"If it what I fear is, I will my Ka'ruchaya—you have not the term, female parent to the clan—ask, him to adopt. N'chark will for him care."
"Clan mother. But he's human—why would you do that?"
"He something to himself did, that him into the likeness of a youngling turned. If that likeness a true one is, then he must a youngling's safety and guidance given be." He paused for a moment. "And it my opinion is, that what he did was from honor done."
"It was. I'm not sure I believe you, but telling you what happened can't make it any worse for him. Okay, you're right. The words themselves're meaningless, they were only triggers for anti-interrogation conditioning, a total mind-wipe. Didn't bother anything else, like intelligence, just memory. It's a new technique, but a lot of us already have it …" She turned her head away briefly, then went on. "You could say he has the mind of a newborn child in an adult body. Who was the first person he saw after he … blanked out?"
"He has no one seen."
"I can guess why." She grimaced. "Damn. Okay, who was the first one he heard? If he can still hear."
"He can, ka'naya. And I the first was."
She gave him a mocking grin. "Hi, Daddy. If the psychs were right, he's fixated on you, now. How do you feel about taking care of babies?"
In spite of the dismay he felt at her confirmation of his worst suspicion, Joste couldn't help a smile. "Ka'naya Marine, I have only once the joy had, of sharing young. Say you he will truly me as es'chaya see? Male parent?"
"Father?" The Marine's grin softened into an answering smile at his obvious sincerity. "Not exactly. That, yes, but more. He's your child—yours alone—unless he heard someone else about the same time he heard you."