Free The Gate to Futures Past by Julie E. Czerneda Page A

early.
    The Maker no longer stood alone. The ship had instructed me where to find two more such machines, these shorter and wide. Once told what they were for—one to open and warm food packets from the ship’s stores as necessary, the other to produce a supply of hot or cold water—we’d rushed to put them in place, watching eagerly as they sank into waiting depressions on the dais and came to life. Here was technology we all could appreciate.
    And desperately needed.
    I hadn’t looked for my Birth Watcher, but she found me. A fair-haired child appeared steps away, eyes of gray-green sparkling with delight, and Andi sud Prendolat ran into my open arms with a glad, “Sira!”
Aryl!
    I bent to press my cheek against her soft round one and to smell the sweetness of her hair.
    Greetings, Birth Watcher,
Aryl sent
warmly
.
    â€œIt’s been the best morning ever,” Andi said happily, dancing away again. “See?” She spun in a circle, holding out the ends of the filmy white gauze she wore as a scarf over her yellow ship coveralls. Her sleeves were carefully rolled up and fastened with thread, exposing her small arms from elbow to wrist. The sight always made me smile. Andi’d wanted her sleeves cut off like Morgan’s; with so few child-sized garments in the ship’s stores, he’d persuaded her this was the way young spacers wore them.
    It hadn’t taken long for the rest of the children to demand the same.
    Knowing Aryl’s interest, I let her
see
through my eyes.
You’ve received a fine gift, little one,
she remarked.
    â€œGricel gave it to me. She’s happy I’m teaching Dre to ’port.”
    Even happier, it wasn’t hard to imagine, to have her active son occupied until her baby decided to be born. Any time now, according to Jacqui.
    Still, Andi teaching? She’d learned to ’port only recently.
    She has the Power as well as Talent,
Aryl reminded me, privately.
And I believe our Andi is very fond of Dre.
    A Candidate?
How automatic, that assessment. How inappropriate, I scolded myself. These were children. More importantly, we weren’t the Clan of old.
    I let Aryl feel my
embarrassment.
    Our Birth Watcher will be a potent Chooser, when her time comes,
came the steady reply.
If you’re looking to the future, Rasa di Annk has become our Andi’s heart-kin. Not an infallible prediction, in my experience, but a welcome start.
    Let’s leave her a child a while.
“Dre’s lucky to have you for a teacher,” I praised, rewarded by a smile that lit Andi’s gray-green eyes. Gloom hadn’t a chance around this joyful child. “Join me for breakfast? I’d like to hear about Dre’s lessons.”
    â€œI’d like to, but oh—I can’t, Sira. I promised Rasa I’d find his grandmother.” Andi spun again and stopped, the gauze settling around her like closing wings.
    My heart thudded in my chest. “Andi.” I crouched to meet her eyes. “Rasa’s grandmother is dead. She’s gone.”
    â€œThe dead aren’t gone, Sira.” With sympathy, as if I were confused. Her gaze was guileless and bright. “I
hear
them.”
    We’ve told you not to
listen
.
Aryl, carefully not sharing the alarm I knew we both felt. Alone among the M’hiray, Andi had the Om’ray Talent to
sense
where others were in space. I’d suspected hers extended to finding them through the M’hir, a gift my sister Rael had had. But this?
    The M’hir contained voices—none were safe to
hear,
the Watchers first among them.
    The child’s smile faltered. “But I promised Rasa.”
    I put my hands on Andi’s little shoulders, sending
reassurance
. “Rasa can’t have his grandmother back, no matter what you
hear.
” The Clanswoman was lost, as Rael was lost to me—
    As so many were lost. I fought to keep the tide of
grief
from the child; sent a plea