Read Silent Dances for Free Online

full
    membership first? Full membership had become the pennant in a race,
    similar to when one Earth country had raced another to be the first to orbit
    the planet, or the first to land on Terra's Moon. Only now, the Terrans were
    racing the Simiu.
    "Scott and Meg notified the CLS about the Grus," Rob continued, "over the objections of their superiors. They requested that the CLS regard this as a
    genuine First Contact, so a board was established to review the progression
    of the relationship. That was about three years ago."
    Tesa knew that the giant corporations in the colonizing business had a
    different view of CLS membership-they were against it . A year after the
    Desiree encountered the Simiu, Rob Gable had sponsored a law on Earth
    that required all colonizing expeditions to search for intelligent life on the
    habitable planets they discovered. The corporations had managed to water
    down the law's language-what, after all, was intelligence?
    Similar situations had inspired the Mizari to begin plans for StarBridge
    fifteen years ago-a school where diplomacy, the diversity of cultural values,
    and, above all, the waging of intergalactic peace would be taught. It had taken Rob Gable and the Mizari Mediator, the Esteemed Ssoriszs, almost
    ten years to finalize those plans and construct and staff the asteroid school
    they were now on . But StarBridge-located in an area of space that had long
    been used as a transition point for spacefarerswas now a reality -and
    things would begin to change.
    "Jamestown Founders didn't want to sink a lot of money into a planet they couldn't colonize," Rob told Tesa, "but they didn't want to lose their claim if the First Contact was denied, either. So the core of their scientific team
    stayed at Trinity, including Scott and Meg, but as independent researchers.
    We suspect the others stayed to cover themselves-there'll be recognition if
    this is a verified First Contact, and they can keep an eye on their claim if it
    isn't . Earth sent in a few more staff members to assist the core team."
    The holo scenes shifted, and Rob pointed to a group of avian weavers. "The
    fabric they make is incredibly beautiful. The weave is very complicated, and
    the patterns are illusory,
    25
    shifting with the play of light." He lifted a case from the floor, re moved a mound of whiteness , then tossed it over Tesa's lap. Rob smiled at her reaction.
    "The Grus," he signed , " line their nests with the cloaks. They may also use them in their religion , but we 're not sure." Tesa touched it tentatively , then checked the other side. The
    tight , even weaving reassured her, and she stroked the iridescent
    feathers.
    "Like a lot of beautiful things, these cloaks have tu rn ed out to be both a blessing and a curse. The Grus enjoy giving them away , so we began to trade."
    Tesa felt a sense of foreboding. "So what does a space-age planet trade
    for this ìncredibly beautiful ' fabric?" she asked. Rob grimaced . " Don't look at me like that , Tesa. Scott and
    Meg could only find one thing the Grus wanted that their world didn ' t supply them."
    It couldn't possibly be alcohol, she thought . "What?"
    " Wind chimes."
    Tesa looked at Rob blankly , not understanding.
    "Crystal wind chimes, specifically ," he elaborated. "Meg had a little cheap one and the Grus became enamored of it. They said that the
    refracted rainbows it threw re minded them of an insect that omens good
    luck, so crystal wind chimes have become official trade items." He
    shrugged.
    Tesa rolled her eyes. "Have we bought Manhattan yet?"
    " If you go to Trinity, maybe you can come up with a better solution !" Rob finished his coffee , then continued , "That first cloak was sent to Earth, whe re it generated a lot of excitement. As the Grus gave us more,
    museums, gove rn ments , the wealthy and powerful , all lined up for them . Demand far outstripped the supply . Then , two years ago, one of these was found in a ro utine customs search by special