Kevin Anderson - The Ashes of Worlds

It was time to remove the lie. Nira detached the data crystal and its power pack and took the holographic memorial with her. Although the gesture was symbolic, she felt lighter somehow.

The people on Dobro would be all right, and so would she.

“Why did you do that, Mother?” Osira’h asked.

Nira set her pot down on the ground. “Because we are here to make a new memorial, a much more important one.” She began to scoop out a hole in the dirt so that she could plant her treeling. The children helped, and soon the small worldtree had been patted down in its new home. Nira stepped back to admire what they had done.

“And where shall we plant the others?” Gale’nh asked.

Nira marked off spots, separated widely enough to give the growing trees room, but close enough for them to share their strength, where their roots could find each other and interconnect underground. “Someday there will be a fine grove here,” she said.

Bringing the worldforest mind to this place was her way of forgiving Dobro. The trees would grow tall and strong.

When they were done, they walked back to the landing field where the two cargo ships waited. Happy and relieved, Nira was ready to put her bad memories of this place behind her. Feeling a strong wash of love, she reached out to gather all five of her children in a fierce embrace.

Thiswas the only memory she needed of Dobro.

169

Orli Covitz

Though she doubted DD could interpret subtle expressions despite his many years with humans, Orli did her best to keep the impish excitement from her face. She could barely hold back a grin as she used special cloths to scrub and polish the Friendly compy’s exterior.

“I have always done my best to maintain a clean appearance, Orli Covitz. However, I appreciate your attention to detail. My recent difficulties have left me somewhat worn and discolored.”

“I have a surprise for you, and I want you to look your best.”

“What is the surprise?”

“Now, DD, if I tell you, it’s not a surprise anymore.”

The little compy digested that. “By definition, you are correct.”

She glanced at the clock and quickly finished with a last wipe across the compy’s shoulders and the back of his head. “Time to go. Mr. Steinman has arranged transport for us.”

“You have made me very curious.”

“Good.”

DD followed Orli out of her apartment, still chattering. “I can experience curiosity, you know. My programming is very sophisticated.”

“I’m aware of that. You can experience lots of things that surprise me.”

Mr. Steinman had shaved, showered, put on clean clothes, and combed his wet gray hair behind his ears. He could have used a haircut, Orli thought, but she was pleased that he had taken the trouble to make himself presentable. He realized this was very important to her — and to DD. Mr. Steinman was even wearing cologne. Lots of it.

“Everything’s set,” he said. “Ready to go?”

“You look as excited as I am.”

The older man flushed. “Just doing it as a favor for you, kid.”

“Where are we going?” DD pressed.

“It’s a surprise,” the two of them answered in unison.

“Whom will we meet?”

“It’s a surprise.”

“Will you answerany of my questions?”

“No.”

“Then shall I stop asking?”

“Yes.” The Friendly compy was as antsy as a child about to open a birthday present.

As they traveled across the city, Orli at last relented and offered a hint. “I did some research. You already know I couldn’t find my mother, but I did find someone — someone for you.”

“I do not want anyone else, Orli Covitz. Margaret Colicos told the two of us to stay together.”

“This is different. You’ll understand soon enough.”

They arrived at a modest house with beautiful flower boxes out front. Orli smiled at the brown shutters and shingle roof, the pale yellow siding, the welcoming walk that led up to a front door surrounded by potted plants.

DD kept up with Orli’s eager step as they passed blue-chip juniper shrubs on the way to the front door. Mr. Steinman followed a few steps behind them. As soon as Orli knocked, the door opened, and a striking old woman in a loose green dress answered it. She wore her pewter hair neatly pinned back, and a delicate gold bracelet encircled her left wrist. To Orli’s eyes, she seemed about the same age as Mr. Steinman.

After a second of awkward silence, the old woman asked in a breathy voice, “Is that DD? Is that really DD?”

The compy stepped forward. “Yes, I am DD. I am pleased to meet you.”

Orli thought she would burst with excitement. “DD, don’t you remember Dahlia Sweeney?”

“Dahlia? My first master?” The compy was actually taken aback.

The woman laughed. “That was fifty years ago. But I grew up and gave you to my own daughter. and she grew up, but decided not to have a family.”

“You’re so much older now.”

“Yes, that happens over time. Are you glad to see me?”

DD chattered, his voice filled with delighted exuberance. “This is absolutely wonderful.”

“Yes, it is.” Dahlia opened the door wide. “Please come in. We have so much to catch up on. I’m going to cry, I’m sure of it.”

Inside the house, Orli could smell cookies.

They spent hours that day just talking, and Orli realized how lonely the old woman must be. DD regaled her with his adventures over the years, and Dahlia gave him the story of her life since her daughter Marianna had sold him. Then Mr. Steinman talked of his own exploits, modestly downplaying his heroics. He seemed almost shy, for a change, and he covered it by showing excessive interest in her backyard garden.

They returned the next day for dinner. Then the day after that. There wasn’t a single time that Dahlia didn’t have tears in her eyes when they left.

Finally, on their next visit, the old woman primly sat down on the sofa. Instead of tea, she had made lemonade. “What I’m about to propose is the best solution. We’re all orphans and loose ends. Orli, it sounds to me like you’ve been bounced around from place to place and are just looking for a home.”

Orli forced a smile. “Well, it’s not through lack of trying that I haven’t settled down.”

“Then I suggest you and DD stay here with me. I have plenty of spare rooms, and I could certainly use the company — as well as some help in the garden and a few odds and ends.”

“I can offer my assistance,” DD volunteered.

Orli, who felt no attachment to her little apartment, didn’t hesitate for a moment before agreeing.

“The invitation extends to you, too, Mr. Steinman,” Dahlia said. “If you would be interested.”

“Call me Hud, please — especially if I’ll be settling down here.” The old man couldn’t stop grinning.

“I am very happy about this,” the Friendly compy said.

Orli realized that was exactly the way she felt, too. At last.

170

Patrick Fitzpatrick III

Staring out at the gauzy pastel clouds of Golgen, Patrick no longer felt any threat inside the gas giant. The yawning gulf of emptiness did not make him dizzy, as if he were about to fall (having walked the gangplank, after all). Even the odd smell of chemicals from the upwelling gases didn’t bother him.

“I could almost get to like this place,” he said.

“Then should we keep your grandmother’s mansion on Earth as a vacation home?” Zhett said. “Although compared to this sky” — she spread her arms wide — “even that big old house would seem cramped.”

“I’m perfectly content to be wherever you are,” Patrick said with a mixture of teasing and sincerity, so that she couldn’t tell whether he was being corny or genuinely romantic.

Spiderlike cargo escorts took off from the skymine’s lower decks, circled around the attendant satellite platforms, and ascended to the more rarefied atmosphere until they reached orbit and streaked away with their full canisters of ekti. Production had gone into overdrive. The Ildiran Empire and the Confederation fleet were insatiable customers for stardrive fuel.