The Trimorphs (The Ammonite Galaxy , book 7)

Chapter 1

RAVEN GLARED AT her friends. "Why should you go to Kwaide? I am older than you two. I should be the one to go. Or at least, I should go with you."

Temar nodded. "I know. You could, if it weren't for that silly law, the one that says you can't leave Xiantha for long periods until you are fourteen."

Raven blew out a sigh. "I wish I weren't the heir to a dumb planet. You two get to have all the fun!"

Temar's sister, Ashuaia, looked hurt. "We don't, Raven! You are the one who gets to lord it over us all every time any of the panchromes come to see your father."

"Oh sure!" Raven put her hands on her hips and gave a sarcastic nod. "Nothing so much fun as sitting around listening to a bunch of old people prosing on about right, and good, and how to run the planet."

Temar frowned. "You can hardly call your father old. First Six must be ... what ... around thirty now?"

"Well that's not young anymore, is it?"

"I guess. But he doesn't prose on, either. You aren't being fair to him, Raven. He is forever taking us on trips all over the planet. And he knows how to fight really well, too. Like Bennel and Tallen do."

The dark-haired girl was still looking mutinous. "He ought to let me go with you to Kwaide. I want to go into Maestra Cimma's advanced combat class too! I don't see why I can't go. I will be fourteen in a couple of months - why can't they let me go with you now?"

The other girl gave her a sympathetic hug. "I wish you could come too, Raven. It would be much more fun with you there." She gave a sideways glance at the boy standing beside them. "Brothers always take the fun out of everything."

Temar stiffened. "They do not!" He was very conscious of his extra year and a half of life, and although he himself could behave quite rashly at times considered that it gave him every right to watch over his sister carefully, and treat her to his opinion of her every move.

Raven grinned, and her face reverted to its usual sunny self. She hugged the slim girl back. "I know, Ash," she said. "It must be hard to be the youngest of us. After all, you are only eleven."

Ashuaia straightened up, and flicked her hair back. "What is wrong with being eleven? I would be old enough to get married, on Cesis."

"Yes, well. Cesis, you know." Temar sounded disparaging. "They don't even have colours over there."

"You can't talk! You are only a septachrome!"

"Says who, madam pentachrome?"

"That's more than Raven, and she is MUCH older than I am."

Raven giggled. "I am getting on for three years older than you, Ash. —And I can't help my temper, can I? It came from my mother. All Valhai Diva's children have inherited it. It makes progressing in colour very hard."

Temar nodded again. "Sanjai says she was the most magnificent woman he had ever set eyes on. He says her eyes shone like diamonds and she was a better warrior than most men."

Raven stamped her foot. "She isn't dead, Tem! Don't speak of her as if she is."

He raised his hands in apology. "Sorry. But it isn't as if she comes here often. And having a ball of energy for a mother is ... well ... a bit ... strange."

Ashuaia caught the slight slump of Raven's shoulders and defended her friend staunchly. "Valhai Diva is still magnificent. More than before, really. It is just that time passes at a different rate for the morphics, and she can't come over as often as she would like. You know she comes whenever she can, Temmy. Why can't you keep your big mouth shut?"