Anne McCaffrey - Doona 3 - Treaty At Doona

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The planet, a blue and green globe around which three pocked moons

circled, was also ringed by orbiting drones and several spaceships of

considerably less mass than the newcomer. Such vehicles were con-

sidered

by the passengers of the enormous spaceship to be as worthy of

investigation as the broadcasts, for both phenomena indicated the

presence of sentient beings and advanced technology.

The visiting vessel, which had no insignia or identifiable markings on

its kilometre-long, irregularly cylindrical hull, sailed boldly towards

the heliopause bounding this so-intriguing star system.

The forward speed of the great ship would have been deceptive to any

monitor observing its approach. Even as those aboard contained their

initial elation of discovery and began to record this event, the blunt

prow of the craft swept out on the in-system side of the heliopause.

Sensors at the system perimeter were spotted, their messages and

internal composition examined by probes: the mechanisms briefly

prevented by this interference from performing the function for which

they had been designed. Excitement grew to a feverish pitch as

Doonarrala, bowed and shook hands with arriving delegates: hopefully

dissembling his most uneasy and ambivalent feelings about this

wretched

conference.

He had never thought the idea of turning the subcontinent into a free

trade and space port facility would come this far. The colony

referendum had passed it by a slim margin, which vindicated his posi-

tion

even if the "yeas' had outnumbered the "nays'. So he had been forced

take the next step: this meeting of Hrruban and Hayuman officials.

Beside him in the receiving line was his best friend Hrriss: their

friendship as yet miraculously unimpaired by their current disparate

views. They had agreed to disagree for the first time in their

twenty-seven-year friendship.

Todd found it very hard to understand how Hrriss should pursue a

course

Beyond Hrriss was his father, Hrrestan, Hrruban coleader with Todd,

who

was as staunchly in favour of the proposed alteration of Doonarrala's

function as Todd and his father were opposed to it.

Todd was impatient to get past the preliminaries and plunge into the

problem which might relieve the tension that twisted his nerves and

tightened his neck and shoulders. Kelly had done her best to knead out

the worst of the kinks, silently supporting her husband. Despite their

mutual respect and deep attachment to this planet and all it stood for,

Todd wasn't sure if Kelly totally agreed with him on this matter.

She'd said all the proper things and had accompanied him and his fa-

ther

on their trips to all the villages where the pros and cons were argued

in open debate. But, somehow, the feeling niggled at him that she was

not as dead-set against a free-trade port as he was.

Ken Reeve had worked tirelessly for a "nay' verdict on the referendum

for the situation was his worst nightmare for Doona come true: an

insidious expansion that defeated the initial purpose of the colony -

The fact that the idea for a trade and space port facility originated

with the Hrruban half of the colony did nothing to placate Todd's

arlx:ieties. The original premise, hammered into the Decision and later

the Treaty - was, he argued, about to be invalidated if part of the

planet was to be commercialized. Ironic that this whole wretched idea

had come from his suggestion that they name the western subcontinent

"The Hrrunat' after the late First Speaker, as a mark of the respect and

love in which all Doonarralans, Hayuman and Hrruban, had held Hrruna.

Todd and the old First Speaker had had a most unusual relationship,

despite their differences of species, culture and age.

It was therefore doubly ironic that what had been meant as a sincere

tribute to Hrruna was rebounding against those he had so subtly

protected during the colony's early stages.

Todd almost welcomed the discomfort of the formal tailored tunic which

rubbed his neck raw as the receiving line continued. He'd had the

notion, dressing this morning, that he should look his best, even in

defeat. His thick black hair was newly cut and neatly brushed and he

knew he looked well in the formal tunic, despite its constriction.

He took some consolation in seeing that Hrriss was likewise chafed by

Hrruban ceremonial gear, surreptitiously tugging at the jewelled straps

that crisscrossed his tawny-furred torso under the loose red robe he

wore for a such formal occasion. On other occasions Hrriss would have

glanced at Todd, a hand-span taller than he, and rolled his large green

eyes ceilingwards, flattening back his tufted ears to express his

discomfort. But today they were opponents - still friendly, still

hoping for a way Out of the dilemma which obsessed both - and their

normal exchanges were constrained.

Hrrestan, veteran diplomat, was currently chatting to the Hrruban Space

Arm representative, Prrid. An old Stripe, the Senior Space Comman-

dant

stood with his hands clasped behind him, rocking back and forth, his

tailtip held at a relaxed angle. Beside him, his aide, a mature and

seasoned explorer, Mrrunda, stood on one foot and then the other, try-

ing

not to appear impatient for the proceedings to begin.

For all the times when, as a small boy, Todd had wished for a tail, he

a tall, white-haired man in uniform who resembled the very portrait of

an ancient sea captain.

In a face of weather-beaten red, surprising in a man who had never

been

out on the seas of any planet, he had sharp blue eyes with which he

now

studied Todd. Hoping he passed muster, Todd smiled and bowed.

"Welcome to the Treaty Island of Doonarrala, sir. May I present Leader

Hrrestan, Senior Commandant Prrid, and his aide, Captain Mrrunda?"

Everett Cabot Barnstable was one of the more important delegates of

the

conference since he represented Spacedep. There had been a lot of

jockeying to see who would head the military arm of Amalgamated

Worlds,

with its huge budget, resources, and manpower.

Barustable, possessed of a strong conservative bent and vast support

Earth, had finally succeeded. His predecessor, Admiral Landreau, had

the

subcontinent: a base that would be as useful to the Hayuman Space

Arm as

the Hrruban. Another point which Todd had tried to emphasize in his

contentions. Spacedep had no right on Doonarrala: had always meant

trouble to the community.

And they wanted to invite Spacedep IN?

Barustable accorded his Hrruban opposite numbers a sharp respectful

half-bow, eyeing them as keenly as they did him. Then he gave an odd

convulsive shudder and frowned. "Confound it, I can't believe it's safe

for a body to shift planets so fast. Ten minutes ago I stood on a grid

on Earth, and then I was decanted on Doona."

"It saves time,' Prrid said, lifting his upper lip in a Hrruban grin.

Todd was relieved to see that Barnstable was familiar with the awesome

sight of a Hrruban smile.

"I imagine you do not favour further grid installations on Doonarrala,'

you

won t stand in the way of progress.

"If I were certain it was progress. . ." And Todd let his comment

trail off. So Spacedep was, as he anticipated, eager to obtain a

legitimate position on Doonarrala.

"Now, Todd,' Jilamey Landreau said, appearing at Todd's elbow, a-jingle

with the tiny bells sewn in patterns on his stylish motley-coloured

attire, "it's not like you to resist any change which improves this

planet. The more grids, the merrier, what? Think of how many more

people would come to the Snake Hunts,' he added, grinning mischie-

vously.

Then he turned to the Senior Commandant and his aide, "Todd saved

life on my first Snake Hunt, you know. By the way, Admiral, Comman-

dant,

I represent the grid. - "Save it till later, Jilamey,' Todd said,

grabbing his friend by the elbow and pushing him away from the military

group.

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摘要：

Theplanet,ablueandgreenglobearoundwhichthreepockedmoonscircled,wasalsoringedbyorbitingdronesandseveralspaceshipsofconsiderablylessmassthanthenewcomer.Suchvehicleswerecon-sideredbythepassengersoftheenormousspaceshiptobeasworthyofinvestigationasthebroadcasts,forbothphenomenaindicatedthepresenceofsenti...

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Anne McCaffrey - Doona 3 - Treaty At Doona

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