World's End

Page 87

09

JOAN D. VINGE

nized it as Kesraal. That meant he was from Big Blue, like the beast. He stopped in front of us, just short of trying to embrace somebody. He looked at our guns and his face fell, as if we'd insulted him instead of threatened him. He jabbered earnestly, raising grizzled eyebrows.

"What's he want?" Ang muttered, rhetorically. He scratched himself.

"He asked if he's offended us somehow," I said. "His name is Harkonni, and he's from Big Blue.

He's very glad to see us--we're the first people he's seen in almost a year."

Ang looked at me, surprised.

I shrugged. "I speak a few languages." I felt something

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stir in me that I'd almost forgotten the name of.

Spadrin snorted, and gestured with his rifle. "Then tell him to get out of our track, or we'll be the last people he ever sees."

I saw the stranger start and frown at Spadrin. "I don't think he needs it translated. You understand what we say?" I asked Harkonni in Kesraal.

He nodded, still with the hurt look on his face. "Yes, yes." He answered in the language we were all using, this time. "I understand you. Forgive me, I forgot. I have not had the tongue of this world in my mouth for a long time."

Spadrin laughed out loud at the incongruous image, and even Ang's mouth inched upward.

Harkonni grinned, obviously missing the fact that they were laughing at him. His pale eyes were too bright, the eyes of a man with a fever. They were startlingly blue against his sunburned face. I shifted from foot to foot uneasily.

"Yes, yes," he went on. "It is wonderful to hold conversation

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with you today. Wonderful to see you all.

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