Margaret Howes
Description
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Along one wall were the comlines. He watched several people use them until he was fairly sure
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he had the way of it; then he moved in front of one, stepping forward until a ready light glowed. "Your party, please?" said a light, metallic voice. "Scholar Osrin Havard, historical and ethnic studies, College of Seleme Central," Tadko announced, somewhat more loudly than he had planned. There was a bleeping sound, a click, then a different metallic voice. "Senior scholar Havard is not presently in residence," it said, emphasizing the additional title. "He is on extended leave to the research center on Eilonsad. He will be returning on 8th Perian, Seleme Standard. Sub-space calls may be placed at the central terminal office, minimum charge one hundred duats. Will there be any further service, please?" Tadko said nothing. The voice repeated, "Will there be any further service, please?" "No, no further service," Tadko mumbled. "Nothing." He moved away, and the eye-cell darkened. What now? Many times he had wondered if he were doing the right thing in looking for his father, even though his mother's last words had urged him to do so. He had wondered if the man would even remember him and his mother; if he would want to have anything to do with Tadko, even supposing he did remember; but to arrive and find the man elsewhere--this he had never considered. Eighth Perian, he thought, and began working out how long he had to wait...eighty days, give or take a few. Somehow he would have to find a way to live...he wiped his sweating face on his sleeve and shook his head. This is the wrong world for Elnakti, he thought. Mother did right, bringing us home. Product Description Science Fiction: Fleeing from his home world, young Tadko Darusko arrives on the planet Monna searching for his only relative, his father. About the Author Margaret Howes is a retiree who has become a storyteller in the Society for Creative Anachronism. She has had short stories published in The Tolkien Scrapbook and Sword and Sorceress VIII. She has drawn maps for the books Murder at the War by Mary Monica Pulver, The Best of Leigh Brackett, and the Underwood-Miller edition of Showboat World by Jack Vance.
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