Archive around your Eye," offered Threntisn, "if you'll train me to handle this duad."

Jindigar surveyed the Natives silently watching them. Through Threntisn's link to the hive-mind they all understood what was going on in their hiveheart. Jindigar agreed to the exchange, adding, "It seems that's the nature of this planet, combining disparate types to mutual benefit. If we wish to live here, we must learn the local ordinances of the Laws of Nature."

But no matter what, I am an Aliom Priest.