Free Acorna’s Search by Anne McCaffrey

as Thariinye had done when he’d gotten stuck in the quicksand. Those mental cries for help would be heard by the nearby crews, if not by those farther away. Liriili’s mental powers were somewhat less powerful than most other Linyaari, but mostly because being able to read minds had never endowed her with empathy for her fellow beings. But Fiiryi surely would have the same abilities as most Linyaari.
    “Has no one heard Fiiryi’s thoughts calling out?” she asked.
    “No, apparently not.”
    “But that’s very strange, isn’t it? My experience with Linyaari thought-speak is that we can sometimes, especially under emergency circumstances, read each other across great distances—even across the vastness of space.”
    “Perhaps Liriili and Fiiryi are no longer able to send their thoughts,” Maarni suggested.
    “You mean they might be dead?” Thariinye asked.
    “Possibly. This is a dangerous place since the Khleevi destroyed it. Or they might be unconscious,” Maati said.
    “We should still be able to get a reading, even if they weren’t conscious,” Aari said.
    “Well,” Acorna said. “It is clear our usual methods of locating the lost don’t work on this planet. Just as a fail-safe, I think we should ask Uncle Hafiz to send us down some personnel locators that my human friends use in times like these—the tiny ones that send out constant signals. That way, if someone else disappears, we will have a backup means of communicating our position to rescue parties, regardless of whether we are conscious or not.”
    “That is a very good idea,” Maarni agreed. “I think it might also be a good idea for those of us on the survey teams to avoid being alone at any time—we should always be paired when we are apart from the main group. That way, if one person is unable to call for help, the other one will perhaps be able to take action or call for assistance.”
    “I suggest Acorna goes to communicate that to the base camp right now, my dear,” Yiitir said. “In the meantime, we will take our own advice, heh?”
    So Maarni, Yiitir, Maati, and Aari continued their examination of the artifact while Thariinye and RK accompanied Acorna back to the flitter.
    Before long Acorna was on a relay from the base camp to MOO, where an unexpected and familiar voice greeted her. “Hey, Princess, it’s me, Becker. I heard that the cat met something that eats even worse stuff than he will.”
    Acorna had to smile. These borrowed flitters had no vid screens, but she could imagine Becker’s bristling mustache and—in spite of his words—the worried expression in the back of his twinkling brown eyes. “Your concern is most touching, Captain. I will convey it to your first mate, who now looks completely recovered, and is purring beside me as we speak. Ah yes, he understood your message. He is lifting his leg to cleanse his rump.”
    Becker chuckled. “That’s my boy. What can we do for you?”
    “When did you become the communications technician for the Moon of Opportunity, Captain? Have you run out of salvage?”
    “Oh, no, I just brought a load in. Hafiz had arranged to have some buyers look over the goods when I showed up. They wanted me to send an inventory before they bothered to come all this way, so I came in to send them a message that I sold the salvage already.”
    “Did you?” Acorna asked, as she could tell he wanted her to. Most of the time, it didn’t require telepathic powers to know what cue Becker wanted you to take.
    “Not yet. But I will. These guys are clowns. I don’t think your ol’ unk really understands the salvage business, Princess. He thinks it’s just junk, so he thought he was helping me out when he asked these bozo buddies of his to take it off my hands. Cost me a trip to the MOO for nothing, except I think I may be able to supply one of his architects with a few odds and ends for the Linyaari pavilions.”
    “I’m sure you will manage to prosper, Captain, despite my uncle’s