Free Deluge by Anne McCaffrey Page B

inviting the other new kids anywhere.
    “Just a sec,” Murel told the girl, and turned back to Huy. “Look, these kids can tell us what the situation is here. I need to find out what they know. It’s not like I’m taking sides or anything.”
    “Who cares?” Huy said. “You’re just looking out for yourself. You don’t fool me. We’ll find out soon enough what’s going on here when they tell us. But you and your brother, living with Madame up in her mansion, you’re used to special privileges. You certainly don’t want to hang out with the rest of us.”
    “That’s not true,” Murel protested. “But I can’t explain right now. Okay? See you at indoctrination.”
    She followed Pele into a hut filled with Kanaka relatives. There was no room for even one more person.
    “Sorry,” Pele said. “I didn’t mean to get you in trouble with your friend, but we got to talk. You need to be warned.”
    “What about?”
    “Baths,” she said.
    “Oh, yeah, that’s going to be a problem,” Murel said glumly. The minute the water touched her or Ronan and they changed, it was going to be all over.
    “Don’t worry, big sistah. I have an idea,” Pele said, and with her brothers and sisters gathered around close so she could whisper, she told Murel.
             
    I NDOCTRINATION WAS MOSTLY about schedules. Mealtimes, curfews, bath days, immunizations, and other structured events that the orphans and children of social and criminal deviants should be happy the company chose to provide for them so their lives would not turn out as badly as those of their parents. Newcomers would not have to worry about finding a place to sleep until later. Tonight they were to sleep in an isolation hut. Tomorrow, after they were bathed, shaved, and immunized, they could be placed in quarters with longer-term residents who would assist in their assimilation to camp life.
    All during her lecture there was a tantalizing smell of hot grease and grain that made the twins’ mouths water. Just before the film started, a shaved-headed older boy wearing a cut-down version of the Company Corps uniform went among them with a carry sack and dribbled a few hot, salty kernels into each outstretched hand.
    Then the film began, shown against the backdrop of a large white piece of cloth, the texture of the reed hut showing through it.
    I can see why she offered extra food,
Ronan told Murel after the film started.
This is so lame! It’s nothing but a recruitment ad for the Corps.
    I know. Pele says they’ve shown one every other day since the
Piaf
arrived. Bunyon doesn’t always offer extra food. That seems to be for our benefit.
    Yeah, but I didn’t get much, did you?
    A couple of pieces. Why did she bother with the come-on, do you think?
    Because we’re new, I guess.
    Soldiers marched, singing loud songs whose lyrics were lost in the voice-over of the narrator extolling the brilliant training and physical perfection that those who joined the Corps would achieve. Shots of them eating delicious-looking food and enjoying recreational facilities came next. Then all the thrilling occupational opportunities. Pilot, engineer, communications expert…
    Hey, let’s sign up to be one of those,
Ro said.
Then we could contact Marmie’s friends.
    Uh, I think they’d catch on, since they brought us from the station.
    Probably.
    She told him about the baths and what she had discussed with Pele and her family.
I don’t trust that Kai, though.
    She’s not taking this well, that’s for sure,
Ro agreed.
But she knows we’re friends of Ke-ola’s and trying to help her people, so I can’t see why she’d mess with us.
    Me either,
Murel agreed.
But I don’t trust her, all the same.

CHAPTER 8
    T HE NEXT DAY they were roused by the shriek of the whistle, making them jump not only from the thin mats on the floor of their hut but almost out of their skins as well.
    Rory pushed ahead of the others, whispering to Ronan as he passed him. “I have to go