Triplet Read Online Free PDF Page B

firefly is ‘be light,’ or ‘be lighted,’ ” he shrugged, searching through the locker for the garb he wanted for himself. “I was just being a little theatrical.”
    â€œBut you need to give these commands in Shamahni, don’t you?” she asked.
    â€œWhat do you think we’re speaking now?” he countered.
    â€œWe’re—? Oh! I didn’t—I mean. …”
    She stopped short, in confusion or embarrassment, and Ravagin smiled to himself in the dim light. Deep-implant language training was far more thorough than most people realized. “Don’t let it bother you—I’ve had clients go halfway across Shamsheer before they realized the rest of the population wasn’t speaking Standard. Do you need more light?”
    â€œThis is fine,” she said, her words muffled as she fought with the unfamiliar clothing style.
    He smiled again to himself, and they finished getting dressed in silence. Afterwards, he brought the firefly’s light up a few lumens and studied the various tools and weapons stored on the equipment shelf. The selection was always more limited than he liked, a problem that was normally more an annoyance than anything else. But with Hart’s veiled threats echoing in the back of his mind—and Hart himself God only knew where—the lack of weaponry especially was feeling a lot more critical than usual. But there was nothing he could do about it, at least not until they could get to one of the way houses.
    â€œWell?” Danae asked impatiently as he hesitated in indecision. “What’re we waiting for?”
    â€œJust relax,” Ravagin growled back at her. “We’re not on any schedule here.” Gritting his teeth, he picked up the largest sheath knife available—an ordinary one, unfortunately, not a target-seeking watchblade—and his own personal favorite, a scorpion glove. Both weapons went onto his belt; scooping up another firefly and a prayer stick, he slammed the locker closed and started down the Tunnel. “Come on,” he called over his shoulder.
    She caught up with him within a few steps. “Here,” he said, thrusting the extra firefly into her hand. “You might as well have your own light.”
    â€œThank you,” she said, sounding almost subdued.
    Ravagin glanced at her, noting with mild surprise the tightness in her face. “You getting nervous?”
    â€œMe? No. Why?”
    He felt his lip twitch. “Never mind.”
    The half of the Tunnel they were in now was exactly the same length as that on Threshold’s side of the telefold, but already Ravagin could smell the subtle aromas of Shamsheer’s plant life wafting through the passageway toward them. It brought back memories, not all of them pleasant, of all the visits he’d made to this world. I’m getting old, he thought morosely. Only thirty-eight, and already I’m getting old.
    The curved section of the Tunnel came to an end and they started up the slight slope toward the mouth. After the relative darkness the light pouring through the opening ahead was blindingly bright, but by the time they actually reached it their eyes had had sufficient time to adjust. Ravagin, a cautious step in the lead, they stepped through onto Shamsheer.
    Danae gasped, a long exhalation of pure wonder Ravagin had heard from countless clients over the years. “Ravagin,” she breathed. “It’s beautiful. ”
    He nodded silently, drinking in the view himself with unashamed eagerness. There was never a mood so low, or an anger so burning, that this first view of Shamsheer’s countryside couldn’t make a severe dent in it in short order. The brilliant blue sky, the equally brilliant flowers and plants dotting the green hills surrounding the Tunnel site, the darting insects and trilling birds—it was a section of paradise transplanted onto another world.
    For several minutes