按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃I hope you're not allergic to that；〃 Cecelia said。 〃It makes some people itch for days。〃
〃Sorry。〃 Heris looked at her fingers； which did not seem to be turning any odd color or itching。
〃It's got an edible tuber； quite a nice flavor。〃 Cecelia looked at the row of plants as if blessing them with her gaze。 〃I hope Bunny will trade for this cultivar； that's why we're growing it now。 We had to replant； of course； after the。。。 mmm。。。 problem。〃
Heris had not considered what； besides convenience； might have been sacrificed。 〃Did you lose all the garden crops？〃 she asked。 〃I thought they'd be unharmed。〃 She also wondered what this had to do with Ronnie； and hoped it meant Cecelia was thinking on two levels at once。
〃We lost some。。。〃 Cecelia's voice trailed away； she was staring at another row of plants； these covered with little yellow fruits。 〃I don't know what they're thinking of； half those are overripe。 And they're not fertile； there's no sense wasting them。。。。〃 She picked one； sampled it； and picked another for Heris。 〃You're asking about Ronnie。 I've told you before … I'm sick of that boy。 If he's done something that deserves response； do what you will； short of permanent injury。 I do have to answer to Berenice and his father later； it would be awkward to admit that I sanctioned his death。 But aside from that … 〃 She made a chopping motion at her own neck。
Heris ate the yellow fruit； a relative of the tomato； she thought； and watched Cecelia's face。 〃You're not really happy about that；〃 she observed。 'What else？〃
〃Oh。。。 I think what makes me so furious is that he's not all bad。 He may seem it to you …〃
〃Not really；〃 Heris said。 〃Remember； I told you before that I've seen a lot of young officers； including very wild ones。 For that matter； I was a wild one。〃
〃You？〃 That deflected her a moment。
〃What … you really thought I was born at attention； with my infant fist on my forehead？〃 It was so close to what Cecelia had thought； that the expression crossed her face； and Heris laughed； not unkindly。 〃You should have seen me at sixteen。。。 and will you try to tell me you were pletely tame？〃
〃At sixteen？ I spent all my time with horses；〃 Cecelia said。 Then she blushed； extensively； and Heris waited。 〃Of course； there was that one young man …〃
〃Aha！〃
〃But it didn't interfere with my riding … nothing did … and nothing came of it either。〃 Heris couldn't tell from the tone whether Cecelia was glad or sad about that。 〃But Ronnie … 〃 Cecelia came back to the point； as she always did； eventually。 〃He's got brains； and I don't really doubt his courage。 He's just spoiled； and it's such a waste …〃
〃It always is；〃 Heris said。 〃What he needs is what neither of us can give him … a chance to find out that his own foolishness can get him in permanent trouble； and only his own abilities can give him the life he really wants。 At his age； such tests tend to be dangerous … even fatal。〃
〃But you think you can do something？〃
〃I think I can convince him to play no more tricks on me。 That won't help overall； most likely； he'll blame me； or you； and not his own idiocy。〃
〃It's that crowd he hangs around with；〃 Cecelia said。 〃Yes； his mother spoiled him； but so are they all spoiled。〃
Heris did not argue； her own opinion was that the influence went both ways。
Ronnie was as bad for the others as they were for him。 But it wasn't her nephew； and she didn't have any remnant guilt feelings。 She suspected Cecelia did。 Cecelia had mented more than once on the family's attempts to make her perform in ways they thought important； some of that must have stuck； even if it didn't change her behavior。
Cecelia ate another of the yellow fruits。 Heris hadn't liked the first one well enough to pick another； she watched Cecelia poke about； prodding one plant and sniffing another。 Finally she turned back to Heris。 〃All right。 Do what you can； I won't expect miracles。 And I won't sympathize if he es crying to me。〃
〃I don't think he will；〃 Heris said。 〃He has； as you said； some virtues。〃
〃Do you want to tell me what you're planning to do； or do you think I'll let something slip？〃
〃No … you wouldn't； I'm sure。 But my methods are； as before； not entirely amiable。〃
〃Go on； then。 I won't ask。 Just see that you're on time for your lesson … today you get higher jumps and more of them。〃
Heris looked at her。 〃That's one I hadn't thought of。。。 don't use the simulator until I've had a chance to check it； will you？〃
〃Ronnie wouldn't touch it … he's being tiresome about horses。〃
〃No … not for himself or even you … but to get at me。 I'll be on time … in fact； I'll be early； and I'll make sure it hasn't been tampered with。〃
Ronnie had never believed in premonition； he had known himself far too mature and sophisticated for any such superstitions。 Thus the results of his first touch of the keyboard； after George left； came as a plete surprise。 He had thought of another glorious lark； something harmless to baffle the little captain even further。 She liked to go riding on Aunt Cecelia's simulator。。。
well。。。 what if it turned out to be under his control； and not Cecelia's？ He had in mind a mad gallop across enormous fences that would surely have her squealing for mercy … and to Cecelia it could still appear that nothing was wrong and the captain's nerve had broken。 He held out for some little time； letting himself imagine all the ramifications： his aunt's scorn of those who couldn't ride well； the captain's fear and then embarrassment； the confusion of both。 They would never figure it out； he was sure。
Then he reached for the console。 He would just take a preparatory stroll around his battlements； so to speak； making sure that all his hooks were in place。。。。 His fingers flicked through the sequence that should have laid all open before him； and the screen blanked。
As anyone who has just entered a fatal mand； he first thought it was a simple； repairable error。 He reentered the sequence； muttering at himself for carelessness。 Something clicked firmly； across his stateroom。 It sounded like the door； but when he called； no one answered。 Imagination。 The screen was still blank。 He thumbed Recall； and the screen stayed blank。 Odd。 Even if he'd hit the wrong sequence； the screen should have showed something。 He hit every key on the board； in order； and the screen stayed blank。 He felt hot suddenly。
Surely not。 Surely he hadn't done something as stupid as that … there were ways to wipe yourself out of a net； but his sequence had been far from any of the ones he knew。
He stared at the screen； and worry began to nibble on the edge of his concentration。 He didn't have to enter the mands here； of course … shifting control to the console in George's or Buttons's suite would do … but he hated to admit he'd been such a fool； whatever it was he'd done。 But the screen stayed blank； not so much as a flicker； and he didn't want to lose his good idea。 The captain would have her riding lesson not that many hours later； and he wanted to be sure he got the patches in first。
With a final grunt of annoyance； he shut off his screen and went to the door。
It didn't open。 He yanked hard at the recessed pull； and broke a fingernail； t