"And how," added JVlaati.

"Because," Aari said. "We are bringing the Khieevi among them to be killed, but the Khieevi may also kill many of the vine people. When we thought they -were not possessed of intelligence, then it seemed good to let the Khieevi graze here and be killed by the sap. But now that we bring this evil upon these beings, the least we can do is -warn them."

"Where are they going to go if they object?" Liriili asked archly.

"That is not the point," Neeva said. "Now that we know they are beings who would suffer from the Khieevi as we would, we naturally will continue Captain Becker's plan only with their cooperation."

"Which we will obtain how?" Liriili demanded with the same archness.

"My collection bag!" Miiri said suddenly. "Where is it?"

"There-among the vines," Kaarlye said. "Mine too. They're open. Do you suppose the plants mind that we are taking the sap?"

"Perhaps they don't mind so much as-wonder -what we are doing with it," Acorna ventured. "After all, they know what function it serves for them, but it must be hard for them to understand why we would wish to take some away."

"Mother, Father," Aari said, "I know of one smell that is  very evocative-that might demonstrate to them exactly what •we are trying to convey. Do you have anything with you that smells like the Khieevi?"

"Oh no," Miiri said. "We bathe very carefully after our laboratory work."

"I'll bet MacKenZ does," Acorna said. "The ship still reeks horribly of Khieevi when you first board it, no matter how many times horns purify the air. That shuttle has the stench hardwired into its structure, I believe."

"I'll go ask him," Maati said.

She returned a short time later holding a peculiar looking object at arms length in one gloved hand, while she held her nose with the other.

"I guess I'm not old enough yet to purify it," she said.

"Good. Don't anyone else try to erase the smell till we can show the vine beings what it means," Acorna said. "Now then, set the thing down, Maati, and let us all allow ourselves to react as we would to a Khieevi with it-fear, disgust, horror, anger, feel them as hard as you can and send. Work yourself up into a sweat if possible."

They all did as she suggested. Aari grew particularly rank with sweat and the stench of fear so that even she could smell him, though usually the Linyaari had only a pleasant odor, if any.

The vines shook and trembled at first and then all at once they swept past the people and converged on the Khieevi object, pouring sap over it, almost shooting the viscous fluid from their stems and blossoms until the thing was entirely covered.

"They get it!" Thariinye cried. "They understand."

"Either that or they're simply acting from self-protection," Liriili said.

"Maybe we should make a holo of the Khieevi to show them?" Maati suggested.

"If they communicate by scent, they'll know the Khieevi  -when they smell them, and apparently they know what to do with them too," Melireenya said.

"We need our collection bags back," Kaarlye said.

Acorna frowned. "Perhaps they'll understand now. Try to take it back. They know we are afraid of the Khieevi and they have probably noticed that -we can't exude sap as they can. That might be clear enough to them-we fear something they have a defense for that -we don't."

Kaarlye reached for the sack and met with no resistance as he reclaimed it and then Miiri's from the vines that had been curled protectively over it.

"Back to the original problem of the holos. I suggest that we simply go to the various holos and ask the plants to spread apart where they are. We will have to work on suggesting that they remain that way until the Khieevi are among them."

Neeva shook her head. "The initial problem isn't the main question now. With beings as intelligent as these, we have no right to sacrifice them to spare the Niriians, or ourselves for that matter."

"So, let's show them the piiyi," Thariinye said.

"If they can't see it, how can they judge?"

"Can they smell it?" Aari asked. "Becker -was complaining of the smell of the piiyi. We still have the capsule in which we found it. Perhaps the smell of that will convey information to the plants that it does not to us."

"I suppose it's worth a try," Acorna said. "Though I hope we're not giving them the wrong smells."

Thariinye and Aari duly boarded the Condor and emerged with the piiyi. They were trailed by RK, who ignored the smelly organic communications device to sniff the plants, after which the cat turned his hoisted tail to the nearest vine and, with a mighty shudder of his magnificently furred appendage, let fly a bolus of eau ^e chat that momentarily overpowered the scent of the flowers.   The vines bent down and for a moment Acorna feared they would perhaps attack RK, but they seemed instead to be bowing to him.

"Look!" -Maati cried. "They recognize his scent! They know he's a sacred temple cat! It's like he's blessed them!"

Neeva wrinkled her nose. "If that is the blessing of the sacred temple cat, I should hate to smell the curse!"

The piiyi was attached to a portable scanner and played for the plants. The vines reacted to nothing until the Khieevi appeared on the piiyi. Then, to everyone's surprise, the plants sprayed the piiyi with sap.

"Well," Acorna said, "they clearly recognize the Khieevi. Even when Captain Becker behaved aggressively toward the plants, they didn't spray sap at him or us, but just the image and the klacking of the Khieevi cause the plants to attack."

Aari nodded. "Yes, I think it is because the Khieevi seem to the vines to be larger versions of the insects their sap is created to destroy. That first time -we were here-when I- when I had to return to the ship? I saw the resident insects in the sap and they reminded me of the Khieevi. Very much."

Neeva frowned. "If the plants regard the Khieevi as natural enemies, and respond aggressively automatically, then I think perhaps this plan will work and still be within the bounds of diplomatic integrity. Now then, all -we have to do is get them to spread themselves away from the holos."

With the communication they had already established, this did not prove difficult. Even Becker was impressed by the cooperation of the vines. When the last drones -were planted, the crew of the Cow)or looked down to see a little frontier outpost of the Linyaari, nestled among flowering vines. Tall unicorn people scurried to and fro among the buildings and vines.

"That ought to be enough to fool the Khieevi," Becker said, and turned to Mac, "Are you ready to transmit from your shuttle?"   "Aye, Captain." -Mac said.

"Then stand by. As soon as the area is cleared, you can invite your friends to our garden party," Becker said, his mustache bristling as he bared his teeth in what Acorna decided was not a show of friendship.

"Uncle, I thought we agreed that the children were to be evacuated here to the Moon of Opportunity immediately," Rank Nadezda reminded Hafiz.

"Ah, but that was before the excellent Becker devised his excellent plan," Hafiz said. "And Ambassador Neeva and the eminent Lmyaari scientists Kaarlye and Miiri assure me it will succeed, as does our own beloved Acorna. So why send the kiddies home? And if they go, why not all of us? And if "we go, so goes a large portion of the assets of House Harakamian, which I have invested in the establishment of the Moon of Opportunity." Seeing his nephew's eyes snap and his mouth open, Hafiz added hastily, "I know, dear boy, I know, of course, that human-and Linyaari-life is not to be measured against mere profit. Naturally. But is it not true as well that these people, Acorna's people, have come to rely upon us for a certain measure of protection-•well, perhaps, support is a better word? And if we begin sending away our own children, indicating that we believe danger still exists, does this not imply that ours are more important than their loved ones? Such an implication hardly sets the right tone, you see?"

"Tone be damned!" Rafik said. "These kids have already been through a thousand kinds of hell and^we have definitely promised them our protection. The Linyaari are home, as are their children. Our kids should return to Maganos Moonbase and stay there until the Khieevi are no longer a problem. And the Haven has no business here either."

"The Haven is free to go whenever it wishes. Thus far the Starfarers have decided to remain with us."   "You can't allow it. Uncle Hafiz. It's much too risky."

"Nephew, dear boy, listen to me. Life is risky. Business- successful business-is even more so. We are pioneers, son of my heart. If we are to tread the surface of planets -which have never known a human footprint, if we are to trade in currency as yet untouched by human hand, risks are necessary."

Rafik's eyes narrowed and his tone -was filled with disgust he didn't bother to conceal. "You say this to me, you who cowered in the underground shelter of your compound at Laboue when you first saw what the Khieevi did to their prisoners?"

Sweat broke out on Hafiz's forehead despite the sweet and mild day Dr; Hoa's weather iriagic had provided. "The shock of first contact, dear boy." Hafiz blotted the moisture with a monogrammed scarlet synsilk tissue. "But, very -well, if you insist, your aunt and I will personally escort the children back to Federation space, while you as my heir and representative will naturally conduct business as usual until the crisis has passed and it is safe for us to return. At which time you will see the wisdom of your old uncle's counsel and realize how hasty you have been."

Rafik smiled ruefully, to let his uncle know he had been outmaneuvered. Hafiz could now take Karina and the children and retire from the field, leaving others to face danger for the sake of his profit. On the other hand, with the old man and the kids safely out of the way, Rafik could command the dismantling of the Moon immediately if it looked like Becker's plan to eradicate the danger from the Khieevi might fail.

Hafiz knew this, of course. And furthermore, he knew that Rafik knew that he knew. But it was much easier to handle matters this -way, allowing Rafik to make the decisions that would preserve or risk life, determine profit or loss. After all, Rafik was now head of House Harakamian, -while Hafiz was technically retired. But these things -were very difficult and must  be handled delicately. If the Moon of Opportunity failed, it would be on Rank's head, and not Hafiz's.

Thus as soon as the holo team returned from the vine "world, the Acadeckt and the Haven were loaded with the children of Maganos Moonbase. As a mark of his faith that he would be returning shortly, Hafiz left the Sharazad on the Moon of Opportunity and submitted himself and Karina to the far less commodious accommodations of the AcaSeckl. Rafik had suggested the gesture, both because the plans were already in place to use the AcaSecki for evacuation and also because, should general evacuation become necessary, the Sharaza<) was larger and •would hold more personnel.

With Aari translating, Kaarlye and Miiri approached Hafiz just before he boarded. Miiri spoke first and Aari said, "My mother implores you to take my sister with you and the children. My parents vow to remain here and continue searching for a way to exploit this biological 'weapon the vine world has provided, although you understand of course that no Lmyaari can actually deploy it as an implement of aggression, even against the Khieevi. However, they say they can work better if they know that Maati is safe. They wished for me to join her, but Khornya and I wish to remain with Captain Becker. My sister is young and longs for new experiences, and would very much like to see the Federation worlds. So take her with you. Take Thariinye as well so that one of her own kind bears her company." He looked back to his mother for further words but she was swallowing hard and looking away.

As Maati and Thariinye transferred ships, Thariinye complained that he wanted to stay -with the Condor but he drew only a stern look from Neeva, who silently indicated he should obey.

What no one said, or even whispered, was that if the Khieevi prevailed, despite the plan, and once more attacked narhii-Vhiliinyar, at least there would be one young male and one young female of the Linyaari safe in Federation space, as  hope for the Linyaari. Meanwhile, the Balakiire's remaining crew worked on coordinating with other teams of volunteer rescuers, in the event it became possible to take a relief mission to Nirii once the Khieevi had been lured away. Distressing transmissions from the Khieevi showed them torturing stoic two-horned beings who were obviously in great pain, but refusing to utter a sound or show any fear at all. Even stranger, Toroona and Byorn, "who had been so emotional on their planet's behalf when asking for help, watched the transmissions -with the same stoicism. Their emotions showed only when they turned away as the frustrated Khieevi increased their efforts until their prisoners, still silent, died.

Becker and RK enjoyed a brief reunion with Nadhari. She, as security chief, was now second in authority on the Moon of Opportunity only to Rafik Nadezda. Since she was supervising the security arrangements for the evacuation, she had time only for a quick half hug with Becker, and to 'welcome RK as the cat draped himself around her shoulders while she worked.

As the passengers finished loading onto the Acaoecki, Miiri and Kaarlye supervised the loading of canisters full of sap into the cargo hold. Hafiz wished to take it to his corporate laboratories for further analyses and study. Should the Khieevi ever attack •within Federation space, the Federation would pay well in terms of influence and power, as well as great sums of money, to the holder of a secret weapon against this terrible enemy.

Aari surprised Hafiz by clasping the older man's round synsatin clad form in his own large embrace. "Farewell, Uncle Hafiz. Look after my sister and Thariinye and our friends and be well. Joh, Khornya, Riid-Kiiyi, and I too will let you know when it is safe to return."

"Er, farewell, my nephew."

Karina gave him a somewhat more effusive hug. "Farewell, Aari, and oh, my, is that a horn you're growing there?" She  reached up to touch it and with difficulty he endured what she probably didn't realize was an inappropriate intimacy. "Oooh, I just had a flash. The plan will succeed but there will be difficulty-and danger! Be careful, dear friend-friends!"

Ready, Captain," -Mac said. The android was in the  cockpit of the Khieevi shuttle. It was still in the hold of the Condor, which was now orbiting the vine world. The holograms moved below in their randomly programmed patterns. Some of them were speaking, some were not. It didn't matter. The Khieevi wouldn't understand anyway.

Becker rubbed his hands together as gleefully as a landlord about to foreclose on the heroine's mortgage in a vid melodrama. "The trap is set, the bait's in place, now all we need is to wiggle the string a little to make the bait look lively to the rats."

Acorna looked up from the console, smiled and stroked RK's head. "Captain, it occurs to me you've been hanging out too much with RK lately."

"Yes," Aari said. "You are beginning to think like a cat."

Becker shrugged. "I could do worse. Cats are good at strategy. " He flipped the toggle on the ship's intercom. "Okay, Mac, do your thing," he said, then, recalling how literal minded the android -was, added, "I mean, make the speech -we discussed to the Khieevi and try to lure them over here."

Acorna frowned. "I wish we were able to wait until the  evac ships have time to reach Federation space." She let the words hang in the air. It -was a vain wish. All of them had seen the broadcasts of pain-wracked Niriian prisoners being tortured. All of them knew what the planet would look like when the Khieevi were finished. All of them knew that every moment they delayed cost more Niriian lives. They had to act quickly. And really, the evacuation ships would be heading toward Federation space, not near the vine "world. There should be no problem at all. Acorna wondered why she remained anxious, nevertheless. When her question popped out, it surprised even her. "I wonder why they do it, really."

"Who, hon?" Becker asked.

"The Khieevi. Why do they torture people? Did you ask the prisoner that?"

"No. I figure it's just cause they're mean mothahs and they enjoy it. Isn't that about right, Aari?"

Aari frowned. "I did not think of them as enjoying anything, Joh. In fact, now that you mention it, I don't believe they 9u) enjoy torturing me, as relentless and thorough as they were. It seemed more as if they were very anxious to be wringing from me every bit of pain and fear they could. The few questions they asked me did not seem to be important to them and they did not bother to try to understand enough Linyaari to be able to express themselves. And I am afraid that one thing our observers and diplomats have learned of the Khieevi is that they are very scientific about their torture. The first few of our representatives they captured and tortured died almost at once, so the Khieevi refined their techniques so that they would only cause maximum pain for the longest possible time without fatal results."

He shuddered suddenly and Acorna reached for his hand and held it. She knew from his thoughts that he had been shamed by his fear of the Khieevi, and by the pleading he had no doubt done with them to stop hurting him, natural as such  responses were. He did not feel any of the merit Thariinye attributed to him for enduring what he could not escape. Acorna agreed with his assessment. It was pitiable what he had been through, horrible, but did not, in itself, make him a better person. No, he himself did that by his strength of character in facing what he feared most, and with reasons stronger than anyone around him could possibly understand. He faced the Khieevi, and their torture, and examined it to try to find answers and solutions that would help others.

Becker grunted. "Whoever said 'know your enemy' was right, even if he couldn't have known the enemy was going to be big, nasty, alien bugs. If he had known, maybe he would have told us how we were supposed to know them."

"Receiving reply from the Khieevi now, Captain," Mac said. "On our -way, Mac," Becker said. The crew clattered across the grated deck plate and down to the hold containing the shuttle. Klackings and klickings emanated from the freshly repaired corn unit.

"What do they say, Mac?" Becker asked. "They are coming here now, ^Captain!" Mac said. "Wow, that was fast. Already?" Becker asked. "The Niriians do not make satisfactory victims, apparently," Mac said. "The Khieevi expressed preference for Linyaari prey. They scream better, apparently. This is a desirable trait in a host race for the Khieevi. They have been quite unhappy with the lack of response from the Niriians, despite their best efforts. The Niriian response has been judged inadequate." "Inadequate for what?" Becker asked.

Mac said, "I do not know, Captain. I repeat only the- scuttlebutt-I am picking up from their intership transmissions. Shall I ask?"

"No," Aari said. "If you were a real Khieevi, you wouldn't have to."

"True," Becker said. "So, they're on their -way. Let's fall  back smartly, gang." It had been necessary for them to transmit from the proper physical location to lend verisimilitude to their transmission, but the remote cameras located on the vine world and its moon would provide visuals of the Khieevi invasion. The Condor could detect the approach of the Khieevi from considerable distance, thanks to the bank of long-range scanners Becker normally employed for detecting ships in peril, recent disasters, and other juicy salvage situations. Once the Khieevi swarm was all focused on the vine world, the Condor could creep back into position for a ringside seat to the "the squishing," as Becker colorfully referred to it.

Once the swarm approached, radio silence would have to be maintained. However, the Condor's shuttle had been repaired and readied to act as a relay between the Moon of Opportunity and the Condor, to carry news of the mission's progress. Once the Condor was in position on the far side of the vine world's nearest planetary neighbor, their position was transmitted to headquarters on the moon.

The Condor lurked, waiting for the Khieevi to become carrion.

When the swarm's vanguard arrived, Becker, who was on watch, let out a whoop. "-Mercy gracious, boys 'n' girls, the scanners look like Kezdet's pleasure district on a Saturday night when the fleet's just docked! My oh my oh my!"

Acorna and Aari joined him on the bridge. Mac was still monitoring Khieevi communications from the wrecked shuttle.

The vid screen came to life as the remote cameras switched themselves on to record the landing of the Khieevi fleet. A shark-like school of the mantis-shaped vessels circumnavigated the smallish vine world as if they were the rings of Saturn. From the innermost ring of ships, shuttles shot to the surface, after -which those ships spiraled away from the planet to be replaced by others with a fresh supply of shuttles and troops.

"We're going to need something to destroy the ships too," Becker whispered fiercely. Acorna knew why he was whispering. The attack was ferocious. She feared anew for the sapient vines. "If they don't land, the sap can't make contact."

"Perhaps they will land to investigate and infect each other," Acorna suggested.

But they did not.

The vines parted to permit the landing of the shuttles, each of -which disgorged an amazing number of ground troops.

At first the vines allowed the Khieevi to pass until it seemed there were as many Khieevi on the ground as there -were vines, all marching relentlessly upon the holo compounds.

Acorna trembled at the sight of multiples of herself, Aari, Neeva and the Balakiire's crew, Aari's family, Thariinye and Liriili, going blithely and peacefully about their business while endless lines of Khieevi, ever reinforced by more shuttles dropping through vine-world space in lines of their own, deposited reinforcements.

The staccato klacking of pincers and mandibles was louder than any -weapon's fire.

"Why aren't the plants closing on them?" Becker demanded.

"I don't know, Captain," Aari answered. "In the communications we had -with them, the mere scent of the Khieevi caused the vine-beings to shoot sap upon the offending objects."

"They're waiting," Acorna said, excitement and awe in her voice. "We knew the plants were intelligent and they're proving it! I think our -warnings about the Khieevi -were understood much better than -we had reason to hope. The plants actually have formed a plan. They -want to trap the largest possible number of Khieevi before they counterattack."

"You're kidding!" Becker said, and whistled.

RK leaped onto the console. His fur stuck straight out on his body so he appeared to be twice his normal size. His tail bristled and switched so fast it slammed Becker's kaf cup to the floor -with one swipe, Aari's with the next. A low growl  from RK's throat grew to a high-pitched caterwaul that made Becker cover his ears and Acorna lift the spiky creature into her arms to try to comfort him. He didn't attack her, but neither did he calm down. There was nothing to heal in his response. It was natural and healthy for a Makahomian Temple Cat to go into battle mode under the circumstances. Acorna understood this and when the cat remained stiff and distinctly uncomforted, she set him down again where he stood with his tail lashing the air like a saber.

The first phalanx of Khieevi reached the holo-compounds and opened fire on the holos, which responded by breaking up and reforming, continuing the postures, journeys, movements, and apparent tasks in -which they had been engaged before the attack.

Khieevi klacking escalated to an even higher volume. Shuttles no longer streamed from the skies. The ground troops, heedless of the klacks of the vanguard, charged forward, trampling some of those in front of them.

Mac looked up at the rest of the crew. "The Khieevi are very frustrated and dissatisfied," he said. The android could have saved the speech. The tone of the klacks accompanied by the activity of the klackers was more than eloquent.

Then suddenly, and seemingly simultaneously, the Khieevi exploded into action, all of them at once diving into the vines with open mandibles. The attack had been so typically single minded that it had drawn their attention-and the attention of Acorna and her friends-completely away from the plants, -which had been docilely shrinking away .from the Khieevi, allowing roots and stalks to be trampled. Even before the Khieevi attack changed course, however, the plants slowly began thrusting upward again, unbending from being trod underfoot, as if reaching for sunlight, all very innocent and plant-like.

But as the first mandibles closed on the first stalk, the vines  whipped into action, shooting sap from each fresh wound and from sap sacs hidden in the stalks and under the leaves as well. The Khieevi were surrounded, as they had previously surrounded the holo-compounds.

The cameras became ineffective as sap squirted everywhere. Becker switched to the moon-linked camera. A close-up of the planet's surface showed it glistening with turbulent swells and peaks of slimy sap. The Khieevi shuttle's corn unit squealed -with high-pitched eeee sounds. Acorna reached over and flipped the toggle, and the sound mercifully ceased.

The remote camera showed a handful of shuttles with rapidly dying Khieevi piloting them erratically towards the mother ships. Once the stragglers had been reabsorbed by the swarm, the ships veered off.

"Are they going back to the Niriians?" Becker asked Mac.

Mac flipped the toggle back on again and monitored the noises emitted by the ships. "No, Captain. They are in disarray. This has never happened to them before, I think."

"Predators who prey on pacifists probably don't run the risk of getting beaten all that often," Becker allowed. "So what are they up to?"

"I do not think they know at this time, Captain. There is talk of returning to the homeworld. They are-unlikely as it may sound-I believe they are very frightened, Captain."

"Of the vine world?" Becker grinned. "They should be. Serves them right."

"Yes, but they are already discussing -what might be used to neutralize it. Actually, from what I can detect, I believe they are afraid of returning to their homeworld. That seems odd, don't you think?"

"Maybe the King bug is going to chop off their heads," Becker said with a shrug. "I hope he does and that teaches them not to mess -with us again. So, gang, I guess that's it. It's over. We win. Or the plant critters do. End of story."

Acorna could not think of a logical objection to this conclusion, though she felt it was somehow all-anticlimactic. So much horror so easily conquered. Who would have believed it. But she could tell from Becker's tone and his expression that he felt the same. Aari too appeared perplexed and unsatisfied. "What's the matter?" she asked him.

He shook his head, "Perhaps, after living with fear of the Khieevi for so long, it is hard to believe we have put an effective end to them. Perhaps I am merely having trouble adjusting to the idea that they are gone, that our people, and I in particular, no longer have the terror of them looming over us."

"Maybe that's it," Acorna agreed. But she remained uneasy.

No brass band greeted the ConSor, but everybody looked happy to see it return safely. Rafik Nadezda, Declan Giloglie, and Nadhari Kando were waiting at the landing bay, as were Aan's parents.

Before the robo-lift had touched the ground, Aari's parents were saying, "We made a significant breakthrough with the sap! Wait till you see. It's quite simple but very effective."

"That's good," Becker told them. "But I'm afraid we won't be needing it."

He deliberately pulled a long face and Acorna and Aari, picking up their cues from him, tried to keep their thoughts to themselves.

"Why? Didn't it work? What happened?"

"The plants pretty well annihilated the Khieevi army, that's what!" Becker said, grinning. "We-or rather the plantswhipped their buggy butts."

Cheers went up among the reception committee and as the word passed all through the compound. Outlying recreational areas had been closed for the red alert and the main city was bloated with anxious people, some of them bored because their functions had been related solely to the closed areas, some of  them pumped with adrenaline, ready to take action against any threat.

The Linyaari delegation pressed forward, the Niriian couple preceding them by a step or two.

Acorna smiled at them and told her aunt, "According to the Khieevi broadcasts, they won't be going back to Nirii either. Mac says from what he can figure out, the Niriians did not make very good victims."

Neeva translated and Toroona smiled beatifically. "She says that's something they can be proud of," Neeva said.

Rafik was smiling too. "Whew. This is a wonderful turn of events! We had better call Uncle Hafiz at once, Acorna, so he can come back and broadcast a new message taking all the credit!" Acorna and Rafik exchanged knowing grins.

Aari's mother had taken his arm on one side and Acorna's on the other. "And we thought we had so much to show you.."

"We are most interested in your discoveries, Mother," Aari assured her. "While most of the Khieevi army was destroyed, there were still many ships aloft and we are unsure how many troops may have remained onboard."

"Yeah," Becker said. "Besides, they're bugs." Acorna translated.

Kaarlye looked puzzled. "Of course they are insects. Does the captain think we are unaware of this?"

"I believe what he means," Acorna said. "Is that insects reproduce rapidly and in large numbers. The danger from the Khieevi is not yet over."

Rafik, dear boy, and my good Captain Becker, this news!" Hafiz Harakamian said. The   crew and passengers of the AcaSecki were cheering, holding hands, and hopping up and down, even as Calum reversed course in preparation for the AcaSecki's, return to MOO, as the children now referred to it. "You have vanquished the enemy, saved the Niriian homeworld, made the universe a safer place to do business, brought honor to House Harakamian, created the opportunity for much favorable publicity for the Moon of Opportunity, and all at a relatively low price point! Commendable, gentlemen, most commendable indeed."

The next hail was from the Haven. "I presume you've heard the news!" Johnny Greene said.

"We have indeed and splendid news it is!" Hafiz replied. "We are returning to the Moon of Opportunity even as we speak."

"We're within Federation space right now, and I haven't heard what the general vote was, but the Counsel is pretty sure the kids will want to come back to the Moon, too. Once the vote is in, if that's the case, "we'll caravan with you again."

"Very well, Johnny, but tell the children not to dawdle.

Uncle Hafiz has a great deal to do now that his staff has made space safe for our new friends and neighbors to travel freely once more."

"Uh-yeah, we knew that," Johnny said. "Catch you in a few."

"So that means we need to wait for them?" Calum Baird asked.

"Yes, indeed," Hafiz said. Laxme and some of the other children made impatient noises.

"Are they going to be long?" Laxme asked.

There was not actually a lot to do on the Accu)ecki and the rations weren't that great either. It wasn't as big as the ships they had come on, and there hadn't been time to prepare properly for a long journey. Nutritious ration bars took up little space, did not require heating or freezing, and provided all of the basic requirements. Laxme knew he shouldn't quibble. Working in the mines, he and many of the others had far less to eat, nothing really, just enough to keep them upright and working. But now that he had tasted enough food, tasty food, lovely desserts and butter for the vegetables and even the succulent meats-he wasn't happy to give that up.

Maati had been indignant at being herded onto the evacuation ship as if she wasn't the former copilot of her own ship, the survivor of two battles, one in space, one on the ground, with the Khieevi. She knew that her parents had insisted she go because they wanted her to be safe, but part of her felt that they really just wanted to be rid of her again, when she had only just found them. And Thariinye was even more impossible than usual. Recently their mutual teasing had been playful and friendly but he was so angry at being kept out of the action again and treated like a child that he took it out on her with deliberately nasty and hurtful remarks. She snapped back just as angrily, and their mood made the other children angry and nasty or depressed too so there was already a lot of fighting on  the ship. This didn't improve Calum Baird's temper any either, and Karina Harakamian fluttered about calling for peace and light. When she wasn't hiding in the berth she had to share only with Uncle Hafiz.

As for Hafiz, he could not but wonder how he had come to taking leave of his senses so far as to allow himself to undertake a long journey in the company of so many children. He was not a fatherly man, nor, if the truth be known, even an avuncular one unless it proved profitable to appear to be. He could not stand whining children actually.

Of course, the unsettling thing about this lot is that they didn't whine. For the most part they were disturbingly adult. The larger ones seemed to be used to looking after the smaller ones, and even the youngest didn't cry, just looked at him with wide eyes that managed to be hopeful and suspicious at the same time.

Returning to the Moon of Opportunity seemed to please them, and he felt more gratitude than was strictly reasonable that they had perked up so much. Even the two Linyaari young ones stopped scowling at each other to cheer. But as the wait for the Haven grew longer, the children became impatient again.

Hafiz did not like the hostile silence. Karina disliked it even more, apparently. Complaining of a headache, she took to their berth.

"What troubles you, my little ones?" Hafiz asked finally, bravely, his own mood at least much improved by relief at not losing his corporate shirt.

"Well," Jana said. "There's not a lot to do here. I think they're bored." She herself, her tone implied, was above boredom.

"Bored?" The concept was not one with which he had much familiarity. Being fabulously rich and imaginative as well, he could usually avoid such unattractive moods.

Calum turned in his command chair and said, "In order to  get maximum passenger space, we had to dispense with some of the amenities-there's only one set of phones and goggles for vids, the hardcopy books were offloaded to make room, and I'm getting sick of nutrient bars myself. Of course they're bored. Aren't you?"

"I've been enjoying the rest, frankly," Hafiz said. "And then, my beauteous Karina and I have not been married long."

"Uh-huh," Calum said, rolling his eyes.

"She has her trances and meditations and continuous search for what she refers to as enlightenment to entertain her," Hafiz said. "Perhaps you could tell the children a story, Baird?" he suggested in a helpful tone.

"Or maybe you could, Hafiz. I'm busy skippering this bird," Calum said, turning his back on him again.

"Me? Ah." Hafiz looked around him. "Very well, then. I shall need to employ the remote link to the ship's computer, dear boy."

"To tell a Story?' Calum asked incredulously.

"Audio-visual aids, homely former senior wife of my illustrious nephew, audio-visual aids," Hafiz said, and clapped his hands. "All young persons wishing to become unbored will now assemble in the hydroponics garden where your beneficent Uncle Hafiz shall entertain you so thrillingly you will completely forget to sulk and fret and otherwise contort your faces and voices into infelicitous conformations."

"That should charm 'em all right," Calum said.

"I shall also require the next meal's supply of luncheon bars and liquid refreshment," Hafiz said.

"Gee, I'd have the chef give them to the mattre'd to deliver personally, but they're both busy with this evening's banquet," Calum replied sarcastically. Hafiz knew, very well that if he wanted the damned bars he'd need to take them from the food locker himself. The replicator worked, but even it required sup plies from which to manufacture foodstuff and those supplies took up more room than the nutrient bars and caps.

"Very well," Hafiz said, and beckoned imperiously to Jana and Chiura, who were following in the wake of the other young ones headed toward the hydroponics garden, which they would soon, Hafiz knew, come to regard as a garden of delights. "Young ladies, you will accompany me to the food locker and assist in conveying supplies to our destination."

The girls looked at each other and shrugged.

The driver of Khieevi ship designated by Fourteen Klaclu am) Two KUdu was greatly agitated.

Partly this -was from the pain in his sixth foot, which had come into contact with the damaged shuttle pilot who managed to dock aboard Fourteen Klaclu am) Two Klicfu before the crew of the large ship realized that both shuttle and the operator of same were infected with an alien substance that ate them. Once they had made this discovery, members of the crew attempted to neutralize the infected personnel in the customary way, by stomping them to death. Unfortunately, this brought feet, pincers, and in some cases other delicate body parts into contact with the alien substance.

The driver really didn't feel well at all and neither did the affected crew members, who could now truly be called a skeleton crew, if not an exoskeleton crew, since the exoskeletons were the first parts eaten away by the substance.

The high-pitched pain sounds they were producing made the driver's brain ache as well as his foot, •which he realized would have to be sacrificed before long or it would involve his entire leg. Unlike the crewmembers, he had not done any actual stomping of the infected shuttle soldier. He had merely nudged the soldier with his foot to tag the tainted one for elimination.

He feared that he would be the next to be eliminated. If the disease didn't claim him, he would surely be stomped by  the other, healthier ship drivers, or worse, his damaged part -would be severed and he -would be fed to the Young.

The Young would be even angrier and more ferocious than usual, as they had not received a good feeding in many, many lengthy time units. The Niriians -were a stingy, selfish race who kept their pain to themselves and did not beg or plead or weep, no matter how meticulously and slowly they were disassembled. They were so retentive of their feelings that they refused to writhe even under the worst provocation. They also were rather frail things and tended to die. Quickly. Quietly. No nutrition for the Young there.

When the shuttle from scout ship Fifty-three Kliclu am) Sewn Kiack.<) reported a juicy colony of the One-Horns, the swarm had been hungry for conquest, and more to the point, the Young had been even hungrier. The lair of the One-Horns had proved elusive and was much sought after, since the members of the race thus far encountered possessed a particularly satisfying capacity for emotional projection. Shock, fear, outrage, loathing, and an unplumbed depth of capacity to suffer and emote anguish -when correctly manipulated made even one of these beings a sweet feast for the Young.

But this time the Khieevi had been -worse than thwarted. According to the shuttle soldiers -who survived, the -world -was filled -with nothing but shadows of One-Horns and their buildings, shadows that could not be touched or hurt or killed and had no redeeming nutritional value to either soldiers or the Young. Worse, there were the growing things with the prominent white sexual organs, similar in appearance to stationary growing things on other -worlds. These emitted pheromones of fear which had seemed promising, but when the shuttle soldiers attacked them, the growing things had the temerity to attack back! The entire ground fleet had been lost and many of the swarm ships infected by contaminated shuttles, which nonetheless returned to their ships.   The Young knew. The fear and pain of their own elders had been fed to them as a substitute for the alien food, but it was not enough. So much time had elapsed since a proper feeding, nothing -would satisfy the Young now but the actual physical bodies of their elders, whom the eldest of the Young would replace.

This -was The Path, the driver knew. In time, the elders, such as him, grew weak and unable to serve, and had to be eliminated and replaced with fresh, fierce Young, who in turn served the even more vicious, malicious, and avaricious Younger. So now the swarm would return with nothing to offer but themselves, their own bodies, their own pain and anguish and fear, to be devoured by the slavering hordes of their offspring.

The driver regretted this with a deep bitter regret that the Young -would find added a nice tang. He himself had replaced a used up, -worn out elder -whom he personally devoured only a few brief time units ago. His turn at the Gathering should have lasted many, many more time units. It was not right. It was not fair. It did not suit him. But it was The Path.

Between his agitation and his pain and the lack of attentiveness on the part of the other crew members due to similar distractions, he veered somewhat off course, folio-wing several other members of the swarm -who were also affected and also deviated from course.

His was the first ship to spot the alien vessel. It did not appear to be accelerating, nor orbiting, nor moving in any way. Nor did it appear to be damaged. The equipment detected life signs. The other ships of the swarm also spotted it. It -was still a great distance away and if it -was fast, it might yet evade them. But if it was not, here was food to offer the Young, -who might be so busy feeding, they -would forget to consume a few stringy old elders.

The hydroponics garden of the AcaSecki now blossomed with exotic flowers of crimson and orchid, lilacs so real they seemed fragrant, jasmine and roses of all descriptions vying with frangipani, plumena, and lush lotus blossoms floating in a pool of crystal water, fed by a sparkling fountain.

As each child looked at the others, he or she saw not another child but either a beautiful (if rather plump; Hafiz always made his holograms in the images of his own desire) houri or a dashing thief. The ladies were scantily clad in clothing that included many layers of silken veils and skirts, balloon-legged pants with slits down the sides to show shapely limbs, and lots and lots of clanking silver and gold coin jewelry. The thieves "were clad in Berber blues, their skins dyed by the indigo in their clothing, or in striped robes colored in the soft golds, saffrons, russets, and browns of a desert most of the children had never imagined. Now it stretched out before them, just beyond the boundaries of the gardens. Each child was alone among fascinating strangers, all of them listening respectfully, attentively to the voice of Hafiz Harakamian. Ouds and doumbeks, tambourines and zills, a whining flute spiraled and curled around Hafiz's words, illuminating each as colored inks adorned the alphabets of ancient holy books.

And that was only the backdrop!

Hafiz's tales came to life between him and the children.

The story began, "There was once in days of yore and in ages and times long gone before, on Kezdet, before the Federation, a poor but enterprising lad, by name Habib, son of a lowly designer of inexpensive gaming software. Sadly for Habib, before he had reached his fifteenth year, his father passed into the land foretold by the Three Books and the Three Prophets, and Habib, whose mother had long ago run off with a smoothtalking merchant of space travel insurance, was left alone."

He went on to demonstrate how the young Habib found his fortune in a magic lamp - a lamp that, -when used in the  sleep pods of space travelers in cryosleep, prevented deaths that had been occurring due to lack of vitamin D. But Hafiz made the lamp look like an ancient magic lamp and coming from it was a genie-in cryosleep.

He was just coming to the next plot turn in this tale when Calum Baird called down, "Hafiz, will you cool it with the special effects? You're draining the power of the ship's computer."

"Nonsense, my boy," Hafiz said. "My holograms take up very little power." Normally, he might have taken Baird's warning under advisement but he had yet to perform his best trick.

Finishing the story, he laid out the nutrient bars on an ordinary table, then had dancing girls in tinkling costumes cover the unappetizing fare with roast swan and hummingbird tongues. Discerning from the puzzled silence that met him, even through the holo-disguises he had cast upon the children, he tapped the computer pad and replaced the swans and hummingbird tongues with burgers, fries, onion rings, milkshakes, soft drinks, and ice cream treats.

The children lunged for the table.

The lights went out.

The burgers, fries, rings, and banana splits and sundaes turned back into nutrient bars and the sloe-eyed houns and slyfaced thieves turned into disappointed children suddenly shivering in the dark.

Soon another light appeared on the circular metal stairway no one used because the lift was more convenient. "Come on back upstairs, everybody," Calum said, "while I get the computer back up. Don't worry. Even if it proves to be difficult, the Haven will be here soon and we'll have help.

Unfortunately, the Haven was not the next ship to reach the stranded AcaSecki. 

"What do you mean, you lost them?" Rafik demanded of an uncharacteristically flushed and flustered Johnny Greene.

"Just what I said," Greene replied. "After we got the allclear to return to MOO, we agreed to rendezvous at the AcaSecki's coordinates. But by the time we arrived, there was nothing there but empty space. We hailed them over and over but didn't get a blip. They just disappeared."

Rafik held his breath for a long moment before he replied. "Johnny, you folks turn the Haven around and get back to Federation space on the double. We know the Khieevi left the vine world, but we don't know where they went from there."

"You think they got the Accufeckil" Johnny asked. "But- we talked to them just a few hours ago."

"I don't know what happened. But one vessel full of kids has disappeared with Calum and my uncle. We can't risk the rest of you. Go back. Get the posse if you can-after all, Hafiz's baksheesh provides a lot of private schools and widow's and orphan's pensions for Federation forces, and even though this isn't their turf, we are under their protection. I hope."

"Gotcha," Johnny said. "But get word to us the minute you know something, okay?"

"We'll try," Rafik said grimly.

"Saltwater?" Acorna asked. "Is that all?"

Miiri nodded. "Simple saline solution. It breaks down the sap enough for it to liquefy but it doesn't seem to harm the sap's ability to alter to its fungoid form and destroy insectoid tissue. We replicated some of the remaining carapace tissue and the liquefied sap was if anything more virulent than in its original form, just as an acid's potency may be increased by mixing it with water."

"That makes sense," Acorna said. "Though it wouldn't be as tenacious as the sap."

"No," Becker said, scratching his mustache, "but you know  if we could have had some in aerosol torpedoes to shoot into the orbiting Khieevi ships, we could have taken out more of them."

Miiri shuddered. "How horrible," and looked at her work as if she had given no thought as to how it would be used.

But Aari said gently, "Mother, these are Khieevi we're talking about, remember. You've seen them. You say you felt what they did to me."

"Your mother knows, Son," his father said. "It's just not the Linyaari way."

"Which is why you need people like Hafiz and Nadhari and me," Becker said. "There are still Khieevi out there. I think it's a good idea, in our copious leisure time, to whomp up a batch of sap and sea water. I can scrounge around here and see if I can find the makings of some aerosol torpedoes. You Just never know when that kind of thing will come in handy."

Acorna frowned. "Maybe it would also be wise to return to the vine world and collect more sap there. The plants not only buried the Khieevi in their sap, but also submerged themselves. I'd like to make sure the plants are regenerating properly too. If they need any special climactic conditions to help them grow, perhaps Dr. Hoa could be of assistance."

"Good idea, Princess," Becker said. "But you know RK. He wants to spend a little time with Nadhari before we ship out again."

"I see," Acorna said, smiling. "It doesn't have to be done right now."

But at that moment, Nadhari Kando burst into the lab. "Becker!" she said urgently, then nodded slightly to the Linyaari who were also present. "I have to ship out right away. Sorry."

"I'll go with you," Becker said immediately.

"No. You can't. This is my responsibility. Hafiz hired me to protect him and his people and now the AcaSeckl has disappeared."   Acorna grabbed Nadhan's muscular forearm to get her attention, "What do you mean, disappeared? Calum was on that ship as well as Hafiz-"

"And Maati," Kaarlye, Miiri, and Aari said at once. "I know, I know. I should have gone with the Harakamians

but he wanted me here to protect his investment," Nadhari said.

"But time is wasting. I've commandeered the Ifrit. It's the fastest

ship in Hafiz's security fleet and well-armed."

She took the time to explain about the Haven's transmission. Becker frowned. "If they're not -where they're supposed to

be, I'm not sure fast is going to do you any good, Nadhari. I've

got those banks of long-range scanners on the Condor. And the

Khieevi communications device. And Mac."

"It's too slow, Becker. And you already told me, it's not

packing firepower." She hesitated and then said, "Although ..." "What?"

"You've had good success defeating the Khieevi without weapons and you do have that unconventional navigation style. Your tactics might come in handy. If you still -want to join me."

"No ifs ands or buts about it, lady," he said.

"Good," she said and turned on her heel, as if expecting him to follow.

"Captain," Acorna said. "We can follow in the CorSor and keep the scanners working and Mac monitoring the Khieevi transmissions. That way if we learn anything, -we can transmit to Nadhari's vessel and you'll have the advantages of both ships."

Becker leaned back and gave her a kiss on the cheek before Nadhari snagged his hand and yanked. "Thanks, Princess. But you can do that from here and we can read you. No sense you taking unnecessary chances. Besides, I need you to make sure the sap shells get made and Condor, at least, is outfitted with them. Don't want to get caught with nothing but a tractor beam to fight those klackers again." Nadhari released his arm and  threw the door open. He followed her calling, "Hey, wait up, Punkin. Just a sec."

"What?" she asked sharply.

"What about the cat, is he going or staying?"

"He is already aboard the Ifrit but wouldn't allow the checkout procedure to proceed. I divined his purpose was that you should be told of the mission."

"I should hope so!" Becker huffed into his mustache. "That's the only reason you came for me?"

"Of course not," she said. "But -we -will discuss that later.  "Yes, ma'am. I know. It's of the essence," Becker said, and -waved to the others as he allowed himself to be hauled away.

Acorna and Aari conferred -with Gill and Rafik.

"Do you think you can locate the materials for making the aerosol torpedoes Becker described?" she asked.

"Are you kidding?" Gill asked. "We have the best engineering help available in all areas."

"And Uncle Hafiz has never been one to turn his nose up at the lucrative business of arms manufacturing," Rafik added. "I can think of at least six of our friendly neighborhood merchants -who could supply what's needed immediately."

"Good," Acorna said. "Miiri and Kaarlye cannot be a party to turning the sap into -weapons, you understand, but since it's a simple matter of mixing sap and saltwater, there should be no problem with others mixing the formula. We need to return to the vine world. We Linyaari must communicate -with the vines, heal them if the Khieevi attack truly injured them."

"Good thinking," Gill said. "Some of the non-House Harakamian merchants may resist having their ships fitted with the torpedoes, but I think from -what we've seen, as long as they're in this sector it's really the only smart thing to do. Maybe if we show the vids the moon camera took of the sap's effect on  the Khieevi, it will be easier to persude the skeptical owners to accept the modifications."

"I'll talk to any of them who have reservations and make sure they've seen the vids," Acorna said. "After all, having the modifications made would be useful for their own protection from Khieevi attacks." She paused for a moment. "Of course, it would probably help persuade them if House Harakamian offered to pay for the modifications."

Rafik laughed. "You're beginning to think like a merchant, but not one who's the adopted daughter of Hafiz! However, I'll authorize it if only to aggravate the old boy into showing up again just to tell me off. Meanwhile I'll appreciate any help you can give me persuading the merchants to think like a team, at least during crises. I'm doing my best but I haven't Hafiz's gift for imperiousness."

"I'll see what I can do," Acorna promised. "And Aari and I have a somewhat different perspective on pacifism where the Khieevi are concerned. Both of us will be glad to help supervise the preparation-and maybe the deployment-of the torpedoes and the ships to carry them in case they're necessary to rescue the AcaSecki," she said, and her voice had a catch in it.

"Of course," Gil said reasonably. "We've no evidence yet to suggest that the Khieevi were responsible for the disappearance of Calum and Hafiz and the kids."

"No," Rafik agreed. "But it's a pretty big coincidence that they should disappear so soon after a Khieevi attack. I think that whether we have evidence or not, we have to be prepared for the worst."

"Of course," Acorna said thoughtfully, "The sap isn't the only thing that will kill Khieevi. For the merchants who can't be persuaded to modification, as long as they are otherwise armed, they have some protection."

"Yes," Aari said. "The Khieevi are used to preying upon  people like mine and the Niriians, who do not fight back with any sort of weapon."

Gill grinned. "We all saw that they blow up as easy as anybody if somebody lobs some ordnance at them."

Rafik grumbled into the little goatee he was affecting these days, to make himself look more lordly in the performance of his administrative duties as head of House Harakamian. "True, but the sap works better than anything we've seen."

Acorna and Aari rose. Rafik felt a bit sad. Their little girl was all grown up into a beautiful young lady, and from the look of it, had chosen her mate already. He hoped they'd all live and prosper long enough for him and Gill-and Calum and Hafiz-to have Linyaari grandbabies.

Acorna's voice caught, "I hope they're okay. I can't bear to think the Khieevi have them."

The crash of the computers was a temporary matter, of course, and Hafiz was rather put out with Calum for making such an issue of it. The man's panic had spoiled Hafiz's story for the children, who had been blessedly quiet while Hafiz had held the attention of all, which was practically his favorite way to interact with anyone, especially children.

For two such wizards of the keyboard as him and Baird, not to mention a certain amount of help from some of the children, who were quite talented in that area, restoring the ship's computer to operation was scarcely a challenge. Without the additional load of the hologram programs, the power soon returned along with all of the other amenities.

Including the com screen and the telescopic viewport. Hafiz was making final readjustments to certain navigational calculations when Baird tapped him on the shoulder and pointed at the viewport.

"Yes, yes," Hafiz said, glancing up. "It is good that it is operational ..." and then he stopped and stared, as a sinister looking vessel began filling the viewport. "Hut-hut, my boy!" Hafiz said. "Get us out of here this instant!"

"I'm way ahead of you," Calum said. "But we're going nowhere. They have us in a tractor beam."

The children were exclaiming, and some crying. The two Linyaari, the girl Maati who was so talented herself with holograms, and the youth Thariinye, crowded close to the console.

Suddenly the corn screen lit up and one of the ugly bug faces leered at them, before being replaced by a scene of the Khieevi torturing a Linyaari prisoner.

"Oh, no, you don't. Not again," Maati said.

The driver of the Khieevi ship designated Fourteen Klack^i am) Two Kiiclu was the first to put his tractor beam on the vessel containing the life forms.

As soon as he had them, he could not resist looking into their vessel to see what his courage and intelligence had netted. He could hardly believe his luck. The ship was filled with humans-most of them immature! How the Young -would love that! And even better, there were two tender One-Horns aboard.

With considerable glee, hampered only a little by the arrival of his fellow stragglers, he began running the demonstration of Khieevi diplomatic methods when dealing with aliens. The Niriians had proved so unsatisfactory that the driver decided to give the One-Horns a little preflight fright by showing what had been done to dismantle the body of the last One-Horn captive.

That should tenderize their youthful emotions, get them ready to scream all the way back to the homeworld, providing a substantial emotional appetizer before what was left of them could be physically delivered to the Young.

The driver could not resist, before boarding the ship and scooping out the sweet One-Horns and humans from the hull, taking a look to see their fear and horror at the film he had  just transmitted. The smaller of the One-Horns stared back at him, baring her teeth, Then she raised a metal canister of some sort, dipped a gloved hand into it, and pulled out a glob of the horrible, carapace-eating sap, which she smeared across the corn screen.

Perhaps the Young would rather extract the One-Horns and humans themselves.

The AcaBecki had simply disappeared.

Nadhari shook her head in disbelief. "How could it have just vanished?"

"There's a lot of space out there," Becker pointed out, sounding a lot more nonchalant than he felt.

"Of course there is," she said, her voice overly sweet, as if talking to someone with a bad case of stupid. "But the Ifnt and the other security ships have the ion trail ID for the AcaSecki and all of the other ships on MOO. And the trail ends here. Poof!"

"I wish I had my maps to check," Becker said. "Maybe they have a Bermuda Triangle in this quadrant."

"A what?"

"Well, long ago back on Mother Earth, there was this area in the ocean where airplanes and ships disappeared without a trace. It was called the Bermuda Triangle and people thought-"

"Yes?"

"That maybe aliens from outer space were responsible." His voice faded off at the end.

"That certainly stands to reason in this case," Nadhari said dryly.

"Can your ion trail ID thing check for other kinds of ion trails-those not left by Hafiz's or his allies' ships?"

"Like Khieevi ships for instance?" she asked. "I don't know, to tell you the truth. We only had one encounter with the  Khieevi in Federation space and that was rather brief. I'll check for any strange trails however."

She worked at the control panel for a bit, the colored lights bouncing off the planes of her face, and then said, "Got it."

"What?"

"There've been a number of other ships here. Similar trails all. I'm reprogramming so -we can follow them but the trails are confused."

"Think it's Khieevi?"

"Who else? It's not us, that's for sure."

"Follow that ion," Becker said.

"What?"

"You have just got to watch more of my antique vid collection, honey," he said.

Acorna and Aari had the Condor fitted for the sap shells first. They could use their installation as a prototype to show the others. After a few glitches, which the Com)or accepted with its usual savoir-faire, the modifications were made and the Condor -was pronounced Khieevi-ready.

The most effective way to persuade all of the other merchants to go along with the plan, Acorna decided, was to have a meeting and show the vids to all of them at the same time.

Once the vids had finished playing, the boardroom was absolutely still as the lights came up.

Then Holland Barber, the lawyer for Cascade shipping company, which had won the bid to transport merchandise to and from MOO, spoke up. "Ms. Harakamian-Li," the thin-faced blonde in the abbreviated silver synsilk power suit said, "Your allegation that we need to modify our ships in such a drastic way to deal with an alien race that clearly, from your own film, has been almost annihilated by those sticky things, appears to us to be unfounded. You are overreacting to a ridiculous degree. With Mr. Harakamian missing, there is actually no reason even  to suppose that MOO will continue to be operational. Why, therefore, should we risk unnecessary modifications to our ships when we could simply claim because of your lack of foresight in providing a satisfactory business climate, we are no longer bound by our contract? We shall simply withdraw and return to Federation space."

"That is certainly your choice, Ms. Barber," Acorna said sweetly. "But I'd like to remind you that the AcaSecki has disappeared while attempting to do that very thing-return to Federation space, that is."

The bony blonde gave Acorna a supercilious look and said, "That was one small ship, Ms. Harakamian-Li. We control a fleet. I hardly think these cockroaches would consider us as easy a target."

"It's entirely up to your client, Ms. Barber," Acorna said.

At that moment Aari and Mac broke into the meeting. "Excuse us, Khornya. But Mac has just intercepted a transmission we thought would have bearing on this meeting."

"Yes?" Holland Barber, who had yet to sit down, acted as if she were in control of the meeting.

Mac earnestly repeated all of the klackings and klickings he had heard and Aari translated.

"The Khieevi are massing an attack on narhii-Vhiliinyar," Aari said.

"And that is?" Holland Barber asked.

"The Linyaari homeworld," Aari said. "Our homeworld."

"I can't see that your homeworld, however dear it may be to you, has anything to do with my client," the lawyer said.

"It doesn't actually," Acoma said. "Except that narhuVhiliinyar was the primary planet Uncle Hafiz hoped to entice as a trading partner when he established MOO."

"In short, Holland," said Michaela Glen of Hudson Interplanetary Realty, Inc. "Customers. If you want to sit around quibbling about a few modifications House Harakamian has  agreed to pay for in order to save your client's penurious corporate butt while these cockroaches eat some of the most potentially profitable trade partners in the history of the Federation, feel free. But Hudson is willing to follow in the footsteps of our glorious voyageur founders and not only modify our ships to fight, but fight to protect our trade."

The rest of the merchants in the room applauded.

Becker and Nadhari were having a difficult time following the ion trail when they received a hail and Acorna's face appeared on the screen. "Captain, Mac has picked up a signal from the Khieevi fleet. They've located narhii-Vhiliinyar."

"On our way, Princess," Becker said. "Your uncles getting those sap torpedoes filled?"

"Yes, Captain. All available personnel have been collecting and diluting the sap and Gill says the engineers have made some very business-like torpedoes and are fitting the ships with them now. The Condor is ready to go. Have you found any trace of the Acadeckil"

Becker looked at Nadhari. He didn't want to break the news to Acorna.

"We haven't found a trail, Acorna," Nadhari said crisply, "But there are other trails that correspond with those of Khieevi ships. We were about to follow, but it seems we now have a good idea -where to find the Khieevi."

"Yes," Acorna said. "Though it's odd that you're finding traces there when the coordinates are so far from those of narhii-Vhiliinyar."                           ,

"Those bugs get around," Becker said.

The spaceport on narhii-Vhiliinyar took the first hit from the Khieevi missile attack. The third wave took out most of the techno-artisan's compound, including the huge evacuation ships the Linyaari had used to escape their former homeworld.

Due to the Linyaari ability to heal infirmities as well as injuries and disease, even the old were not feeble and the staggered lines of refugees heading for the caves in the hills -where the Ancestors lived moved along smartly.

The com-shed officer of the day barely escaped with her life and the portable remote link as her duty station exploded behind her.

Trees were few on narhii-Vhiliinyar but the grasses beyond the primary grazing areas -were taller than the heads of the people, and provided visual cover. Council members directed people to the proper path and shepherded them through. The attendants of the Ancestors met the refugees at predesignated places to guide them to the caves.

At first, once the cities and chief settlements were behind them, the refugees faced little danger from the bombardment,

They made their way quietly toward the caves. Only the  occasional whimpering of a child or the cough of an elder interrupted the muffled pounding of hard feet and the shush of the grasses as bodies wound quickly through them. The thought that guided everyone was, "Calm. Peace. Go swiftly but silently. Help your neighbors if they fall." The voice in -which everyone heard these thoughts was that of the one they loved best and trusted most. The best loved and most trusted heard the thought in the voice of Grandam Naadiina.

Then suddenly the bombing fanned out from the city and ignited the tall grasses, where hundreds of people still travelled. People ran, and screamed, and fell, and some were trampled.

Circling the planet, the Khieevi -were pleased at last to feel the terror rising in nourishing -waves from the surface. The transmission of it -would appease the Young for a -while longer, until the ships could land and begin loading the prisoners.

The House Harakamian ships rallied under Nadhari's leadership. Most of the security ships needed only to load the torpedoes in their own bomb bays to be ready to fly into battle. Cascade shipping company's lawyer -was overruled by her bosses, although one ship was allotted to take her and some of the other less committed executives and employees back to the company's headquarters. What Ms. Barber had failed to realize, Rafik told Acorna, -was that her company -was actually a subsidiary of one owned by Hafiz's second cousin, "whose holdings were dependant on the backing of House Harakamian.

Acorna and the other Linyaari meanwhile spent time with the plants of the vine world. The vines actually seemed to flourish in the sea of sap they had created, growing from it at an amazing rate and sending forth a pleasant floral smell as if the •whole planet was merely a large innocuous bouquet. "Apparently the sap that kills the bugs has regenerative properties for the plants," Miiri said.   "Fortunately it doesn't work that way for the Khieevi," Aari said with a small, tight smile.

Some of the less battle-worthy ships brought up the rear of the makeshift fighter squadron. They formed a supply line back to the vine world to reequip ships that, it was optimistically hoped, would expend all of their sap shells destroying Khieevi and their vessels.

Becker meanwhile was giving the skippers and navigators a crash course in gonzo astrophysics.

"If we use the folds in space as cover, we can pop in and out around the bugs and sap them before they have any idea  •where -we come from. But with this many of us, we have to do it in strict rotation or we'll be ramming each other and lose the battle to friendly fire."

Becker was originally going to return to the Condor, flying it into battle and leaving Acorna and Aari with the other Linyaari back on the vine world, which was the only place certain to be safe from Khieevi attack.

But the Khieevi massed quickly around narhii-Vhiliinyar and, instead of sending in ground troops and shuttles as they had before, began a massive bombardment of the helpless planet. Becker stayed with Nadhari as she flew reconnaissance, spying out the Khieevi position, which was basically encircling the planet with ships, as it had done with the vine world.

"You're on your own, kids," Becker told Acorna and Aari in his last transmission to the ConSor before the battle was joined. "I'll miss my old bucket of bolts, but the I frit is lighter and more maneuverable and Nadhari needs me with her to

•weave her troops in and out if we're going to have a prayer against the klackers. Aari, make sure Mac reports to you what he's getting from the Khieevi communications and if there's any break. ..."    "Lately they've been almost impossible to read. Captain," Aan said sadly. "So many are klacking at once that Mac cannot decipher individual messages. And the sound of the missiles is also disrupting our sensors."

"We're going to start making a lot of noise ourselves pretty quick," Becker said. "Be safe, people."

"Be safe, Joh," Aari said, and touched the corn screen.

"Be safe, Becker, and keep the others safe as well," Acorna said.

But she felt so powerless. In the other battle, there had been something she could do to help, but this one, well, it almost went without saying that this was a lost cause. The sap was effective against the Khieevi. Perhaps they could be driven off in time to save the Linyaari people, if not narhii-Vhiliinyar, but it was hard to believe the combination of corporate security and civilian ships stood a chance against the Khieevi hordes.

More immediately saddening was that in the course of their reconnaissance, Becker and Nadhari had seen no sign of the AcaSeckl, and Mac could discern no mention of them from the Khieevi transmissions filling the Condor with their staccato.

The driver of the Khieevi ship designated Fourteen Klaclu am) Two KLiclu was not, as his non-Khleevi enemies sometimes presumed, incapable of independent thought and action. Quite the contrary. The driver, now trying to control the ship with only five feet, having sacrificed his sixth, knew that once he rejoined the other Khieevi, he -would not last long.

When the main swarm discovered the true home of the One-Horns and began bombarding it, the driver was so dismayed he sent an extra jolt of energy to the Young. His wonderful capture, so fortunately come by and so willingly carried to the Young, was about to be rendered insignificant by the might of the swarm. Unless, of course, he and his fellow strag glers delivered their contribution to the diet of the Young before the swarm was able to return with captives.

Some of the other stragglers were little more than dead weight. There had been six of them in his limb originally and he knew for certain that three of the ships no longer contained living personnel. No one was at the com units, and the ships were guided only by the tractor beams attached to the captive vessel from Fourteen Klaclu an() Two Klickd and the other two vessels whose crews still contained some living members.

The only comfort that the driver had was that he knew many of the ships in the swarm were as badly off as his own - as the others of his limb. The communications he received, and ignored, were quite often disordered and nonsensical and he suspected that only the structure of the swarm kept many of the ships in place.

Fourteen Klacfu ano Two Klic/u would not remain in place. It sped, with as much momentum as possible pulling one alien and three Khieevi vessels plus two others whose drivers, he suspected, were suffering more of the effects of contaminated shuttle soldiers than him, toward the homeworld and the Young.

As the bombardment of narhii-Vhiliinyar continued, so did Acorna's healing duties.

The first to show the long-range effects of the damage done to the Linyaari was Aari's mother. Miiri, gathering sap on the vine world, grew more and more distracted and incoherent. Kaarlye said she was receiving telepathic signals from the homeworld, reading the suffering of her people. The time came when she cried out and fainted, falling face forward into a lake of sap. By the time they pulled her out, she had nearly suffocated.

Acorna, Neeva, Melireenya, and Khaari, as well as Kaarlye, all laid horns on Miiri to revive her. But the physical effect of  her fall was not what caused her to thrash and cry out in her unconsciousness.

"This is how she was while Aari was a prisoner," Kaarlye said.

"I don't see why," Liriili said. "She's no good to anyone that way."

But as time wore on, and reports were relayed back along the supply channels of the fires in the fields, the decimation of the cities, the saturation bombing of the planet's surface, the bad news took its toll. First Melireenya, then Khaari, then Neeva and finally Kaarlye himself began to succumb to the disorientation and panic that had marked Miiri's decline in health.

Even Aari attempted to use his newly grown horn to soothe his parents and the Balakiire crew. He had no more luck than the others.

Acorna had not lived on narhii-Vhiliinyar long enough to develop a bond strong enough to affect her the way it did the others, but she missed Calum, and Maati, Grandam, Hafiz, and even Karina. Not to mention all of the children she had helped to rise from slavery only for them to fall victim to a more deadly peril. Jana would be taking care of the others now, she knew, and Maati would help. So would Thariinye, -who was not a bad sort, just a bit callow sometimes.

Calum had helped raise her and at times had been her closest friend. If she -were to bond with anyone out there, she thought, it would be with him. But she felt nothing from him. Nothing. Unfortunately, the hardheaded Caledonian, while as pragmatic and ingenious as the best of his race, had not fallen heir to their more magical qualities.

Grandam had lived through much in her long life, but even the Khieevi attack on Vhiliinyar had not been this horrible. The people had escaped then. Now they were ambushed on their  own world, their escape routes cut off, the ground quickly being bombed from beneath their feet.

The noise outside her head was no worse than the clamor inside. Her people were dying. Dying. Dead already, many in the tall grasses, and she could do nothing. The keening of death songs in the caves was as loud in its way as the bombing.

Not just bombing either, but ships falling from the sky, huge chunks of them plummeting everywhere, blazing comets of death.

She healed burns and fractures, crushing injuries and shock, all the time trying to exude calm and control, as all the other elders -were also doing. But never had she felt so keenly every year of her age. The Ancestors attempted to help, but their energy was older than her own and they were not immune to the chaos and tragedy thundering down upon them.

She felt a sudden jolt of alarm and looked up from the badly burned body of young Hiiri, who had been caught in the first grass fire. One of the Ancestors bolted from an adjoining cave and galloped across the charred stubble that remained of the tall grasses, easily, gracefully leaped the small river fed by an underground spring in the hills, and charged into a remaining stand of tall grasses on the other side. Grandam watched as the grasses parted, and a line of figures, much burdened with cases and cages, humbled through the grass to meet the Ancestor. (Aagroni lirtyef) Grandam called in thought-speak. (Your laboratory should have been among the first to be evacuated!)

(We could hardly leave all of the new younglings we've been growing from the remains of the animals from Vhiliinyar, could we?) the aagroni demanded indignantly. (It took a little time to pack them out but everything has gone very well indeed.)

The Ancestor had gone to offer her services as a pack animal. (Of course, you couldn't,) Grandam replied. (I commend  your dedication to your charges.) She turned back to the smoky den behind her to recruit some of the able bodied to assist with the bundles.

The ball of flame flashed across her eyes as she turned and •when she whirled back to look, it had landed in the tall grass. She could no longer see the Ancestor or the aagroni but she heard the screams and the frantic whinnying of the Ancestor. An attendant ran from one of the caves but he had Grandam's heels before him.

She tried to outrun the flame, circling around it to reach some of the scientists behind it, or the Ancestor. All of these precious beings must not die. So much had been lost in such a short time. This must not go too.

But she could see nothing but fire. She heard the roar of the flames and the screams and she saw the Ancestor leap from the fire with specimens upon her back, her mane and tail on fire before she leaped into the river. Grandam leaped into the river herself and soaked herself thoroughly and then gave a great leap of body and mind and plunged into the flames.

After countless hours of healing work, trying to soothe and sedate Neeva, Khaari, Melireenya, Miiri, and Kaarlye, Acorna was resting. Aari helped by holding the hands of his parents, speaking in a low voice to them of his boyhood, and also remembering some bits of Linyaari spiritual teachings, of how beloved souls returned with the new spirits of the young.

She had finally fallen asleep listening to him herself. His horn was not mature enough to use for healing, but what he was doing truly helped. More than Liriili, who wrung her hands and demanded that somebody <)o something. She seemed most distressed that all of these outsiders now knew the location of narhii-Vhilnnyar. Irrationally, she was somehow not understanding that the Khieevi had already found the planet. And  something wo,) being done. The Khieevi bombardment of the Linyaari world was now meeting with resistance from the outside, from the darting mosquito-like attacks of MOO's combined forces. Reports traveled back down the supply channels that the attacks were effective. Once a Khieevi vessel was sapped, it did not remain aloft for long.

On the other hand, another odd rumor was reaching the vine world. Many of the Khieevi ships that had not been hit, in fact, even before the MOO ships began their attack, were falling out of orbit and crashing onto the surface of narhiiVhiliinyar. Direct communication with the front wings was infrequent and terse, so Acorna had not been able to speak to any of the actual combatants about this, but she suspected that some of the Khieevi swarm had been infected with the sap from the swarm's previous attack on the vine -world.

The MOO forces had actually been firing a relatively short time-less than forty-eight hours-but the psychic damage from the telepathic bonds between the Linyaari on narhii-Vhilimyar and Aari's parents and the Balakiire's crew had been occurring since the first Khieevi bomb struck the planet's surface.

Acorna's dreams were fitful and troubled, she was running, hiding, ducking, while the world fell apart all around her. Some part of her mind knew that this was not only a dream. Nevertheless, the bonds of empathy that tied her to her own friends and kin were beginning to drag her into the morass of emotion experienced by the Linyaari under attack.

Suddenly, screams shattered her fragile rest and her eyes flew open. All of the Linyaari, including Liriili and Aari, cried out.

"What is it?" she asked, struggling to her feet.

"Grandam," Neeva cried.

"Grandam," Kaarlye and Miiri echoed.

Aari added, with wonder in his voice. "And Maati."

At the moment Grandam leaped into the flames, Maati was also sleeping. She and Thariinye had their hands full calming children, trying to heal them of fears they shared. It didn't help that Hafiz and Karina were so obviously frightened.

"Look," Maati had told the others. "I think the Khieevi really like it when they scare us. They get some sort of special kick out of it. So the scareder we are, the more they like it. Can we try not to give them the satisfaction?"

Jana nodded her understanding, "Some of the overseers at the mines were like that. And-Kheti said that some of the clients in the pleasure houses -were like that, too. They enjoyed scaring and hurting the girls because that was what they wanted really, not the sex."

"I can't help it," Chiura said, cuddling close to Jana. "I'm scared."

Karina Harakamian stopped trembling and tried to rally them. "I know what. We could group sing. Does anyone know the song 'Kum-bye-ya?' It's from an ancient Earth culture and very hypnotic."

Nobody did. Karina sang it with them. It -was slow and everybody swayed to it like she showed them to, but it was repetitious. It didn't change their mood or lighten their fears.

Calum Baird, who now had nothing to do, finally said, "That's a nice wee song, Karina, but we've sung it twenty times. Shall we try something else? I know a few. I learned this one from Giloglie one time when -we were drunk as skunks. His people were great ones for songs. We used to sing this one and some of the others to Acorna when she'-was little."

While he taught them, "The Rocky Road to Dublin" and they were all shouting, "One, two, three, four, five! Hunt the hare and turn her on the rocky road all the way to Dub-uh-lin one, two, three, four, five!" Maati and Thariinye were finally able to fall into an exhausted sleep.

And then she felt the flames and heard, for the first time  ever, Grandam shriek, and she woke up shrieking too. Thariinye was screeching right back at her. Then Grandam was gone, somehow, but someone else was there, in her mind with her.

"Maati? Maati, where are you? It's Aari. Keep sending. I'm coming to get you."

Maati's thought was loud and clear and If Aari and Acorna both heard it, though Miiri  and Kaarlye almost immediately lapsed back into their telepathic nightmares. (There's Khieevi ships all around us. They're taking us somewhere.)

(Can you read them, Maati?) Aari asked her.

(A-a little. I know they want to hurt us, but I scared one of them by rubbing sap on the screen.)

(That's good,) Aari told her. (You kept them from taking you off the ship.)

(Maati, ask Calum what your coordinates are,) Acorna said.

(Can't,) Maati replied.

(Is he hurt?) Acorna asked anxiously.

(No, nothing like that. He's doing a lot of clapping his hands and stomping his feet and bellowing. Everybody else is doing it too so I wouldn't be able to make him hear me. But I can read them.) She was silent for a moment, then recited the coordinates.

(Keep sending,) Aari told her. (We're on our way.)

The coordinates were nowhere near those of narhiiVhiliinyar.

The Khieevi swarm spiraled in rings twenty deep around narhii-Vhiliinyar. Blossoms of red fire bloomed from the innermost ships as missiles silently connected with the surface of the planet. Then the ships that had fired spiraled back out to the outermost layer to be replaced by fresh ships.

Up until recently, no one who had witnessed this battle formation had lived to tell about it. One hundred percent saturation, domination, and decimation were guaranteed. Usually the innermost ships dispatched shuttles with ground troops instead of bombs, but sometimes the bombs came first, to soften up the enemy before the troops landed. This time the ships themselves intended to land and gather up the prisoners.

The strategy was time tested and utterly perfect against planets without missiles or other defenses of their own. Planets such as narhii-Vhiliinyar.

The attention of every ship was focused inwardly, on the target, though in many cases in this particular formation, individual ships were distracted by a substance brought onboard by disabled shuttles and wounded crew from the battle with the vine world. The substance was as intractable as the Khieevi themselves, creeping, infiltrating, oozing over any and all surfaces, and where it met with susceptible carapace or Khieevi exoskeleton, burning and eating all that it touched, growing ever more rapidly as it fed. Much like the Khieevi. Very much like the Khieevi.

The ships that had been infected and remained within the swarm did not request assistance from the other ships. They did not know exactly -what was weakening them and causing them to suffer, but they knew that weakness -would be met with elimination, so they gave their suffering to the Young and carried on as usual.

Nine Klackt am) Seventy-two Klick<) had just returned to the outermost spiral ring when its hull imploded and the bridge  was filled with burning, clinging yellow sap and the high pitched eeee's of the crew.

Nine Klack<f an3 Seventy-two Klictu was not one of the ships that had been infected on the vine -world. But it had seen that many other ships haS taken back shuttles and crewmembers damaged in that battle. No doubt one of them had become defective. The driver of Nine Klack.) ant) Seventy-two Kliclu thought in the split second before the liquid sap covered him that this -was just the sort of thing that made it necessary to strictly enforce the policy of eliminating the -weak.

Seventy-two Klackd and Nine Kiick^, on the other hand, had six crewmembers in various stages of being devoured by sap. When it<f hull imploded with ordinary explosive missile material, the driver thought to wonder, just before he crashed his ship into sixteen other vessels, which crashed their ships into a like number on the -way to the target's surface, how the swarm had known his ship was infected. And why they had not waited to eliminate him until after the battle. But, of course, by then the question was strictly rhetorical.

"This is like shooting ducks in a barrel," Nadhan complained, but not unhappily.

"More like shooting pool," Becker said. "Lookit that ricochet!"

"Somebody call for Ryk O'Shay?" the corn unit asked. "I'm right here with Cap'n Glen in the Hudson IT sapship Bananas. And we read you, wing command! One of the bugs just slipped on one of our peels and crashed through the Khieevi inner formation taking out, oh, maybe ten or twelve of its little bug buddies, and each of them bumped off at least ten more apiece.

"It hardly seems sporting," Captain Glen opined. "And I -wonder if we aren't wasting the sap. Whatever they're hit with, it looks to me as if it's their own tactics that are defeating them.

They seem to be totally unprepared for an attack from outside their formation."

"That's a roger, Cap'n Glen," Becker said. The scan scope on the Ifrit showed a long view of the Khieevi formation.

"Au contraire, ma capitaine," broke in Andina Dimitri of Domestic Goddess Intergalactic Cleansing Corporation, manufacturers of a multitude of cleaning products and providers of the most comprehensive housekeeping and interior design services in the Federation. "We've been compiling statistics here and according to our figures, the ships hit with sap shells hit three times as many of their companion vessels as the ships hit with conventional ammo. The sap shells are demonstrably superior."

"This is the Condor calling the Ifrit. Come in, Ifrit," the remote link crackled.

"Aan! Acorna, we're kicking butt here. Wish you were here."

"Joh," Aari's face on the corn screen -was both serious and hopeful. "Khornya and I are taking the Condor to find the AcaDeckt. My sister just sent us the coordinates."

"Oh, good, I'm glad they're okay," Becker said.

"They're not okay, Captain," Acorna said. "They're held in a Khieevi tractor beam. Maati is afraid they're being taken to the Khieevi homeworld. But the Khieevi haven't touched them yet."

"Mr. and Mrs. Harakamian?" Nadhari asked. "How are they?"

"Fine, except Maati says Karina has a lousy singing voice. Calum was teaching the kids Gill's drinking songs, Maati said."

"I'll pass it on," Nadhari said. "Keep us posted on the coordinates of the Khieevi vessels."

Acorna's voice was unsteady when she asked, "Do we- know how the people on the surface are doing? Any idea what happened to Grandam?"

"Something happened to Grandam?" Becker asked.

"I forgot you wouldn't know," Acorna said. "All of us felt it. I think maybe she-she's gone."

"We'll check it out as soon as possible, honey," Becker said. "Nadhari wants to shoot something so we gotta go now. Give me those coordinates again," he said. She did and they signed off just in time to hear a very staticky call from Hudson IT Bananas.

"What the devil!" Captain Glen called. "Wing command, •we've been hit!"

"Fall back!" Nadhari cried, as a missile exploded to the port bow of the Ifrit.

"They finally shooting at us instead of the Linyaari?" Gil asked.

"Cloak and shield, people" Becker said. "Do it now."

The mosquito fleet obeyed the command, leaving the space surrounding narhii-Vhiliinyar to the Khieevi, but still the firing continued. The spiral of ships, formerly as tidy and symmetrical as a water ballet, already had gaping holes torn in its pristine formation from the crashes. All pretense of order vanished as the ships on the lower layer fired upward, the ships on the upper layer fired downward, and both hit the ships in the intermediate layers, which crashed. Fire blossomed and ships disintegrated into thousands of pieces, buffeting the shielded ships of the makeshift MOO fleet like a meteor shower.

"Holy smokes," Ryk O'Shay said. "Would you lookit the fireworks."

"Fireworks hell," Becker said, his voice thick with longing. "RK, wouldja look at that salvage, and us without the ConSorV

Nadhari snorted, "The Khieevi apparently decided what we threw at them was friendly fire-no longer so friendly. I don't know how they could have figured the crashes were deliberate as well but it looks as if they did, and good riddance. They're saving us the trouble of killing them by turning on themselves."

"I like that," Adina said. "It's economical."

"Banaruu, how bad are you hit?"

"I think we've contained it for now, Ifrit, but we'll need a tow back to base."

"Hang on. This •will be over soon from the look of it."

It was. In a matter of less than an hour, hundreds of Khieevi ships destroyed each other. A few managed to flee the scene.

With the ships gone, however. Decker could see what was left of narhii-Vhiliinyar. The planet's surface, once a study in blue-green landscape and charmingly colored cities, was now a smoking black, cratered wasteland.

The Condor's computers found every shortcut between itself and the Acaoecki. Mac, no longer troubled by the cacophony from the fleet, easily picked up the signals from Fourteen Klacfu an<) Two Kticfu and its cohorts.

"They have injured aboard, Acorna," Mac said. "And they are returning to the homeworld-the captain of the limb, as the six ships are referred to, is attempting to precede the remainder of the fleet to the homeworld to appease those he calls "the Young" with the sacrifice of the AcaSecki's personnel."

The long-range scanners had enabled to Conclor to stay a safe distance from the limb of Khieevi ships without detection, and now Aari asked, "Shall we close on them, Khornya?"

"Hmm, not yet, I think," she said. "Mac, let us know if you can get the coordinates of the homeworld from the Khieevi vessel-or at least some idea when we're close enough that we have an idea where to locate their homeworld before we free the Acaoecki."

"Yes, Acorna." Mac said, and returned to his post at the Khieevi shuttle's corn unit.

Maati continued to send the coordinates every hour.

(Lots of the kids are sleeping now,) she said. (I told Calum and Hafiz that you were behind us and Calum says please don't get caught. I told him you had sap shells and he's worried you won't use them because of us Linyaan being pacifist and all.)

(A minor technicality in this case,) Acorna said as cheerfully as possible. (Mac can use the launch controls and he is no pacifist. But I suppose this is one case where even Liriili might be glad Aari and I are somewhat alienated from mainstream Linyaari culture.)

(Hmph!) Maati sent a picture of herself snorting and giggling (Are you kidding? If Liriili thought it would save her, she would pull the toggle herself.)

(I think you're right about that.)

(Khornya? Do you know any more about Grandam yet? I didn't even say goodbye. Do you think she might think I ran away from heri I'm glad I found my-Aari's and my-folks, but Grandam is-Grandam was my real family, you know?)

(I felt -what you felt too Maati but I don't know any more about it. We'll just have to go to narhn-Vhiliinyar when you're free and find out. Captain Becker says the Khieevi mistook MOO's attacks for some kind of internal warfare and turned on each other and blew each other all across the quadrant. I could tell Captain Becker was slavering over all that salvage.)

(He if coming now, Maati. RiiS-Kiiyi if coming, too,) Aari said.

(You thought-talk to RK?) Maati asked.

(Yes, but you, know him. He doesn't Lit ten to me or anyone else. But we have hao a special relationship since I helpeo heal him on Vhiliinyar. Don't tell Job. He gets jealous. But 'RiQ-Kiiyijust scratched at the ()oor of my mino. He wants you, to know he is coming an9 he will claw the eyes out of the Khieevi ani) spray their sockets.)

Maati giggled.

And after a while she said, (I think we're getting nearer. The Khieevi just came back on the corn screen even though I scared him off once with the sap. He's showing that-you  know, Aari, that vid of you from the piiyi, to frighten us again. But we turned the sound off. Nobody speaks Khieevi anyway and many are sleeping now. Calum's songs are very energetic and involve much stomping, clapping, and hollering. He wore himself and everyone else out.)

(I missed those versions,) Acorna said. (Or at least the stomping and hollering arrangements. Gill did sing me an Irish lullaby or two.)

As they spoke, they narrowed the gap between themselves and the Khieevi limb until they were within firing distance.

(Calum says you should know that he thinks each of the ships have a tractor beam on us. But I think at least three of the ships are dead already.)

(That's what I call good news and bad news!) Acorna said. (But I have an idea. Tell Calum to be ready to accelerate and fire upon the Khieevi as soon as the connections are broken. Then to put up the shields and cloak and take you all away as fast as possible.)

(I don't think he will leave you.)

(He must to save the children.)

(They will all feel safer with you, Khornya.)

(That's touching but not helpful. Just tell him, Maati, and wish us all luck.)

She went to Mac's station and asked him, "Can you use the Khieevi shuttle's controls to remotely operate controls on their ships?"

Mac examined the controls and said, "No, Acorna. I cannot find such a mechanism on the shuttle."

"Oh," she said. "Hmm. There are six ships with tractor beams locked onto the AcaSecki."

"I could try to send them a command to release the ship," he said.

"Three of the ships are dead," she told him. "But if we  fire on them to break the beam, I'm afraid 'we might damage the Acaffeclu."

"Perhaps the other Khieevi ships in the limb •will have a remote mechanism to control the tractor beams of the dead ships," he said.

"I suppose there's no harm in trying."

He transmitted command-style Hacking and klicking using the identification code from the mother ship of the shuttle.

Four ships fell away from the Acaaecki at once and when he repeated the command, so did the fifth.

But the sixth ship sent back a message saying, "This is the driver of the ship designated Fourteen Klaclu aru) Two Klicki). How is it that you escaped the Planet of Doom, Fifty-three Klaclu am) Seven Kliclu, when most of our shuttles were lost?"

Mac shrugged. "What do I say?" he whispered.

Aari had joined them and suggested, "Respond with this message," and he gave Mac a series of klacks and khcks to transmit.

The last ship immediately released the Acaoecki, which shot away from it and fired a round at each of its captors. Three of the ships were hit at once and flew to bits but the other three maneuvered out of range and returned fire. By then, however, the Acaoecki had cloaked and shielded, as ordered.

"That worked," Acorna said. "What does it mean?"

"I have no idea," Aari said. "Except that it is not very polite and those in charge seemed to say it when they were particularly annoyed-although with a Khieevi if was difficult to tell, of course."

The other three ships accelerated away from both the Aca<)ecki and the Condor along the same route they had been folio-wing, and were out of range before Aari and Acorna could return to the bridge.

"I am picking up strange signals, Aari," Mac said. "They  do not sound like any of the Khieevi transmissions I have heard before."

Acorna and Mac heard a higher pitched sound, containing klicking but also something that sounded more like "snip snip" than a klack.

"However," Mac said, as klick-klacks began transmitting and new blips appeared on the scanner, "ThoM do. And they are homing in on us. Fourteen Klack) ana Two Kllclu is transmitting data regarding our position."

"I think it's time to sap Fourteen Klaclu ana Two KUclu," Acorna said firmly. "They have caused enough trouble for one journey."

The driver of Fourteen Klachf and Two Kllckd -was in agony once more. Behind him the debris of four ships of his limb blew apart. He alone had realized that Fifty-three KlacLf and Seven KUdu was behaving in an irregular manner. But when the driver called him an eater of his own eggs, he thought the driver must be of very high rank, as such an insult to any but the lowliest inferior was an invitation to be devoured. Thus had he been tricked into releasing his prey. His only hope now was that he would leave the nestworld alive once more.

And then that last vain hope also was eaten.

Another of his crewmembers had become infected while tearing off the legs of one of the previously infected members. Now this crewman crawled up to the driver while the driver was arguing -with the false driver of the shuttle from Fifty-three Klack<f and Seven Kilclu. Laying half-eaten pincers upon the driver's carapace, the crewman begged to be slain. The driver obliged at once, but not before the sap began eating through to his internal organs.

Meanwhile, signals arrived from several returning members of the swarm. "Deserter!" their klicks and klacks said, more or  less. "The swarm has perished and now you will perish as well." That was the message from behind him.

And just ahead, on the nestworld, the Young were clamoring for their prey, demanding it be brought to them.

On the -whole, it seemed easier to oblige them after all. The driver of Fourteen Klaclu anc) Two Kliclu raised his acceleration and shot for the surface of the nestworld without bothering to initiate a landing procedure.

"He crashed it!" Mac said. "Fourteen Klackf and Two KUcLf crashed his vessel onto the surface of the nestworld. He killed some of the Young. The others seem to be-from -what I can tell, swarming over the dead to feast upon them."

"At least it seems we won't have to worry about destroying innocent children when we sap the nest," Acorna said.

"No," Mac said. "But you had better sap them fast and leave. The Khieevi ships behind are gaining on us."

"Khieevi ships to your starboard stern," Calum said. "We'll cover you, Condor."

"No!" Acorna said. "Take the children out of here, Calum. Now. You can't risk them."

"This is Wing Command Ifrit," Nadhari's crisp and authoritative voice came through. "You heard the lady, Acaoecki. Move smartly from the field at once."

"Do it," Becker's voice seconded the motion. "We got 'em in our crosshairs, Calum. Vamoose and don't let any salvage hit you in the stern on your way out."

The rest "was a bit anticlimactic for Acorna and Aari. The squad from the MOO fleet closed rapidly on the few survivors from the horde's self-destruction and demolished them with a combination of conventional fire and sap shells.

The majority of the sap shells were saved for the nestworld, where the Young had already begun to die from the sap oozing out of Fourteen Klaclu and Two Klick.

"Dimitri, Glen, and Giloglie each keep your wing here until you're sure it's over," Nadhari commanded.

"Don't worry, Nadhari," Andina Dimitri said, "I've just the cleanser to take care of this mess."

"Acorna? Aari?" Becker asked plaintively. "I don't suppose you could pick up any of this salvage on your way back to MOO, could you?"

For the first time since the Linyaari inhabited narhiiVhiliinyar, hordes of people of other species joined with the Linyaari and the Ancestors.

It had taken much imagination and very precise navigational memory to find the site of Grandfather Niicari's grave. It had once been marked by being located a few steps from the back flap of Grandam Naadiina's pavilion but now all pavilions were little more than pools of molten ash in the lake of such ash that had once been Kubiilikhan.

Neeva swallowed hard and spoke, "Friends and clankin, we are gathered to lay our beloved Grandam, mother, protectress, and wise counselor to our many generations of Linyaari, friend to the outsiders, to rest beside her lifemate, our Grandfather."

Maati was weeping quietly, supported on one side by Aari and Acorna and on the other by a dry-eyed but solemn-faced Thariinye. Miiri and Kaarlye stood behind their youngest, Miiri's hands resting lightly on her shoulders.

Grandam looked so beautiful lying there. The char had been cleaned from her silvery mane, the lines were smoothed on her face, her hands resting peacefully, naturally at her waist. And her mouth was curved in a firm and exultant smile. She had  not died in the fire, as it seemed when Maati and the other Linyaari felt first the fire and then the extinguishment of Grandam's life force.

Grandam's leap at the fire had been a complete act involving not only her body, but also her extraordinary strength of heart, mind, and will, as she dragged the river waters from their bed to flood the fires threatening the scientists and the precious new species they had risked their own lives to save.

Never had anyone done such a thing in Linyaari history or fable, as long as any of them could remember. But Grandam Naadiina had lived longer than any two-footed Linyaari and had grown in -wisdom and skill with every ghaanyi of her life. Unfortunately, her heart, which had grown in the strength of its love and kindness, had not improved structurally, and the strain of her final telepathic struggle to save others had been too much for it.

"Those who -were with Grandam at the end said she wore the same smile you see here. Aagroni lirtye, do you wish to add something?"

"I do," he said. His mane was very short and irregular where the char had been chopped off, and he had no brows or lashes. His skin was reddened and peeling, as was that of several people around him. "Grandam died as you were just told, saving me, my staff, and most important, the young we have been growing from cells of species lost with our own beloved Vhiliinyar. I understand that her passing was felt by her foster daughter Maati and Spacefarer Thariinye across several galaxies. I was privileged to be nearest to her at her death and received her last thoughts. They were of you, Maati, full of pride for your bravery in risking your life to save your family and friends, and for all of us, her other children, and most of all, for Vhiliinyar. Just as Grandam knew, somehow, that we would be saved, she also knew that the destruction of narhii Vhiliinyar was not the end of a Linyaari homeworld. Viife<)haanye-feriilt Neeva?"

"I think Grandam would be pleased and proud now to hear the message brought by my sister-daughter, VueShaanye Khornya, called Ah-khorn-ah by those humans who saved her as an infant, and saved us from the Khieevi. Khornya?"

Acorna gracefully extracted herself from Aari, with a last caress to his fingers and a lingering touch on Maati's shoulder, and knelt beside Grandam to kiss her forehead before standing, quite close to Grandam, and saying, "As some of you know, the Khieevi -were defeated by people my Uncle Hafiz brought into this quadrant in hopes that you -would trade with them. I -want you to know that when these people, merchants, tradespeople, learned that you were in danger, they hastened to help you however they could. Not all could destroy Khieevi. Like the Linyaari, many are good only at building, not at destroying. Dr. Ngaen Xong Hoa, in particular, has long sought to escape from those who would use the -weather-control science he developed for martial purposes. He feels a great kinship -with the Linyaari.

"He, along -with the most expert terraforming specialists available in the Federation, have been brought to House Harakamian's Moon of Opportunity by Hafiz and Rafik Harakamian for the express purpose of helping us restore Vhiliinyar to its former life and beauty.

Her voice lowered for a moment and her silver eyes were covered by their long pewter lashes before she resumed, "I do not recall having seen Vhiliinyar with my own eyes. But in my dreams, since I -was a baby, I have seen a beautiful world of rolling hills, snow-capped mountains, tumbling waterfalls and forests, and great tracts of delicious grasses. I am told that is what Vhiliinyar was like.

"Grandam's final sacrifice, -which kept Aagroni lirtye and his staff's heroic efforts to preserve native species that would have  otherwise been extinguished, was her last contribution to the restoration of this home I have never known, but many of you remember. Her first contribution, of course," and she smiled impishly, "Was to have her many children and grandchildren, all of us.

"My adoptive fathers have requested me to ask you if the Linyaari would please direct Dr. Hoa and the other specialists in a joint effort to restore our ancestral home to us. For those of us who require the solitude and seclusion of a peaceful world, Vhiliinyar's location •will remain a highly classified secret. My uncles further propose that narhii-Vhiliinyar and Kubiilikhan also be restored as a trade base for Linyaari skills and goods, •where our people may interact freely with people of all planets and species so that we may each learn the good the other has to offer.

She knelt once more beside Grandam and, laying her hand upon Grandam's folded hands, said, "Grandam, when the restoration is complete, you and Grandfather will be brought home to join your children on your world."

It was perhaps the first funeral in the history of the Linyaari in •which the beloved deceased was interred to sobs of rejoicing and cries of hope for a better world to come.

End Acorna's World edited by MerryLady minus the book! please excuse any errors. Scanned by none