Jared sat listening to the girl's even breathing. He casually tapped the slab with a fingernail and studied the reflected impressions of a creased feminine brow and full lips compressed with concern.
He moved closer. "Ten Touches?"
There was a sharp alteration in the sound pattern as she faced the other way. But she offered no protest to Familiarization.
His probing fingers traced out her proffie first, then verified the firmness of her cheekbones. He explored further the odd hair style and her level shoulders. The skin there was warm and full, its smoothness harshly broken by the overlay of halter straps.
She drew back. "I'm sure you'll recognize me the next time."
If he was going to be stuck with Unification, Jared decided, he could fare worse by way of a partner.
He waited for the feel of her fingers. But none came. Instead, she slid off the bench and walked casually toward a natural grotto whose emptiness reflected her footfalls. He followed.
"How does it feel," she asked finally, "to have Unification forced on you?" Her words bore more than a trace of bitter indignation.
"I don't much care for it."
"Then why don't you refuse?" She sat on a ledge in the grotto.
He paused outside, tracing the details of the recess as relayed by her rebounding words. "Why don't _you?_"
"I don't have much of a choice. The Wheel's made up his mind."
"That's tough." Her attitude suggested that the whole arrangement was his idea. But he supposed she did have a right to be indignant. So he added, "I guess we could both do worse."
"Maybe _you_ could. But I might have my pick of a dozen Upper Level men I'd prefer."
He bristled. "How do you know? You haven't even had Ten Touches."
She scooped up a stone and tossed it. _Kerplunk_.
"I didn't ask for them," she said. "And I don't want them."
He wondered whether a few swats in the right place wouldn't soften her tongue. "I'm not that objectionable!"
"You--objectionable? Paradise no!" she returned cynically. "You're _Jared Fenton_ of the Lower Level!"
Another pebble went _kerplunk_.
"'I hear something on that ledge,'" she mocked his earlier words.
"'There's a boy lying up there listening out over the world.'"
Della threw several more stones while he stood there with his ears trained severely on her. They all went _kerplunk_.
"That demonstration was your uncle's idea," he reminded her.
Instead of answering, she continued tossing rocks into the water.
She had him on the defensive. And if he chose to strike back it would only seem he was in favor of their Unification, which couldn't be further from the truth. Unification and the obligations it brought would mean an end to his search for Light.
Della rose and went to the grotto wall where a group of slender stones hung needlelike from the ceiling. She stroked them lightly, and melodious tones filled the recess with vibrant softness. It was a wistful tune that sang of pleasant things with deep, tender meaning. He was stirred by the girl's sensitive talent as he was by the sharp contrasts the music showed in her nature.
She slapped several of the stones in an impulsive burst of temperament, then scooped up another pebble. Whispering through the air, her arm arched out to toss the rock as she turned and strode defiantly from the grotto.
_Kerplunk_.
Curious, he went over to explore for the puddle. He was concerned over the fact that he hadn't detected the liquid softness of water in the recess. He found the pool a moment later, however. A deep, almost still spring, it had a surface area no larger than his palm.
Yet, over a distance of thirty paces, Della had casually cast more than a dozen stones--detecting and hitting her target with each one!
Through much of the ceremony the next period, Jared found his thoughts returning to the girl. He wasn't as much disturbed by her arrogance as he was by the possibility that her pebble-throwing demonstration may have been calculated. Was she merely belittling his
He moved closer. "Ten Touches?"
There was a sharp alteration in the sound pattern as she faced the other way. But she offered no protest to Familiarization.
His probing fingers traced out her proffie first, then verified the firmness of her cheekbones. He explored further the odd hair style and her level shoulders. The skin there was warm and full, its smoothness harshly broken by the overlay of halter straps.
She drew back. "I'm sure you'll recognize me the next time."
If he was going to be stuck with Unification, Jared decided, he could fare worse by way of a partner.
He waited for the feel of her fingers. But none came. Instead, she slid off the bench and walked casually toward a natural grotto whose emptiness reflected her footfalls. He followed.
"How does it feel," she asked finally, "to have Unification forced on you?" Her words bore more than a trace of bitter indignation.
"I don't much care for it."
"Then why don't you refuse?" She sat on a ledge in the grotto.
He paused outside, tracing the details of the recess as relayed by her rebounding words. "Why don't _you?_"
"I don't have much of a choice. The Wheel's made up his mind."
"That's tough." Her attitude suggested that the whole arrangement was his idea. But he supposed she did have a right to be indignant. So he added, "I guess we could both do worse."
"Maybe _you_ could. But I might have my pick of a dozen Upper Level men I'd prefer."
He bristled. "How do you know? You haven't even had Ten Touches."
She scooped up a stone and tossed it. _Kerplunk_.
"I didn't ask for them," she said. "And I don't want them."
He wondered whether a few swats in the right place wouldn't soften her tongue. "I'm not that objectionable!"
"You--objectionable? Paradise no!" she returned cynically. "You're _Jared Fenton_ of the Lower Level!"
Another pebble went _kerplunk_.
"'I hear something on that ledge,'" she mocked his earlier words.
"'There's a boy lying up there listening out over the world.'"
Della threw several more stones while he stood there with his ears trained severely on her. They all went _kerplunk_.
"That demonstration was your uncle's idea," he reminded her.
Instead of answering, she continued tossing rocks into the water.
She had him on the defensive. And if he chose to strike back it would only seem he was in favor of their Unification, which couldn't be further from the truth. Unification and the obligations it brought would mean an end to his search for Light.
Della rose and went to the grotto wall where a group of slender stones hung needlelike from the ceiling. She stroked them lightly, and melodious tones filled the recess with vibrant softness. It was a wistful tune that sang of pleasant things with deep, tender meaning. He was stirred by the girl's sensitive talent as he was by the sharp contrasts the music showed in her nature.
She slapped several of the stones in an impulsive burst of temperament, then scooped up another pebble. Whispering through the air, her arm arched out to toss the rock as she turned and strode defiantly from the grotto.
_Kerplunk_.
Curious, he went over to explore for the puddle. He was concerned over the fact that he hadn't detected the liquid softness of water in the recess. He found the pool a moment later, however. A deep, almost still spring, it had a surface area no larger than his palm.
Yet, over a distance of thirty paces, Della had casually cast more than a dozen stones--detecting and hitting her target with each one!
Through much of the ceremony the next period, Jared found his thoughts returning to the girl. He wasn't as much disturbed by her arrogance as he was by the possibility that her pebble-throwing demonstration may have been calculated. Was she merely belittling his
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