Free Cuckoo's Egg by C. J. Cherryh Page B

down again.
    "So you've found out what you don't know," Duun said. "Does the world scare you, Thorn? You have to pick out the illusions here, that's all. You have to know what's real and what's not."
    "You'll be with me."
    "Haras-hatani. Thorn. What do I hear? Is that need? Is that something I have and you don't? What is that thing?"
    "Courage." Thorn's voice was hoarse and hollow.
    "Do I hear can't?"
    "No, Duun-hatani."
    "The meds want you. They want to take you and take that arm apart again; they want to put their machines on you and get pieces of your hide and measure you up and down. I told them to wait a day or so."
    Silence. Thorn's eyes were dilated. It was not all the sedative. Thank you, Duun-hatani."

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    "Get to bed."
    Thorn went. Limping.
    So. So. There was no rebellion. Thorn might have. Duun stared out the vacant kitchen door. The place smelled of remodeling, beneath the wood-scent. Beneath the false wind and the false images. And the sand under his stone-callused feet felt too light, like powder.
    He walked into the bedroom and found Thorn in bed. It was night. Duun's senses knew that, though the wall-images were out of synch and showed mid-afternoon. Thorn slept, the pale blue sheets clutched in a brown, smooth hand. The face had taken on a hollowed look, the jaw lengthened, the cheekbones more prominent.
    Final changes. Almost-manhood.
    Duun selected for night-image. The lights went out and a dust of stars shone on the walls, about the sleeper. The air-conditioning breathed a noncommittal scent, something synthetic and vaguely like the sea.

    * * *
"Well, Duun?"
    Duun tucked up his feet cross-legged on the riser (city manners came hard after sixteen years), rested his arms on his thighs and let his hands fall limp into his lap. (Well?) He looked up at Ellud, who sat on his desk, surrounded by the appurtenances of office, monitor, communications.
    Worm-in-web. Lines went everywhere from here, all over the world. "He's well," Duun said. "I don't think there was damage. A scar or two— what's that?"
    Ellud looked at him: Duun looked back with a forever-twisted smile. It was humor and Ellud seemed finally to decide it was and not to like it.
    "The deed's been settled. The countryfolk are abjectly grateful. The matter is closed."

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    "Good."
    "I'm fending queries off your neck, Duun. You know that."
    "I know. They'll keep their hands off him. Tell them all that. He'd never seen a copter. He can run all the household things, well, the dishwasher he'd not seen. He's what I am. I told you that. The meds will respect him.
    Or I'll deal with them. No. He will. I'll give him leave."
    "I wouldn't advise that."
    "He's hatani, Ellud."
    "A handful of farmers damn near killed him. For the gods' sweet sake, man, they'd have killed him! What were you doing about it?"
    "Running. They almost killed me , you know. A half dozen men with guns aren't to disregard. I didn't teach a fool. And they surprised him. Not with the guns. With their reaction. They're lucky he ran. They're very lucky.
    Even with the guns. You can tell your staff that."
    "They won't provoke him."
    "They're not to talk to him. That rule still holds. Please, thank you, and sit down. Breathe in, breathe out. No comments. Nothing. And respect.
    They'll respect him. I do mean that."
    Ellud drew a long, long breath and let it go. "How mature is he?"
    "Very— in some ways. Not at all in others. I'm telling you: no one talks to him."
    "For how long?"
    "As long as it takes."
    "They want to use the tapes."

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    Duun frowned. "Give me a little time with that. I'll say when."
    "You've had sixteen years!"
    "So has he. Who knows what he needs? I want your meds away from me, Ellud. Or I find another place. Somewhere the other side of the world if I have to."
    "As long as it takes, is it?"
    "That's the way."
    "All right. I'll keep them off your neck. I'll talk to staff. Maybe you should get some rest. Have the meds check you