Since detecting that first-crystal bearer on Earth from afar, Sharif had heard not a single whisper of crystal-amplified thought from Earth. They all thought it odd that he'd hear the muddled signal from over a thousand parsecs away, but not while he stood on Earth itself. As though the bearer didn't want to be heard.
The dozens of other bearers whose thoughts had been clear—much to Sharif's dismay, in some instances—had exhibited no awareness whatsoever that he was eavesdropping on their thoughts.
“Can't we land any closer?” Casper asked. He and Nadika stood beside each other, the top of his head reaching to her chin, his squat, powerful bulk in stark contrast to her lithe, willowy frame.
“We may do that yet,” Jay said, “after we get a sense of the local residents.”
Sharif looked arou
