Click on image to enlarge.
|
Playfellow [Darkover]
by Elisabeth Waters
Category: Science Fiction/Fantasy
Description: Hilary Castamir had a little trouble adjusting to life at Arilinn Tower. Many children have imaginary friends, but Hilary's wasn't imaginary.
eBook Publisher: Marion Zimmer Bradley Literary Works Trust, 1987 Red Sun of Darkover
eBookwise Release Date: November 2005
 
54 Reader Ratings:
Available eBook Formats: OEBFF Format (IMP) [20 KB]
Words: 3588
Reading time: 10-14 min.
The trouble with working in a tower, Damon Ridenow thought ruefully, is that some things are impossible to keep secret, and our resident "ghost" definitely falls into that category. Fortunately the circle had finished its night's work before ten-year-old Hilary Castamir, their newest technician, had voiced her desire for some dried fruit. Not that this was at all unreasonable; it was customary to eat something sweet after the grueling matrix work--but it was unusual for a bar of pressed dried fruit to suddenly materialize on the table under the eyes of six startled leroni. And Hilary clearly hadn't teleported it there; she was so tired she was barely able to murmur thanks, pick it up, and chew on it. Damon, who had been working as monitor for the circle, quickly went to the cupboard to get fruit bars for the rest of the circle. He handed the first one to Leonie, Keeper of Arilinn Tower, as always being careful not to touch her. He was dismayed to see that her hand was trembling. She shouldn't be this tired, he thought, using his laran to check her condition more closely; as monitor, he was responsible for the physical well-being of the people in the circle. Her heart was beating more rapidly than normal, her breathing was quicker than it should have been, and she was watching Hilary, who sat innocently munching on her fruit bar, with real dread. She's afraid, Damon realized in shock; Leonie is afraid of the ghost--or whatever it is.
|
)
