The Companions (63 page)

Authors: Sheri S. Tepper

BOOK: The Companions

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I laughed and cried and hugged my friend again. “It doesn't matter who enslaved whom, Scramble. What matters is we were together. What matters is all that time we kept one another from being entirely evil. So long as we cared for one another, we kept one another from turning into Zhaar.”

With the Phaina as our guide, I knew I need take nothing with me, so I stood up, ready to go.

“One thing,” said the Phaina. Her voice was rather re
mote, and even her 'pute sounded very slightly distant, as though reluctant to say the words. “Before you decide to make this journey, you may wish to know who placed the concs on Earth, and who is now seeing that they spread throughout all human planetsâ¦”

“Except the ark planets.” I asked. “You do mean, except the ark planets?

I received her acknowledging nod in answer, and smiled to think of Mag safe with her cats, to think of all of them, safe with those they had loved and saved. The smile was a sincere one, for her, too.

“Never mind, Sannasee. I already know.”

“SHERI S. TEPPER

TAKES THE MENTAL RISKS THAT ARE THE LIFEBLOOD OF SCIENCE FICTION AND ALL IMAGINATIVE NARRATIVE.”

URSUlA K. Le Guin

Praise
for the award-winning author and
THE COMPANIONS

“Tepper invents fascinating extraterrestrial races, and the behavior of these species teaches us much about right and wrong.
The Companions
delivers many epiphanies, not all pleasant, and its conclusion is the author's most satisfying yet.”

Miami Herald

“Fans will hail Hugo nominee Tepper's latestâ¦with its compelling story of an ordinary woman flung into extraordinary circumstancesâ¦Themes of ecology and feminism combine with thrilling mysteryâ¦Tepper talks about important issues, besides excelling at world-building and creating strong and independent characters.”

Publishers Weekly

“Tepper takes the traditional icons, restores their resonance, and makes them her own.”

Minneapolis Star-Tribune

“I've always enjoyed Tepper's work for its fresh perspectives and the way she follows through on interesting notions. I hadn't noticed that she can be sustainedly lyrical.”

San Diego Union-Tribune

“Cleverâ¦engagingâ¦Tepper hasâ¦invention and passion.”

Denver Post

Books by
Sheri S. Tepper

T
HE
A
WAKENERS

A
FTER
L
ONG
S
ILENCE

T
HE
G
ATE TO
W
OMEN'S
C
OUNTRY

B
EAUTY

G
RASS

R
AISING THE
S
TONES

S
IDESHOW

A P
LAGUE OF
A
NGELS

S
HADOW'S
E
ND

G
IBBON'S
D
ECLINE AND
F
ALL

T
HE
F
AMILY
T
REE

S
IX
M
OON
D
ANCE

S
INGER FROM THE
S
EA

T
HE
V
ISITOR

T
HE
C
OMPANIONS

Copyright

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

THE COMPANIONS.
Copyright Â© 2003 by Sheri S. Tepper. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

Adobe Digital Edition September 2009 ISBN 978-0-06-197632-2

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