"Go right ahead," smiled Guy. "I like to hear you."
"No--this is important, and it is hard for me to begin."
"Serious?"
She nodded. "No ... Elanane, please don't take my shoulders like
that ... it makes it more difficult."
Guy turned her around, pointed her head at the sky. "Up there,
somewhere," he said quietly, "is the answer to everything. We'll find
it some day. Now, Leilanane, tell me what you are worrying about."
"Thomakein asked me to marry him."
Guy's reason beat his reflex to the muscles in his forearms and
prevented him from closing his hands tight on Leilanane's shoulders.
Thomakein perceived the emotional tangle that was becoming more and
more imminent, and by marrying Leilanane he would eliminate it. Guy
knew that Thomakein thought everything of Leilanane--possibly loved
the girl in a passive manner. Guy smiled briefly, obviously Thomakein
could have had little opportunity to make real love to her, but a man
of Thomakein's personality could carry off such a proposal by his own
sheer persuasiveness. Also, Thomakein wanted power himself. Marrying
the lanee's sister would put him in the eyes of the public, and doing
it with the approval of the lanee himself would give him the official
recognition that he needed to become lanee after Elanane. Well, Guy
would resign as soon as Thomakein wanted him to, that was reasonable
and desirable. It also solved the problem that bothered both Guy and
Leilanane.
"Why not?" he asked softly.
"I don't know. Something--keeps me from it."
"Me?" asked Guy in a voice that was almost a whisper.
Leilanane turned and buried her face in Guy's shoulder. "Am I bad?" she
cried. "Is it so terrible to love my brother?"
"It is unfortunate, Leil," said Guy softly. "It cannot be. I, too,
am torn. We must face this thing as it is. Brothers and sisters
normally do not care for one another. Perhaps our being apart so much
has removed the usual reason. Yes, Leil, I love you too. Do you love
Thomakein at all?"
"Thomakein attracts me," admitted Leilanane. "There is something
dynamic in him; dynamic and powerful and all-sweeping. I could learn to
love him truly."
"Then do so. Leil, no matter what we do, you and I, if we permit this
outlandish thing to go on, it will mean unhappiness for both of us."
"No. Couldn't we go ... to Sol ... and live there?"
Guy shook his head. "You'd learn to hate me, Leil. In our hearts we'd
always know that what we were doing was dead wrong."
Leilanane nodded pitifully. "There are times, though," she said
earnestly, "when you do not seem like my brother."
"Forget it," said Guy. "There is nothing more certain in the world."
Guy's sense of humor told him that he was right, all things considered.
"I suppose I will forget it soon enough. What will you do?"
"What I should have done years ago--go out and find me a mate."
"I'll hate her."
Guy laughed, and if it sounded forced, Leilanane did not notice. He
turned her around to face him and shook her gently. "You're a silly
little lovely," he told her. "Nothing is less like the intelligent
girl I know you are. It's been my fault all along. Now you'll marry
Thomakein and you'll love it."
"Think so?"
"Do you think of him at all?"
Leilanane thought for a moment. "I think so," she said slowly. "Perhaps
I might learn to love him--I've never had much chance."
"Again my fault. Come on, I think he's up. We'll settle this right now."
* * * * *
They found Thomakein reading. Guy opened abruptly with: "Thomakein,
Leil says you have been talking deep."