"Any business for me?" doc asked.

"May I offer you refreshment?" was cater's query.

"Syrona, would you like to go first?" Nimisha offered, gesturing toward the medical unit.

"No, timmy first," she said anxiously. "I've been so worried he's not getting a balanced-enough diet." timmy had other ideas, screaming with fright at being placed on the strange surface. An extendible snuck up behind him and administered a mild sedative and, when he had calmed down, he permitted himself to be laid supine on the couch. His eyelids drooped and his frantic breathing eased.

Once the boy was settled, Nimisha gestured for the men to go to the dispenser while she asked syrona what she'd like to drink.

"Oh, anything with caffeine and restoratives in it," syrona said, a tired smile on her face. "Timmy doesn't sleep well, and I'm pregnant again." a deep sadness in her eyes suggested to Nimisha that she had lost more than she had birthed. That would account for some of the small graves at the ruined base camp. When Nimisha brought syrona's drink to the medical unit, timmy looked to be fast asleep, his head angled to one side, hands lax and open at his sides while his mother watched. Syrona drank absently as she observed the visible reports the medical unit was processing.

"He's a bit underweight, ensign lester-pitt," doc said at his most reassuring. "A course of vitamins and trace minerals this planet doesn't seem to provide will fix up the deficits. You, ma'am, are far in need of my assistance.,, more "how do you know my name?" syrona asked in surprise.

"The AI's are patched into my system," Nimisha said, touching the comunit on her belt.

"Oh!" a quiet beep indicated the end of timmy's medical.

"I'll show you where you can put him," Nimisha said. Syrona stood to pick up the boy.

"I'll do that," casper said, rising from the table and wiping his mouth with one hand. "You let the doc see to you, syrie." Nimisha led the way to the accommodations, and casper whistled with soft appreciation at the amenities.

"I did design it with long-distance travel in mind," she said.

"You designed it, lady Nimisha?" "Let's dispense with titles, casper," she said in mock-sternness.

"We're all the same rank-castaway." she reached over the builtin worktop, and flipped on the toggle that would allow them to hear timmy should he wake. His father deposited him on the bunk and covered him tenderly with the thermal blanket, his fingers rubbing the soft, light fabric.

"He's the only one to survive," casper said once they had gained the passageway. "Syrie's pregnant again." "Well, doc will doubtless report it." "She keeps losing them. So did jesse and peri. They died.

We couldn't stop the bleeding." "What happened to the rest of the crew? The ship records indicated eight of you left." casper made a bleak sound. "Encounters with the unfriendly natives." "Are there any other kind?" Nimisha stopped and he nearly ran into her.

"Creatures. Nothing with any true sentience that we've found if, by 'sentience," you mean capable of rationalization and learning.

We had to give up exploring," he said. His eyes went immediately to the medical unit, but it was now covered and the mist obscured syrona's form.

"I'm doing a full diagnostic on her," doc said in a low voice.

"She is pregnant. With proper additives and rest, she has every chance of bearing 'a live child. The leg bone can be repaired, of course. And I'm doing some other minor repairs while she's under anesthesia. Nothing too bizarre, although I'll know more when the lab reports are done. I estimate she'll be with me for another two hours. Then I'll tend to you two." "Chatty type, isn't he?" jonagren commented with a grin.

He had several plates of food before him, obviously favorites, and was talking with his mouth full.

"Old family medical man," Nimisha said after ordering a meal from cater and bringing it back to the table to join the two men.

His bedside manner is marvelous, and his voice is reassuring all by itself." casper, with an apologetic nod to her, went back for more food.

"We're probably all just anemic and full of intestinal parasites," jonagren said. "Not much of a challenge to a high-class medic." "I live to serve," doc remarked.

Jonagren looked at Nimisha in surprise.

"Helm and doc are programmed for independent conversation.

Cater prefers to stuff you." "Glad to let her," casper and jonagren replied in chorus, grinning at each other.

"Do not be too greedy, gentlemen. Your stomachs are unaccustomed to very rich foods," doc said.

"They aren't Nimisha said, noting that the men had chosen high protein and complex carbohydrates as well as salad greens.

"I asked my stomach what it wanted," jonagren said, showing an unexpected touch of whimsy, "not my taste buds. We've done pretty well, thanks to the bio unit in the shuttle, and no one got poisoned ..." his face went bleak.

"Don't blame yourself, commander," doc said. "From what we've already seen of the denizens of this planet, you did well enough to bring the four of you through the last sixteen years." "He did, lady Nimisha," casper said firmly. "The first duty of an officer on a hostile planet is to survive." jonagren gave him a queer look.

"Well, it was as much up to ... them ... as it was to you ... to see that they did," casper said, obviously referring to an ongoing argument. "You couldn't be everywhere every minute." he turned to Nimisha. "We lost three crew people when the avians attacked us early one morning our first winter at the base camp. We'd rigged a scanner to warn us, but they came in swarms. Those of us who could made it to the shuttle. The roofs caving in got morissa's baby and shattered her rib cage. Pluny was poisoned by some crawlie when he was fishing. Raez; got trapped by a zonker." "A zonker?" "One of the nastier pieces of work this planet evolved," jonagren said, pushing back his plate and wiping his mouth.

"Sneaky thing, has lairs in the forest in some of what we took to calling zonk trees. It also lies along branches and tries to snag unwary creatures. Powerful thing for all it's not very large. But it makes up for its size with its craftiness. Once what it uses for arms traps something, the kindest thing to do is kill it. We got out of there as fast as we could ..." he shrugged, his face failing once again in sad lines that were graven on his face.

Sixteen years he'd been here, Nimisha thought, and estimated that he couldn't have been much more than thirty when they'd been marooned. He didn't look mid-forties when he stopped thinking guilty or sad. Fleet exploratory teams were given long treatments, as well as implants. The women must have removed their implants in order to perpetuate their numbers on this wretched planet. Brave of them, actually, Nimisha thought.

"Now that you've eaten, would you gentlemen care to freshen up? I even have new clothing, if you'd like a change." "Too right," casper said with a wide grin, plucking a fold of his almost-threadbare garment away from his body. "We used up all we had in stock and are experimenting with leather pants." he scrubbed his head, looking rueful. "Some hides just don't tan." "Some hides I wouldn't wear if I had to go naked," jonagren added as casper eagerly rose.

"There are empty cabins down both companionways. Take your pick," Nimisha said.

I really should formulate a report, Nimisha," jonagren said, looking over at the bridge.

"It's kept this long, captain," she said, touching his hand, "and you'll feel better after a cleanup." she was too polite to say that they badly needed cleaning-up; once in the warmth of the fiver, a ripe odor had begun to emanate from their persons.

"We need to be clean," casper said, pausing at the corridor.

"We stink! Sorry, ma'am." "Just dial your size from the cabin clothing dispenser," she said. Casper hesitated, looking over his shoulder at the cabin where he had deposited his son. "I'll listen for him." "Thank you, ma'am." as soon as both had left and she'd heard the cabin doors slide shut, she programmed the air refresher for a rapid recirculation.

The pong was rather obvious, mixed with noxious smells that made her nose itch.

"Nothing dangerous in the smells," doc said.

"How's syrona doing?"

"She's tougher than she looks. But she's badly undernourished.

Nothing that can't be fixed. Like the left tibia." doc sounded professionally smug. "Three months pregnant with a female child.

Good genes. Did some judicious tinkering to restore the ph factor and administered a rich iv." half an hour later, helm announced that both men appeared to be resting in their cabins.

"Resting?" Nimisha asked. Jonagren had wanted to start his report , not take a nap, as soon as he had bathed and dressed. "a little something I asked cater to add to the last helpings they had," doc said. "They need the rest more than they need to report or be reminded of those crewmates who died." "I'll just take a turn round their camp." "That's inadvisable, ma'am," helm said instantly. "You heard the list of the dangerous creatures, some of which you might not recognize. I would await the escort of one of the survivors." "Then let's test the river water and do other tasks that don't put me in any danger whatever," Nimisha said somewhat acidly, although she knew helm's remark was sensible. Crawlies and zonkers and murderous avians and slime-throwing slugs. "I promised to listen for timmy, too." using the scanners, she was able to get a look at their campsite. It was well laid out. She could see spy-eyes in the trees at the edge of the meadow. There was a newly seeded garden plot; the shimmering that surrounded it suggested they'd used a repeller field to keep it from being invaded. They probably had dug the garden out first, laying the repeller field under as well as around and over the garden. She noticed the solar panels mounted to provide power for the shuttle. She also saw the ladder leading to a cave in the cliff side. A hoist had been built at one side, to bring up supplies. She saw piping that indicated they must have running water in both the cave and the shuttle. They had done well with what they had. They had probably turned off such unessential power users as their comunit so that they hadn't heard the fiver's initial call broadcast. Only sensible since they had given up hope of any rescue. Though they'd been quick enough with a flare when they'd heard the incoming aircraft.

"Helm, did you access data profiles from the pootheg on these three survivors?" ' "yes, ma'am," and the small data screen on the pilot's control panel lit up.

Commander jonagren svangel, the current captain, was fortyfour years old. Right now he was lean and obviously fit. His face had acquired lines from sixteen years of stressful responsibility, not usually seen when longevity treatments keep a face youthful looking. While nowhere near the masculine beauty of lord rhidian, or caleb rustin's more rugged looks, he was definitely attractive. He had exhibited a ready sense of humor. His records said that he had joined exploratory after two exemplary tours on the cruisers and a commendation for his quick response during an onboard accident that might have left more dead without his leadership. He had study credits for biology and xenobiology, and had passed in the top percentile the survival courses required by the exploratory arm of the fleet. He came from a fleet family whose members invariably reached captain's rank during their careers.

Lieutenant junior grade casper ontell was forty-six, also a career naval man from the bodem system. This was his second tour of duty with exploratory. He, too, had taken study credits for botany and chemistry, and had done very well in the required survival courses.

Ensign syrona lester-pitt, now thirty-six, was from demeathorn blue city and, before she had joined the fleet, had major kill credits of some of the worst predators that hunting planet produced.

She had been communications officer, and had taken advanced medic courses.

"Wonder if she knows anything about the coelura," Nimisha murmured. One of lady Rezalla's few unfulfilled desires was to own a coelura spin. She and hundreds of other first family women! The ultimate in a natural fabric that molded itself to its owner's body and could alter shape, color, and form at its wearer's discretion. Coelura spins were severely limited by the cavernii, who had developed a way to keep the gullible avians from being spun to death with demands for their "weavings." at one time, the coelura had been close to extinction. The little avians, far more compliant than anything on erehwon, were limited now to two spins a year, one for profit, and one to make a nest for their offspring. Their numbers were increasing, but a coelura spin was costly and the waiting list for available spins very, very long.

Nimisha whiled away the time her guests were asleep by inserting into the record what they had told her about the deaths of crew members. She'd learn about the occupants of the smaller graves later. That svangel still keenly felt that he ought to have been able to protect his crew did him no disservice.

Survival courses were useful, but none of them could catalog all the disasters that could befall a team on an alien planet, especially a team that had no escape. Fsp navy exploration issued parameters to their teams, indicating what "normal" hazards could be overcome on a suitable m-world. If the team found more dangers than a well equipped colony could deal with, they could indicate that the planet wasn't worth the effort. This would be one she thought she'd put on that list. Unless, of course, all these ferocious types were limited to this continent. That didn't seem likely. She wondered if the team had had time to investigate the other landmasses. Certainly they had early realized that they were stuck in this quadrant and chances of rescue were slim.

While the pootheg would never take off from erehwon, now that there was the fiver, the other two habitable planets could be explored to see if one was less dangerous.

There were also two more metallic anomalies to be investigated here. Maybe the cycle of the wormhole was shorter than fifteen years. Maybe some other unwary ship, not yet considered missing, had also been spat out in this sector. That might give a larger genetic pool to the survivors. Nimisha felt her spine twitch. With syrona already producing children, obviously they had considered procreation one method of surviving-even if this generation was never rescued. For herself, she hadn't anticipated having more offspring ... oh, dear, dear cuiva ... there would never be another as wonderful as her anywhere in the galaxy!

Chapter 5

The two men woke almost simultaneously and appeared, dressed in new clothing and obviously refreshed. As soon as she had heard the faint sounds of activity in their cabins, Nimisha asked cater to produce a snack for them. Cater, having seen what their appetites were like, produced several platters of sandwiches, bowls of fruit, pitchers of juice, and a thermal carafe of coffee.

"We ran out of coffee too soon," casper said, inhaling deeply, a broad smile on his face when he saw the carafe and smelled the brew. "Timmy's still sacked out. His color's better, too." "I would have expected that," doc replied though casper hadn't addressed the medical unit directly. The man looked surprised by the spontaneous answer. "Syrona is progressing nicely but, since she's in here, I took the advantage of doing a little more repair.

Analysis only confirmed what was obviously lacking in diet and you'll find her much improved when I log her out, casper." "Yes, well, thanks, doc," casper said with a nervous grin.

"You'll get used to them," Nimisha said with a little laugh. "I forgot their participation might be a surprise to you. join me. I was just about to have a snack." casper cocked an eye at her. "If that's what you call a snack, I'd hate to have to plow through a feast." "Oh, I'm sure you'd manage fine." jonagren had lost some of the more obvious signs of tension with the rest and shower. He really could use a bit more weight on his bones, thought Nimisha. Maybe his face would fill out, too, taking away some of those rawboned planes. Abruptly she decided that no, she liked his face the way it was-full of character. Some of the lines around his mouth and eyes were laugh lines. The ship suit was the right length for his body, but he looked gaunt in the standard sizing.

"What a relief not to have to forage for a meal," he said, rubbing his hands together before he settled at the table. He also commented on the coffee. "That's the best treat of all," he said and poured a cup for himself before Nimisha could. He held it up to his nose and inhaled the wonderful aroma.

He had a nice smile, which echoed in his eyes as he made contact with hers over the rim of his cup. He took a long pull and allowed himself a sigh of deep satisfaction before reaching for the nearest sandwich.

"Lettuce?" he exclaimed in amazement.

"We have some in the lower deck hydro-garden," she said. "I'll have to plant more, since I wasn't expecting company." "There are edible greens here, but it's not the season for the best ones yet," casper said, reaching for his second sandwich and licking his lips of the crumbs left over from the first.

"Did you by any chance explore the other two m-type planets in this area?" Nimisha asked.

With their mouths full, both men shook their heads.

"Not with ... the damage ... we sustained learning our way through that wormhole," jonagren said, managing to speak through his food. He looked down at the sandwich he held as if remembering it wasn't the best of good manners to talk while chewing.

"Go ahead," Nimisha said. "I don't mind if you talk around it." "we couldn't fix it short of a fleet facility," jonagren said. "And the exterior nodes were sheared off. Pluny tried to jury-rig some sort of receptor, but we'd been knocked about a good deal in the passage. That's why we didn't even get off a beacon when we were dragged in. Might have saved you a few problems if there'd been one." "On the other hand, I wouldn't be here now, would I? It's usually the navy that rescues us civilians, isn't it, not the other way round." she smiled at the two men, focusing her eyes longer on jonagren, wanting in some way to let him know that his burden was now being shared.

"While it certainly is a treat to see a fresh face-and a beautiful one," jonagren said, unexpectedly dealing her a compliment as easily as rhidian could, "with a fine ship to give us more mobility in any future plans, we would just as soon not have wished anyone else to be stuck here with us." Nimisha was delighted to hear him sounding more cheerful.

Good food, rest, and "a fresh face" seemed to have improved his morale considerably. "Did you notice the other three metallic anomalies?" "Yes, we were able to get a good look at that ancient heap on our fly-by. By then we realized our first landing of the pootheg would be her last stop. Pluny jury-rigged exterior comunits. Captain querine hoped we might salvage something from one of the other two and the plan was to use the shuttle to have a look." he sighed and once again the lines of stress were prominent in his expressive face. "Plans change." "So you don't know if those ships had any survivors?" "We saw them on our way in and detected nothing," casper said. "Not that that means anything. They could have holed up somewhere away from the ferocious stuff." "Well, I've those two sites next on my list. So you couldn't have gone on to the other two m-types even had you wanted to?" both men shook their heads, jonagren evidently regretting it more than casper did.

"Well, then, we've things to do and plans to make," she said, trying not to sound too fatuous. I did manage to get a beacon out, hopefully well beyond the reach of the wormhole. I have placed another at the point we came into this space. It's a standard omnidirectional ftl model. How long the pulses will take to reach a destination, or even make contact, is debatable. I've been updating the beacon this side. It'll be stripped once contact is made, so you might want to send a report for it to pass on. You're no longer missing.,, "but you," jonagren put in with unexpected whimsy, "are." "You did say that you were designing this as a long-range vessel ," casper began.

"Not quite this long-range," Nimisha replied with a grin.

"The rondymense ship yard has done a lot with the fleet designers ," casper continued, warming to his theme, "so is it possible they'd be very keen to recover this one?" he looked around him, enviously. "It's stars above anything exploratory has ever offered scouts." Nimisha nodded, pleased at his perspicacity. Jonagren's eyes were soarklin again.

"They shall leave no stone unturned," she said, "to find us." "That-and your appearance, ma'am-are the best news we've had in almost two decades!" "The only news we've had," casper added.

The two men had worked their way through most of the sandwiches while she had consumed one.

"I'll just get more coffee," she said, rising, just as they all heard a yell of fright, muted by a partially closed door.

"It's all right, timmy. I'm coming," casper called. In his haste, he knocked over his chair, then hesitated, unsure whether to pick it up or get to the boy to comfort him.

Jonagren gestured for him to go and picked up the chair.

"There have been several babies who didn't survive?" she asked jonagren in a low voice.

He shook his head. "Miscarriages, two stillborn, for jesse.

Peri's girl lived only a week. None of us has the expertise to do an autopsy-even if we'd wanted to-and we weren't able to get back to the ship. A fever took their first when he was ten months old, and weird allergies and an accident took the other surviving toddlers even though we guarded them night and day.

Timmy's nearly a miracle for us. Maybe we should have started having kids earlier, when we were all healthier. I don't know." he gave a shrug.

"Cater, please prepare something appetizing for a-" Nimisha paused, looking at jonagren to supply timmy's age.

"Six-year-old," doc said, as if he had been waiting for a chance to get a word in. "Preferably high protein and complex carbohydrates made to look like his favorite food?" now doc waited for jonagren to speak.

The commander grinned as he shook his head slowly from side to side. "He'll eat anything that doesn't eat him first. I'd say that's why he's still alive: an iron digestive system." "Oh, it'll be so nice to cater for a child," cater replied with a lilt in her voice. A plate appeared on the dispenser with a glass of white liquid. "Is he familiar with milk?" "Excellent food for a growing child," doc said. "Good idea, cater." "Thank you, sir," cater replied demurely.

"Does she lower her eyes and blush, too?" jonagren asked in a muted tone.

"Sure sounds like it," Nimisha said. She collected the food just as casper entered, leading the boy by the hand.

Timmy looked much refreshed and subtly healthier. He saw the glass and pointed.

"You have milk?" his eyes were wide in his tanned face.

"Syrie, casper, and jon keep telling me about it, but I've never had any but hers when I was a baby." he took a sip and tasted it going down, making his swallow audible to the adults watching. Then a big smile crossed his face and there was a definite resemblance to jonagren, not casper. So, Nimisha wondered who was syrona pregnant by this time? Casper seemed so attentive and loving that she'd originally assumed that casper and syrona were partnered. Well, they had said there had been other children: doubtless they had done what they could to provide a larger gene pool, even if disaster, fever, and miscarriages had ruined their attempt.

"That's good!" timmy exclaimed, not quite catching the entire milk mustache on his upper lip.

"Try the sandwich, tim," jonagren said. "The kind of bread we haven't been able to make here." he turned to Nimisha. "We got a wild yeast and we did find a wheat-type grain cereal and ground it to flour consistency. But the bread had a tough texture. Hard to chew.

"the crackers turned out well," casper said, winking at jonagren before he turned to Nimisha with mischief in his face.

"He likes cooking." "And damned lucky I knew how," jonagren said with a sharp nod of his head.

"You all had survival training," Nimisha said, quite aware of the fact that she had only a modicum.

"Yes, but jon turned out to have a gift for making"-casper wrinkled his nose-"what edibles we tested safe taste pretty good." "The trick was tenderizing the flesh-" "he'd beat it for hours." -and then use the herb-types we found to take away its natural taste." memo".

Jonagren leaned back in his chair, extending his legs and assuming a very relaxed pose. That he and casper were able to joke about the shifts they had been reduced to was admirable in both men. She hoped that syrona would prove as compatible. When she had a chance again, she'd see if heim couldn't access their psych profiles and see just what she should watch for and avoid. So often in long-term forced relationships little petty matters assumed an importance out of proportion.

"How's that sandwich, tim?" Nimisha asked into the easy pause that followed that exchange.

"Best thing I've ever eaten," he said with a charm all his own.

"May I have another when I've finished this one?" "You certainly may, or you can ask cater to prepare-" Nimisha paused, realizing that timmy had little experience with "normal" foods. "-a burger," she finished hastily. "I used to adore them when I was your age." "On a bun, please, with what do you call it ... the red sauce..

Catchup Casper said, waving one hand as if to drag the lost word out of the air.

"Ketchup," said cater, who could respond to any catering question.

"What is it?" timmy was slightly dubious.

"High protein and tender enough to chew with no problem," jonagren replied.

"I'd like to try it, please," timmy said, popping the last of the sandwich into his mouth.

This time casper collected the plate and the aroma of charcoalbroiled meat wafted through the room.

"I wouldn't mind one of those myself," lonagren said, and Nimisha realized that all the sandwiches had been eaten. "Medium rare." there was such an expression of wistful anticipation on his face that Nimisha suspected all the indigenous meat had been well done or destroyed to sear parasites out of the flesh. That much she remembered from her survival lessons: you cooked any unknown meat very well or abstained.

"I could manage a small one myself," casper said. "Rare, please, cater!" Nimisha chuckled behind her hand as they hastily strode to collect their latest orders. There were looks of total satisfaction as they began to consume the burgers.

"More ketchup, please, cater?" casper began, but when he started to rise, Nimisha signalled him to remain seated and collected it from the dispenser.

They said nothing as they ate, just as hungrily as if they hadn't cleared away a dozen sandwiches between them.

"It is good," timmy said, licking his lips and his fingers as he finished his portion. "Thank you, ma'am," he added with a little bow in her direction and then one in cater's.

"We didn't want him growing up a barbarian," casper said in a low voice for Nimisha's ears only.

"He's charming," Nimisha said. "I know. I've met many who are not as well mannered as tim is." the boy sat back, rubbing his stomach, and suddenly looked around. "Is syrie still asleep?" "Syrie's in the medical unit," Nimisha said quickly. "Her leg's being straightened." "Oh, she'll be so happy," timmy said. "Jon did the best he could." he shot a grateful glance at the captain.

"I ought to have waited until she was conscious, but we were low on any analgesics by that time," jonagren said, his tone bleak, and we decided it was kinder to try to set the leg while she was out. I'm a much better cook than medic." "The leg is now straight, sir," doc said. "You didn't do a half bad job for a novice. I would surmise that the bones slipped slightly before you could splint it. You'd no regen gel left?"

"No, we didn't." the animation that lonagren had shown, joking with casper and eating, abruptly disappeared.

"Let me take you on a tour of the ship," Nimisha said, breaking the awkward silence. "It's more spacious than you'd imagine." "Private cabins, even," casper said admiringly.

"I wasn't constrained by fleet regulations, casper," Nimisha said, leading them past the admired accommodations.

"How many can she sleep?" jonagren asked.

"Six singles, but sleeping platforms extend to double size," she said, feeling an unexpected rush of blood to her face.

Fortunately she was leading and hoped no one noticed. "Two washrooms but, as you saw, each cabin has a separate head unit." "A real toilet, casper said," timmy said in a chirp. "Not like the head on the shuttle-but we can't use that anymore." she showed them the various storage units and then the upper deck hydroponics garden that featured the usual broadleaf plants that were essential to a space-going vessel's air health.

"Some of these are terran varieties," jonagren said, and named pumpkin, squash, and the ti plant. "Do I see carrot tops?" "You do. Good for eyesight," Nimisha said.

"And gravelot from vega, if I don't miss my guess," jonagren said, fingering the furry silvery leaf of the plant. "That's hardy enough to last even when air temp's down to near freezing. Saved many a crew from carbon-dioxide poisoning." "That's why it's included," Nimisha said. "We've a second hydro unit on the lower deck." they spent more time, as she had expected looking around in engineering, asking all kinds of questions that showed their own expertise and fleet experience.

"I've manuals for every aspect of the fiver if you'd like to see them." "I certainly would," jonagren said, rising from a crouch by the drive console, his knees cracking.

"You need more oil in your diet," doc said, surprising them.

"Does he listen in to everything?" "Everything that happens to be even vaguely medical," Nimisha said. "I can shut him off if you like." "What? And risk annoying the medic?" casper made his eyes wide with dismay at the mere thought, while jonagren dismissed the idea with quick gestures of both hands.

"If you knew how good it is to hear different voices ..." he said. "This is some sweet ship, ma'am." "Nimisha," she corrected him.

Jonagren nodded acceptance. "You're quite a designer, but you called it the fiver, so it's not your first?" "No, the first four have gone into production, smaller than this, as personal transport yachts for the first families who need or want the prestige of possessing their own spaceships or as transports for corporate executives. But useful as experiments. And with some utility for the fleet. The fourth was ... nearly what I wanted, but I didn't have the space I decided is optimum for its purpose." "So, just what differences did you incorporate in this prototype ?" jonagren asked.

"Let's get back to the main cabin. I've wide screens there and I'd be more than happy to show you." casper just chuckled as he took timmy's hand to lead him forward.

Nimisha was still explaining the rationale behind some of the improvements when the chime sounded and the medic unit released syrona.

Casper was beside her in an instant, wrapping her in a sheet, helping her sit up, reassuring her. Her appearance had also been enormously improved by doc's ministrations. Jonagren smiled, cock his head in appreciation, but as she watched casper help syrona dress, it became obvious to Nimisha that he was definitely syrona's mate, not jonagren.

"Do you want a bath? There's a real tub, syrie," casper began.

Sitting up, syrona immediately looked for timmy, relaxing with relief when she saw him. "May I get out now, doc?" "Of course," doc said with grave condescension. "You'll find that leg is working properly. You might experience a twinge or two while the muscles learn to stay where I've put them, but you can walk soundly." she took a few trial steps and the relief and joy brought tears to her eyes. She tried to stem them, biting her lip.

Nimisha went to her, pushing a dithering casper out of the way, and embraced the woman. "Now, now, it's all right.

Crying's good therapy, you know. The bravest men and women know its healing power." syrona lester-pitt indulged herself in that luxury, allowing Nimisha to lead her to the nearest couch and settling them both so syrona could weep in more comfort.

"Tea?" casper exclaimed, swivelling his body toward cater.

"Milk or lemon, sir?" cater asked.

"Lemon?" syrona managed to gulp in surprise through her tears.

"Lemon, I'd say," Nimisha told cater and had to deal with a new outburst of tears from syrona. She glared up at the two men, both of whom seemed perplexed, and timmy, who looked worried.

Nimisha smiled reassurance at him over syrona's head and continued to pat and hug the woman.

"With extra sugar," doc added.

When casper brought this to syrona she reached eagerly for the cup. Nimisha tactfully balanced the cup in the shaky hands that syrona lifted to her mouth. She managed one sip, then wept a few more tears, sniffled, and rubbed at a runny nose.

Jonagren took a napkin from the table and passed it over to her. Nimisha held the cup while syrona blew her nose and wiped her eyes.

Then syrona took back her cup and gave everyone a watery smile.

"Even a cup of tea," she said in an unsteady voice. "You don't know what this means." she held the cup up as if voicing some inner toast.

I think I do," Nimisha said gently. "Would you like something to eat, too?" she asked when the cup had been drained.

Timmy had nestled in close to syrona on the other side while the two men had pulled chairs closer, offering moral support and sympathy by their proximity.

I ate a burger, syrie," timmy said, grinning impishly. "And drank milk!" "Milk?" syrona swallowed. Sniffing again, she was about to use the make-do handkerchief when she stopped. "I can smell burger.

Oli, my word!" and she closed her eyes, hands tight against her lips to prevent another outburst of tears.

"I would prescribe food," doc said.

"How do you like your burger?" Nimisha asked.

Medium rare," syrona said as if this was almost too wonderful to be believed.

"medium rare, coming up," cater said. "And did you wish ketchup on it, ma'am?" "Ketchup?" syrona's eyes shot wide in amazement. Shaking her head and laughing weakly, she commented, "why am I surprised that this ship would have such a sauce? Even fleet units do.

But it's been so long..

"Too long," casper said, retrieving the burger, smothered with ketchup. "Some foods simply cannot fade from continuous use.

The burger is universally a favorite. Yours, ma'am." with plate balanced on one hand, he made a bow to bring it to syrona's hands.

They watched her as she tried not to bolt the food. After three quick bites, she slowed down, smiling hesitantly around.

"Good, isn't it?" timmy asked, nodding his head to give her a clue to the necessary response.

"Nimisha's given us a tour of the ship while you were otherwise occupied," jonagren said, relaxing again. "She's the chief designer at rondymense ship yard. We're on the fiver, and if it took no damage after its trip through that fragging wormhole, then it's definitely better designed than the old pootheg was." "Wait'll you see the cabins, syrie. Your own head and a bathtub like you told me about, and soft covers that aren't fur," timmy rattled on. "And all kinds of growing things that don't try to attach to you and-and-" "easy, lad," casper said, laughing.

"If that burger will stay your hunger," Nimisha said, for the food had disappeared quickly in spite of the small bites syrona had taken, "perhaps a bath and clean clothes will restore you completely." "A bath sounds like heaven." "I cleaned you up quite well," doc said, sounding miffed.

"Yes, of course, sir," syrona replied and then stopped, realizing that it was an AI she was talking to.

"Doc tends to be cheeky," Nimisha said by way of explanation and apology.

"I'd love a bath, with hot water, and proper cleansing gel and-" syrona paused. "Any fragrant oils on board?" Nimisha chuckled. "I have a respectable inventory. You've only to look at the dispenser menu and dial the one, or ones, you want." syrona stood, and both men leaped forward to offer a hand each to their crewmate.

I can get up myself now," she said in an almost haughty tone and proved it. A teary smile crossed her face and she firmly held back more tears. "And that's a real pleasure. Thank you so much, doc," she added, turning toward the medical unit.

"My pleasure, I assure you." "This way, ensign lester-pitt," Nimisha said, formally gesturing the way for syrona. "The com equipment is standard for reportage, captain," she told svangel, nodding her head in the direction of the bridge. "And casper, I think we also have tape entertainment suitable for tim. Just check with the library." "Great! We didn't have much on the shuttle unit, mainly mual." "I can read," timmy said, puffing out his chest.

Nimisha was following syrona's proud gait-nearly a strut-to the living accommodations. She knew the library included some younger child entertainment tapes, because cuiva had mentioned old favorites she wouldn't mind seeing again when she was traveling with her mother. No one saw the pang that thought gave Nimisha.

she stayed with syrona at the ensign's request.

"It's so good to see another woman," syrona said apologetically. "It's not that casper and jon haven't been solicitous and reassuring. They've been wonderful ... but-" she paused with a wry smile. "-there's something about having a member of your own sex around. And I'm sorry to have wept all over you.

"You have nothing to apologize for, syrona," Nimisha said, assuming a mock scowl. "Now what had you in mind for fragrance?" "Sandalwood," syrona said, stripping off a uniform that was thin to transparent in places. "And lots of bath foam.

The water was pouring into the deep tub that would accommodate any size human body. There was a shelf to sit on in its circle.

The steam rose, carrying with it the aroma of sandalwood. Syrona in haled deeply and took the two steps up to insert herself down into the hot bath. She, too, was terribly thin, her pregnancy apparent as an abdominal bulge between gaunt pelvic bones. Her skin was now free of the scrapes, bruises, and dry patches she'd arrived with. The injured leg, still slightly pink from the medic unit's ministrations showed a straight line of tibia.

Oh, this is heavenly." "Your sandalwood soap, ma'am, and a sponge. A lytherian sponge-they're softest." expensive, too," syrona remarked as she dipped the delicate bath accessory into the water. "Oh, I've dreamed of this!" the water was deep enough for her to be buoyant and, sitting on the ledge, she fitted her head into the appropriate concavity in the wall of the bath, her eyes closed, steam rising gently in aromatic waves. Nimisha sat on the slip bench, quite pleased with the effect the amenities of the fiver was having on this survivor.

With her eyes closed, hot water bringing more color to her face syrona had the bone structure that would make her-once she was in better condition-a very attractive woman. Her dark hair began to curl about her face. It had been cut rather raggedly to just below the ears. Nimisha studied the resting face and saw the character in it, the lines made by the last years of struggle, perseverance, and repeated disappointments. She wondered how many children syrona had had, and lost.

mmys jon's son," syrona said without opening her eyes.

"The boy casper and I had together died of a fever. I miscarried twice, and then they made me wait until they could build me up." she gave a snort. "I don't think the indigenous diet was good for any of us even if it was edible. We ran out of the supplements we took from the pootheg's supplies. No vitamins, too few trace minerals ; I think that's why we had so many spontaneous abortions. But we hadn't thought of increasing the population while we had them.

Casper insisted that we'd be found before we had to start a colony." her eyebrows quirked in amusement. "That man's the eternal optimist," she added, her lips curling a trifle in a fond and loving smile. "Jon's more of a realist so the two balance each other." she opened one eye, clear now and a pretty light green. "Jon's a good man," she said firmly.

"I've already decided that," Nimisha remarked with a chuckle.

"It's been harder on him when he knows how much casper and I care for each other." "I should imagine so," Nimisha replied casually. "While you were still being treated, I caught up on the basic facts of the expedition's history. There are two other habitable planets within a reasonable distance." syrona's eyes flew open and she regarded Nimisha solemnly.

"You're first family. None of us are, though my older sister is bodyheir to my mother. But jon's family is long time fleet and he's ... he's very good," she finished in a rush. "Don't-don't-" syrona flushed deeply and closed her lips tightly.

"I have no intention of denying him human rights, but," Nimisha said with a little smile, "I think we both need to get to know each other a little better." "Oh, fraggit, lady Nimisha," syrona said, squeezing her eyes closed with embarrassment. "I didn't mean it to come out that way.

Sounds like I'm pimping for jon.

Nimisha burst out laughing. "Is that how fleet works out these partnerships for long-term voyages? A spokesperson to sound out the chosen?" syrona opened her eyes and regarded Nimisha squarely.

"Well, it generally works out. Of course, there's usually more choice available. But sometimes a crew member has to settle for what's left over. Not that I would consider jonagren a leftover." "That's encouraging." "It's just that casper and I have been mates a much longer time. Peri was jon's." a look of intense sorrow crossed syrona's face and she closed her eyes against painful memories. "She's been dead a long time now." her voice cracked a bit-partly the remembered loss and partly fatigue.

I think you ought to rest by yourself, syrona," Nimisha said gently, touching her arm as it lay on the tub side. "Until the water cools. Good to soak and let the sandalwood soothe you." I didn't offend you, did i, lady Nimisha?" "Nimisha, please, syrona. We're equals on this planet. And all first families!" she said as she slid the door closed behind her. To her relief, she heard syrona chuckling.

Nimisha paused a moment before rejoining the others. Syrona hadn't wasted any time at all in setting out the interrelationships of survivors, possibly because she felt that was her duty in smoothing the trio into a quartet. Well, Nimisha found jonagren svangel not only attractive enough but also an interesting human being certainly one she would find acceptable and deserving the comfort of "human rights," as she had so drolly put it. But she was not about to rush matters. If nothing else, the situation was slightly awkward for them both. She was civilian, as well as first family, and he was fleet and leader of his group. She'd have to figure out how to set him more at ease. What with all that she had had to do prior to leaving on the shakedown cruise, she hadn't had a chance for an intimate interlude with caleb. Intercourse was still one of the most effective therapies for the relief of stress. No doubt why it was part of the human equation, rather than required solely for procreative purposes.

At breakfast the next morning, they started to make plans.

"I'd very much like to have a look at the other two anomalies, Nimisha," jon said politely.

She heard fleet in his tone and grinned back.

"That would be my first order of today," she replied, looking at Casper and syrona for agreement. Both nodded first in jon's direction. "I don't have room on the fiver for the pootheg's gig," she said.

"I think it might just be possible to fit-without your skiff," jon said thoughtfully. "As you pointed out last night at dinner, the skiff has no defense capability, but the gig does. We might need that when we investigate the other two planets. There seems to be sufficient fuel on board the fiver to make both journeys feasible and still get back here." "We can store the skiff in the cave," casper said. "Plenty of space there. Does it have repellers?" "Yes, but why would it need them in the cave?" Nimisha asked, puzzled. They had been living in the cave, hadn't they?

"Well," casper replied, scratching his head and grinning wryly, as long as we make noise, nothing comes to investigate us, but I wouldn't want to leave the gig silent and unprotected." "Oh," Nimisha said softly, still puzzled.

Syrona caught her eye and grinned. "It's mostly the mess they leave behind," she explained. "The acid residue could damage even petralloy. Shame to mess a new skiff exterior if it can be protected." "I'm agreeable," Nimisha said. "Are you sure it will fit?" "Casper and I did a bit of measuring, and it will," jon said, "but this is your ship, Nimisha." "And one that I hoped to sell to fleet for long-distance exploration. So let's test all its capabilities." jon's eyes echoed his smile. Were they gray or blue?

Nimisha still wasn't sure. They were large and well set in his head and, now that he was definitely relaxing, filled more often with a droll sense of humor.

"Do you have anything else you want to bring on board?" she asked. The two men had gone out in the last light of the spring evening and she'd watched them climb up the ladder. They'd taken two loads from the cave, which they'd stored in the shuttle before returning to the fiver. Casper had brought in some handcarved toys and a stuffed creature that was obviously timmy's comforter.

it was made of animal fur, stuffed with some sort of plant fiber, and wore a small fleet uniform, complete with ensign bars. Timmy had greeted it with a loud cry of delight, and immediately sat down to tell it all about the new ship it was on.

"No," jon said, shaking his head, then grinned in apology for his bluntness. "We stored whatever could be useful in the shuttle last evening." "All right, then, helm, let's open the hatch and see about switching my skiff with the gig," Nimisha said. "I'll take it up to the cave.

I'm curious to see where you've ... survived." "It has served its purpose," jon said.

"And may again," Nimisha remarked.

Jon beckoned to casper. "Let's do it, then." she followed them back and watched for a moment as they used the anti-grav handles to move crates and make the necessary room for the skiff.

"Don't worry. We won't scrape the shining new walls," jon said, noticing her dubious expression.

"If it'll fly, jon'll fly it," casper said. "Been with him when he squeaked through some very tight asteroid belts." jon shook his head. "But not the wormhole." "Even helm, and he can respond into seconds, had trouble keeping the fiver from careening into the walls," Nimisha reassured him. "Anyway, that bedamned hole didn't even have a constant diameter." "Hmmm," was jon's rejoinder.

She had to admit, when they had adjusted the supplies in the garage area, that the skiff might indeed fit, though tightly. She got into it and, after making sure the men had stepped back, eased the little craft out and then up to the cave.

The entrance was partially obscured by drooping vines from which a flutter of tiny insectoids departed as the top of the skiff brushed them loose. Rather like colored snowflakes and not much larger. Surely they weren't the acid-droppers. Then she turned on the skiff's lights for a good look at the cave site.

They certainly had done their best to make it a home. Hewn wooden partitions closed off spaces for privacy on either side of the wide entrance. She could see that they had also built a rock wall across the rear of the cave. The amenities included roughly built couches, chairs, tables, a fireplace, and a cooking area. Shelves had been built and there were lighting fixtures on the walls, powered by the solar panels she had seen outside. There was even a rug, woven of rags all space-blue and gray. A bookcase, now empty, had obviously held reading materials.

When she heard the gig engine thrum softly, she slid down the lift rope to the ground and ran to see jonagren svangel's performance. He lined up the gig with the open hatch and, with a precise exhibition of his skill as a pilot, backed the vehicle inside the fiver.

He left just enough space on one side to permit him to disembark, but there wasn't more than finger's width between the gig and the wall of the cargo hatch on the other.

"Well done," Nimisha said, applauding when he emerged. He was grinning in almost boyish delight at his success.

He jumped down to the ground beside her, an I-told-you-so look in his eyes.

"Indeed you did," Nimisha said. "You're good enough that I'll even let you take the fiver to our first destination." jon laughed, cupping her elbow and walking her to the main entrance. "Considering helm would automatically correct any errors I might make, I accept the offer." they entered the spacecraft laughing.

"Helm, captain svangel is herewith authorized to fly the fiver, and you are to insert that order in today's log."

"Log so reads, ma'am," helm replied. "If you will respond for a voice record, captain?" "This is captain jonagren svangel, helm, accepting the authorization of lady Nimisha Boynton-Rondymense to act as additional pilot of the fiver. Will that suffice, helm?" "Yes, captain." Nimisha winked at the now-authorized pilot.

"Set us a course, helm, to the nearest of the two anomalies you discovered on this-" jon turned to Nimisha. "We never bothered to give this planet a name." "I've called it erehwon," Nimisha said.

"Nowhere?" jon said after a blink of surprise and a bark of laughter. Casper and syrona joined in the laughter.

"Well, it is the back of nowhere, isn't it?" Nimisha said.

"All too true," jon said ironically. "Helm, set us a course to the nearest of the two anomalies on erehwon." "Casper, syrie, timmy, join us," Nimisha said.

There was a manner of intense satisfaction about jonagren svangel as he took the pilot's chair and waited while it adjusted to his longer frame. "More comforts than at home," he said.

Course laid in, sir," helm said. "Maximum fuel conservation." "Accepted. Let's go," jon said, leaning to one side on the armrest.

As the fiver lifted away from the meadow and the place they had lived for so long, Nimisha noticed that only syrona glanced down. Timmy seemed to be fascinated by the altitude and the speed with which the ground dropped away as the fiver angled her nose skyward. Once she had reached the programmed altitude, the engines throttled back and were almost silent, minute use of the thrusters keeping her on course.

"It's not a bad-looking planet," Nimisha remarked.

"In the safety of high altitude," jon replied. "Lovely ship. Smooth as a baby's ... ah, cheek."

Nimisha grinned at the quick substitution, obviously made in deference to her social standing. She caught the turn of head from both syrie and casper but she ignored them. They maintained this altitude for nearly an hour before the fiver smoothly tilted forward and began her descent. They were passing over one of the oceans between the continental masses.

"What about life-forms, helm?" jon asked.

"Those are being observed and catalogued, sir." one of the auxiliary screens lit up.

Timmy drew back, wide-eyed at the size of the aquatic leviathans pictured on the screen.

"Well, I did see little butterfly things in the foliage at the cave," Nimisha remarked, "so not everything on the planet is oversized." "Chichim-he was our geologist-thought this planet was possibly in a late pleistocene epoch. He was hoping to find fossils before ..." casper's voice trailed off. "I mean, the size and variety of life-forms does compare to that period in earth's history. And there is evidence of at least one ice age. We got "-he turned to Nimisha-"too busy surviving to do much real exploration." "We managed botanical research and what biological specimens didn't want to eat us," syrona added, somewhat defensively.

"We did an in-depth survey of our immediate area, which was relatively free from the largest carnivores and grazers," jon said firmly, "as well as a complete sampling of riverine life-forms." "A lot were very poisonous," syrona put in.

" Good thing I didn't get a bath in that lake," Nimisha said.

"Ooh, you're right about that," syrona said feelingly. "Jon got peri out before something with tentacles tried to drag her under the surface and we hadn't even known it was there." "Not quite a cetapod," jon said, "but similar, from what we saw. Very strong. Peri had marks on her leg for weeks." "The surface feeders were small enough to be fished, and there were nine types that we could safely eat," casper added. "Two are very tasty grilled." "I like burgers better," timmy said, turning on his mother's lap to look up appealingly at her face. "Can-may I have a burger for lunch, syrie?" "I believe that can be arranged," syrona said with a straight face, but her eyes danced. A second long rest had given more sparkle to her, and she had managed to trim her hair with sharper scissors. It curled like a cap about her head. Though her face looked smoother, there hadn't been time to fill out the hollows in her cheeks or completely eradicate the dark circles under her eyes.

The fiver was over land again, the topographical features discerned even at their present height.

"Much the same geologically," casper remarked. "Though that's some desert area with not so much as a shrub or ground cover to show the presence of water." they were angling across the desert when they encountered deep canyons and, in their depths, the sparkle of water a long way down. Gradually that terrain gave way to more of the grasslands, and they could see the black clusters of the grazers moving steadily across it.

"well, maybe over that mountain range we'll find something new," casper said, ever the optimist.

"Our objective is seven kilometers directly forward," helm said. He brought that image up and magnified it.

"That's new," jon observed drily. "Not one of ours." "Not by a long shot," Nimisha agreed. The metallic mass was strangely formed, with rounded semicircles on its uppermost surface and what looked like atmospheric fins buried in the dirt. "It seems to have had a sharp prow." "Until it met the hard rock," jon added. "Broke its nose."

"it does look sort of like a bird, doesn't it, with the fins legs and those blobs on the top a series of eyes," syrona said. "Is it a green metal or is that paint?" "It's badly scraped, whatever," casper remarked. "If it came through the wormhole, it took more damage than we did." "Alien. It looks very alien to me," Nimisha said.

"Helm, land the fiver half a klick from the vehicle," jon said.

"We'll take a closer but safer look from the gig." he caught Nimisha's eyes, looking slightly apologetic for assuming command so automatically until she gave him a wave of approval. " sort of habit." "I enjoy being a passenger ... now and then," she replied evenly.

And she did when she was certain, as she was with jonagren svangel, that the pilot was at least as competent as she knew she was.

She rose to go change into her protective suit, then turned back to syrona. "Come along in the gig." "Thank you but I'd just as soon stay here and have ... a burger," syrona said in an equable tone. "Timmy, did you still want one, too?" "Sure do" was the enthusiastic reply and the boy danced ahead of his mother into the main cabin.

Nimisha had changed and found two spare suits"for the men when she felt the slight bump as the keel of the fiver settled to the ground.

"Here, you'll need these," she said, encountering the men on their way from the bridge. The smell of burger was tempting.

"Thanks. Our gear's long gone," casper said, but, after taking the suit from Nimisha, he edged toward the dispenser. "But I wouldn't mind a burger for the trip." "Come on then," Nimisha said, giving jon his suit.

"I'll meet you at the gig," he said, pulling his protective gear on top of what he was already wearing. "Order me one, too, casper.

Medium rare and no ketchup."

They were both finishing the last bites of their burgers as they joined her in the gig. Casper licked his fingers clean.

Jon sat in the pilot's seat that Nimisha had tactfully left for him.

"Letting me do all the work today, huh?" he said, snapping on the harness and switching on the engines.

"You got her in, you get her out," Nimisha said blandly.

Aye, aye, sir." "I'm a ma'am-I'm civilian." "Yes, sir," was jon's bantering reply.

Any lightheartedness vanished at the sight of the wrecked ship's obviously alien design. Circling the wreck showed the deep scores in its hull. One whole side of the aftersection had been pulled open.

What looked like a small gig had been jammed against the largest hole. That may have been more luck than planning, but the obstacle would have kept smaller objects, like bodies, from being sucked into space.

"Hope they got their crew out," casper said, shaking his head at the damage.

"I'd guess that that was cargo space and they lost whatever they were carrying," jon said. "If that is the stern of this vehicle." "I'd hazard the guess that they didn't back into their current position," Nimisha said with a droll grin at jon.

"You're right about that. How could such a crazy shape be spaceworthy?" he remarked, shaking his head.

"Maybe it was never meant to land. Only they had to, with that great rent in their stern," she said.

Jon kept the gig hovering above the wreck so they could estimate the size of the alien vehicle. It was bigger than the pootheg and nearly as large as the ancient diaspora wreck. The prow of the ship had been knocked sideways by the force of its landing, so the pointed shape resembled a bird looking over its shoulder.

It's been here a while," casper said, pointing to the vegetation growing from dirt on the top of it. "Hold it, jon, there's some sort of design or glyphs on the side." "I've been taping, cas," the captain said. "Might be oxygen breathers, or why would they pick the m-type?" "No choice," Nimisha suggested, having looked for some evidence of escape from the vessel. "And no tracks leading from it." "It's been down a long time," jon said. "Shall we have a look inside?" "Why not?" Nimisha was glad that was decided so effortlessly. There was no way she was going to relinquish the chance to see the inside of an alien spaceship.

They got in through one of the gaps in the hull toward the stern of the ship, which was again birdlike, resembling a fantail, bulging slightly on the end to accommodate a solid parabola of odd tubes.

"Funny sort of propulsion units," jon said.

"No radiation readings, or helm would have mentioned it," Nimisha said, switching on her wrist light and swinging the beam around the aperture.

Athletically, jon svangel hiked himself into the opening, then reached down to give Nimisha a helping hand. Casper was beside them in another moment.

"I'd say the aliens are smaller than we are," jon remarked, crouching as he made his way forward. They all had to bend to clear the passageway.

"much smaller," casper said, banging his head on a mass of piping. A piece detached itself and dropped with a thud to the deck. A whiff of something acrid floated in the air for a moment before dissipating in the light breeze blowing through the wreck.

They were glad to enter an area where they could stand upright: the central round ball of the ship, which was obviously a command area.

"i feel like a giant," Nimisha remarked, looking at the small, almost child-size, seats and consoles. The worktops were filled with boards of rocker switches, dial knobs, and toggles, surrounding what had to be display screens, and there were large screens on one wall: shattered or crazed, but their original function was still obvious.

She twiddled and switched and pulled and nothing happened. "I didn't expect any reactions," she murmured.

Jon and casper were prowling about, looking at broken equipment on the perimeter of the chamber, peering into cabinets that had cracked doors or facades. They could not access the sharp prow where the bridge must have been situated; the passage to it was crushed against the stones of the hillside.

Nimisha noticed the pole and the hole in the deck and called their attention to it. As the size of the opening would not accommodate any of their adult bodies, they could only shine light down it.

"Access to crew quarters, I'd say," was casper's comment.

"If we could rig enough lights so he wouldn't be scared, timmy would do it," jon said.

Casper was shaking his head.

"Not when I've mobiles we can send," Nimisha said. "Helm can control them. There's no need to ask a six-year-old to go down a hole in the floor." jon regarded her for a moment, then nodded. "Agreed. I have to reframe my thinking to include available resources I haven't had access to for years." then he added, "do your mobiles have additional lighting?" Nimisha shook her head. "Self-contained units." "What other surprises has the fiver?" he asked in a wry tone.

"I like to keep something back from you fleet types," she said.

"Why didn't you send them first, to scout the place?" "Because I like to do my own reconnoitring. Get a feeling for the craft and who or what might have been on it."

"Whoever, they're a long time-" "there is a party of unknown bipeds approaching from the hills, ma'am," helm announced suddenly. "They appear to be armed with a variety of primitive weapons." Nimisha unclipped her beltcom. "Can you patch through this hull?" he could and she held up the unit so they all could see the furtive approach of the small bipeds.

"Further orders, ma'am?" "We don't know that they are aggressive," Nimisha said.

"Aggression can come in many sizes," jonagren remarked succinctly and he crouched to return through the low passage to their point of entry.

"The foremost question in my mind," she said, following him, with casper behind her, "is are they descendants of the original owners?" "Great minds," jon said.

I do have a translator on board the fiver," nisha added.

Helm, can you pick up any sounds?" "They are not making sounds," was helm's reply.

"They are then attempting to creep up on us undetected," Nimisha said, amused. "What do we do?" "Go out and act friendly, of course," jon said.

"So they tell me," Nimisha said, regarding the weapons that were being brought toward them in the possession of small people who might dislike visitors on board their ship. If this was their ship.

But who else's would it be? Unless, for some unknown reason, sentient-possibly even sapient-bipeds were limited to this continent of the nine land masses on erehwon.

I wonder how long they have survived here," casper said as they reached the fracture through which they had entered.

"They are on the hill above you and the ship hides you from their view," helm said.

"Thanks," Nimisha murmured, turning to the captain. "What do we do?" "Walk out where they can see us, hands open, palms up." "Let's hope that's their indication of peaceful intent, too," Nimisha replied. "Helm, on guard!" she switched on her suit's repeller, knowing that it had been designed to protect her against a variety of more sophisticated weapons than those being carried toward them. Jon and casper did so, too.

"Forward and to your left," helm said. "You're not yet visible, but they've sent two on ahead. You may meet them. You will. Now." and they did. Nimisha was never sure exactly what happened, the encounter was over so quickly. Projectiles of some sort came flying at them from the two midget bipeds that reacted faster than any of the humans did. But helm was faster and his stun beam caught them. The weapons were deflected by the individual repeller shields and fell uselessly to the ground.

The others are retreating," helm said.

Nimisha leaned down to pick up the impotent darts.

"Be careful!" jon said, holding out his arm to prevent her. "The tip could be poisoned." casper had sprinted to the two supine figures. "Hope helm didn't give them too much stun." "We're lucky he could," jon said. "At least we know they have some sort of nervous system that can be affected by stunners." I adjusted the beam to a strength sufficient to stop creatures of that size and weight," helm said, and Nimisha thought the AI did not appreciate this aspersion to his common sense. I had projectiles on targets, as well." "Well, the translation device is on the fiver. Let's take them to it," Nimisha said as she and jon joined casper by the limp bodies.

Jon knelt down and touched the fur-covered throat of the one nearest him.

"A pulse of some sort. Maybe doc can figure out what they're composed of besides fur." he rubbed his fingers together. "Nice feel to it. Wonder how warm it is." the two bipeds wore not much more than their weapon belts.

Their sex-if they were of different sexes-was not obvious.

Casper bent and, picked one up. "Heavier than you'd think," he remarked.

Jon took the second. Nimisha, craning to regard the head drooping over his arm, wondered at the blank oval face devoid of recognizable orifices.

Aliens! A spurt of triumph raced through her. Nimisha boyntonrondymense had met aliens! Sapient aliens, able to make and use tools, and who had once been space-farers. All kinds of questions tumbled about in her head: how long had they been marooned? Had they seen other humans to know that they should be wary of them? Had they regressed to a primitive existence? What stories would they tell about their landing here? Did they know where their home system was?

Then she realized that jon and casper were carrying on a conversation dealing with such queries and grinned.

"Helm, let's get back to the fiver as quickly as possible." "Advisable, ma'am, as there are now a multitude of these creatures advancing in a menacing fashion toward the gig." "Lifting," Nimisha said, having seen the van of a small army appearing on the hilltop. She slipped into the pilot's seat as the two men were gently depositing the aliens on the deck.

They were up and out of range just as the army charged down the nearside of the hill, making loud hooting noises.

"So they do have voices," Nimisha said, turning the gig. "The fiver's not that far away and they can really move," she added, making rapid forward progress.

"Let us then remove ourselves from danger while we treat these

Jon said. "We could meet the fiver back at the ocean. I doubt they can follow us that far." "Do you doubt my ability to park the gig in fiver?" Nimisha asked, amused.

"Never," jon replied, and casper gave a snort of laughter. "But why waste time landing?" "Point." and so Nimisha suggested a rendezvous to helm.

She had a chance to see how gracefully fiver lifted from the surface and sighed happily ... even if no one in her quadrant might ever see it again. Idly she wondered if caleb rustin might not have gone on to finish the mark 5 that had been skeletal when she left on the shakedown cruise. Would cuiva realize that caleb should be given the disks she had entrusted to her for safe keeping?

She landed the gig on the beach close to the fiver. The aliens had not roused from their stun during the short run. Jon and casper reassured her that they were still breathing and seemed to have a pulse in their short necks. As no facial orifices were visible, they weren't able to judge what optical or aural arrangements existed in the oval "head." each hand had three digits, one opposing.

"If they can launch darts, they've tool capacities," casper said, subtly pleased. "Sapient. How marvelous!" "The feet are more flippers than feet, with vestigial toes ... of a sort," jon said, having gently felt down the four limbs of the one he was examining. "They don't smell bad, either." "No, they don't, but with all that fur, how do they perspire?" jon picked up one limb, inspecting the sole. "Callused and bare of fur. Well, fur would've rubbed off on rough surfaces if there had been any, wouldn't it?" "Let's see what doc's diagnostics can tell us about them," Nimisha said.

"That's sensible," jon said, kneeling to pick up the alien he had been examining. He stepped out of the gig and the alien bounced out of his arms, sprawling on all fours before it started across the beach in a dash. "Hold yours down, cas," jon cried.

Nimisha, who had been following jon, started off after the fugitive. She had always been fast on her feet, and with legs twice the length of the alien's, she was able to catch up with it. Tackling seemed the logical way to halt its progress. It squealed at the sudden impact in the sand and tried to wriggle away.

"I won't hurt you," she cried, trying in this awkward position to radiate goodwill and positive feelings. It took jon's assistance to subdue the creature. It might be small, but it was strong and writhed so violently that the two humans were afraid of hurting it.

A dark band of what seemed to be one long eye centered in the upper third of its face sparkled with angry determination to free itself.

Casper had wisely put a wrap about the feet of the other alien.

He was halfway to the fiver with his still limp captive in his arms.

As Nimisha and jon carried theirs, it hooted in a desperate tone to the other and writhed in their arms, an action that required them to hold it more tightly than they wanted to.

Really, we are not going to hurt you," Nimisha repeated in as reassuring tone as she could manage. "I hope its flesh doesn't bruise, or doc will have my guts for garters." "Your what for what?" jon asked, startled.

"I've a friend ... oh, do stay still, dear ... who collects archaic words and phrases. That's one of them. He's also got some marvelous 'ods blood!" she exclaimed, as their burden writhed violently. "Like that-expressions from bygone days." "'od's blood?" jon repeated.

"He didn't know what it means. Ah, here we are and not above time ... another phrase pheltim collected." the two now had their captive inside the fiver and Nimisha aimed the hatch shut.

So "bring the other one in here, too," doc called. "They'll both fit in the unit. Once I've figured out what I can use to sedate them." casper's alien, lying in the medic unit, was still unconscious.

Seeing the disposition of its colleague, the one Nimisha and jon were holding made frantic efforts to escape.

"Oh, it's my size!" timmy cried. He had been eating-a burger, to judge by the bun still clutched in his hand as he moved to get a closer look at the creature. "Are you hungry?" he asked solicitously his face on a level with the alien's as he graciously broke off a bit and held it out.

The creature, whose optics seemed to be placed in a narrow band across the front of its "face," ceased struggling for a long minute. What Nimisha now took to be some sort of air intake had slitted open and was fluttering rapidly.

Encouraged, timmy held the piece closer. A wild sniff, and the alien redoubled its effort to free itself.

"I've got enough from this one to be able to choose sedation.

Put yours in before it damages itself struggling like that," doc said.

"Oxygen breathers." "it might be vegetarian, tim," Nimisha said, "but that was thoughtful of you." Nimisha and jon deposited the creature beside its fellow and doc closed the canopy, which then misted with gas. The little alien used its small fists on the plastic, but its efforts diminished as the sedative took effect and it collapsed in a heap.

"Not the best way to make friends, I might add," doc remarked.

"They weren't of a mind to be friendly," Nimisha said.

"You can look at the darts," jon said, putting the two in a specimen drawer in the medical unit.

"There was an army of them about to overwhelm us." "Yes, we saw," syrona said. "Tim was a bit concerned for you.

Even if they are closer to his size than yours."

"There were a lot of them," the boy said, eyes wide, and looked at the bite he had offered the alien. Then he popped it in his mouth. "I'm glad I'm not vegetarian." "Let us know when you've found anything interesting, doc," Nimisha said. Then, ruffling tim's hair, she added, "that burger smells good. Think I'll have one. All that exercise gave me quite an appetite." jon and casper followed her to cater's dispenser and gave their orders, as well.

"Red blood," doc said just as jon was about to bite into his rare burger.

Nimisha smothered a laugh at jon's expression. Almost defiantly , he closed his teeth on the bun. She leaned closer to him.

"It isn't real meat anyway, even if that's the way it masquerades and tastes. It's got much more protein than mere flesh would have.

"We should have reassured the alien on that score," jon said, flicking one eyebrow up rakishly.

"If these are the descendants of those in that bird ship," syrona began, "they've done very well to survive on this hostile planet, the size they are." with that the others heartily concurred. "I heard their hoots and asked helm to see if the translator could make something of them." "Purely noise, to frighten an enemy and express aggression," helm said. "Their vocal equipment goes off the scale into higher frequencies, so you didn't get the full effect." "We tried shouting at the slugs and the bison-types. Had absolutely no effect on them," casper said, sounding droll.

"Neither did our weapons," jon added, equally droll.

"My, my," doc said in surprise. "Well, the panspermia clique will be glad to know that they may have had it right all along." "What are you talking about, doc?" Nimisha asked.

"Surely you remember the two camps of thought about what aliens will look like when, and or if, we ever met any?" doc asked.

I do," jon said, looking at casper, who nodded.

Doc went on, obviously enjoying a lecturing mode. "Biologists have always been divided on the subject of whether or not we will ever find humanoid bipedal life-forms such as ourselves. As we know, it took astrographers long enough to admit that there just could be far more m-type planets with a proper atmospheric mix and carbon-based than earlier stargazers suspected. However, on the subject of what life-forms could emerge from the same sort of primordial stew, biologists remain in violent disagreement.

One group insists that the percentage against encountering humanoids like yourselves is too high. The sentient, or perhaps I should say, sapient life-forms on other planets will be very alien. The aerial monsters that attacked your settlement, captain svangel, might be considered sentient, since they purposefully kept attacking you.

But sapience indicates wisdom. And the avians showed little of that. However, back to the point, one group of biologists insisted that humanoid life-forms couldn't happen.

"The other, equally vocal and determined group, the panspermians , who postulated that once life originates anywhere., that accident or design could cause that basic pattern to spread out through a galaxy. An excellent example of this is the evidence of life found in a meteorite that originated on mars. And later confirmed in the initial mars probes and landings." jon grinned at Nimisha, who smiled, remembering history lessons of humankind's earliest explorations of its own solar system before the first diaspora.

"Am I boring you?" doc asked.

"No, no, please continue, doc," Nimisha said courteously.

The doc cleared its throat in a very human fashion. "Many eminent biologists were willing to recognize that a hardy life-form, like some bacteria, might be able to survive such a journey through space-" "arrhenius' theory," Nimisha interrupted, cocking her finger at jon, who grinned.

Doc went on as if there had been no interruption ... ... lasting decades, hundred or thousands of years, and thus plant the seeds for biologically compatible life on another similarly hospitable world.

If they check out, that theory is validated." "Oh." Nimisha smirked with anticipation.

"The very fact that the stunner disabled them," doc continued, indicates that they have a central nervous system that can be stunned. They also have a hemoglobin blood similar to ours." then he chuckled. "I have been busy during my narrative," he added. "Let's add to a nervous system an amazing circulatory arrangement and a heart-type pump and the bellows they use for lungs. Neatly packaged between their shoulder blades.

Which adds more proof of being a humanoid type. Ah, one difference! They can withdraw their genitals into their bodies for safe keeping.

A wise precaution, but there may be more than two sexes. I'd need to check other specimens. One does have a prod withdrawn in its body, but it also has an egg sac. A blood filter, a waste compartment for liquid and solids. There are some odd fissures in the hind end that probably open for evacuation. Muscle tissue, strong skeletal frame, articulated joints, but we saw them at work, didn't we?

definitely humanoid. I'm just getting to the brain but ... hmmm." doc broke off. "That's odd.

"What?" "Different structure, though I can discern divisions that might be comparable to human lobes. Very dense brain matter. just how high on the scale their intelligence is will have to be estimated by their reaction to other stimuli. I'm willing to call them not only sentient but sapient."

"Aggressive, too," casper remarked, "so they have a territorial imperative. However, except for their size, we haven't established if these little folk are the descendants of those on that ship." "Why else were they determined to protect it and drive us away?" Nimisha asked.

"I'll tell you one thing-I don't think they are indigenous to this planet," doc said. "They have residual accretions of minerals in their muscles and systems that they haven't been able to either use or evacuate. Once the organ is full up, I suspect it causes them a lot of problems, up to and including early demise." "Are they capable of speech?" "They've demonstrated that they can make sounds. Whether these sounds form a consistent language we have yet to see. Certainly they have tongues, so they can vary the sounds they make.

They also have teeth ... omnivorous variety. Not as many as humans, but the type of dental equipment suggests they can be omnivorous." "We didn't do them any harm restraining them, did we?" Nimisha asked.

"Flesh is dense, dark in color. I cannot detect any contusions on their extremities. Remarkably tough creatures. It would take a lot to pierce their hides or break their bones. Possibly why they survived the crash of their space vehicle so well." "Good point," Nimisha said with a laugh. "I don't think many humans would have survived that crash." "Or that these did," jon added, gesturing to the limp bodies in the medical unit.

"I've done what I can. They no longer have intestinal parasites, and I was able to laser the accretions out of their organs. Could be some sort of gall bladder. But they didn't need that foreign matter filling it up." "When will they wake?" syrona asked.

"And what do we do with them when they do?" Nimisha asked.

"Feed them?" casper's expression was amused.

"Any ideas on what they eat, doc?" Nimisha asked. "Meat certainly turned that one off." "Stomach contents have been analyzed and they have recently eaten grain products and a protein I cannot identify with what few biological entities of this planet this ship has been asked to examine. I can see no reason why what is nutritious for us may not be equally edible for them, given that we may have descended from the same type of primordial pond scum." "The burger was protein, not scum," syrona said.

"But not in a recognizable form or with a familiar smell," doc replied.

"You've been living here longer. And you made bread," Nimisha said, turning to jon. "That's grain. Fish is protein-i--did we scan enough of the area around the wreck to know if there is a body of water in the vicinity that would supply fish?" I can provide fish for them, and greens," cater replied.

"Helm sent me an update of what you have been eating, captain." "Thanks, helm. As efficient and forethoughtful as ever," Nimisha murmured.

"Only doing my job, ma'am," was helms response. They all chuckled.

"We'll take fish--cooked, I think," Nimisha said, looking at the three for confirmation. "And greens, plus some sort of bread, coarse grained, but a finer quality than what jon made." she shot him a teasing glance. "And water in clear glass." the requested items were available within minutes.

"They're waking up," doc advised them.

"Let's move the table closer to the med unit so they can see the food. You don't generally offer edibles to an enemy," jon said.

"We hope," Nimisha said as she took one end of the table nearest her to help jon move it. Casper and syrona, with timmy's help, set the food on the table. "Tim, you're small. Stand in front and offer them food. Take a piece of each and show them you're willing to eat it." "Sure, only I wish it was burger instead of fish," timmy said, promptly taking his position.

"If we are seated," Nimisha went on, "we may not look as threatening." "You took the course, too?" jon asked her, pulling chairs to form a row well behind the set table.

"No, it just seems sensible, she replied, and he nodded approval.

"I'm opening up," doc said.

"talk to them as soon as they start moving, timmy," jon said.

"it doesn't matter what you say." "But what will I say?" timmy asked, anxiously turning to his mother.

"Tell them who you are, who we are, that we didn't mean to scare them, and are they hungry?" "When do I eat?" "Drink first and offer it to them," doc said. "They'll likely be thirsty after what I've done to them." everyone watched as the alien creatures began to stir.

The more violent captive of the two roused first. They could tell by the sudden tautness in its body.

"Hi, I'm timmy. I'll bet you're thirsty," the boy said, pausing to take a drink of water before offering the glass.

The alien hissed, but its now-open black optical slits were obviously focused on the glass as it watched timmy drink. If it drew back from his extended hand, the action was more in an automatic defense.

"Move slowly, timmy," syrona said. "Maybe place the glass beside it in the unit?"

Timmy did so, taking the three steps slowly, glass still in his outstretched hand. Some of the water slopped in his hurry to put it down and the alien backed away, crowding into its fellow, who was just beginning to stir.

"Try it. Good clean water," timmy said, taking the second glass and again drinking from it. "And we got good food. You can have what you want to eat." he picked up one of the bread slices and moved to place it beside the glass.

"Eat a bite, timmy," jon murmured softly.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot." his next words were muffled around the slice as he bit into it before placing it beside the glass. "See? I'm eating it. And drinking the water, too. Try it. Won't hurt you.

Please?" the alien sniffed at the wet spill that had become drops on the nonabsorbent covering of the medical unit. It put one of its two fingers on a drop and watched it run away from the touch. It sniffed the glass and then, slowly rising to a seated position, lifted the glass in both hands and took a tentative sip. Its fellow had now roused and was watching, turning its head just enough to take in what was happening.

Having had a quick sip, the first one made a short soft sound to its companion, who also pulled itself up into a sitting position and reached for the offered glass. It took one sip and then another before handing the glass back.

"Would that mean ay is dominant over bee?" syrona asked.

"Ay was awake before bee," Nimisha said, smothering a chuckle.

"Give bee its own glass, and the greens, timmy," jon said. "Eat some before you put them down where they can reach them." timmy, obviously enjoying his role, did so, taking a bite of the green leaf with exaggerated eagerness before adding it to the offerings . He got a second piece of bread, breaking off a piece and eating that before giving the slice to bee.

Ay took the bread and sniffed it, licked it, and bit into it, chewing quickly and then nibbling more enthusiastically. Bee took the leaf, sniffed, licked and then crumbled the whole thing into its mouth, swallowing almost instantly.

"You're supposed to chew your food, not swallow it whole," timmy said, frowning.

"They caught that facial change fast, didn't they?" Nimisha said as both aliens stopped eating, their bodies tense.

"Smile, tim," jon said.

"I didn't scare them, did I?" "I don't think so. They're eating again." "They must be starved," timmy said. His offerings were all gone and the water drained from the glasses. "What do I do now?

Fill the glasses?" "Hold out your hand and then gesture to the table, showing them they can leave the medic unit," jon said. "Smile." "They're not smiling back," timmy said, but he was urgently pantomiming what he wanted them to do.

There was a low-voiced exchange of sounds before ay pushed itself forward and slid off the unit, landing lightly on its feet with knees bent, ready to move.

"No, it's all right, come along. It's much easier for you to take what you want," timmy said with expansive and explanatory gestures.

"He's good at this," Nimisha said in a low voice to syrona.

"We used to do play acting at nights or during long storms," casper said. "Passed time, and it was amazing how much dialogue we could remember from plays we'd seen a long time ago." "In bits and pieces," jon added, also keeping his voice low.

Slowly, and with timmy encouraging them every step, the aliens made their way to the table, clutching their glasses against their squarish torsos. Timmy pointed at the glasses, patted the table and picked up the pitcher.

"You put 'em down and I'll pour. We might spill otherwise.

Ever used a pitcher before? Yes, that's right, put the glass down, ay. You're ay, and you're bee. I'm tee." and timmy started to giggle at his wit. Both aliens reacted, taking two quick backward steps before they realized timmy's unusual noise was not harmful.

"I'm pouring, I'm pouring you water," he said, hastily putting action to words. Then he stepped back and glanced over at the adults watching him. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't've laughed like that, should i as the aliens were far more needful of water than concerned about his odd noises, they were quick to take possession of and drain both glasses quickly. They replaced the glasses on the table and turned meaningfully toward him.

"I get the message," he said, cutting off another giggle as he refilled. "What about some more of this nice bread?" he asked, passing the plate from one to the other.

As daintily as if they were at a proper tea in lady Rezalla's salon they used one finger and the opposing thumb to lift a slice from the plate.

"We got some fish, too," timmy said. Then regarded his mother.

"I can eat it with my fingers this time?" when she nodded, he pinched a portion of the cooked white flesh and, tipping his head, dropped the morsel down his throat.

Ay and bee watched, their jaws dropping slightly open. Their eyes glittered. Then they relaxed and continued eating bread. Ay approached the fish, and its sniffing was quite audible, the vents of the vertical slit visibly fluttering. So quick was its pincer-like motion that the piece of fish was in its mouth before the humans caught the transfer. Then it turned slightly toward bee and pointed to the fish. They both set about snatching pieces, alternating bites of fish, bread, and greens until they cleared all that had been set out for them.

"'you were hungry and thirsty, weren't you?" timmy said.

Syrona covered her mouth, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

"You've said that a time or two, I guess," Nimisha commented to syrona.

"A time or two." having fed themselves, ay and bee now regarded timmy. The observers could see that they were no longer as tense as they had been. They were, she thought, seeing the almost imperceptible movements of their head, and the flick of their digits, assessing their current surroundings and the inhabitants.

"Now what do we do?" timmy asked the adults, raising his hands, palms upward in query.

Immediately the aliens assumed a similar position.

"Good question, timmy. Why don't you sit down on the floor and see what happens?" jon suggested quietly.

The aliens' heads moved slightly, indicating they knew where the voice came from.

"So." timmy crossed his legs and sat down.

The aliens leaned slightly forward and turned to each other; ay made a sound and bee lifted one shoulder, but both settled down cross-legged, too.

"Their knees are funny," timmy said, but he kept his expression bland.

"Now, tim, point to yourself and say your name." "Timmy or tee?" I told you that boy's a born comedian," casper murmured.

"He's the best one at charades, certainly," syrona replied in the same careful tone.

"Timmy! Tee!" said the boy and then, without a cue from jon, he pointed to ay and cocked his head, eyebrows set at an inquiring level. When there was no immediate response, he leaned toward them, cupping a hand behind his ear.

"They don't seem to have ears, timmy. That gesture may not be understood.," "tee! Timmy," he repeated, pointing to himself and then at each of the aliens in turn.

Ay said a sound.

Bee said a sound.

Timmy shook his head.

"Any ideas, helm?" Nimisha asked softly.

"A liquid noise, neither vowel nor diphthong," helm replied. I have not heard sufficient of their sounds to replicate them." "Tee. Timmy!" "Ttt," ay said, stuttering out the consonant but unable to complete the "ee" sound.

"Hey, that's great!" timmy said, clapping his hands. This starts tied the two, who reared back away from him. "Ooops!" he said in dismay, hunching his shoulders and clapping fingers to his mouth.

"Oooo!" repeated both aliens at once, turning to each other as if both pleased with his word and their repetition.

"Try more vowels, timmy." "Vowels?" timmy turned for an explanation.

"A, e, i, o, u," his mother replied.

"Ay is what we named him." "Aaaa," ay echoed politely.

"Bee?" timmy said, pointing to bee.

Teee," bee said.

"We're going to have to change their names," timmy suggested.

-try ay, ...

The vowels were easier for the aliens to manage and they went through the five.

"Open your mouth enough, timmy," jon suggested, "so they can see how you make the tee sound." timmy did so, grimacing and showing his teeth, his lips peeled back as far as possible. The boy kept on, and the aliens seemed to be trying to enunciate what they heard.

I have turned to a wider frequency band, ma'am," helm said in a quiet voice. "Human aural equipment is not adequate to hear all the sounds they do make. I have tracked their voices up to fifty kilohertz, far beyond what humans are capable of, and nearly the limit of my receptors. Also, there are some glottal stops, fricatives, and labials that do not register properly. In their own voices, they are approximating the sounds tim makes." at just that point, timmy threw both arms up in the air in total frustration and exasperation. I give up. Can't we do something else?" he asked, turning toward the adults.

"Yes, why don't you show them around the ship, tim?" Nimisha suggested.

"Great!" timmy leaped so quickly to his feet that the aliens, surprised, slid backward from him with great agility and speed.

-aw, sorry. I keep forgetting. It's all right. Get up---2' he made appropriate gestures. "-and I'll show you the ship." "Ooo uuu eep," ay said, peeling its lips back in an effort to emulate tim's exaggerated pronunciation.

"Let's give that alien a high score for trying," jon said in a whimsical tone.

"Helm," Nimisha said in a low voice, speaking over her shoulder toward the bridge, "keep on recording at the necessary frequencies and see if they speak to each other while timmy's showing them around." timmy was leading the way now, chatting all the time.

The aliens were a good head taller than he was. They walked with a very smooth gait though they were slightly knock-kneed.

"So what do we do now?" syrona asked when the trio was out of earshot. "We've doctored, watered, and fed them and----'

I'd say we take them back where we got them," jon said, looking at Nimisha, who nodded agreement as did casper and syrona. "Showing good faith..

"As well as giving helm time to parse their language," Nimisha added. She peered out the front screen. "We've enough daylight left, I think, to bring them back before any of the nocturnal predators you told me about emerge from their lairs." "Let's see if we can arrange another meeting with them in ...

say, two days' time?" jon went on, checking with each of the others.

"Sounds good to me." "Timmy need the break," syrona said, but she was obviously delighted at her son's performance. "I didn't think he'd be able to do so well." "He did a great job," casper said.

"Still is," jon added, for timmy's voice could be plainly heard.

"He hasn't had much chance to ... socialize. Only barely remembers the others." Nimisha thought of the society into which her daughter had been reared, with all its restrictions and traditions. "I don't think tim has suffered any neglect you could have avoided. I'm a parent, too, you know." syrona blinked. "No, I didn't realize." Nimisha laughed. "The subject never came up. Cuiva should be just over twelve now. My mother has her in keeping-" she stopped speaking for a moment, gave a little sniff, and went on.

"We'll have to get timmy to do the pantomiming." ' "is there a chance the aliens will think he's in charge?" syrona asked, startling herself at the notion.

"Not when they both see us handling the gig on its return, with timmy safely belted in a passenger seat," jon said with a grin.

Being escorted with timmy to the gig after they had toured the five did not surprise ay and bee. They did not resist when they were belted into seats just as they had seen tim do. On the other hand, their ship awed tim when he saw it.

"Looks like a gigantic bird-nicer than the ones that dive-bomb you, though. Ah, its head got broke." jon had explained to timmy what he wanted to communicate to the aliens. Timmy did a good job, pointing to the setting sun in the west and then to the east, making a circle with his hands and passing it twice around the sky. Ay nodded, with bee as quick in comprehension.

"Two days. We meet. Here. Your people tim swung his finger to indicate the adults.

That caused ay and bee to communicate with each other with oo's and uu's and other unheard noises. Then they both nodded.

Bee took a half step forward, bending at its midsection, and raising a glass to its lips with one hand, and then miming food in the other that it chewed lustily.

"I getcha," timmy said, clapping his hands. Again the reflex action of the two aliens was to recoil from the noise. "Does it hurt their ears or something?" he asked jon.

"Could be. They hear in a different range than we do." "Oh." it took a moment for timmy to digest that information.

whistlers?" "Like them." jon nodded. "He's referring to a flier we've encountered not as large as some, but when it dives it emits a whistle. Only if you hear it, it's homing in on you and you'd better find cover fast. We think the noise is used to paralyze some of the indigenous creatures." he turned to the aliens and mimed drinking and eating.

Neither ay nor bee moved as the others went back to the gig.

"You better move back," timmy said, leaning out of the hatch and flipping his hands at them.

"I'll take off vertically, tim," jon said from the pilot's seat.

"Don't worry." timmy watched the two figures, who braced themselves against the slight wind of uplift, as long as he could on the rearview screen.

then he took a seat and very shortly was fast asleep, "hard day's work when you're only six," casper said with great pride and affection.

Chapter 6

There were two malicious attempts to injure lady cuiva, so clumsy that lady Rezalla was outraged: how could anyone think a message bomb or a poisoned plant sent to her granddaughter would reach its intended victim?

The residence manager had, in any case, been programmed to investigate any package or hand-delivered formal invitation sent to the house. The rm detected the dangerous message immediately and disarmed it. The rm then informed lady Rezalla, the acclarkian peace guardians, and commander caleb rustin of the incident.

The message folder was similar to any of hundreds manufactured on the planet; when opened, it was set to detonate an explosive.

"For a younger child," the apg said, examining the now impotent device, "it would have caused serious injuries. Your granddaughter would have sustained only minimal damage." "That," lady Rezalla said scornfully, "is not much comfort. I want the perpetrators caught and punished to the full extent of the law." "Dear lady," the apg said ruefully shaking his head. He had been chosen for this assignment because he knew first family protocol and how to deal with indignant members of that society.

"We shall certainly do our best to arrest the perpetrators. But, in fact, this," and he jiggled the disarmed message envelope, "was useless as well as stupidly contrived since, obviously, your granddaughter's age and size were ignored. I do, however, respectfully suggest that this house go on an alert status against subsequent invasions of its privacy and/or the causing of injury or distress to its residents. I shall instruct the patrols that they should keep an especial watch on your house, lady Rezalla." she repeated her first demand in an even more disapproving manner, which he took with the grace for which he was noted.

"Be assured, lady Rezalla, that my department does not treat this matter lightly. The peace guardians consider the protection of members of acclarke's illustrious first families the most important aspect of their many duties. May I comment on your wisdom in employing perdimia ejallos as lady cuiva's constant companion." lady Rezalla regarded him with an expression of displeased surprise.

"Oh, yes, lady Rezalla, we have already investigated the young woman's background and family. She will guard her charge with her life." "That's what she's been employed to do." commander rustin's response was to rig about the house the most sensitive alarm system the vegan fleet possessed. He got permission to install a repeller shield in the ground vehicle that was generally used by lady Rezalla, cuiva, and perdimia for their social activities and other excursions. He presented both lady cuiva and perdimia with a top-secret personal alarm. His presentation was as offhand as he could manage, considering the necessity for keeping cuiva ignorant of the malicious message.

Cuiva, I've a little gift for you today," he said, displaying the golden band in its velvet case.

"A coskanito?" lady cuiva exclaimed, noticing the name discreetly printed in gold on the cover. "Oh!" she cried, examining the delicate bracelet within.

Coskanito was not only the maker of the special body-heir necklaces for the first families but also of elegant adornments with unusual hidden facets. This bracelet, which fastened snugly around the wrist, immediately detected any increase in pulse, consonant with its wearer's alarm or excitement. Perdimia recognized what it was instantly but connived with the commander to exclaim over its charm so that cuiva would not realize she was wearing a personal alarm. Contained in the circuitry was a homing device, so that cuiva's location could be traced anywhere on vega 111.

When the commander later, and privately, gave perdimia a silver bracelet from the same maker, she was both pleased and even more concerned.

"You don't think..

"That lord vestrin will try again? I certainly do, perdimia," caleb said. "He's known to be a vindictive sort." "I'd look to his dam more than him, sit," perdimia said, her expression angry.

"Vescuya?" he asked. Perdimia nodded. "That's a point. Especially since it is lord vestrin who has seen cuiva whereas I doubt his dam has." he took that suggestion more seriously when the second attempt was made: an exotic flowering plant was sent by an "unknown admirer" after lady cuiva's appearance-well guarded-at the ballet. The leaves of the plant had been coated with a contact poison, and the blooms had been treated with a dust that would have badly affected the lungs of anyone sniffing the fragrant blossom. The rm had detected the poison and reported it.

"Poison is generally a woman's choice," lady Rezalla remarked, circling the dangerous plant on the table where it had been set until the agp could arrive.

"Would lady vescuya ..." commander rustin said. He had been close enough to answer the rm's emergency pulse in moments. He had not mentioned to anyone that he had, in fact, taken new quarters in a nearby building, where a naval security unit had been set up for permanent surveillance of the boynton-chonderlee compound.

"Lady vescuya most certainly would," lady Rezalla said scathingly. "A worm of a woman. Can't figure out why dear ti ever consorted with her, except she had quite a talent for attracting the opposite sex. Cultivated it into an art. Can't stand any member of her own sex. Nor we her, for that matter. That would explain why the letter bomb was so ineffective. She never bothered to check how old Nimisha's body-heir is! Stupid woman! Ineffectual! I've always suspected that she isn't full-blooded first family. There are certain standards that all of us,"-she placed her hand gracefully on her chest-"keep no matter what the provocation." "Provocation?" the commander repeated.

She looked down her elegant nose at him despite his superior height. "I have been tempted occasionally, commander, when events have seriously tried my patience. I consider it my duty, however, to adhere to the strictures and disciplines of my lineage. Make no doubt of that!" do not, lady Rezalla, I fervently assure you." he bowed low in apology for any unintentional affront to her dignity.

Cuiva never knew of the existence of this dangerous gift. The agp, now attached as additional protection for the boyntonchonderlee compound, took the plant away for forensic analysis.

The rm had of course taped the delivery; the tape showed a man wearing the livery of a well-known courier agency. When the agency representatives were shown the tape, they said the person was not employed by them and was illegally using their livery. They opened their personnel files to prove their point. They were horrified and promised to do all possible to protect the boynton-farquahar bodyheir. The other courier firms were put on alert, just in case their agency was misused for a similar errand.

The day after the plant's delivery, a third untoward event occurred in the space adjacent to the rondymense ship yard. An old freighter hulk, ostensibly bound for the supply dock, suddenly started its engines, its trajectory inexorably making for the gantry around the fiver b; a trajectory that could not be random, since the gantry was nowhere close to the main supply station.

When there was no response to the navy's first hail and warning to sheer off, the naval yard defensive batteries blasted its engines and it was intercepted by a high-speed tug before it reached the fiver's vicinity. The tug deployed a strong netting material around the hulk and gently braked it to a stop. When it was boarded, after very careful remote scrutiny, it was found that it had been carrying considerable explosive material, surrounded by scrap metal to make it a giant shrapnel shell. The experts deduced from the installation of the explosive and the detonating device-which was set to explode on a sudden deceleration, such as might be caused by contact at high relative velocity with another object-that had it come any closer to the ship yard it could have easily caused significant damage, not so much from the explosion itself as from the fragments propelled from the point of detonation by the explosives.

"To my mind, that is just a further example of their ineffectuality ," caleb told the admiral when they discussed the matter with the fleet security staff.

"Their?" the admiral repeated. "Is this a gang? I thought you said you were certain that the rondymense body-heir was behind the attempts on the child." "I do, but I think his womb-mother is as deeply involved." the admiral stared angrily at the commander. "First families are supposed to be above such antics. Especially someone with an tattoo. If they have aggressions, they can dissipate them on the hunting preserves set up for that purpose. But to attack humans! And a child at that. Revolting!"

caleb rustin and the others in the room murmured agreement.

"Proof of such aggression will have to be without the shadow of. a doubt, you know," the admiral said sternly.

"If they are as stupid as these three attempts indicate," caleb remarked, "they are likely to give themselves away in an irretrievable fashion." he looked over to the security chief, who was there to report on the investigations of how, or why, a derelict freighter had been in that vicinity and illegally packed with explosives. Commander barney bellpage stood and flashed images on the main screen of the admiral's ready room.

"we've traced the freighter, which was bought from the scrap yard for far more than it was worth by an unknown using untraceable pay-bearer credit chits," he reported. The subject freighter was seen hanging amid the remnants that infested the area.

"The freighter was towed, part of the purchase fee, to coordinates and left there. Beyond any surveillance drones, naturally." "Naturally," the admiral said drily and waved at the commander to continue.

"With so many private and public fields available to the perpetrators we are slowly sifting through arrivals and departures, and the apg is tracing the supplier of the explosive material. Unfortunately it is a readily available commercial product for construction contractors. We are also checking the construction firms to see if any quantities of explosives in their inventories have suddenly disappeared.

"Unfortunately, that takes time," the commander went on sourly, "but we should have some leads shortly. The apg is also tracing unusual deposits in credit accounts of some of the less respectable traders in such substances. They are quite upset about the attempts to harm a body-heir, and one not even of her minor majority. As they are well aware of the penalties for being accessories to such a heinous crime, they are assisting our efforts. They suggest, most respectfully, that the explosives might have originated off-planet." looks were exchanged among those in the office: they all knew that both lady vescuya and lord vestrin had been off-planet for some time.

"No matter, we merely extend the search," the admiral said, bringing one fist down on the table to emphasize his resolution. He turned toward caleb rustin. "How soon will five b be ready for space? The safest place for that child is on her and out of this system." caleb was speechless for a moment. That solution to cuiva's safety had never occurred to him. She was far too young to be an asset to a search party, even if its object was finding her mother.

Certainly accompanying the search would remove her from harm's way. Could lady Rezalla be persuaded to such a course? She doted on her granddaughter.

"Apg is aware of our suspicions as to the source of these attempts ," he began.

The admiral snorted. "And can do nothing without absolute, airtight proof that a first family scion would dare harm the bodyheir of another. It's unheard of. Totally out of character for any first family!" his sarcasm mirrored his disgust with the notion that first families, merely by virtue of their social status, were totally free of greed, dishonor, and underhanded activities.

"Lady Rezalla believes that lord vestrin's dam is behind the attempts ," caleb said, "not lord vestrin. Though the freighter stratagem is more in keeping with his personality than the message bomb or the poisoned plant." "Lord vestrin's logged off-planet with a hunting party," bellpage said with a weary sigh.

"Are you absolutely sure of that?" caleb asked.

Bellpage sat up straight and stared at caleb. "Yes, I see your point. If the admiral will excuse me, I'll check further. We have a patrol unit near his destination planet. I'll insist on vid proof of his presence." the admiral waved him off on that errand.

Lady vescuya remains in acclarke," caleb said. "But her activities are being closely monitored." he grinned. "She's a very busy lady." "See if you can persuade lady Rezalla to allow lady cuiva to go off-planet. She will be safer," the admiral said. "The three-month shakedown cruise would not be too arduous for a girl her age and her safety would be assured." to give lady Rezalla credit, she considered the notion only briefly before agreeing.

"I'd even considered putting her into suspension to keep her safe," lady Rezalla said, but she dismissed that option with a flick of her long white fingers, delicately tipped in a pink that matched her flowing attire. "And keep her safe we must! She is, unfortunately too young yet to have a body-heir to whom she can assign her possessions.,, the very notion of that shocked caleb. He did happen to know that cuiva had started menstruation, but the very thought of the twelve-year-old child having a body-heir merely to preserve her assets unto the next generation was nothing short of brutal.

"I will not allow that man, nor his dam, to succeed, or profit by their machinations," lady Rezalla said in the harshest voice he had ever heard her use. Her tone made him straighten to full attention. "The ship can carry a crew of six, if I correctly remember such details from Nimisha's rattling on about its unique specifications." "More if necessary, milady, though not in as elegant a manner." manner be damned if my grandchild's life is at risk.

Perdimia, of co"urse, will accompany her. jeska will have to stay and run the yard, since she does that well, according to my reports."

"She does," caleb admitted. His mind was already leaping forward to the tasks of altering the luxury cabins to accommodate more crew and choosing a crew of utterly trustworthy credentials and skills.

"I shall check with my legal staff and see how to compose a will that will secure my granddaughter's assets, and those of her mother. I will inform you within the hour of the results, commander.

Keep yourself available to my call." "I shall, my lady." he bowed himself out of her chamber. Outside, he let off a whoosh of surprise. That had been incredibly easy.

"The shakedown cruise lasts three months, which is a start," he murmured to himself as he left the house. "And that gives time to find any evidence there might be that vestrin and vescuya are behind the attempts. If we're lucky. After that? We haven't even any idea of which direction to search in!" there had been no reports of any activity from the monitors on guard in the section of space where Nimisha had expected to reenter normal space: both caleb and the admiral had known the details of her flight plan for that test-run. No one still knew if, indeed that wormhole had been the cause of the disappearance.

Nor had anyone come forward with any other explanation for why nineteen ships had gone missing in that area. He would rather they had a destination in mind. Even the maw of the wormhole.

Frustratingly, it took three more weeks to test five b with the augmented and refined elements that had been on Nimisha's disks.

Hiska noticeably lost weight and apparently would keep going until she fell asleep at her workstation. Lord vestrin definitely was part of the hunting party, and discreet inquiry revealed that he had been seen boarding his friend's space yacht at vega in port. However that did not keep him from having hired someone to act as his agent. Gop were doing their own hunting. So was the fleet. Lady Vescuya was being closely watched. Lady Rezalla, who was well liked and respected by her contemporaries, subtly queried them about the woman's associates and social activities. Lady vescuya's methods might be amateurish and clumsy, but no one could find a link between her and either the message bomb or the plant.

On the advice of the apg as well as caleb, cuiva was housebound and a rumor was circulated that she was suffering from some malady. Lord naves, in fact, was to be seen hurrying to the house several times a day. Emergency medical equipment was delivered and specialists arrived and departed. If lady vescuya had a spy watching, she might be fooled into thinking the poisoned plant was responsible for such activity. Lady Rezalla curtailed her social visits and canceled several engagements for herself and lady cuiva.

Two further inept attempts to damage five b were foiled before any damage could occur. The first one was a robotic device, its reservoir charged with an acid that could destroy almost any metal.

The second was an unmanned personnel gig, similar to those used by the yard for short hops between construction sites. When it responded to an identity request, the answer was not only wrong but also delivered in the flat tone of a bad recording.

"The most sophisticated of the tries," caleb said when the gig was tractor-beamed into space and its explosive package disarmed.

Of course, whoever had sent it could not have known of the increased security at the yard, or that all the access codes for traffic to and from rondymense had been changed.

"Their information was fortunately out-of-date," bellpage said.

"We now have off-planet suspects that we are investigating." "The sooner that ship is out of here, the better. And lady cuiva on it," the admiral said.

"Lady cuiva must first be seen alive and well," lady Rezalla put in. She had accompanied caleb rustin to fleet headquarters.

"Completely recovered from a mystifying childhood fever her legal position as body-heir is unassailable. Nor, I am assured by our solicitors can it be contested." she gave a smug smile. "Even so, commander, I expect you to find my daughter before she can be legally assumed to be ... dead." lady Rezalla's expression challenged the commander.

"My intention, I assure you, lady Rezalla," caleb replied firmly.

"Have you chosen a crew for the five b?" the admiral cleared his throat and offered the pad with its crew profiles to her. He and the commander had spent hours matching psych profiles and duties to provide the best personnel mix for the three-month test run.

"Lady cuiva will be accompanied by perdimia, of course," caleb said. "Lieutenant commander kendra oscony is not only a communications expert but has advanced credentials as a mathematician and will continue your granddaughter's education in that field." lady Rezalla bowed her head in acknowledgment.

"Ensign mareena kawamura has special training in biology and botany and will instruct in those areas. Chief engineer ian hadley has an intimate knowledge of the fiver's propulsion and interstellar drive, as well as a keen interest in astronomy." "Astronomy limited to the stars of this quadrant, though," lady Rezalla remarked.

"All too true, my lady, but he would be ecstatic to chart new ones and quite capable of assessing whatever spatial anomalies we encounter. His wife, lieutenant junior grade cherry absin-hadley, is our semantics expert and xenobiologist." lady Rezalla raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"One never knows, my lady," the admiral murmured.

"Nazim ford-coattes is the second pilot, having been a test pilot on the fiver with Nimisha and one of her trusted employees," caleb went on. "Gaitama rezinda is on board as our jack of all trades. She is also a rondymense employee of long standing.

She is by way of being an unarmed defense specialist, as well, and can instruct cuiva in that skill and keep the rest of the crew physically fit. Lord naves himself gave our medical unit private tutoring.

Should we have a direction for a positive search, the catering unit has been augmented to make use of available natural materials that can be converted to human nutritional requirements." "Well," lady Rezalla said approvingly, "your crew seems exemplary in the range of their qualifications, abilities, and back grounds, even to representatives of good, solid minor families. The hadleys are unexceptional and so are the ford-coattes. Clever of you, commander, to realize that cuiva's education must continue uninterrupted. Among the impedimenta I brought today-" "which has already been stowed in cuiva's cabin aboard five b," caleb said.

"Excellent. You will find the carton containing disks and learning tapes for those courses I wish cuiva to study over the next three months. These will be in addition to what the crew can teach her. Perdimia will supervise strict lesson hours. My granddaughter will be kept busy and out of your way." lady cuiva will never be in our way, lady Rezalla." when caleb saw a scowl beginning to form on her aristocratic features, he hastily added, "nor will her position in society, despite her youth, be forgotten." "Gratifying indeed." lady Rezalla rose and extended her hand to the admiral, who had leaped to his feet. "We shall see you at the commissioning, then, when lady cuiva will formally launch the five b." "Until tomorrow then," the admiral said, bowing over her hand.

"Oh, I have issued an invitation to lady vescuya." lady Rezallas smile was subtly vindictive. "She shall see ... cuiva return with me to acclarke." "That is all arranged, then," caleb said. The apg had found a look-alike child to take cuiva's place.

"Rather a nice child, too," lady Rezalla said without condescension. "She is to accompany me to an undisclosed location for an extended holiday." "And," the admiral added, "reappear with you whenever lady cuiva must be seen." "The surveillance will continue, you know," caleb said.

"Of course," lady Rezalla replied. "I have no more intention of risking that child than my own granddaughter. Less, if the truth be told, since I have her on trust from her parents. Not that the child will not profit from being in the household of a first family, you realize." she had turned so that she did not see the amused glances that the admiral and the commander exchanged.

"Actually," gollanch said, when she was gone, "lady Rezalla's solicitors-although I am told most discreetly that they hold a watching brief on the matter-are most alarmed. There is a way in which lord vestrin could have rondymense ship yard returned to his control." "There is?" caleb was shocked. "How? Why?" gollanch waved one hand irritably. "Damned complicated bodyheir laws. If both lady Nimisha and her daughter can be proven dead before the daughter reaches her minor majority, the bequest is returned to the main rondymense estate. Lord tionel made no other provision. Oh, don't worry. With lady cuiva safely on the shakedown cruise, the apg feels certain he can prove lady vescuya's duplicity. Or find lord vestrin's accomplices in the matter of the mechanical attempts. Hiska, that odd mechanic of lady Nimisha's has given the apg some information on five former employees of the yard who were dismissed for theft. She told jim marroo, who has informed the apg, and he agrees that there could be illfeeling. The men have apparently served their penal sentences and have been seen near the yard by more faithful workers. The stolen items were valuable, and they are of a temperament to take revenge if they had the chance. However, we're on to them now." the admiral smiled with considerable malicious satisfaction. "We have only to keep lady cuiva safe for the duration of the shakedown cruise and the whole matter may be resolved." "I devoutly hope so," caleb said, nervous enough to finger the crease of his dress uniform.

The next day was a great occasion with many important government and fleet representatives, along with the cream of acclarke's society, coming to watch the spacing of the five b. Although most of vega in knew that lady Nimisha Boynton-Rondymense had disappeared and that this second mark 5 was to search for her, the actual commissioning ceremony did not reflect this. Lady cuiva duly activated the traditional bottle of champagne-an excellent vintage had been chosen from the vegan vineyards-which was sent at speed against the prow of five b and satisfactorily broke, leaving globules of the wine and shards of glass to do a gavotte in space until a patrol could surreptitiously corral them. Lady cuiva declared in a firm alto voice neither affectedly adult nor obviously childish, that the mark 5 b was duly commissioned. The gantry fell away and the tugs pushed her gently, her riding lamps blinking, to her new mooring out of sight of the audience in the spectators' gallery. A naval band played a spirited tune and lady cuiva passed among the various senior members of the construction crew-pausing to embrace hiska-before being shepherded by her grandmother into the private office. She reappeared shortly to accept refreshments. If she was quiet and seemed almost overcome by the crowd, such modesty was expected of a child her age. Lady Rezalla kept her close by, which was also proper. No one saw anything odd in the fact that hiska seemed to shadow cuiva's moves, scowling if anyone came near to the child.

Once the champagne reception got under way, no one was in a position to notice the five b slip its mooring and continue to drift away from the yard; nor could they see the substitute hull, complete to the id, slide into the vacated space. When the guests finally made their way to the lighters that would take them back to acclarke city, they only saw what they expected to see-a mark 5 prototype serenely moored, riding lights lit and blinking.

Chapter 7

Jon and casper rigged a camouflaged remote device at the meeting place that ay and bee had been shown.

"That way we can go check out the fourth wreck," jon said, brushing sand from his hands with the satisfaction of a job well done, "and still keep an eye on developments here. You don't know what it's like to have facilities and parts again," he added to Nimisha, rolling his eyes expressively.

"From what I saw in your cave-site, you did pretty well at improvising out of available resources," Nimisha replied.

"Needs must when the devil drives," jon said with a wry grin and a shrug. "There was so much more we could have, should have, taken from the pootheg, but we didn't dare try a long journey back after the rocks those damned avians dropped stove in the starboard vents." "Had you noticed them on the way to the plateau?" "Noticed, yes," jon replied.

"Certainly didn't think they were smart. Or organized enough to take offensive action," casper put in.

I think they got mad at us for gunning down those we did," syrona said, shaking her head.

"They were organized?" Nimisha asked, incredulous.

Jon gave a harsh laugh. "Near as makes no never mind, Nimisha. Some came as a group, others whenever they found a rock big enough to do damage."

"Fascinating. Could we call it tool-using?" syrona gave a little laugh. "If you stretched the point a long way." she held out her arms as far as they would go. "They sure wouldn't be my choice of sapient beings." she gave a shudder.

"Ay and bee are nice," tim said softly, his eyes wide from listening to the adult conversation. "I didn't like the bombers." "The one I met certainly wasn't friendly," Nimisha agreed, also shuddering at the danger she had survived.

in the false dawn, with the garage lights on so that jon could check his position, he reversed the gig into the fiver. Then, as the sky began to brighten with primero's sun, they set off for the fourth wreck.

Helm suggested a triangular approach, to avoid any sighting by the small aliens.

They reached their destination by midday and knew from the cargo pods and other bits strewn across the rocky landscape that no one in the old freighter could have survived the landing. Its cargo, protected by the heavy-duty plastic in which it had been shipped, was another matter. Only a few pods had broken open on impact with the ground and lay scattered about in small heaps, but the main line of pods led directly to the wreck. Helm had only to follow the debris to its source.

"That's an oldie," jon remarked when magnification showed them the smashed freighter's id. "Good hundred and fifty years old. Probably was sent out at the time of the second diaspora." "If it was carrying colony supplies, we might find a lot of useful equipment," casper said, rubbing his hands together in hopeful anticipation.

"Will it be good after so long?" syrona asked.

"should be," jon said, "unless the contractors were dishonest.

Those may be old cargo pods, but they were vacuum-sealed to load. The navy still uses that model because it is durable and sturdy.

They reached the wreck, its forward section broken off from the stern by the force of its landing - but then, as casper remarked sadly, the freighter had never been intended as a landing craft.

Supplies would have been lightered down to the surface. "Commander," helm said, "if you can plug in a portable power source, I can access the ship's computer system and discover, from the pod markings, the contents from the manifest." "Excellent idea, helm," jon said, grinning. "That would save a lot of guesswork." "Scanning indicates that some of the inner cargo holds withstood the force of the impact, though opening the hatches may pose some problems," helm added, sounding as surprised as it was possible for an ai to sound.

"We're in luck," casper said brightly.

"We hope," was jon's reply.

Syrona bit her lip not to laugh but Nimisha had no similar need to be tactful.

"You really are a team, aren't you?" she said, chuckling at the two men. "The optimist and the pessimist." it's worked so far," jon remarked unabashed.

Getting to the main computer with an independent power source was not a problem. The bridge area had split wide open, and while the explorers had to remove vegetation-carefully, since syrona identified some of the growths as highly toxic-they were able to reach the main data console. They cleared off the accumulation of dirt and debris and found the units were intact. Once powered up, leads attached, helm went right to the manifest and started scrolling the items.

"Prefab parts, farm tools, hand tools, extra power packs-" "that is, if the recharger survived," jon said.

"Oh, you!" syrona said with disgust.

"Well, it would be our luck that it was packed in one of the cases that broke open," he said with a grin and a shrug.

"No, captain," helm interrupted. "Manifest lists two pods of recharger units still intact on board." he paused the scrolling list at the appropriate entry.

So there, too," Nimisha couldn't help but put in, grinning.

"Hey, disassembled ground vehicles," casper said, crowing with delight and pointing at the entry.

"Helm, pause at that entry," jon said, leaning his hands on the console and peering at the screen. "Won't do us any good if they're open vehicles ... ah, no, good choice. Closed vehicles and some with light repellers." he looked pleased, but then his expression changed abruptly. "I don't suppose there's fuel gel aboard in any quantity." "I will scan ahead, commander." the speed with which it did rendered other items unreadable. Then the screen stopped to display fuel gel supplies. "Fuel gel is listed as part of the contents of several holds, two of which are still intact. Some of the strewn pods probably contain that item." "Satisfied?" Nimisha asked.

, it's a start," he said.

"The question now is whether or not you're enough of a mechanic to assemble one," Nimisha said, folding her arms across her chest.

"If I'm not, I'm sure you are, lady Nimisha, if you built a ship that could survive the wormhole with so little damage," jon replied, giving her a bow.

"That was not 1. That was helm's piloting." "Thank you, ma'am. Shall I continue to scan the manifests?" yes, please," syrona said. "For seeds, medical supplies, food essentials." she turned to the men. "My turn, I think, since you are so happy to find your particular hobbies." "Hobbies?" jon exclaimed.

"Well, she has a point, jon. We need everything.. casper spread his arms out in an expansive gesture.

"so you don't think we should investigate the other two m-type planets?" Nimisha asked, having listened long enough to their enthusiasms for the riches of the ship's cargo.

" jon looked over his shoulder at her in surprise, with a slightly guilty expression. "Yes, well." he paused again, flushing a little with chagrin. "I think we've all been so concentrated on surviving on this planet that the notion we're no longer stuck here hasn't quite seeped in." he raised his hands apologetically.

"We can do both," casper said, ever the intermediary. "Establish a better base here and then go exploring. Or vice versa," he added quickly.

"And there're the aliens now, too," syrona put in, slightly hesitant as she made eye contact with Nimisha. "It is up to you to say, lady Nimisha. You are captain of the fiver." "That's not at issue," Nimisha said. "And I do understand your excitement over all this ... wealth. It must be secured before we go fairing off to any other world." then her eye was caught by an unusual item on the list that was still scrolling down the screen.

"Windmills? Helm, do we know where this ship was bound for, when it was diverted?" "Vega, ma'am, possibly for acclarke city on vega in when it was first founded. Records confirm the loss of this vessel at an unknown location-" and there are prairies and deep water tables on vega in," Nimisha said, nodding.

"Windmills are good for more than pumping water out of the ground," jon said, intent on the lists still rolling past. "We could establish a much better living standard with all this." "For the little people, too?" asked timmy, who had been sitting in the captain's chair and undoubtedly pretending he was the master of the freighter.

The adults exchanged glances.

"If they are willing, yes, tim," jon said. "There's more than enough here to share." "They may not want our help," syrona said gently. "But we will offer, won't we?" the other three nodded.

"They might even be better scroungers than we are," casper said, grinning.

Jon looked out of the split hull to the wide-open space beyond the ship's final resting place. "They may even have found the wreck and not figured out how to open the pods." casper looked around him. "Or someone may have survived.

I've noticed a significant absence." I'm just as glad there are no skeletons," syrona murmured.

"Considering what I've met of the local life-forms," Nimisha said, "with this section wide open, the scavengers would have removed any edible debris." "Shall we see what else is to be seen in the wreck?" jon asked casper.

"Why don't tim, syrona, and I do a survey of the pods outside.

See what's worth securing," Nimisha suggested. Though she sided with casper in optimism, there was no sense in wasting valuable resources. She tried not to think that she might not be rescued. The others had accepted the fact. Would she have to?

"Excellent notion," jon said. Casper and syrona nodded in agreement, so the two groups went about their chosen tasks.

"Helm," Nimisha said into her wrist com, "track the men. We'll be in plain sight, but jon and casper will not." "I can keep watch over more than two groups, ma'am." "Concentrate on them," Nimisha said firmly as she and syrona, aiding tim over the longer steps, made their way to the ground. "Lemme have a look round, syrie," she said, holding up her hand to mother and son. "There don't seem to be any tracks, but then, the wreck's been here for centuries. Local interest would have waned." "I'll do that, Nimisha," syrona said, "since I'm more familiar than you with the tracks of the indigenous species." she grinned and, giving timmy a little shove, added, "you help Nimisha, dear." Nimisha held out her hand and suggested that they examine the cluster of pods a few meters from the ship.

"What're in these, helm?" she asked when they got to the first weathered and intact unit. First she had to scrape off the mud and ingrained dirt from the stenciled coding.

"Clothing," was helm's prompt response.

"Keep a running account, please, helm," Nimisha said. Next it was timmy who found the markings on a pod of blankets.

By the time syrona had rejoined them, without having found any suspicious tracks, Nimisha and tim had found that fiber tents occupied a third, then more clothing and blankets, and bolts of fabric. The next few were marked "miscellaneous," but helms probing determined that some of the miscellany was metallic.

"Scissors? Needles? Pins?" syrona exclaimed, her eyes widening with pleasure. "I got to be a pretty good furrier, you know, when we found bone that wouldn't splinter. Casper kept experimenting because he was sure he'd find one that would make a good needle." Nimisha grinned, thinking that optimism brings its own success.

They walked on, checking the strewn pods. Some had burst open, with little left in them but blown dust and debris: the contents had either deteriorated open to the weather or been removed.

Syrona examined the closing mechanism on an unopened crate. "Well, I suppose the little folk might have figured out how to open them-if they had enough strength in their digits." "Digits, syrie?" timmy asked confused. "Digits are numbers." "Digit is another word for finger," syrona said.

"Confusing. You always said numbers for numbers, not digits."

"True, but digit is a synonym. Don't worry, I'll teach you about them soon, tim," his mother said.

"Oh." he frowned. "I'm getting hungry, syrie. Do we have to look at all of 'em?" he made an expansive gesture toward the long line leading several kilometers beyond them.

"I'm feeling a little empty, myself," Nimisha said. "Let's go back and see what the men have found, and we'll all have a snack on the fiver." timmy brightened and skipped ahead of them on their return.

"It's so ... so reassuring to know there are supplies on hand," syrona said, running her fingers across the sides of the pods they passed as they retraced their steps.

"Oh, we'll be rescued before we need to tap into any of this," Nimisha said, cocksure.

Syrona gave her an odd glance. "You're counting on it?" Nimisha regarded her frankly. I," she said, placing a selfdeprecating hand on her chest, "am not that important, but the fiver is. Vegan fleet and rondymense ship yard will spare no effort to locate it, and me. And now you." syrona let out a sigh. "There is no record of that wormhole at those coordinates, Nimisha. Don't get your hopes up no matter how valuable that ship is. We're a very long way from vega, or a]tair or any of the other settled areas of space." "That's all too true, syrona, especially as that wormhole makes such sporadic entries," Nimisha agreed, gesturing toward the wrecked freighter. "However, while you were marooned here, there've been many technological advances. I'll bet anything that vegan fleet and the fsp navy will set up the very latest equipment at the mayday beacon I managed to get off. They'll find us." syrona did not comment and they walked on in silence and were almost to the wreck, where timmy was squatting and looking up through holes in the hull.

"I didn't mean to upset you, Nimisha," syrona said at last.

"I'm not upset, syrona, but it doesn't hurt to have two optimists in this expedition, does it? I've a particular reason to need to be back at vega in another-" she counted.

"-eighteen, months." "Your daughter's necklacing?" syrona asked.

"That's it." "Even at the best speed your fiver can do, you might be late." "You're as bad as jon," Nimisha said, keeping rancor and exasperation out of her voice. She told herself firmly that syrona had suffered a lot in sixteen years: she had been forced to be a realist.

The two men came swinging down, feet first, from the larger of the holes timmy had been looking up at.

"There's a lot salvageable aboard her," casper said cheerfully.

"And with what helm says is available in prefab units, both on the ship and spread out across the landscape, we could each have our own private quarters." "That's what you think," syrona said with some asperity.

"Yes, ma'am," casper said, pretending to avoid a blow.

"When," jon said, pausing for emphasis, "we have found the best possible spot to set up a more permanent colony." he grinned at Nimisha, and she realized she must not have concealed her dismay at that abrupt remark. "I include the other two unexplored worlds, which we definitely should investigate now that we can," he said with a placatory bow in her direction. "At least we have plenty of stores to start off with." "I hesitate to mention this," casper said with a rueful smile, "but I'm ... hungry." me, too, cas, me, too," timmy exclaimed, grabbing casper's hand" and swinging himself about. Syrona nodded agreement.

"Unanimous?" jon asked, looking at Nimisha.

"No question of that," she said and led the way back to the fiver.

When timmy was engaged in eating and watching a vid, the two men told the women what they had discovered in the rest of the ship.

"I don't think there were any survivors, not with the damage to the bridge area. Below, we found skeletons-practically every bone in their bodies had been broken," jon said soberly. "Helm augmented our findings by his sensor readings. The log data he's accessed so far indicated that they'd dumped fuel in the hope of surviving a crash landing. Maybe one or two did. Crew complement was eighteen on a vessel this size. We found twelve skeletons. We figure the other six would have been on duty on the bridge.

Nothing could have got into the crew quarters. The doors were still shut. In fact, we had trouble prying them open." "Helm reports accessing their names and home ports," casper said. "Their families will benefit." "If we can get a report back," jon said with a diffident shrug.

Nimisha waited a moment, controlling her irritation. Out of the corner of her eye she saw syrona give casper an anxious look.

"You really are a pessimist, aren't you, captain?" it took Nimisha all her self-control not to color that remark with her true feelings.

"I've had to be ... ma'am." "Hey, you two, there aren't enough of us to be at each other's throats," casper said, a placatory smile on his face.

Jon laughed and waved toward casper. "The eternal optimist." "I came, didn't i" Nimisha said. She smiled all around the table. "The point is, we can improve our situations now, can't we? We can make a serious attempt at cultivating another alien species. We can investigate the other two m-type worlds.

I'd rather one that didn't have as many predators if we want to be safe until help ... comes!" she stressed those words.

"Because help will come." she glared at jon and then at syrona. "I am proof." "Of what?"

"Oh Nimisha's patience was strained. "Proof that our technology is capable of finding us, no matter how far away our home worlds are." "You, you mean," syrona said almost angrily.

"I've heard enough of this," doc said in a stern voice. "You do not need to wrangle with each other. You're all you have. So hear this, loud and clear. The euphoria of discovery has dissipated and you're all experiencing a quite logical swing toward depression.

There is no need for acrimony. My programming tends for me to side with you optimists, but then I am aware, as an extensively programmed artificial intelligence, how far our technology has progressed from state-of-the-art as you would have known it, captain svangel. Message pulse sending is now highly refined, and a pulsed message will reach some listening ear, if it hasn't already. I highly recommend that you finish your meals and get a good night's rest.

You'll need it tomorrow for clear thinking in dealing with the small people. Understand?" "My apologies," jon said formally, and bowed to Nimisha.

"Mine as well," syrona said meekly.

"None are needed," Nimisha said and rose. "Helm, has the remote shown any activity at tomorrow's meeting site?" "There has been peripheral movement in the area, but no alien was visible, nor were there sounds that could be recorded and added into the base for semantical analysis." "Maybe they're just not curious," casper said, getting to his feet. "Come on, tim, we're all having an early night to be rested for tomorrow's meeting." "Can I finish watching this adventure? It's exciting." "A soothing nightcap might be advisable," doc said charmingly. "Cater, do provide us with an appropriate beverage." "My pleasure. What may I serve you, lady Nimisha? A tea perhaps?"

Whatever it was, herbal and tasty, had undoubtedly been laced with a mild sedative, Nimisha decided the next morning when helm's chimes roused her. She had slept like the proverbial log.

Helm announced that there were significant movements at the site, so everyone climbed into the gig after jon carefully properly exited the fiver's garage. They had patched in both doc and helm to the gig and, through that control board, to their wrist units, which would be recording the proceedings. Nimisha fixed a comunit to tim's belt, rather than wrapped about his much smaller wrist. Jon suggested an earring, so that tim could receive advice from his mentors during the interview; a small receiver was found and planted behind his right ear. He strutted about, pleased with his equipment.

"A reception committee," Nimisha murmured when the gig, coming in at an angle over the obscuring bluff, showed them the throng that had gathered.

"They've set us a table, too," timmy cried excitedly, pointing.

When the adults saw the rest of the carefully set scene, they exchanged amused glances. There were four stools set well back from the table, just as they had been positioned to allow timmy to make the initial contact on the fiver. There were little piles of what were obviously samples of edibles on pottery plates, as well as cups and several pottery jugs.

"nice design on the pottery. Looks painted on with fine brushwork ," jon murmured. "Glazed, too." "The best china for the visitors?" Nimisha replied.

"No diagnostic unit though," syrona remarked with a sigh of relief.

"They are showing a nice degree of intelligence by reproducing our first encounter as well as they have," jon said.

"All right, tim, you're our resident ambassador," casper said.