conditions on Earth and would they have to go back and help rebuild,

just when Botany was beginning to have at least some amenities.  Where

would coffee grow on this planet?  All right, rationing at least gave

everyone a cup a day but when you were used to having as much as you

wanted, a cup barely got you started.  How much more food crops would

they have to plant to feed more new arrivals?  What would happen if a

Catteni warship did manage to sneak through the Bubble?  Or one of the

ships that left so precipitously got captured and was used to penetrate

the Bubble with all the Eosi ships right after it?  That could happen,

couldn't it?  There were Humans who were vile enough to collaborate with

the Catteni, weren't there?  Shocking to turn against your own kind like

that.  One of the nearer tables composed of women only were discussing

how best to cope with the outrageous behavior of their foster children.

The waifs had initially seemed so happy to have the basic essentials

instead of having to scrounge whatever they could, you'd think they'd be

more grateful to be well fed, well housed and not complain about the

chores they were assigned.  Everyone worked on Botany.  This colony

didn't tolerate freeloaders.  Didn't hurt anyone to sweat?  Making

bricks wasn't that hard.  Or weeding.

 

Then Kris realized she'd better make tracks for the hangar and her

shift.

 

BABY WASN'T THERE, but then, the plan had been for it to be used for a

fast round-trip to obtain sufficient olkiloriti.  One of the K's was

gone but not the KDL, which she had crewed on so often with Zainal.  She

took over the com watch from Matt Su.

 

"They're still pounding away," he told her as he rose from the station.

 

"My ears burn from some of the stuff they're saying about us and... what

they'll do when they get in."

 

"Well, they can't and they won't," Kris said because there was just the

hint in the Chinese's dark eyes that he was worried.  "They have tried

the heaviest stuff they have, haven't they?"

 

"Then why haven't they just left?" Matt asked, dubious.

 

"Well, the shah will hit the fit if they fail.  More likely, they just

don't know when to give up."

 

"That Mentat Ix is some mule," Matt said.  "It's roaring more and more,

and I think it axed some of the captains.  I'm hearing new names."

 

"Maybe it'll have another fit and die," Kris said, very much wishing

that was possible.  Though how Lenvec's subsumed personality could have

had any' effect on his host Eosi, she didn't know.  She'd ask Zainal.

The Ix was certainly the b&e no/re--wanting Zainal's hide for sure.

 

SHE STOOD HER WATCH, collected Zane, and took a turn at playing with

other children: some of the five-year-olds who had been rescued.  Most

of them had to be taught games that children seemed to know

instinctively.

 

"Well, none of them had a childhood, did they?" Anna Bollinger said,

treating Kris in a very stiff and almost insulting manner, as if somehow

this were Kris' fault.  "Some of their personal habits are revolting:'

 

Ah, thought Kris, she doesn't want her litde darlings corrupted, does

she?

 

"At least they have good role models now," Kris said mildly, pointing to

Anna's well-grown youngster, nattering away to two boys, so

undernourished at five that her three-year-old appeared older.

 

"I'd prefer that Jackie had proper children his own age to play with."

 

"Jackie seems to feel that it is his job to rectify their ignorance;'

Kris said.  Chattering away, Jackie was showing the others how to build

a little cabin out of the small logs that had been whittled as toys.

They watched, their faces expressionless, even if their faces were now

clean and their cheeks rounder and tanned.

 

One of them sent a foot into the log cabin and scattered the blocks.

 

Anna gave an exclamation of concern but Kris caught her arm.  "Let's see

how Jackie handles it first:'

 

"Really, Kris, you exceed your authority.  I'm in charge of the..  :'

Her voice trailed off as Jackie's reached the two women.

 

"Now that was very naughty of you," he said, hands on his hips and

sounding exactly like his mother.  "You collect them, and we'll start

over.  On Botany, we make things.  We don't break them.  That's what the

Catteni do and you don't want to be Catteni, do you?"

 

The boys glanced over at the two women watching: Anna's expression was

stern enough to frighten anyone.  Kris grinned and made a gesture that

suggested that it was wiser to obey.  After a little more hesitation,

possibly to show that they were making up their own minds about this,

they bent to gather up the logs.

 

A little girl caught her finger on something sharp and she came rushing

over to them, sobbing.  Anna's whole countenance altered to one of

concern and sympathy.  Kris let her handle the consolation and first

aid.  For all her other faults, Anna was a very good mother and the

children--at least the Botany-born--trusted her.

 

ZAINAL WAS IN THEIR CABIN when she returned with Zane and their evening

rations from the main mess hall.  He was busy with lists and diagrams

and a curious gadget on the table, which, when she picked it up, Kris

recognized as an inhaler bulb.  The sort she'd seen asthmatics on earth

use to forestall an attack.

 

"Think you can get close enough to a Mentat to give him a dose of this?"

she asked.

 

Zainal looked up, saw the bulb, and took it from her.  He squeezed it.

 

"There's nothing in it," he said as she instinctively swatted it away

from his face.

 

Her heart pounding, she exhaled.  "Don't scare me like that:'

 

Zainal chuckled.

 

"Baby got off all right?  The Ix was still at it when I finished my

shift."

 

"They must have ordnance--that's the English word, isn't it--"

 

"Right on;' Kris grinned.

 

"Resupply vessels.  Only a Mentat would continue like this," he said.

 

"The Mentat, who once was your brother," she said and when he nodded,

she continued.  "Is there any connection?  I mean, would...  the Lenvec

personality have any influence on the Mentat?"

 

Zainal leaned back, idly sliding a pencil through his fingers, up and

down on the surface of the table.

 

"It could, but I'm,not certain how.  The subsumation takes in the entire

personality and then the dominant Mentat is in total control..." He

paused.  "Although it was the Ix Mentat, once my brother, who

investigated Ayres Rock and then seemed to be searching over the sea we

were safely under...  possibly for me."

 

Kris began to assemble dishes and utensils to serve their meal.  Zane

was playing with his goes-inters--the shapes that Zainal had made for

him to fit together.  These afforded the child hours of pleasure.  As

she leaned over to put a glass before Zainal, she got a better look at

the diagrams.

 

"Isn't that the space station?"

 

He nodded.

 

"When is the brave captain Venlik and his crew likely to set out for

another mining expedition?"

 

Zainal gave a shrug.  "First Baby has to return.  Then we have to wait

to see what Beverly finds out about the other drop planets.

 

"There's a good deal of feeling that Botany's population is large enough

right now," she said.

 

"We know," he said and jotted down something else in a combination of

Catteni and English.  He gave her a wry smile as she chuckled at the

mish-mash.  "It is difficult for me now to remember which language to

think in for the words I need."

 

The barrage of the Bubble continued but in nowhere near the force that

had been first launched against it.  All four Catteni found that amusing

as well as reassuring.

 

"It takes time to call in sufficient Mentats and senior Eosi to deal

with an obsession like the Ix's," Zainal explained.  "I will worry more

when it stops," OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, certainly while Baby was on her

mission, Kris sensed that Zainal was hiding something.  She couldn't

think what because they had had no previous secrets from each other, and

he was as willing as ever to talk about any subject: especially the

upcoming forays.

 

Several times Zainal was dragged out of bed in the middle of their sleep

period to race to the hangar to speak to some of the Catteni dissidents

on the com link.  He used a code that had proved successful.  At least

none of their group had been arrested by Eosi, or suspected by High

Emassi supervisors.

 

The bombardment turned sporadic and occasionally a force tried to

penetrate another point on the Bubble, or several at once, since they

had failed to pierce it with all their might.

 

Kasturi, Tubdin, and Kamiton--not so much Nitin, though the older man,

for all his pessimism, seemed to be a vital key in the subversive

ac-tions-were able, by means of careful codes, to be in contact with

many of their adherents.  What was being set up, Zainal did not say, or

if even something was.  Contact had to be made, though, especially with

those dissidents in command positions on other Catteni-dominated

planets.

 

"We have to be sure our people are warned, and ready, to take over.

 

They must take control;' Zainal did tell her.  "We could lose one or two

but more would be disastrous.  We've worked so long and hard to get our

men where they are right now."

 

"A good point.  Have you someone on all the Eosi-controlled planets and

installations?"

 

He shook his head.  "Hardly.  There are a great many more than we have

personnel to cover but the most critical positions are."

 

BABY RETURNED with the harvest of olkiloriti leaves.  Raisha had

reminded Chief Materu that this dust was a weapon of significant power

so he helped to make it on that condition.  Parmitoro had shown them how

he preferred to prepare the powder and taken his turn at the mortar,

working alongside the other Humans of the crew.

 

Although the back of the job had been broken on the way home, Leon had

off-duty personnel from the infirmary helping to complete the

manufacturing process.  There was also a small, very dirty, and scraped

box of inhalers among the supplies Baby had had time to collect, but the

bulbs had not been broken.

 

"We went all over the place," Raisha said, presenting it with due

ceremony to Leon.  "I thought we'd have to scavenge from drugstores,

where we could find any not already cleaned out.  But we got in touch

with the underground, and they found us these.  Are they enough?"

 

Leon rubbed away enough of the mud to check the quantity.  "Three dozen

ought to be enough."

 

"Enough for what?" Kris asked.

 

"For the job to be done."

 

"There are a hundred Eosi," she said.

 

"Catch 'em all in the same spot and that'll do it."

 

"And here, we got the nose plugs in a scuba diving place Bert Put

suggested."

 

And Raisha handed over a smaller rectangular box.

 

"For them who shouldn't breath deeply;' Kris said, quite relieved to

know that Zainal and his friends weren't going on some sort of a suicide

mission, sacrificing themselves to get all the Eosi.

 

JOHN BEVERLY RETURNED with cheering news, having left behind some

volunteers to help.  And bad news, because two of the planets were

inimical to Humans.  Remnants of the usual Catteni crates and supplies

had been found, bits and pieces of gnawed leather but no sign of a

Human, even when they had done a low-altitude search for life signs. Nor

any Deski, Ru-garians, Turs, or other known "slave" species.  On the

other three planets that had been used as experimental colonies, people

had made the best of what was available.  Although on one, even the

Human groups had widely separated and wished no contact with others,

especially the other species.

 

The other two had not turned to any form of anarchy or lawlessness but

formed communities not unlike Botany's.

 

"Common sense prevailed," John Beverly told those who assembled in the

open hangar to hear him, "although they were very grateful indeed for

some of the supplies we brought:'

 

"Did they give you any shopping lists?" Sandy Areson called out.

 

"Oh, yes," John agreed.  "Our compatriots on Dystopia..  :' some of the

audience groaned, others laughed, "offered the most amazing amount of

metals, gemstones, gold, silver, and stuff to purchase any spare ship

we'd give them."

 

"Do 'em no good unless they have an Emassi," someone else said, and Kris

smiled appreciatively at this oblique salute to Zainal.

 

Since Kris was privy to so many of the Head Council meetings, she knew

that the medical situation on Dystopia, NoName (because no one had come

up with a name which a majority could approve) and Dorado's attitude

toward alien species made it low on the list of help.  Dystopia and

NoName were at the top for whatever could be spared of medical

instruments and medicines that would supplement what the colonists had

found useful and effective by the same sort of trial-and-error method

the colonists on Botany had used.  That meeting concluded that basic

medications, part of the results of their raids on Catteni-held Earth,

and what extra medical equipment could be spared should be delivered as

soon as feasible.

 

"When we explained, they did say that they'd even consider working with

an Emassi, if this is what resulted/' and he waved over at the G-ship.

 

"So we got friendly neighbors, establishing the banners of Humankind.

 

Kinda good to know."

 

NATHAN BAXTER had been one of John's crew in his professional capacity

as photographer.  He had brought back pictures of the other planets,

both from space and on the surface, including some group photos of

inhabitants and examples of how they had settled in.  When these were

developed, there were lines of those waiting to see the pictures up on

the bulletin board outside the mess hall.

 

The infirmary actually treated more work injuries than diseases so,

between what Kris had got on Barevi and others had found on Earth, they

had enough to share.  A second trip, and three cargo holds of wheat and

dried rocksquat and loo-cow flesh, was planned.  Microscopes, surgical

tools, and other basic supplies were packed.  Dystopia had only Humans

while both NoName and Dorado had mixed populations.  So some plursaw was

sent along for the Deski inhabitants.  The Turs had killed each other

off in some sort of a bloody battle that had also taken many Human

lives.

 

There had been no official census taken on any of the other planets but,

during his flyby of the surfaces, John Beverly estimated that all three

had more inhabitants than Botany.

 

"Basically, we're way ahead on the amenities," he told the Council. "I'd

suggest we try to set up some sort of a com link..."

 

"Not with the Catteni ships likely to make more drops," Rastancil said.

 

"Which reminds me, John/' Ray began, "did you see much Catteni traffic

in space?"

 

"We kept our com open all the time and there was a lot of chatter on the

various channels, but I'd no really fluent Catteni speaker aboard. There

was a lot of interference, too.  Jamming, I think."

 

"Possibly high-security messages," Zainal said, after asking Kamiton a

quick question in Catteni.  To which Kamiton nodded.  "Many?"

 

"com officers logged them if you want to check the records," John said.

 

Kasturi leaned forward eagerly.  "Ask if they kept voice records?"

 

"Oh yes," Beverly grinned toothily.  "We figured you guys might be able

to understand them;'

 

"You have them?" Kasturi stood up, eagerly holding out his hand.

 

The ex-air force general laughed as he reached for the sack that he had

deposited on the floor at the beginning of the meeting and handed it

over.

 

"Every last one we caught;'

 

"We leave.  We listen.  Where?" Kamiton asked Ray.

 

Ray glanced at Kris, jerking his thumb toward his private office, and

she pushed back her chair to lead the way.  She stayed to help because

while Kamiton had been learning English with almost the same speed that

Zainal had, neither could write English without a lot of false starts.

So Kasturi made the initial transcriptions and then she and Kamiton

translated them.

 

"They are convening the Mentats," Kamiton said suddenly, when they had

gone through about half the recordings.  He raised both arms, waving his

fists with great satisfaction.  He and Kasturi exchanged broad and

gratified smiles.

 

"So how are you going to dust them?" Kris said, leaning back to rub the

taut muscles of her neck and shoulders.

 

"Dust?" Kamiton asked.

 

She pantomimed inhaling and then fell to one side, twitching, as

Kami-ton had done.

 

"Ah, plant dust.  Yes, we are thinking;'

 

That was the same answer that Zainal gave her later that night when they

finally returned home.  Once again she had had to leave Zane to sleep

over in the crlche but instinctively her head had turned to where his

crib was when they entered the door.

 

"He is safe," Zainal said gently, circling her shoulders with one arm

and drawing her toward the bedroom.

 

"I know that," she said, almost peevishly.  "Sorry," she added

instantly, rubbing at her neck again.  "All that thinking in one

language and writing down in another gave me a headache."

 

His strong fingers pushed hers out of the way and he began a restorative

massage, all the time easing her toward their room.  She chuckled.  But

she was not at all unwilling.  Especially when the fingers of his other

hand began to massage elsewhere.

 

WHEN SHE WOKE the next morning, and it was morning, not dawn, so she had

been very tired indeed, his space in the bed was empty.  She allowed

herself the luxury of a leisurely awakening.  She needed a shower so she

took that, since the solar panel would have warmed the cistern water by

now.  Her hair was growing out from its last crop but she'd have to

endure that again for the KDL's next spurious trip back to Catten.  It

was while she was soaping herself that she noticed a bulge in her

abdomen and felt it.  Firm and...  She stopped and didn't move until the

water turned cold once the tank had emptied.  Her mind rapidly did a

series of figuring, taking into account the length of the Botany day,

the number of days since her last period and when she had had it."Could

she have been fertile on Catten?  Could she be pregnant by Chuck

Micford?  He'd been too drunk to...  hadn't he?

 

But when she began to fasten the belt to her overall, she realized that

she was buckling it two holes up from the usual one.  She sat down

heavily, as much because she needed to sit to put on her boots as to

gather her stunned wits.  Not that she would really mind having Chuck's

child.  But she hadn't been nauseated or had any morning sickness and

her breasts weren't that tender--yes, they were a tad sore, but last

night could account for that.

 

"Stop fooling yourself, Kris Bjornsen," she said out loud.

 

Well, it could be worse.  But she couldn't tell Zainal.  At least not

yet.

 

He wouldn't let her crew the KDL, not if it was going back to the heavy

gravity of Catten.  Though gravity oughtn't to interfere with her

pregnancy, not if she wasn't even showing the usual discomforts.  She

figured again.  She was well into the first trimester.  But she didn't

want to have to admit a preg nancy, just when things were getting so

interesting.  And Zainal would need her help, wouldn't he?

 

She looked at the time.  She did a swift deduction for the longer Botany

day, reset the watch to what would be the local hour and figured she had

time to see Zane, take him along to the mess hall and get her cup of

coffee and something to eat while she played with her son.  Boy, there'd

be some explaining later on when each separately sired child wanted to

know why.

 

No, why should they know why?  That was the Botany way of doing things,

not the Terran one.  And even if they did manage to get Earth back--no,

Kris Bjornsen, not if but when Earth was returned to its proper owners

and governments--she intended to stay here on Botany.  Catteni, even

erstwhile heroes like Zainal, might not be appreciated on Earth for some

time to come.

 

TODAY she had to comply with Botany ethics, which required everyone to

do some "dirty work." She had drawn KP but that happened so infrequently

that she could almost consider it a vacation day.  Well, a change was as

good as a rest.

 

She had her breakfast with Zane who was a vacuum cleaner at breakfast

time the way he gobbled his cereal.  Sarah joined her with her three

children and offered to take Zane to the crche.

 

"Maizie's getting to be quite a help," Sarah said, smiling at the

much-too-sober-faced orphan she was fostering.  "Will you hold Zane's

hand?"

 

Maizie nodded after a quick, too-mature evaluation of Zane.  Then, with

what was for this five-year-old an almost daring action, she picked

another piece of toast from the plate in the center of the table.  In an

absent fashion, Sarah passed her the jar of sweet berry jam.  Sighing

with relief, Maizie slathered the jam over her piece.

 

"Yes, I saw that;' Sarah said without turning toward Maizie.  "She is

improving.

 

Now if we can get her to talk.  I know she understands every word I say.

Maybe I should have made her ask for the toast;' and Sarah made a

grimace, then sighed.  "It's hard to know:'

 

"What does Dorothy say?"

 

Sarah made a second, self-accusing grimace, "That I shouldn't just give

her what I know she wants but make her ask for it." Then she laughed in

a self-deprecating way.  "When I think how firm I was with Tony here..."

 

and she broke off with a weak laugh.

 

"She may just start talking all on her own once she knows she's really,

truly, genuinely safe, won't you, Maizie dear?" Kris said, smiling as

she leaned toward the girl.

 

"Yes," Maizie said quite distinctly and continued licking the jam off

her mouth with a pink tongue.

 

Kris and Sarah exchanged stunned glances.

 

"Would you like another piece of toast, Maizie?"

 

"Yes;' She reached toward the last one on the plate.

 

Sarah immediately snatched it out of reach, and Maizie sort of crouched

in surprised terror.  Quickly Sarah shoved the plate back in reach but

Kris intercepted.

 

"First, it's good manners to say, 'yes, thank you: Can you manage that

after 'yes'?"

 

Maizie, her face recovering its color, looked from Kris to the plate

Sarah still held.

 

"Thank you;' came the almost inaudible reply.

 

"You're quite welcome," Kris said formally and removed her hand.

 

Still watching her, Maizie took the piece of toast but she didn't pick

up the spoon to spread the jam.

 

"Would you like more jam with your toast?" Sarah asked.

 

"Yes...  thank you." This time it was more audible.

 

"You may have jam with your tea, too," Kris said, as proud of Maizie's

little step forward as Sarah was.

 

As it was time for Kris to start her day's work, she hunkered down by

her son.

 

"Maizie's going to take you with her to the crche, Zane.  Give me a hug

and be a good boy."

 

Zane threw his arms about her neck and she could tell she had jam there

for she had missed a patch earlier in wiping his mouth.  Then she put

his hand into Maizie's and watched, with a deep sigh, as the two small

people followed Sarah who was carrying her youngest.

 

BABY REACHED THE HOLLOW ASTEROID where Kamiton had stashed his

spaceship.  They could take no chances with a ship of dubious identity.

Nitin, ever the pessimist, had voiced a serious concern that, especially

with a convocation of Mentats requiring extra security measures, a

vessel that had supposedly been destroyed or lost could not suddenly

appear.  Security checks could be extremely thorough.  They must cover

every contingency, including the two non-Catteni crew members.  Chuck

Mitford at least passed, and his knowledge of both Catten and Barevi was

an asset.  Lean and tall, the Australian Bert Put, who might have to

pilot Kamiton's ship, would never pass as a Catten.  A hide must be

constructed for him.

 

It was Bert who suggested it.  The lower crew bunk in each bank had

three drawers for the personal belongings.  That meant just enough space

under the lower bunk to accommodate Bert if the drawers were left ajar.

As the general mess in any crew quarters, short of an inspection by a

High Emassi, was never very tidy, half-open drawers, with contents

half-in and half-out would be unexceptional.  The credentials which

Nitin had supplied for the unquestionably Catteni members had been

genuine with support documentation on the files of the administration.

There were even a few more that would pass the most rigorous inspection.

 

It was as well that such attention to detail had been observed for

Kami-tons vessel had to pass five separate full inspections to be passed

to land on Catten.  There would have been more had the conspirators

tried to land on the station.

 

There had, however, been a very tense moment when an Emassi captain who

knew Kamiton quite well was the inspecting officer.  He had given the

vessel and the documentation only a cursory inspection but settled

himself in the mess for an update on Kamiton's latest exploration.

 

Kamiton had played out his part with laudable indolence, ordering Chuck

and Nitin to provide food for their guest.

 

Bert, sweating in his hiding hole, worried about Zainai, Tubelin, and

Kasturi on the KDL.  But it was laden with ores--all in the useful

platinum groups--that would make it so welcome any suspicion of its

genuineness would be overlooked.  Nitin had also supplied the nonCatteni

members of the crew with equally authentic documentation.  Since their

destination was the refinery area of the planet, well away from the main

city, they ought not to be in any danger.

 

Nitin had so picked at that first part of the overall scheme that even

he had come to be satisfied with its high chance of success.  About the

rest he was only certain that he had done all he could to ensure the

possibility of success: not, he was quick to add, the prot, ahility.

 

"Too many things could go wrong.  Our group could have been infiltrated

and our plans known..."

 

"Only so much of the plan," Karoiron interjected.  "When"' Karoitoh

stressed the conjunction, "we get down on Catten and when we have

contacted the rest of us, I think you will raise the odds in favor of

probability:'

 

Karoitoh turned his head ever so slightly to see ZainaI taking a few

more sips of water, all that he was allowing himself since he had

designated his role in their plan.  He hoped that Zainal would not

overdo the starvation he had deemed necessary to the success of their

stratagem.  One did not underestimate an Emassi of Zainal's proven

ability.

 

He was however glad to change into his own ship and let others do what

was necessary to improve on Zainal's disguise.

 

Well, as soon as this niggit left, Karoitoh thought, they could proceed.

 

This appeared to be the last of the space inspections.  He had never

seen so many security shuttles and craft zipping around the planet

before.  Ah, well, there hadn't been a full convocation of Mentats

during his lifetime.

 

And, with any luck, this would be the last.  The most that ever had

assembled since he had taken up his adult duties had been ten; He rather

doubted that some of those farthest from Catten would make the journey

but who ever came would receive a lasting reward for their trouble.  He

did spare a thought for those on the KDL.  He really wanted to get the

dependents away to the safety of Botany.  Good idea of Zainal's on

several counts: one of them being that Kasturi had a girl child and so

didTubelin: mates for Bazil and Peran.  That way some of their families

would survive the blood bath that would be certain to follow a failure.

But this time, they would not fail.

 

Karoitoh grinned and fortunately his smile coincided with some fatuous

remark of the security Emassi, and Karoitoh rose, able to signal that

they really had best end their conversation.

 

They landed on the field they had been directed by security to use.

 

Then proceeded, as planned, in a ground vehicle to Kamiton's quarters in

a secluded area of the city where many Emassi kept temporary units.  As

Kamiton disarmed the alarm system, it blinked its message that persons

still within the apartment had recently deactivated it.  Kamiton warned

the others by silently pointing at the message and took out his stun

weapon, setting it on medium.

 

"Kamiton?" and, as that was Zainal's voice, Kamiton reholstered the

weapon with relief.

 

He stopped in the doorway to his main room, shocked at Zainal's altered

appearance, and quickly looked beyond the haggard man to the other

members of the KDL group and ignored Zainal's battered and nerve-whip

lashed body.

 

ZAINAL REMAINED IN SECLUSION when the others went out on their

individual errands of contacting other dissidents and setting in motion

the next step of the scheme.  If some of the dependents objected to

being forced to leave their comfortable homes in the middle of the

night, carrying only basic necessities, they were silenced by the dire

consequences of ignoble deaths or futures if they chose to stay behind.

By dawn, the empty ore carrier, the KDL was aloft and received only the

most cursory of queries by security patrol ships as it proceeded at a

leisurely speed out of Catteni space.  As soon as it was in relatively

empty space, the KDL would run at maximum speed, red-lining if necessary

to be sure the dependents were safely at Botany before the last of the

Mentats arrived, and more were assembling in their fast and comfortable

ships every time period.

 

ON THE FIFTH DAY after the KDL had departed, Kamiton received the short

burst of code from their space station colleague.

 

"Ugred;' said Kamiton when he had translated the message, "says that

there are only two more Mentats and four juniors scheduled to arrive.

All should be in place by morning."

 

"Everything else is ready?" Zainal asked.  He spent a lot of time on his

belly buffered by the softest material Kamiton's quarters contained

since his back had been lashed by nerve whips.  He rather thought

Kasturi had enjoyed that exercise a little too much, but the disguise

had to pass any close inspection.  He wasn't sure, at this point, which

annoyed him most--the necessary wounds or the equally necessary

starvation.

 

The medic among their secret group had injections ready to sustain

him--but these would only last so long and would have to be administered

in the last safe moment on the space station.  If they made it that far.

 

"Everything essential to the operation is in place, or so Ugred said in

his last message.  The presence of so many Mentats has everyone nervous,

agreed, but one more security vessel is not likely to cause any

unnecessary attention.  And Ugred will have issued a special clearance

to the duty officer in case he cannot himself be there."

 

"Waiting is always hard," Kasturi remarked to no one in particular.

 

No one had an answer for such a truism.

 

"Any message from Chuck and Bert?" Zainal broke the silence to ask.

 

Kamiton shook his head.  "No message is good:'

 

Zainal fell into a light dose, which he did more often than he liked,

but it helped him to conserve energy.  He went over and over the plan,

fretting that Chuck and Bert who had remained aboard Kamiton's ship

might be discovered.  He reassured himself that the ex-marine sergeant,

with his knowledge of both Barevi and Catteni, could handle any

eventuality.  He would be able to move about the huge field, would be

able to listen to any rumor in the mess on the field where other Drassi

were awaiting the return of their captains.  Most of the talk was about

the Mentats coming to Cat-ten and everyone wondering what it was all

about.

 

The variety of speculations amused Chuck, but he added a few little

tweaks to find out just how popular Eosi rule was.  It was not.  No one

said so in so many words, for that was dangerous, but many lowly Drassi

were unhappy with their lot, with their Emassi, and the crazy planet

that was resisting unexpectedly.  Some Drassi boasted of the loot they

and their officer had come back with, though a lot of the stuff that

wasn't edible or potable hadn't seemed worth the fuel to transport it

back to Catten.

 

As it was normal for a ship to be securely locked when empty, Chuck did

so, which meant Bert had some freedom of movement.  Chuck had arranged a

code remark so that Bert would know to resume hiding if someone might be

snooping about the scout ship.  And Bert was also there in case they

received emergency messages and had to hightail it back to Botany.  The

package containing the new ID decals had arrived by special messenger on

the first day, a fact that they confirmed to Kamiton in an innocuous

report by his Drassi that the ship had been serviced and was awaiting

his convenience.

 

Chuck never found waiting easy, and it was almost twice as bad in the

heavier gravity of Catten.  At least, when he and Bert were safely alone

on the ship, they could play poker.  Right now, Bert owed him a small

fortune and had suggested bezique as a change of game.  Chuck had

learned that game from an English commando and, though he didn't win as

often, he didn't lose much either.

 

WORKING KITCHEN DUTY on Botany had a few rewards, like first samplings

of the day s baking and first serving of lunch, before the crowds

started in.  There were always options: sandwiches which people could

take to eat elsewhere, or a quick snack of soup and bread at a table, or

a more leisurely meal.  On a fair summer's day like today, many chose to

take their food outside and enjoy the fine weather.  That meant less

washing up to be done.  Paper plates had once been discussed but paper

was too valuable for other necessities to be wasted when pottery was

available.  Pottery and some finer china as well, now that Sandy had a

full kiln again, bigger than her first ones at Ayres Rock on the

Farmers' continent.  Those who had bartered for a fine china plate did

not use it to eat off ofespecially the hand-painted ones, which were

hung as wall decorations or displayed on the mantelpiece.

 

Since this sort of mechanical work required no great mental effort, Kris

occupied her thoughts with whether or not she should say anything about

her pregnancy.  She had imaginary discussions with Mavis, who did a lot

of the midwifery, about the effects of heavier gravity on an unborn

child.  She ran several scenarios on telling Chuck that he was going to

be a father--even if both of them had been too drunk to know what they

were doing.

 

That was almost a pity, in a way, but in another, a relief.  Chuck might

well be mortified to think he had abused her--but, hell, she hadn't

resisted and she could have--since he seemed to be seeing a lot of

Dorothy Dwardie.

 

Kris rather hoped her having Chuck's child wouldn't complicate that

arrangement.

 

She'd be quite willing to explain the circumstances to Dorothy.  It

certainly hadn't been premeditated...  not in that gravity!  She shook

her head because she kept trying to imagine how they had managed, both

of them damned near wrecked with the heaviness and alcohol.  But not

completely wrecked, Kris told herself.  Let's face that fact squarely.

I'll simply have to give up drinking any more than a glass of hooch

unless Zainal is with me.

 

About then, she realized that she had seen none of the Council eating in

the mess hall.  She'd been out in the main hall often enough, making

sure that surfaces were clean for the next diners or picking up stray

cups and glasses.  There were still folks who did not know to clear

their tables off.

 

She had an hour's rest before she was expected to help with the supper.

 

So, though she had half an urge to go spend it with Zane, her feet and

legs were aching and, if she wished to be efficient this evening, she'd

better put them up now.

 

She almost fell asleep but someone dropping a kettle in the kitchen

roused her, and she jumped to her feet and went back in to her duties.

 

She was tired enough when she got home to shower with Zane, who loved

mommy showers, before stowing him in bed.  Then she stretched out her

weary legs and aching feet up on the bed and arranged the pillows behind

her.  In broad daylight, she thought in self-deprecation, but she'd just

take a short nap.

 

She was roused, in the dark, wondering what had awakened her.  Zainal

wasn't back yet from wherever he'd been working that day.  He'd been on

the duty roster in the hangar with the other Catteni.  Probably kept

late at a session of the infamous Ways and Means Committee.  That

thought amused her as she turned over on her side, the one that would

face Zainal when he came to bed, and she went back to sleep.

 

She had the next morning off, but was due on shift at the com unit for

the afternoon.  But when she and Zane reached the mess hall for

breakfast, the place was full of the exciting news that, sometime during

the night, the Eosi ships had given up their attack and left.

 

She was as excited as everyone else and wondered where Zainal and the

other Catteni were.  Everyone was as dizzy with relief as she was.  But

that didn't mean she'd have the shift off.  For all anyone knew, the

Eosi had only taken a breather to reload or something.

 

She did look around for Chuck, but didn't spot him.  She should inform

him of his imminent fatherhood.  She should also, she told herself

sternly, make an appointment for a prenatal checkup at the infirmary.

And find out, if she could, about the effects of gravity on the unborn.

What had that tide been: "The Effects of Moonlight on Man in the Moon

Marigolds"?  No, no, no.  So she bored around in her memory for the

exact title.  She'd read the book-oh so very long ago now.  In another

life entirely.  "The Man in the Moon Marigolds..  ;' no, that wasn't it,

either.

 

Suddenly Mavis rushed up to her.  "Kris, can you help us?  We have a

concussion patient.  Needs someone with him, and we're short of staff

since John took a bunch off on his run to Dystopia and the other two."

 

"I'm due on com watch," she said, and Mavis waved that aside.

 

"Beth can take that.  She's got enough Catteni.  It's Bart, and I know

you like him and he likes you."

 

"Bart?" Kris was instantly on her feet.  "What happened?" she asked as

she and Mavis made their way out of the hall.  'I'll just drop Zane off.

 

How'd Bart get a concussion?"

 

"Fell off his ladder putting slates on the roof.  Nearly splattered his

brains on the flagstones.  He should pull round but we need some one to

monitor him in case there's a significant change."

 

"That's me."

 

Maizie was at the gate into the fenced area, and she blinked in pleasure

at the sight of Zane in Kris' arms.

 

"One day that child will surprise herself and smile;' Mavis said.

 

"Maizie, Maizie, Maizie;' Zane chanted, reaching for her and Kris lifted

him over the pickets.

 

"Yes, thank you," Maizie said very distinctly.

 

"You're quite welcome," and to Sally Stoffer, "I'll be at the

infirmary."

 

B Y THE FIFTH H OUR, Kris would have changed duties with anyone.

 

Glad as she was to sit after yesterday's kitchen duty, enough was

enough.

 

Bart was on one of the cardiac monitors but that didn't give much

indication of what was happening in his cranium.  His color, generally a

dark creamed-coffee, was not tinged with any lividity.  The wound had

been sutured and sealed with nu-skin, another of the items "liberated"

from hospital stores on Earth.  She'd seen enough of Mayock's neat

handiwork to recognize it.  Nine stitches from just above the hairline,

skewed to the right brow.  Quite a gash but it would be the fracture

under the skin that would be worrying.  Whatever X-ray had been taken

was at the nurses' duty station.

 

Did no one notice that a state-of-the-art X-ray unit had gone missing on

Earth?

 

IN HIS AIR-CONDITIONED OFFICE ON EARTH, Emassi Plovine, struggling with

the printouts of ship IDs registered as landing in Catteni fields across

the globe, was puzzled by some anomalies in the records.  He had

received a stern reprimand from the Mentat who had ordered the use of

three G-class ships for the bombardment of that wretched enclosed

planet, and Plovine had been unable to locate them.  He had had

interviews with four indignant Emassi who had reported, as ordered, to

the bays where the G-ships should have been awaiting them, to find them

gone.

 

Two from the main Catteni landing site, once named Houston, and one from

the eastern continent.  Reports of the departure of these ships seemed

perfectly normal and the ships had taken off with no untoward problems.

 

Except that the duty officers had been told that the crew assignments

had been altered.  Since that happened frequently enough these days,

with the Mentats being more erratic than ever, no one had questioned the

changes.

 

Until the Ix Mentat had demanded, not requested, the Mentat in charge of

subduing the Terran rebellions, to deliver all G-and-over-class ships

available to help bombard the planet, which was defying Eosi control.

 

Plovine's search had been thorough but the results mystifying.  Indeed,

one cargo vessel full of slaves, due to be sent to one of the cold

planets that had far too many slave deaths, had taken off with them on

schedule but never arrived at its destination.  The Emassi governor of

that planet was now demanding more slaves or he would have to close down

operations.  Even Rassi could do this sort of work.  Probably better.

But, by edict of the Eosi, no Rassi was ever taken from Catten.

 

There was also the matter of huge charges made against the accounts of

three K-class ships which he finally discovered have been written off as

no longer in service: one had blown up in space, with suitable debris to

make a positive identification of the KDL.  Another had disappeared on a

routine voyage.  The third had taken off from Barevi with a full cargo

but never arrived at its destination, and it had been in the company of

a KDI of which there seemed to be two by that designation.

 

Not to mention the duplication of cargo vessels, both sent to a mining

planet to collect ores.  The cargo had been duly loaded onto a carrier,

and later the ore had been logged into the refinery on Catteni, but a

second ship had arrived at the mining planet two days after the first,

expecting to load up immediately.  The captain had lodged a formal

complaint since he had had to wait until the mine superintendent had

been able--by increasing the hours of his workforce--to extract enough

ore to fill the second ship, as the Emassi of the cargo ship had no wish

to return empty of goods and receive reprimands from his superiors.

 

"Very irregular, very irregular," Emassi Plovine said as he wrote up his

findings.  At least he had concrete proof that what he had discovered

could be verified.  Only where had so many ships disappeared?  And did

it matter?

 

WHEN ORDERS HAD COME from nineteen Mentats that the Ix Men-tat was to

cease and desist its attempt to penetrate the Bubble, the juniors

expected it to have a second seizure.  The Ix Mentat could not, however,

disobey such an order.  It had to issue the commands to cease the

barrage, despite the fact that resupply ships were on their way to this

quadrant.

 

The Ix replied to that desist order by issuing a demand for a general

meeting of Mentats to discuss an alarming and dangerous situation: one,

which must be countered as quickly and efficiently as possible.

 

As the Ix Mentat had the power to call such a meeting, and most of the

others of its age and service were as desirous of a meeting to find out

why the Ix Mentat was wasting so much in its attempt to penetrate an

obviously impenetrable barrier, the summons were sent out in coded

bursts to those who would comprise such an assembly.  Such a convocation

of Mentats occurred rarely enough to provoke considerable speculation

among the Emassi who zealously guarding their Mentats.  For some, it

meant a rare chance to visit the home world and families unseen in the

decades of their service to a Mentat.  For others, it meant giving up

comfortable quarters to squeeze into whatever accommodations might be

available on the space station.  Of course, the Mentats would be safe on

the station.  Safer than they would be in the luxurious homes they kept

on the surface of the planet.

 

Many other Emassi, not in personal service to the Eosi, decided to take

the chance of arranging for personal interviews with Mentats about this

favor or that new condition.  So, many ships converged on Catten over

the next few weeks while the Mentats returned from their far-flung

dominions.

 

Codes had been set and, if the incoming ships properly answered these,

the guardian ships protecting the space station allowed them to pass.  A

few could not and were immediately taken to one of Cattens moons until

the Mentat convocation had ended.

 

Had Emassi Plovine been recalled from Earth, some of the anomalies he

was searching for might have been solved: two vessels, a K-class and an

exploratory scout, both listed as lost in space, would have been of

particular interest to him.  But he had forwarded his report to the

Mentat Governor of Earth.

 

Ships that left Catten outward-bound were neither stopped nor searched

by the patrols, though their departures were noted on the duty sheets.

 

BY THE TIME THE KDL RETURNED to Botany with the mates and families of

fifty Emassi, Kris had already discovered that Zainal with his Catteni

colleagues had left Botany and that the Ways and Means Committee had

been disbanded.  A lot of her usual friends, who had never been used as

crew, were also missing.  She finally cornered Coo who gave her a big

Deski smile and said, "All gone.  Fix valley."

 

"Fix?  Fix for what, Coo?" Although images of Eosi trapped in an

enclosed valley for the rest of their unnatural lives had a certain

appeal to her, she did not think those were the intended "guests."

 

"I go help fix.  Good idea."

 

No one else seemed to know, even Bart, who usually heard rumors other

people didn't.  He was on light duties since he was still on the sick

list from the skull fracture.

 

"I don't know, and I gotta tell you, Kris, I hate like hell not

knowing."

 

She agreed completely with Bart.  Leon Dane was missing from the

infirmary, and all Mavis could say, and she was telling the truth, was

that he had taken off for a few days' rest.

 

She had Zane and, when she discovered that Sarah and Joe had gone off as

well, leaving Maizie and Tony in the crche, she opted for a change of

duty and worked in the crche instead of hangar duty.  Maizie seemed to

like her and, because Zane was learning to speak, it seemed a good idea

to include Maizie in her informal lessons.

 

Ray Scott didn't avoid her and she could almost believe him when he said

he didn't know where Zainal was, but that they'd gone off to make

personal contact with other crucially situated dissidents.

 

"Every important position has to be covered by an Emassi who can be

trusted, you know."

 

"Why?"

 

"That I don't know.  Zainal got very reticent about his strategy," Ray

said, and he seemed a bit annoyed with such reticence.

 

Bull Fetterman didn't know.  Jim Rastancil was wherever everyone else

had gone.  Ainger was so annoyed that she wouldn't have asked him if

he'd been the only person who did know.

 

Maizie learned to say "please," "thank you," "may I have .  .  ." and

some other useful words and enunciated them more clearly than Zane did.

 

Clearly Maizie felt safer with him and Tony than with any of the other

children, even those who had taken her into their orphan group.

 

Then one morning at the crche, Kris' com unit bleeped.  It was Beggs.

 

"Admiral Scott requests that you proceed immediately to the hangar, and

be prepared to stay at your destination for several days."

 

"How several?  Can I bring Zane with me?"

 

"I have given you the information I have, and no, the child would not be

an asset."

 

Just like Beggs to consider Zane an "asset" but she gave him a long

smacking kiss and told Maizie that she would be back soon and left

Maizie clinging to Zane as if he were the elder of the two.  That didn't

do her mood any good but she borrowed a runabout, slammed into her cabin

and, as she was throwing a change and other needs into a pack, realized

she had liquid dribbles drying all down the front of her.  Fortunately

she did have a recent issue of clothing and changed, cursing under her

breath as she hauled the belt tight and then had to let it out over her

expanding middle.  As she stormed out, she got madder and madder--with

Beggs and Scott.  She was only halfway to the hangar when she heard the

familiar sound of a space-ship coming in to land.  Her heart beating

faster, she threw the speed bar as far across as it would go and had the

pleasure of being on the landing field when the KDL landed.

 

"Now, Emassi Zainal' she murmured, "you've some explaining to do."

 

"Kris, come on.  It's only touching down to pick us up," Scott called

over the loud noise of the idling ship engine, beckoning her to hurry.

He looked her up and down with a very admiralish stare that made her

realize that he was sharply dressed, too.

 

"If you don't tell me what's going on, Admiral Scott..  :' she began as

the ramp extruded partway: enough to jump up to the personnel hatch open

in the cargo door.

 

'I'll explain it when we get where we're going.  Climb aboard:'

 

She did because he was hauling away at her arms, and she refused to be

manhandled even by Admiral Ray Scott.

 

She caught just a glimpse of a lot of people sitting or lying on the

cargo level, and then he was guiding her toward the bridge, past Ninety

who seemed to be standing guard.  Which he well might have been because

she realized that all the faces had been Catteni.

 

"What the hell..."

 

"They're the women and children of the dissidents who were based on

Catten and therefore at risk;' Ray said, briskly urging her toward the

bridge.

 

Well, she could understand the wisdom of getting dependants safely away

from Eosian retaliation.  The abuse that Zainal's two sons had suffered

certainly made that a priority.

 

"Zainal got them out?"

 

"Ah, more or less.  We're installing them in the largest of the enclosed

valleys.  They'll be safe there."

 

That made sense because not all of the Headquarters valley's buildings

had been taken down, so expanding that facility was a perfect solution.

 

Then there was another aspect of a shipload of Catteni arriving at

Retreat.

 

One Catteni, even four, wouldn't raise much resentment at Retreat, but

an influx of mates and children could be a source of irritation.

 

Gino waved a backhanded "hi" in her direction, and Raisha shot a quick

look around as the two pilots lifted the ship from the hangar field.

 

Everyone else on the bridge gave her a nod or a smile.  They were all,

Kris noticed, those who had a fair knowledge of Catten.

 

"Kris," Gino began in an odd voice and paused to clear his throat, "the

plan is that you'll act Emassi to our...  guests.  Zainal said you'd had

practice.  He said them knowing there was someone in charge of them

might help in the long run."

 

"What long run?" Kris asked casually.

 

There was a long pause.

 

"Oh, it's just a contingency idea."

 

"Gino, you don't lie very well," Kris said, folding her arms across her

chest and glaring around, her gaze ending at Ray Scott.

 

"It is a contingency," Ray said, but he stopped right there, without

specifying for what.  "We agreed to give sanctuary to relatives of

Kasturi, Tubelin, Kamiton, and several other key dissidents.  A

precaution.  When the dust settles, they can return:'

 

"I've a letter from Zainal explaining..  :' Gino paused again.  "It's in

my cabin.  Just let me land, and help us get these people settled.  It

explains everything.  Ah, see, we're nearly there."

 

"I'm not a fool." And Kris swept the entire bridge complement with a

stare.

 

"No one has ever accused you of that]' Ray said.  "But you're tall,

imposing, you speak good Catteni, and you act Emassi without

half-trying.

 

It'll make settling the dependants easier.  I will pretend;' and Ray

accorded her a smile and a little bow, "to be under your command.  Now

assume it!"

 

His last three words were tantamount to an order that he intended she

would obey.  She looked him in the eyes long and hard, and he did not

flinch.  He did, however, steady her when they landed with a little

thump.

 

Wheeling, she looked out to the quiet scene of the HQ valley.  The main

hall, only half-finished when she had last been here, was completed.

 

There was even smoke coming out of the chimney.  Several large houses,

with half dormers for sleeping lofts, were interspersed with small

accommodations, scattered throughout the lodge-pole forestry.  It was

certainly a lot better housing than the First Drop had had.  She took a

deep breath.

 

"Ninety]' she called, turning again on one heel and moving back down the

corridor.

 

"Yo!" was Ninety's unexpectedly army response.

 

"Prepare to unloadS' she said in Catteni, having no trouble at all

sounding harsh.  "Is there a list of who's who?" she asked in English

over her shoulder.

 

Ray offered her a clipboard, presenting it to her with a smart bow, thus

showing the women that Kris was the superior officer.  Kris looked down

at the board.  All the names were in Catteni glyphs, which she couldn't

read, but also in English and she recognized the English script was

written in the bold, forceful style Zainal used.  Unexpectedly her eyes

filled with tears.  She blinked them away, pretending that the sun was

glaring in her eyes and shielding them as she took a position at the

head of the ramp.

 

Ninety had opened the cargo hatch and the loading ramp was down.

 

"just this level, Drassi?" she asked in Catteni.

 

"Yes, Emassi Khriss," he said, staring straight ahead.

 

Emassi Khriss turned to the passengers, the sunlight streaming in.  The

women were all standing now: the children, the youngest showing some

fright, the others very silent and wary, grouped around them.

 

"As your name is called, come forward and leave the ship.  Follow the

Drassi who will lead you to your quarters." She noticed that each name

had a number after it, indicating the number in the party.  Flipping the

top sheets, she noticed that each family had already been assigned

quarters.

 

She had only to call them out.  She had no trouble remembering Catten/

counting.  She also remembered enough of what Zainal had told her about

Catteni women: that they were almost as subservient as Drassi or Tudo

and would have to be shown what to do.  "You will be safe here."

 

One woman stepped forward and cleared her throat, bowing her head for

addressing an Emassi without first being spoken to.

 

"We were told that no Eosi can come here.  Is that true?"

 

"You are ..." and Emassi Khriss impassively awaited an answer.

 

"Sibbo, Kasturi's mate.  These are his sons and his child." She bowed

again.

 

Well, at least one of them had some guts, Kris thought with relief.

 

"Ah, I know Kasturi well.  He has been here," Kris said.  "Eosi have not

been able to penetrate the shield that surrounds this planet;' she added

with as smug a smile as she had ever seen on any Catteni face.  "You are

safe.  We have made you safe.  Go with this Drassi to the quarters

prepared, Sibbo.

 

Place twelve."

 

Sibbo and her children picked up their bundles and they started down the

ramp after Ninety.  Crew members stepped forward to escort each group

called.

 

It took a while to work her way down the list.  She had one

interruption, an older woman, who bowed.

 

"Drassi Khriss," and she bowed an almost embarrassing depth, "are there

no Rassi or slaves to assist us?"

 

Kris was so surprised that she blinked, her mind racing to find an

answer.  She pretended to consult her list.  This was the oldest of the

women...  ah, Nitin's wife.  How like him to have a critical mate!

 

"Rassi do not leave Catten, as you know, Milista.  There are no slaves

on this planet.  You will do what is necessary yourselves."

 

"But;' and there was real consternation on the woman's lined face as she

spread out her hands in a helpless appeal, "we have never been without

slaves:'

 

"Oh, my God," Gino muttered behind Kris.  "Never thought of that."

 

"Well, by God," was Scott's equally low but quite firm addition,

"they're going to damned well learn how to cope without them."

 

"All the food is Catteni, with pictures on the sacks or boxes," Ninety

said.  "We did that special."

 

"With recipes?" Gino put in hopefully.

 

"I dunno.  Can't read that much Catten," Ninety added.

 

"Bummer," was Gino's final remark.

 

"Any ration bars?" Kris asked.

 

"Yeah, lots of those."

 

"Let them eat rations, then," Kris said, startled to find herself

paraphrasing Marie Antoinette.  She turned back to Milista.  "It is

enough that you are safe and have food to eat and shelter.  You will

take what is provided and be grateful."

 

Kris didn't have any trouble acting Catteni just then.  She was

thoroughly annoyed.  Surely Kasturi or even Tubelin would have thought

to tell Zainal, or someone, that the women were accustomed to servants.

Not that she'd ask anyone to serve Catteni women.  They could bloody

well learn how to do for themselves as the colonists had.

 

"All work will be shared, Milista.  Learn that now." She gave a curt

dismissal to the woman who backed away before she turned.  Indignation

and fury were obvious in the way she stalked down the ramp, carrying a

very small bundle, which she kept hitching or changing from hand to

hand.

 

Briefly Kris wondered what Milista had brought with her that could be

heavy.  She didn't know if Catteni women had jewelry, and if that was

all Milista had brought, instead of clothing, she was going to get very

tired of the one wrap she was wearing.

 

With mixed emotions of chagrin and irritation--and the latter was

stronger--Kris crisply called out the next name.  The gall of the woman,

wanting servants as well as safety.  Maybe once she'd had a taste

of--Shut up, Kris, it's not Milista's fault.

 

She got through the rest of the unexpected and generally unhappy guests.

She'd been so busy ushering them out, she hadn't seen that there were

Humans boarding the KDL on the far side of the ramp.  Some carried just

tools while others humped excess building materials aboard.

 

The last few arrived as the final Catteni family of seven was led off to

cabin thirty-five.  So Kris nearly gasped when Sarah passed her with a

wink.

 

Joe was right behind her, carrying carpentry tools.  Sandy stalked up

the ramp last.

 

"They wanted servants," Kris muttered savagely to Sandy, who burst out

laughing.

 

"That'll be the day.  Did you hear what Kris just said?" And Sandy was

spreading the remark, causing both chuckles and exclamations of

surprise.

 

Kris was about to turn away, to retract the landing ramp, to get away

from her before she lost her cool entirely.  Then she paused, looking

out at the tranquil valley.  The scene was all wrong, even disturbing.

Not a soul was in sight and the mess hall and quarters looked as empty

as when they had landed.

 

"Kris?" Sandy came to stand beside her.  "What the hey?" And she

frowned.  "What's wrong with them?  Sulking?"

 

Kris listened intently, but apart from an odd mechanical creak or a hiss

from a vent, she didn't even hear crying or angry voices.

 

"Hell, any normal kid would have been out and snooping about by now."

 

"Maybe when we leave," Kris said.  "They've had a bit of a shock."

 

"Ha!  About time!" Sandy took Kris' arm and drew her inside.  "D'you

know how to close this?"

 

Almost absentmindedly, Kris depressed the right switch and the ramp slid

up and inside, and the cargo hatch made a low, well-oiled rumble as it

slid shut.

 

Kris strode along the corridor to the bridge.

 

"We're ready then?" Raisha asked, looking up from her pre-flight check.

 

"Can I have a rear-view screen as we take off, Raisha, and do a slow

ascent, huh?"

 

"Sure, Emassi Khriss, whatever you say, Emassi Khriss," and Kris managed

a little smile for Raisha's teasing.

 

"You do a swell Emassi act," Gino said, entering from the captain's

ready room.  He had an envelope in his hand and his expression was

carefully neutral as he gave it to her.

 

"Positions, please, for takeoff;' Raisha said in warning.  Not that

strapping in was needed with the smooth vertical lift she achieved.

 

Kris watched the rearview screen as long as she could but the valley

might have been uninhabited for all she could see.  Then the KDL was

over the enclosing wall and beginning to level out for the flight back

to Retreat.

 

"Well done, Kris;' Ray said, clapping one hand lightly on her shoulder.

 

Then silently he gestured toward the captain's room Gino had just

vacated.

 

Kris looked down at the envelope in her hand as she walked toward the

privacy the room would offer.  She had an awful feeling about what the

letter would say to her.  Sliding the panel shut behind her, she sat on

the nearest surface and looked down at the message.  It was upside down

and Zainal's distinctive script made an interesting pattern of her name

from that angle.

 

She turned it around.  "Kris." She spoke her name aloud.

 

"Well, waiting's not going to change a single word inside," she said

and, with a decisive nail, opened the edge of the sealed flap and then

ran her finger up, spreading the paper.  She also tore the corner out of

the envelope with the force of her action.

 

There were two sheets.  Well, he tended to sprawl his words across a

page, even if the sentences were exceedingly straight...  as if he'd

followed a ruled line.

 

Kris, love, Don't look back in anger or be angry with anyone if I do not

come back to you.

 

It was my plan.

 

She stopped reading, her eyes filling with tears, terrified of what he

would say next.

 

There is only one way to get into the Mentat meeting, and we shall take

it.

 

"We," he had written.  He had specified "we," not just himself.  But

which we?  Had the old pessimist Nitin been included in that plural

noun?

 

You will understand why the mates and children must be sent to safety.

The Ways and Means Committee agreed as Scott will tell you.

 

Somehow Kris couldn't really believe in that plurality.  Zainal led the

others.

 

He would lead them into whatever it was he had decided to do.  But that

didn't mean "he" would be safe.

 

We know that, should things not turn out as we have carefully planned,

You leave him alone, now, you hear, Murphy?  Your damned Law doesn't

operate in Catteni space, d'you hear me, Murphy?

 

you and the rest of the Botany colonists will allow them to live in

peace.  The Council has promised us that and you will understand why

Humans must learn to live with Catteni for the good that really is in us

as a species, misguided by those who have controlled us for so long.

 

If we fail, and I do not (she gave a sob when she saw that fierce

underlining) return to Botany, this letter authorizes you and Chuck

Milford to be guardians of my sons, to rear them as near as your hearts

will let you to be good Catteni hut better Botanists.  They will need to

know all they can learn from you and Chuck.  He will teach them what

young men need to know.

 

Chuck and Bert will be able to get home in Baby.  We have every

intention of being in that ship on its way back to Botany.

 

I did not like keeping the plan from you who have invaded my heart and

spirit.

 

I never expected the wealth of love would be mine.  And I have been so

very happy with you that even this Catteni can ache with longingfor you.

You would have insisted on coming.  I could not allow you to be in such

jeopardy.

 

You have been my only love.

 

And the final letter was the bold crossed "Z" that he liked using.

 

"Well, you were right, weren't you, Kris, m'girl," she murmured aloud,

her voice sounding scratchy in the quiet cabin.  "He was planning

something dire.  And he really doesn't expect to survive."

 

She folded the two pages with very careful motions and replaced the

precious letter in the envelope, smoothing the ragged edges down, over

and over, until they remained flat.

 

She opened the door and, although everyone was studiously looking

elsewhere, she flagged Ray Scott and beckoned him into the room.

 

"Okay, I've had my Dear John letter.  What are he and those other madmen

planning to do?"

 

Ray exhaled and gave her a long look.  "I don't know either;' he said

slowly.  "Unless I was sure of its success, he knew I'd try to talk him

out of it.  Therefore, he's taking unacceptable risks." Ray sighed

again.  "They left before they could be stopped." Another pause as Ray

looked down at his hands and dug something from under one fingernail

before he made eye contact again.  "!  didn't think I'd ever say it of a

Catteni, but I admire that man.  I will always admire that man.  And I

hope to hell he gets away with whatever it is he went to do."

 

"I'm glad you're rooting for him, too, Ray.  More than you would have

done when you first got here, but better late than never," Kris said

wryly.

 

"Is there any of Mayock's brew on board this ship?"

 

Ray took one step to the wall units and pulled out a drawer.  She heard

the click of glassware as he extracted two glasses and a bottle of the

somewhat ale-pale alcohol.

 

Solemnly he filled the glasses and handed her one.

 

"Down the hatch!" Ray said, lifting his in a toast.

 

"Murphy," Kris said raising her glass, "stay the hell away from my man!"

 

They both knocked back the toast and turned as one to symbolically smash

the glasses against the outer wall.

 

Chapter Ten.

 

"WE HAVE THE PRISONER," SAiD THE Emassi commander, dressed in security

uniform.

 

He jerked his head back at the limp figure, which had been dragged on

the knees between two members of the rather strong detail.  The slimed

skin of the naked captive showed a crisscross of angrily red, raised

welts from frequent lashings with a nerve whip, and his legs and arms

were bloodied from other wounds.

 

"Prisoner?" asked the duty Drassi.  "I have no knowledge of a prisoner

summoned by any Mentat.  The convocation is in session," he added as if

this was a sacred occasion.

 

"Mentat Ix has been searching for this man;' and the Emassi stepped

back, lifting the drooping head to display a gaunt, half-starved face,

"for months.  The name, I believe, is Zainal." A smug smile suggested

that the name was enough to secure admittance.

 

"Zainal?"The name was certainly familiar to the Drassi guard and

produced an instant conference between him and the other door guard.

 

"I will inform the Junior Pe.  It is just inside."

 

The door was opened just wide enough to admit the guard.  It remained

slightly ajar in his haste to deliver his news.

 

The security Emassi tapped his foot impatiently, sighing.  Then he

stepped closer to the second guard, raising his right hand as if to

muffle his words and the guard leaned closer.  A slight breeze crossed

his nostrils and he gave a reflexive sniff.

 

"How much longer is the security going to be..."The security Emassi

began conversationally.  Then he caught the suddenly convulsing body of

the door guard as he fell to the ground.  Instantly two of his detail

slipped out of line; one dragged the guard off down the corridor while

the second stood in his place at the door just as it was thrown open.

 

The grotesque body of the Junior Pe came out and went straight to the

prisoner.  It pulled up the head and stared into the grimed and bloodied

face.

 

"Revive him.  When he is conscious, tap on the door and bring him in

immediately." The Junior Pe's face shone with an awesome light and it

washed its hands vigorously in anticipation of the delightful

culmination of a long search.  It reentered the room.  As soon as the

panel had closed, the limp prisoner got to his feet unaided, though his

breath hissed from stretching muscles and flesh made extremely sensitive

by the nerve whip.  His dirt- and blood-grimed hands, restrained by

Catteni manacles, were oddly cupped together.

 

"Long enough?" The Emassi asked softly.

 

"The rest have been deployed.>" the prisoner asked as softly.

 

"Yes."

 

"Then let us proceed;' and he stepped back and, as the two guards took

hold of his elbows again, he nodded once.

 

The security Emassi tapped and the door swung outward smoothly, giving

the detail a good view of the many Eosi within the long narrow chamber

where Eosi faced Eosi.  A quick glance showed that there were very few

vacant seats.  If he experienced relief at the numbers within the room,

he gave no hint of the elation he felt.  Indeed, his expression was

studiously impassive.

 

"BRING HIM TO ME!" And the Mentat Ix, halfway down one side of the

rectangular room, rose to his feet and pointed to the floor in front of

it.

 

The security Emassi beckoned to those holding the prisoner to follow him

forward while the rest of his squad stopped at intervals on both sides,

trotting beyond the Ix to complete a security cordon, formally

protecting the Eosi.  The Emassi then stepped ahead and turned to

gesture dramatically at his prisoner.

 

"As you have commanded, Mentat Ix, the chosen who chose not to serve is

here.  His physical records confirm that he is indeed the Zainal you

have searched for."

 

The Mentat Ix looked down at the figure in front of him, head bowed as

if in submission.  The Ix towered above the captive, and the triumph of

this moment seemed to expand the huge Eosian head.

 

"Look at me, Zainal," the Ix commanded, its voice rich with an anger

that had grown moment by moment over the years since the subsumation of

Lenvec.

 

"At you, Lenvec?  Or at the Ix?" Zainal said calmly, as he looked up,

not at all the submissive and cowed prisoner.  "Do you envy me any

longer, brother, that it was I who was chosen?  For you have succeeded:'

 

Then he raised his hands in what appeared to be supplication.  The Ix

inhaled at such a reaction just as a puff of mist issued through

Zainal's fingers, curling up to the Mentat's nostrils.  He turned to the

Mentat beside the Ix and repeated the puffing of mist.

 

"What is this?"

 

The restraints fell away from Zainal's hands.  Then, with an energy

surprising for one who was rib-gaunt and had been savagely beaten, the

former prisoner began squeezing his bulb at the next Eosi who had jumped

to its feet and opened its mouth to protest.  The other soldiers of the

detail, following Zainal's example, were vigorously making use of their

bulbs and the startled Eosi, never expecting to be attacked in this

sanctum on the security-protected space station, inhaled the deadly mist

in their surprise.

 

Indeed, the long room was soon filled with particles, shining in the

brilliant illumination of the room, as they slowly sank to the floor.

 

The Ix was the first within the room to collapse, its body writhing and

arching in agony as the dust it had inadvertently inhaled reached its

lungs...  reached and filled them with lethal allergens.  Others were

catching at their throats with despairing hands and reacting with the

convulsions that the substance produced in Catteni bodies.

 

"What is happening?" cried a voice from one of the screens at the end of

the room.  Not all the Eosi were in the long room but the fourteen who

had been unable to attend in person had been viewing the proceedings on

a visual com link.  "Ix!  Pe!  Co!  Se!  Answer, one of you:'

 

In the long chamber filled with Catteni bodies skewed in the rigors of

death, Zainal strode forward and, hands on his bare hips, answered the

impatient query.

 

"These Eosi are dying.  We, Emassi Catteni, have executed them for the

twenty-five hundred years of exploitation and enslavement, for the

heinous crimes you, and they, have forced us to commit against helpless

planets.  You had better find a new sanctuary for we, the Catteni," and

he brought his fist to his chest, "will hunt down and destroy you as we

have destroyed these.

 

There will be nowhere safe for you in this galaxy.  Leave it."

 

He turned his back on the Eosi whose horrified expressions were probably

the first honest reactions they had shown in centuries.  He heard

several gasps at what was an insult to their dignities.

 

"Are they all dead yet?" Zainal asked, padding down the line of the Eosi

who looked more like collapsed bags of shuddering and putrid flesh to

the one that had been his brother.  The Eosi host that had subsumed

Lenvec still retained some of its genuinely youthful, and recognizable,

facial appearance.

 

This was fast turning to a viscous mess and to the size of the original

host before subsumation.  There was so little of Lenvec left even after

the short time the Eosi had inhabited it.  But enough to have waged a

stupid and futile war against the planet which sheltered Zainal.

 

"I think that does it;' The Emassi security officer said, tipping back a

helmet to reveal Kamiton, a mightily relieved Kamiton.  "I didn't think

we'd bring it off.  I really didn't:'

 

"I always knew it was the only feasible way of eliminating them all,"

Nitin said, stepping around a slow-moving rivulet of varicolored fluids.

 

"We didn't," Tubelin remarked, pointing toward the screens, some already

blank.

 

"Those fourteen will be scrambling to leave.  They do not have enough

power to regain command," Zainal said.  "Now, all we have to do is get

out of this level.  The sooner the better."

 

He moved toward the door--staggered would be more accurate since his

emaciation and the nerve whip welts were real, if the wounds were

somewhat exaggerated by dramatic additions of blood and excrement.

 

Leaning against the wall, he shook the bulb that had been secreted

between his "force" bracelets.

 

"Who has the stuff?" He looked around, one shoulder resting against the

wall.

 

"I do," and Kasturi came forward, holding out the flask and the little

tundish with which he carefully added the lethal dust to Zainal's

innocuous-looking device.

 

"Better do it all round," Kamiton said, "while we're where we can't be

observed."

 

Tubelin shook his head.  "Even with nose plugs, the stench is awful.

 

Will the doors keep it out long enough?"

 

"Call the other guard in;' Zainal suggested.

 

Nitin was nearest and, opening the door enough to see the real guard,

beckoned him in.  The smell wrinkled the man's nostrils but he was too

well trained to show either revulsion or hesitation.  He had time to

take in the scene of the mass execution.  In fact, he caught his breath

in astonishment and terror.  And that was sufficient to inhale enough of

the free dust particles in the air of the long room to ensure his

demise.

 

Quickly, the detail assembled outside again.

 

"You did it?  I can smell you did it;' their bogus guard said, touching

his nostrils to make sure his nose plugs were in place.

 

"Anyone passed by.>" Zainal asked, and their colleague shook his head,

looking relieved.

 

"Then let's get out of here;' Kamiton said, settling his helmet

correctly on his brow.  He looked about as the security detail formed up

and nodded as Zainal resumed his inert posture between his "guards." He

had no trouble at all assuming an expression of intense and smugly

self-congratulatory pride as he led his detail back the way they had

come.

 

The dissidents were by no means in the clear yet.  Anyone with some

urgent message for a Mentat could arrive in that corridor.  The absence

of guards at the door would be the first thing noticed and then,

undoubtedly, the presence of an incredible putrefying stench would seep

into the corridor.

 

Since this was a space station, there were devices all over that should

detect unusual alterations in air circulation.

 

On the space station, down on the planet and across Catteni-occupied

space, other dissidents awaited news that the execution had been

successful.

 

There had been enough to secure the most important Eosi installations.

 

Once deprived of orders, many other Catteni would be so totally confused

that they would not protest Emassi rulers.  They had been trained too

well to operate on orders and not on their own initiatives.  As Zainal

had said, there might not be that many Emassi dissidents but most of

them were in critical positions, or could assume them.  One of their

number ranked high in the security section, and he had deftly changed

assignments on the station to include more rebels, as well as preparing

himself to take control of the space station if the executions were

successful.  He could do only so much until he knew the coup achieved

its prime objective.

 

It was Ugred, in the central communications and security section of the

station, who could then send the coded message to those waiting to hear,

and act upon it.  On receipt, those who had waited almost a lifetime

would go into action and initiate actions that would forever end Eosian

domination.

 

First, they had to escape the station before loyal Catteni discovered

the deaths and, in turn, eliminated the perpetrators.  The Emassi in

control could do only so much to assist the dissidents.  And it would

take time for the others to complete their takeover.

 

THE FIRST SIGNAL was the return of the prisoner detail.

 

"Was the Ix finally satisfied?" a High Emassi fleet officer asked,

pausing to watch the prisoner dragged by, leaving a trail of blood.

 

"The Ix went into spasms again;' Kamiton said smugly.  He had to swallow

against the nervous laughter inside him at the so accurate remark.

 

"What'll happen to him?" The Emassi nodded down at the prisoner.

 

Kamiton barked an unpleasant laugh.  "You know the games Eosi will play

with those who displease them.  I am glad I can hand him over;' and

Kamiton pointed to the floor, "to the cells.  He's got until the

convocation ends."

 

With a suitable bow to an Emassi of superior rank, Kamiton curtly

gestured for the detail to move forward again, across the main corridor

of the space station.

 

If his glance took in the high-security window of space station control

overlooking this space, it was more part of a general survey than a

signal.

 

He did settle his helmet more securely on his head as he crossed to the

gray shaft that would take his detail and its prisoner to the lower

levels.

 

Reaching the appropriate level, the detail marched along, still dragging

its prisoner, down the corridor and to the ship bays that ringed this

level of the station, the security Emassi paid no attention to others

going about their duties.

 

They reached their destination.  Kamiton tapped in the security code for

the locked room, and he curtly beckoned to the two carrying Zainal to

bring him through first.  The others hastily filed in.  As soon as the

panel closed, Zainal was swung up on his feet.  Kamiton passed him moist

towels to clean off the blood, grime, and also the slime, which was

actually an antihistimine cream to protect him from the lethal dust.

Kasturi peeled off some of the multiple nerve whip

welts--carefully--since the first layer was genuine.  Tubelin washed

down his legs, while Zainal did his own arms: both used some degree of

care for the gouges and slices that were visible were also genuine, if

realistically enlarged.  Nitin was opening a cabinet and taking out the

Drassi security uniform and passed the helmet to Zainal.  The erstwhile

prisoner quickly inserted into his now clean cheeks the pads, which

Sandy Areson had made for his first impersonation.  He pulled off the

unkempt wig, wincing as the glue stuck to the skin of his forehead a

moment, revealing a properly trim Drassi hairstyle underneath.  He put

his legs through the trousers, his arms through the tunic, stood first

on one leg while a boot was pushed on and tied and then on the other for

the second boot to be shoved on his foot.

 

The change had been achieved in seconds.  No one would have suspected a

delay of any kind as a detail marched out of that antechamber and toward

the shuttle on which they had arrived.

 

"You got a reward?" asked the Emassi in charge of that section of the

hangar deck, intercepting their path to the officially marked security

shut tle.

 

"I expect to be honored at the next official ceremony," Kamiton said,

swelling his chest.  This was quite truthful, as Kamiton's reward was

the command of the planet.

 

"You did well, Emassi;'

 

Kamiton merely nodded as Zainal, posing as an alert Drassi, opened the

shuttle door so his officer could enter.  The rest of the detail--and

the hangar section Emassi didn't think to count or he would have come up

with the wrong number for patrol strength-filed in.  The hatch slid

closed and was locked on the inside and the hangar Drassi waved them

off, opening his com link with hangar control to assure the security

guards that all was in order for the departure of this shuttle.

 

KRIS MANAGED TO KEEP GOING though the days seemed even longer and the

nights were even more dangerous with her longings for him.  Until she

began to do silly things in her assigned duties, like garbling messages

on the com unit.  Or weeping over Zane when he had only a scratched

knee, not a broken leg, and Sarah had to pinch her sharply to end the

incipient hysterics.  Dorothy Dwardie suggested a mild sedative.  Even

in the daze, which seemed to surround her during the long weeks, she did

notice that someone was nearby: Sandy, Sarah, Dorothy, and occasionally

Peggy and Marge.  The presence of ex-Victims among her watchers afforded

her a little private amusement: the caret being cared for.  But she

hadn't the energy to smile over the irony.  Dorothy's presence was

soothing, especially after Kris surfaced out of her self-absorption

sufficiently to realize that Dorothy was probably suffering, too.  Chuck

had been seeing a lot of the psychologist but, as Dorothy was somewhat

of a private person, Chris wasnt at all sure if the "seeing" went both

ways.

 

"I apologize, Dorothy," she screwed up enough courage to say one

afternoon when she was assigned to help Dorothy teach the orphans some

basic R's.

 

"Why?  You're doing a very good job, you know:'

 

"Not of handling my emotions."

 

"Oh?" Dorothy smiled kindly at her.  "You're very Human, Kris, and this

is a very trying time for you."

 

"And you, too?"

 

"Me?"

 

Kris thought for a moment she had exceeded propriety, but then Dorothy

flushed and turned her face away.

 

"You have the right to be worried about Chuck.  I am, too, when I stop

being selfish enough to realize that he's in jeopardy as well."

 

Dorothy looked down at her hands, which picked at a frayed seam in her

coverall.  "There's nothing been said...  I mean, I do like his company.

 

In fact, he's a surprising fellow.  All that ruggedness, and he's not

bad-looking either, though not the sort of man I'd say was my type...

 

Kris managed a wry smile.  "Chuck's not what he appears to be."

 

"No;' and Dorothy gave a wistful sigh, "he's not.  Yes, Dick?" And her

tone abruptly altered to her professional manner as one of the orphans

held out his slate for her to correct.

 

That ended that exchange of confidence but it was Zane who pulled her

out of her depression.  It upset him terribly to see Mommy in tears when

he asked where Daddy was.  So he stopped asking and that made her heart

ache even more.  When she realized that he had stopped asking, she began

to tell him tales about Zainal every evening as she put him to bed.  He

liked those stories a lot more than the ones she read to him.  Relating

their first explorations together helped Kris get a grip on herself.  It

also made the missing man not half as "missing." The discreet

observation tapered off and people were nice to her in whatever jobs she

was assigned to do.

 

Not too nice, for she would not have tolerated condescension from Janet

or Anna Bollinger.  Those two must be secretly delighted with her

situation: "only what she deserves, carrying on like that with a...

Catteni male."

 

So as the days dragged into a week and the weeks to the month, and then

days beyond that elapse of time, she became almost inured to his absence

and refused to believe that his absence would be permanent.  Zainal

would survive as he had survived so much: such as the flitter crash he

had walked away from the day she first met him.  She clung, also, to the

rationalization that because they had been so close emotionally as well

as physically, she was certain that a lover's prescience would have

subconsciously known he had died.  She really didn't think she was

assigned most frequently to com desk duty in the bridge because she

could translate Catteni messages.

 

She decided even Ray Scott had a heart after all.  She might even be the

first to hear his voice.  But there was little enough chatter via the

com sat.  Amazingly little.  But this was as close as she could get to

Zainal, wherever he was and whatever he was doing.

 

She was asked to sit in on all the Council meetings, so she forced

herself to listen to what John Beverly could report.  Dystopia had been

very grateful for the supplies and so had NoName.  Beverly had brought

back a delegation from each planet, and they had been welcomed.  If

there were ironic comments from some who envied Botany its advantages,

that was the luck of the draw.  Of course, they wanted to know every

detail about the Farmers, saw their machinery in action on the big

continent, saw what had been contrived of the parts, and envied the

Botanists their Bubble which awed them, one and all.

 

None of them spoke Catteni or even Barevi, and some of those on NoName

eyed the Deski and Rugarians with suspicion.  (John said very little in

those meetings about the inhabitants of Doradoat least until the KDM

took the visitors back with more supplies and equipment, which Botany

felt it could spare.)  When Laughrey and his crew set off to return the

visitors to their respective planets, he told the Council that Dorado

was off his list.  He had been proudly told how all the ET's had been

killed, generally as soon as possible after they had been dropped.

 

"Seems that the 'aliens' had been killed because they were 'different'

and not mentioned as God's creatures anywhere in the Bible," John said.

"And I won't say I got the courtesies my rank can expect.  In fact, they

ignored me whenever they could, but my crew wouldn't let 'em, thank

God:'

 

"Let's cancel them out of consideration then, shall we?" Jim Rastancil

said and tore up the sheet headed DO,ADO.  Others did the same and Kris

felt a small twinge of satisfaction break through the numbness that she

carried around with her.

 

She had to, in her capacity as Emassi in charge of the refugees, visit

them in their valley.  Mostly she listened to complaints about their

lack of amenities, the need for additional clothing since none had

brought sufficient with them.  She supplied them with Catteni ship

suits, which appalled Milista.  She also supplied them with needles and

thread as most of the women, and certainly the children, would swim in

the standardized garment.

 

Sarah made her include some lengths of fabric since the last "shopping"

trip had brought back great rolls and bales found in a warehouse.

 

Sarah had included a child's sewing book with sufficient illustrations

to give even the Catteni women useful instructions.

 

Sandy Areson had done an inventory on supplies in the mess hall and came

back, looking both exasperated and amused.

 

"They've been living off the ration bars of which there are none left."

 

Sandy shook her head.  "As useless a bunch as I've ever seen."

 

"I could cook for them," Bart said who'd volunteered to come along on

this "light duty."

 

All three women pounced on him.

 

"No way, Jos!" Emassi Khriss said.  "But who knows enough Catteni to

teach them how to cook?  And it has to be female.  I'm not going to let

them know that Human males can and do cook."

 

"Zainal makes a mean grilled rocksquat," Sarah said and then flushed,

having inadvertently reminded Kris.  "Sorry, luv;'

 

"I wish you would all stop pussyfooting around the subject of .  .  .

 

Zainal.  But we can't return starved women;'

 

"Ha!  None of them are starved, and the kids at least are playing,"

Sandy said.

 

"Only the younger ones," Kris pointed out.

 

"Maybe we should send the older ones down to keep Bazil and Peran

company in the Maasai camp," Bart suggested.

 

Kris considered that.  She had even considered bringing the boys up to

the valley.  But...  she didn't have that authority yet...  and hoped

she really wouldn't have to deal with that pair.  Well, Chuck would be

handling them as "males"--if Chuck got back.  She found her hand halfway

to her belly and drew it back.  No sense in giving anyone any more to

talk about.

 

"What about making Janet teach 'em?" Bart said, his eyes twinkling.

 

"It'd be her Christian duty."

 

Kris burst out laughing and almost went into the weeps because she'd let

go of the rigid command she'd been exercising on herself.  Sniffing and

wiping at her filled eyes, she plastered the grin on her face after the

initial and genuine outburst of laughter.  The others looked so pleased

with her reaction.

 

"Now that was plain mean of you, Bart Tom/," she said.  "I just wish I

had the nerve to order it."

 

"I think," and Sandy cocked her head at Kris, "you could just about

order Ray Scott to jump rope with those kids and he'd do it."

 

"Beth Isbell cooksoes a lot of the pastry in the hall, at least--and

she's a Catten/speaker," Sarah said.  "Let's check in and see if she'd

take the duty on.  I think we'd better leave Bart and a couple of other

men here to be sure she's safe;'

 

"Why should we fuss over them, if they're so stupid they even let the

fire go out," Raisha asked, pointing to the chimney.  She'd come aft

from the bridge with Joe Marley to find out how long they'd be on the

ground.

 

"Zainal," and Kris didn't hesitate on his name, "promised to keep them

safe and that means keeping them fed, too, so they don't have a real

complaint to lodge against our hospitality.  And dothed.  Some of us had

to learn to do basic things when we got here.  I'll go check in and

ask;'

 

"None of us were lords, or ladies, of all we surveyed either/' Raisha

said, and then sighed.  "But you're right.  Why should we fault them for

ignorance when all of us are ignorant of something or other that we've

never had to do before."

 

Sally Stoffer agreed to accompany Beth who was a good friend.  Sally

liked to sew, was teaching some of the older orphans, and her Catteni

was excellent.  Lenny Doyle, Dowdall, Bart, three ex-soldiers from the

last drop, and Patti Sue returned and set up tents for themselves and

the three female instructors.

 

And that minor hiccup was smoothed over.  Not that the Catteni women

were pleased to be forced to do slave work.  The three soldiers

instructed the older boys on how to catch fish from the stream.  They'd

been sitting around doing nothing since they were old enough to have

started some sort of training for their 1ife's work.  They were happy

enough to form a small detail and marched up and down.  Their mothers

also seemed happier to have them occupied.

 

"I don't say I'd ever want to eat what they cook/' Beth said when they

returned, "but at least they can now build a fire, open a can or unscrew

a jar, make what they call 'bread,' fry fresh fish which they do like,

by the way.

 

One of them will make a good seamstress.  At least she figured out how

to take in the ship suits.  The rest were happy enough to wear something

new even if they did have to learn how to sew up the edges to keep the

lengths from fraying.  Who would have suspected that Catteni women would

wear sarongs?"

 

"Makes most of them look like boxes," Sally said, grinning.  "Even the

ship suits have more shape."

 

"The Catteni women sure don't," Lenny remarked with a wry grin.

 

THE shuttle reached Cattens atmosphere and dropped speed quickly, homing

in on the main government buildings.  It hovered over the roof, though a

surveillance guard ship instantly appeared to inspect it, recognized the

security markings on the shuttle, and retired without questioning its

presence.

 

"There is something to be said for protocol," Kamiton said with a grin.

He was now attired in a fresh Emassi uniform, smartened with tabs of the

highest rank available to Emassi.  "Have Tiboud and Valicon reported in

yet?"

 

"Just got their signals now,"Tubelin said from the com desk.  "They're

in position."

 

"Tell them to proceed," Karoitoh said coolly, knowing that several more

unsuspecting Catteni who were dedicated to their Eosian masters would

shortly be dead.  He turned to the others, checking to see that his

former security detail were now all dad in uniforms similar to his.  It

amused him that all members of the prisoner detail had been rewarded

with major steps in rank.  "We all know how to proceed." He checked the

nose plugs once more and then indicated to Zainal, in the pilot's

position, to land.

 

He gestured for the others to precede him before he turned once more to

the pilot.

 

"Good luck, Zainal.  I'Ll keep you informed."

 

"You had better.  I need to return your families.  They will undoubtedly

tell you how mistreated they were on Botany."

 

"Of that I have little doubt for they have been accustomed to luxuries

not available on your home planet."

 

Zainal answered Kamitoffs rueful smile with one of his own.

 

"Go finish the business, Kam."

 

Kamiton stiffened then and gave Zainal not only a salute but also the

low bow that indicated great respect.  He jumped off the ramp and Zainal

shut the hatch.

 

Zainal swung the shuttle away then and flicked on the com unit to wide

range so he could hear what was going on...  and know when the shock hit

the sleeping planet.

 

Nitin might be a pessimist but he was also a realist and they would be

following his plan of reconstructing their world, and the worlds the

Eosi had once dominated.

 

They had not been able to get a dissident into a prestigious position on

Earth, but he rather thought that once the news was out, the Terrans

would double their efforts to regain control of their own planet.  Nor

were there sufficient colleagues on the various fleet elements to take

control of the AKs or some of the great H-class, but Catteni were so

accustomed to being told what to do and how, that Kamiton's forceful

manner, the backing they did have, should eventually result in

capitulation.  Surely no Cat-teni had enjoyed the Eosian domination even

if many, singly or in family groupings, had benefited by their loyalty

to entities they had never before attempted to supplant.

 

Often enough during Zainal's flight to the main security landing field

did he have to shield his eyes from the spotlights of other guardian

vessels.

 

But the purloined ship did have the right markings and permission to be

aloft in night hours.  Zainal put the vehicle down at the edge of the

force-field-protected landing area.

 

He rose, stiffly, hissing against twinges from the nerve whip.  That had

been a necessary ordeal, as had his starvation on the way to Catteni,

but he had to look the part and whole-skinned and fat would not have

been credible.

 

His knees hurt from all the dragging but at least that posture had

allowed him to keep his head down and his eyes closed as he faked

unconsciousness.

 

Now, all he had to do was find Baby, which should now bear the security

markings of yet another authorized vehicle.  He had to stride out

purposefully and each heel jarred the various tormented parts of his

body, from the scratches to the long welts of the nerve whip.  Kasturi

had not struck as hard as he might have done to a real offender but hard

enough. Whippings endured from his father had been lighter.  His stomach

ached with hunger and, by the time he passed the first rank of unlit

ships on the pavement, his mouth and throat were parched.  He took time

to drink from the flask he had brought with him from the ship, first

swirling the water about his mouth and letting it trickle down his

throat.  Then he took the stimulant from his pocket and, with a big

swallow of water, let that go to work in his empty belly.  He'd have

food soon enough.  Fourth rank east, Chuck had said, second ship.  Chuck

had managed that discreet parking but it was a long way from first rank

west.

 

He walked inward now, shielded from casual notice from the parked

vehicles, made it past a wide turning circle and on toward the distant

fence and fourth rank.  He had to lean against the side of the scout to

catch his breath.  At least there was a light on inside it to reassure

him that this was right.  He tapped out the code on the door to alert

them to his arrival.

 

The hatch opened immediately.

 

"Keep back, dammit, Bert," Chuck said and the Australian vanished from

the brightly lit hatch.  Chuck was down the steps, instantly supporting

the sagging body, his eyes wide and then closing in relief as Zainal's

nod as well as his presence told Chuck that, so far, all had gone

smoothly.

 

"We've got to get out of here, and fast," Zainal said, striding back to

the scout.

 

"Yeah," Chuck said, his voice unsteady with relief as he helped Zainal

up the short flight to the hatch, "it ain't over 'til the fat lady

sings;'

 

"What fat lady?" Zainal asked, realizing that the sergeant had answered

him in English as he made his way forward.  "Why a fat lady?"

 

"Explain later;' Chuck closed the hatch with a clank.  "You got 'em? All

of 'em?" Chuck persisted with his questions as Zainal made a slow way to

the pilot's compartment.  Bert was now in the other chair, having let

Chuck help Zainal.

 

They'd had the harder job, Zainal knew, waiting without being able to

use the com unit for fear the position of the scout ship might be

discovered.

 

"We got all but the fourteen who were not present;' Zainal said, noting

that a course had already been laid in, preparatory to his arrival.  He

nodded approval at Bert, who was completing the last of the pre-flight

checks.  "They are unlikely to remain where they are.  They're too

scattered to unite.  In any event, once the news gets out, they may

decide to leave the galaxy as we suggested.  Coded messages should have

gone out from the space station to our other colleagues who are waiting

for our signal.  Kami-ton got to the center before the execution could

be broadcast .  .  ." He shrugged and grimaced at such an unwary and

painful action.  "If it has.  Or Ugred has managed to give us more time

by deferring an announcement.

 

Otherwise we couldn't have landed at the building.  But we were able to.

 

Kamiton gave the word and those who could not be trusted have been

eliminated by now.  But let's get out of here.  Just in case."

 

"Too right;' Bert Put said.  "Strapped in, Chuck?"

 

"Only after Zay gets something into his belly;' Chuck said, thrusting a

ration bar over Zainal's shoulder.

 

"I need that," Zainal said and tore off the wrapping, taking a huge

bite.

 

"Clear us from the field, will you, Chuck?"

 

And the sergeant leaned across to the com board.  They had to wait for a

reply.

 

"They're all bored;' Chuck said while Zainal impassively chewed.

 

Bert was chewing, too, but on his lip as they waited until the line was

opened.

 

"Schkelk," Chuck said in his hoarse Catteni voice, "Emassi has called.

 

I go.  Clearance?"

 

"Given;' was the bored response and the line went dead.

 

The ship lifted carefully out of the crowded parking area and turned

away from the city.

 

Having finished his slowly consumed meal, Zainal opened the com link,

pausing at the various channels to check on the tone of exchanged

messages.

 

They were, in fact, in space and heading obliquely away from the

vicinity of the space station before the first report was aired.

 

"This is the Supreme Emassi Kamiton, informing you of a change of

government on Catten and the execution of eighty-six Mentats and Juniors

on the space station which is now under my control.  High Emassi Ugred

is now commander of the space station..  :'

 

"Supreme Emassi?" Chuck asked, wide-eyed and grinning.

 

"That is the title he picked."

 

"What'd Nitin get?"

 

"Oh, he's speaker for Parliament..  :'

 

peer.  Bert said in astonishment.

 

"You guys don't have a parliament," Chuck protested.

 

"We will soon enough;'

 

"You learned a lot we didn't know about on Botany, didn't you?" Chuck

replied but his tone was admiring.  "Uh-oh, look!  Bogies at three

o'clock and coming in awful fast.  Can't we pile on some speed?  We

might be able to miss KRIS WAS ON COM DUTY: she had requested the

assignment and, except for those weekly visits to the closed valley and

the Catteni guests, that had been her duty.  Now she didn't even answer

Catteni complaints but impassively saw that supplies were unloaded near

enough to be easily carried to the mess hall for storage.  So, she just

happened to have the duty in Scott's office that evening when Ray Scott

and Jim Rastancil rushed in.

 

"What's going on up there, Kris?"

 

"Up where?"

 

"Up near the Bubble."

 

Kris gave her head a little shake, reset the earpiece.  "Nothing.

Nothing that I can hear since all those coded messages stopped shooting

back and forth."

 

"Well, there's something coming down.  Gino says there's some sort of

shooting stars.  And there aren't any of them in this sector of space,

especially not with the Bubble..  :'

 

Ray stopped mid-sentence and rushed outside, Rastancil right behind him.

 

Kris didn't know whether to stay on duty or join their exodus to see

what had made Ray and Jim move that fast.  She heard startled cries,

some panicky, others, loud and incoherent cheers.  Her curiosity roused

her from apathy.  She abandoned duty and joined the others outside the

hangar on the landing field.  It wasn't full dark, but the bursts of

flame or brilliant light were obvious to the naked eye.  The shower--of

whatever it was that Gino now said was burning up in upper

atmosphereidn't last very long even with several tiny late flashes. What

was obvious was that the Bubble was gone.  The sky above them was as

clear as it had been before the Bubble had been woven into place.  One

of the moons was even visible, the one on which the Catteni had tried to

build a base.  Kris gulped, frozen to the spot.  Unable to grasp the

significance.  There hadn't been any more bombardments.

 

Those had ended just before the surreptitious departure of Baby and the

KDL.  She strained her eyes, trying to locate any glitter that would be

their com sat or even the roving spy satellite the Catteni had placed in

the thirty-hour orbit.

 

Why had the Bubble come down?  Were the Farmers about to visit them? But

surely they didn't need to remove the Bubble to get in.  Or did they?

 

Ray gave her a little shake.  "Back to your post, Kris.  Tell us what

you can hear?"

 

"But there's nothing up there.  The Bubble's down.  How could the Eosi

dissolve it..."

 

Now Ray gave her a shove toward the hangar.  "Tell us what you can hear.

We need to know if the com sat's still operating."

 

Kris didn't ask how she could tell from just listening to static.  Or

maybe that, in itself, was proof the com sat was still operating?  But

it had been connected to the Eosi array that had been sheered off their

ship in its attempt to exit.  Surely, if what they'd seen burning up in

the atmosphere were the bits and pieces dropping now that the Bubble no

longer held them in place, everything would come down.  No, no, that

wasn't quite right.  Pete Snyder had told them that the com sat was

independent, with vanes trapping solar power so that it functioned all

by itself.  But, what about what it had been attached to?  She had this

vivid image of an umbrella with a crooked handle, the rain shield

pointing downward and the crooked handle pointing out toward empty

space.

 

Ray now hauled her with him back to the office and then took up the

earpiece himself, frowning as he listened.  Jim Rastancil, Gino

Marrucci, and the others who had been in the hangar office stood about,

anxiously waiting for his report.

 

"All !  get is static;' Ray said, handing the earpiece to Kris who put

it on and sat down, listening to the same sort of static, which might be

very faint messages.  "So it is still up and functioning.  Nevertheless,

Gino, get a skeleton crew and the KDL up to check."

 

"With the Bubble gone.  ncmo s normally swarthy skin paled.

 

"Yes, damn it.  To see if it's gone.  We've got to know what action to

take if it is.  That is, unless the Farmers vouchsafe to give us some

indication that we don't need it anymore."

 

Kris held up her hand.  "I'm getting something..  :'

 

"Look!" And Jim was pointing to the bridge screen, which showed the moon

that was coming up, and a small sparkle that couldn't be debris since it

moved with astonishing speed on a steady, inward-bound direction.

 

"Oh, my God;' and Ray's voice was an awed whisper.  "Have they been

watching all along?"

 

"Does it mean that Zainal succeeded?" Jim Rastancil asked.

 

For the first time in her life, Kris fainted.

 

SHE CAME TO, lying on the cot in Ray's spartan accommodation at the

hangar, with a folded towel on her forehead.  She could hear male voices

beyond the open door.  Carefully, hoping the attack of vertigo had

passed, she sat up, holding the towel in place as it felt good on her

forehead, and swung her legs over the side of the cot.  However did Ray

get a decent night's sleep on this thing?  Then memory flooded back, and

she whimpered.

 

An anxious Ray Scott was instantly beside her.  "Sorry, Kris."

 

That was when they both felt the almost electrical tingle that they had

experienced before.

 

"We need more than that," Ray shouted, raising a fist above his head in

challenge.

 

But that was all they got, and everyone they checked with over the next

half hour confirmed the sensation.  The Council called a meeting of its

main members in the hangar as soon as they could get there.  Fortunately

a good deal of Retreat's population was asleep and might even have been

oblivious to the mild shock.  Others called in, having seen what they

thought were "shooting stars:' Blandly, Gino had agreed that that's what

they were.

 

Few realized that the Bubble was gone, and Ray thought a general

announcement could wait until the Council could figure out what to do.

 

Dorothy Dwardie took the chair next to Kris at the end of the table.

 

The psychologist had been studying notes on her day's clinical sessions

with some of the more unresponsive orphans when she'd felt the tingle.

Unusual enough a sensation to make her want to find out if anyone else

had experienced this phenomenon.  She wasn't far from the infirmary so

she opened a com link to the duty officer at the infirmary who had just

been told to inform Leon Dane of a special meeting at the hangar.  Dr.

Dwardie ought to go, too.  She was Council, wasn't she?  And, yes, she'd

felt the tingle, too.

 

It had happened once before that she knew of.  Then she excused herself

to answer another message.  No sooner had Dorothy closed the link than

she was buzzed, and hurriedly informed that she was needed at the

hangar.

 

Walking down from her cabin, it took Dorothy a few hundred yards to

realize that she could see the stars.  Then the moon came shining

through a gap in the lodge-pole trees.  She ran the rest of the way to

the hangar.  She arrived breathless and took the first available seat,

which was beside Kris.

 

"The Bubble's down?" she murmured, and Kris nodded without looking

directly at Dorothy.

 

Then everyone heard the unmistakable sound of a ship taking off, and the

brilliance of the propulsion units in the darkness of the landing field

made them cover their eyes.

 

"Who's going where?" Dorothy softly asked, trying to squelch a feeling

of anxiety.

 

"Checking on the com sat.  Everything else up there came down in a

shower;' Kris said.

 

"I felt the oddest tingle, like an electric current running through me,"

Dorothy added.

 

"The Farmers do that now and then.  Counting noses," Kris replied.

 

"The Farmers?  Have we had a message from them after all?" She leaned

toward Kris, having just realized that Kris sounded very subdued.  "You

look awfully pale." She paused a moment, blinked as she came to a

logical conclusion.

 

"How would the Farmers know we don't need the Bubble anymore?

 

If that is the case, then your Zainal succeeded?"

 

just then Ray Scott's characteristic calm deserted him, and he banged

his fist on the table.

 

"How the hell can we construe a reassuring message from one goddamned

short tingle!" he said in a loud, frustrated voice to Judge Iri

Bem-pechat beside him.  "Are they so goddamned busy monitoring the rest

of the universe that we don't qualify for an explanation?"

 

Judge Iri Bempechat raised a gentling hand.  "The message, I would

think, is clear.  We no longer require the protection of the Bubble.

They've done a planet-wide search and counted noses again.  It is my

opinion that we should be grateful for what they have done, instead

of---if I may be allowed to use the vulgar expression bitching about

it:'

 

"The Judge is right;' And Kris rose to her feet, having heard all the

wrangling and speculation she could stand.  Not even the calm Dorothy

had been oozing in her direction had helped.  "And it took the Bubble

away because Zainal and the others succeeded in...  doing whatever they

planned to the Eosi:'

 

"JUST..  ;' Ray raised his voice above the immediate babble of comment,

"in case, I want the crews of all the other ships standing by and

ready."

 

"Why?" Dorothy asked, almost amused.  Obviously that was what an

ex-admiral immediately thought of as appropriate.  "There're too many of

us now to be evacuated and where would we go?"

 

"Earth, of course," Geoffrey Ainger said, disgusted with her obtuse

ness.

 

"I dropped.  I stay," Kris said and walked out of the meeting.

 

Chapter Eleven.

 

AFTER.  THAT SCARE WITH THE THREE bogies looking as if they were coming

straight at them, the ships had not so much as hailed the scout, so they

had proceeded on their return to the asteroid belt.

 

"I don't see why we need to pick up Baby now," Chuck said since that

would lengthen the journey home.

 

Bert nudged him in the small of his back and held up one finger, making

a grimace, and two, altering his expression of a beatific smile.

 

Then he gestured to his whole body and winced.

 

Chuck Mitford had never considered himself slow/n comprehension but the

fright of that squadron bearing down on them--and then passing by, close

but no cigar--made him interested in getting back to Botany as fast as

possible.

 

So Zainal wanted Baby back.  Hell, why would Kamiton want this ship

returned?  He had a massive navy to pick from.  But Bert's other

point--that Zainal wanted to be as fully recovered as possible from his

"disguise"--made more sense.  Although Chuck had been there when the

first layer of the "disguise" was laid on, so to speak, he had been

shocked when he'd seen Zainal in the cabin light.

 

They hadn't dared bring any Botany foods on Kamiton's vessel but there

were some on board Baby.  Chuck had some fresh goods in the galley,

having enjoyed the daily haggle with the scruffy providers who brought

their carts and baskets around to the occupied vehicles.  A lot wasn't

very fresh, probably rejected from the main markets in.  the city, but

it was better than what was served in the mess where Chuck was permitted

to eat as a Drassi crewman.  Years of eating marine chow had inured him

to practically anything remotely edible.  Some of the messes served to

the crewmen were definitely remotely edible.  But he pretended the same

lip-smacking enjoyment the others did, even if he didn't eat as many

servings as the others did.

 

He ate more slowly, though, so as they slopped food into their mouths,

he seemed to be keeping pace with them.

 

He made a stew of the vegetables, then whipped it into submission as a

puree which Zainal's abused intestines should be able to manage.  He

served the meal in small portions and often.

 

Then they encountered a squadron of mining vessels, and Bert had to

scramble for his hiding place as the larger ship informed them that they

were sending over a pinnace.

 

"We could outrun them," Chuck said, thinking that their luck must have

run out.  The bogies hadn't bothered them but mining ships could only be

searching for the precious metals that had been found by Emassi Ven-lik.

 

There were times when one could get too clever by half, Chuck thought.

 

"No.  They have missile launchers and tractor beams.  We're a sitting

duck for the one and too close to avoid the other," Zainal said and

opened a line to the DMV, the leading ship, jovially awaiting the

arrival of the pinnace and any news they might have.

 

The news was, indeed, that the Eosi had all been executed and every

captain was free to do what he wished from now on.

 

Captain Kabas was half drunk when he arrived, and he and his pilot,

Wenget, who was completely sober, brought the same nauseating stuff

which Chuck remembered all too well from his stay at the boondock field

they'd first landed on at Catten.

 

It was in character for Zainal to demand all the details.

 

If some of them didn't quite jibe with the facts as both Chuck and

Zainal knew them, that was all to the good.  They did hear, which was

excellent news and their cheers were genuine, that most of the High

Emassi who had not been part of the coup now backed the Supreme Emassi

Kami-ton to the last male of the line.

 

When finally the conversation got around to Zainal's presence in this

area, he replied that he had been exploring in a distant quadrant, had

seen the asteroid belt, and wondered if he should report it when he got

back.

 

Some of the bigger rocks looked as if they might contain useful ores.

 

"Well, now," Captain Kabas said, "you can leave that to us.  We're all

our own masters now, you know.  I wouldn't stop you going your own way."

 

"Good of you:' Zainal turned to Chuck in a semi-confidential air.

 

"We saw a place we'd rather like to be masters of, come to that."

 

He lifted his mug, its opacity hiding the fact that Zainal's apparently

hearty use of the contents had been faked, in a toast.  "May you find

what you deserve, captain," he said.

 

The captain who had continued to sip while he gave details of the

momentous news had now gone through most of a new bottle.  He laughed

raucously at Zainal's toast and tipped back the last of his current

glass.  Gave a huge burp and, bloodshot yellow eyes turning up into his

head, slumped slowly over the table.

 

"Help Wenger get him into the pinnace, Drassi;' Zainal said, slurring

his words as if he had had more than enough, too.  He waved them to

remove the unconscious man.

 

"Were !  you," the pilot said, "I'd get out of this area as fast as you

can fly this thing.  Captain ain't the only one is worried about you

being nosing around this belt:'

 

"Agreed," Chuck said as he carried the captain's feet and helped the

pilot arrange him in a seat.

 

When he returned, Zainal was already in the pilot's chair.  "Fasten up,

Chuck, we're making all due speed out of here;'

 

"The pilot suggested that, too."

 

WHEN THEY FELT they had put enough distance between them, Zainal did

insist on turning back, to collect Baby, despite Bert taking Chuck's

part in trying to dissuade him.

 

They used a huge rock to hide their return, but their encounter with the

miners had also skewed them far from the course that would bring them to

the hollow asteroid.  There had been a specific way in and through the

belt to reach their destination.  So they were forced to prowl counter

to the spin of the belt until, just about the time they would have been

in danger of being spotted by the miners, they found it.

 

Chuck insisted on remaining with Zainal.

 

"You need feeding.  I'm not going to answer to Kris if you return like a

goddamned scarecrow."

 

"Scarecrow?"

 

Chuck explained.  "Maybe even, you'll get a chance now to see one on

Earth.  Boy, while I was glad to be in the thick of it on Botany, I

wouldn't mind seeing a scarecrow again, or having a rock in the porch

hammock.  If it's still there."

 

Piloting Baby, Bert kept on their port side, as escort, so that when

Chuck noticed Zainal was having trouble keeping awake, he suggested

putting on the auto-pilot and having something to eat.  In the spicy

rock-squat stew he'd heated up, he mixed into Zainal's plate a few

dollops of a sedative that Leon had included in the first-aid supplies

as a painkiller.

 

It did take some maneuvering to hoist the inert Catten from behind the

table and into his bunk.  Chuck took off the boots, loosened the belt,

and covered the snoring man.  He caught himself wondering if Zainal

always snored and how Kris...  he censored the rest of that and went

forward to inform Bert what he'd done.

 

"Good idea, sarge, even if he will give you hell when he wakes.  Okay,

now here's how I pilot both ships," Bert said and gave Chuck detailed

instructions.

 

"We've some days to go on this leg so let's arrange a schedule for each

of us to get some shut-eye.  I know Zainal was going to do one with me.

We're unlikely to run into another thing in this zone.  Nothing but

planet-less primaries.  No good to anyone."

 

"I got enough sleep at the field;' Chuck said.  'I'll take first watch

for us both.  Okay?"

 

"Right."

 

And that is how they managed during the twenty-two hours Zainal remained

asleep.

 

He was mad as hell at Chuck for dosing him but he calmed down when he

realized that his energy had improved, as had his appetite.  And that

each of the pilots had also had some sleep.

 

Chuck's much vaunted six-hour requirement had him up and ready to take

over from Zainal who tried, but not too hard, to continue for a full

eight hours.  Bert was asleep in Kamiton's ship but Chuck insisted he

could handle anything, and besides, he'd wake Zainal if there were any

alarms.

 

THE FIRST that the colonists at Retreat knew of the success of the

mission was when a cruiser of the Catteni navy contacted them via the

com sat, requesting permission to land on Botany.

 

"RAY!" Matt Su roared and grinned at the scowl on the ex-admiral's face

as Scott careened into the bridge room.  "We got a cruiser of the

Cat-teni navy asking permission to land."

 

Ray ran to com desk.  "Identify," he snapped in Catteni."

 

"Can't you clear up the visual, Ray?" asked Matt.

 

"Tikso;' Ray ordered.

 

"We...  kum...  frum...  Catten.  Su-preme Emassi Kamiton.  We...

 

coleckt Catteni feee-males and male young;'

 

Ray and Matt exchanged startled glances.  A Catten was addressing them

in English...  or trying to.

 

The visual flowed clearly on the screen.  "This is High Emassi Captain

Tiboud," and there was relief in the Catten's voice for being able to

speak in his own language.  The man beside him had a sheet from which he

had obviously been reading phonetic English.  "All Eosi dead or gone.

Catteni now own Catten...  and all previously owned planets and

itallations..."

 

"He's making sure we got that..  ;' Matt muttered sotto voce.

 

"With the exception of the Human planet, Earth and, of course, the

impregnable Botany.  Earth is gratefully returned to its rightful owners

and inhabitants in view of the help given by Humans to end Eosi

domination.

 

Botany's extraordinary defense against the might of the Eosian navy has

been admired--if silently--by many.  We Catteni honor bravery;'

 

"Damned white of them;' Matt added sotto voice, avoiding the kick that

Ray directed at his shins to shut him up.

 

"That is very good news, captain," Ray said with great poise and

solemnity.

 

"Has my home world learned of its freedom from Eosi domination?"

 

"The news was relayed by Supreme Emassi in person over a special com

link:' Tiboud bowed respectfully.  "Good news to you, I am certain;'

"Indeed it is, and thank you for relaying the message;'

 

"Is it possible to have speech with the Excellent Emassi Zainal?"

 

"He's not here," Ray said, and his elation at the news of Earth's

liberation evaporated.  Matt looked shocked.

 

"Not there.  Then the shot Drassi who had read the English message spoke

a quick word into his superior's ear.  "Ah, the Excellent Emassi Zainal

was aboard the scout which does not have the speed this vessel has.  He

will doubtless arrive very soon now:'

 

"Then he...  he is alive and well?"

 

"That is our understanding,"Tiboud said, again with a respectful bow.

 

"We...  all Catteni...  owe our freedom to the Excellent Emassi Zainal."

 

"We here on Botany owe him as much," Ray said, returning the bow.

 

Then added, out of the side of his mouth, "For God's sake, go tell Kris

Zainal's alive while I deal with this."

 

Matt nodded once, eyes round in his face, and departed at speed.  Ray

heard him shouting at someone in the hangar and then heard the tools

dropping and the cheering as the good news was absorbed.

 

"We have the honor to collect the mates and offspring of those to whom

you gave sanctuary," the High Emassi Captain continued.

 

There were shouts at the door now, which Ray turned to silence.  This

planet was run properly and wild demands for details would have to wait

until he'd finished the interview with the incoming ship.

 

"Cool it, guys, I'm doing the diplomatic but tell the Council to get

their asses down here on the double." He turned back to the screen.  "Do

you need the coordinates of the landing field?"

 

"They would be welcome.  We understand that the continent on which the

original shipments were made is no longer available."

 

"That is correct," Ray replied with a wry twist to his lips and then

supplied the landing field's coordinates.  The appropriate protocols

were being scrupulously observed.

 

"Received," the captain said with another bow, "and course laid in.  We

anticipate touchdown in two of your local hours."

 

The contact was broken.  Ray felt the need to seat himself at the desk,

wondering why success always weakened you whereas imminent defeat caused

you to stiffen in protest.  So Zainal's crazy plan had worked, whatever

it had been.  And Kamiton had snatched away the leadership.  Well,

perhaps Zainal hadn't wanted it.  Not with a woman like Kris to come

home to.  But maybe he'd take her back to Catten.  No, not with that

sort of gravity to combat on a daily basis.  Mitford had mentioned how

she had coped, but only just.  Mitford hadn't been too happy with the

problem but marines could handle anything.

 

Just where in the new power structure, Ray Scott wondered, did an

Excellent Emassi fit, if there was now a Supreme Emassi?  He wondered

what plums had gone to Kasturi, Nitin, and Tubelin.  As Catteni went,

they'd been pretty straight guys.

 

He had only those few moments before people once again plagued him for

details.  He gave them what he knew and warned them of the impending

arrival of a "friendly." Beverly and Judge Iri arrived together,

Rastancil close behind them, and the four had decided that first there

would have to be some sort of honor guard.  Now that Botany was

liberated, it had the right to its own protocols.

 

"Why didn't you just tell them where those bitches were and just get

them away from here?" Beverly said, his brows knitting with displeasure.

 

"When I think what a rough time they've given Kris...  ah, Kris;' for

she was standing in the doorway, looking white as a sheet.  Behind her,

Matt was making all kinds of incomprehensible gestures at him. Warnings,

Ray realized, and noticed that Kris was dressed in her Emassi uniform.

But the look on her face...  He strode over to her.

 

"He's all right, Kris.  He survived.  He's on his way back.  The cruiser

that's going to land here was just faster and came on a direct line.. :'

Her hands, when he took them, were freezing.

 

"Kris, he's all right," he repeated and, without thinking what he was

doing, he embraced her, patting her shoulders and stroking her hair as

she burst into tears.  Ordinarily tears were enough to drive Ray Scott

as far away as he could take himself, but this was Kris.  The long and

difficult wait was over.  "He did it, Kris.  He did it and Earth is

free.  Botany, too." He held her off.  "Do you understand?  Earth is

ours again as well as Botany."

 

"Botany, too?" She'd taken a deep breath as he started to cajole her.

 

"Botany, too.  And they asked...  asked...  for permission to land,

which is damned well the first time they've done that." He wondered if

Zainal had traded rank in the new government for the freedom of the

human colonized planets.

 

"That's a change," she replied with a crooked smile.  And burying her

face in her hands started to weep again.

 

"Come, Kris, my dear." Dorothy Dwardie took her off to one side, giving

Ray Scott the dirtiest look he had received since he got his junior

grade bars.

 

So THERE WAS TIME to plan a proper ceremony when the cruiser landed.

Drums, pipes, and two bugles were assembled, and the Council put on

their best clothes since they now had some from the same shipment of

purloined materials that had gone to clothe the Catteni exiles.  Kris

decided to keep on her Catteni uniform since she would officially hand

over that duty to Captain Tiboud.  And relieved to do so.

 

The cruiser was so new that there was not so much as meteor gashes on

its side, and it bore a much different design on its prow than vessels

had displayed under Eosi management.

 

Not very artistic, Kris thought, but probably the Eosi hadn't encouraged

the arts and at least the runes used were in different, bold colors. She

just ached to be able to ask Zainal what they meant.

 

When the crew, Captain Tiboud leading the formation, drew up in front of

the Botany deputation, Ray embarrassed her somewhat by introducing her

first.  High Emassi Captain Tiboud startled her when he bowed with

unexpectedly deep respect to the female introduced as Zainal's life

companion.

 

"Excellent Lady Emassi," Captain Tiboud said, his eyes keenly inspecting

her.  Then, with an unexpected show of Catten amusement, he pointed to

her shoulder tabs.  "These are incorrect." He snapped his fingers,

rattled a command to the aide who jumped to his side and then bounded

off to the cruiser, almost hitting the top of the hatch he had so

misjudged his stride.  "Zainal is on his way here or so the Supreme

Karoiron himself told me when he dispatched his fastest ship to retrieve

all those you were good enough to protect:'

 

Kris couldn't stifle her reaction but hoped Tiboud would not see that

relief was the main one.  "We secluded them in the safest place on

Botany but I fear that the accommodations could not meet what they are

used to."

 

The aide was back, bowing as he opened and presented a large box with

many pairs of fancy rank tabs.  But the pair he selected was the most

lavish in terms of the use of platinum, gold, and a fine dazzling

diamond.

 

"I was ordered by the Supreme Emassi as well as High Emassis Nit/n,

Kasturi, and Tubelin that you, Kris Buyorzen (which was near enough for

a Catteni trying to enunciate a Scandinavian name) be the first to

receive the honors which I have brought:'

 

With a quizzical look for permission, he stepped forward and made a

quick job of replacing her shoulder tabs.  The new ones sparkled with

the diamonds that capped the platinum half-spheres.  She saluted,

feeling that was an acceptable gesture.  He bowed very low and she

followed suit though did not bow as low.  After all, she figured, an

Excellent was higher in rank than a High Emassi.

 

Then he stepped to Ray and frowned slightly as he realized that Ray was

not wearing a uniform-type tunic on which it would be easy to af pounds

the rank tabs.  But Ray held up one hand before the Captain could start

any presentation speech.

 

"One small matter, Captain Tiboud," Ray said, clearing his throat.

 

"You mentioned that Earth has been returned to its rightful owners and

governments and that Botany has independence.  There are three other

Human settled worlds that we know of.  What disposition has been made of

them?"

 

High Emassi Captain Tiboud managed an expression of amused

understanding.

 

"Your altruism is only to be expected of a Human, Ray Scott.  It is not

in my authority to deal with that issue but, since so much is owed to

Humans in general, I would anticipate a similar courtesy of independence

may well be granted those three."

 

"Thank you;' Ray said, barely heard above the cheers and shouts and

whistles from the crowd of settlers.

 

"You are welcome.  But to the matter at hand, Admiral Scott, for your

assistance to the Supreme and High Emassi in their bid to overthrow

Eosian domination, please accept these and the honorary title of Highest

Emassi:'

 

The Captain then handed Ray a splendid set of tabs, crowned by rubies

that flashed in the sun.

 

The rest of the presentations went all the way from High Emassi Leon

Dane for saving Kamiton's life down to Emassis Sally Stoffers and Beth

Isbell for their translations and to Emassis Dick Aarens and Peter

Snyder for jury-rigging the com sat on the wreckage of the Catteni

array.

 

By then, everyone welcomed the drinks and other refreshments, which the

cooks had managed to make and serve on the two hours' notice.

 

"They don't seem in a very great hurry to get those bitches and leave,

do they?" John Beverly said in Kris' ear.

 

"Do I have to do the bloody honors there, too?" she asked.

 

Beverly grinned down at her.  "Oh, I think you should, Excellent Lady

Emassi.  Duty before pleasure." Then his grin faded, and he gripped her

shoulder firmly, his expression reassuring.  "If everyone says Zainal

lived through it and even got promoted, he'll be here soon now."

 

"How soon is soon?  Damn it:'

 

Chris, Is WAS NOT GIVEN AN OPTION, except that she was escorted on board

the cruiser with Leon Dane, Ninety, Ray Scott, Dorothy, and Judge Iri

Bempechat who would make the journey with her.  Raisha followed in the

KDL, using a quickly assembled skeleton crew to take the Botanists back

to Retreat.  CaptainTiboud had requested permission to launch on his

return flight once he had the refugees safely aboard.

 

"I trust you have suitable accommodations for the Emassi ladies," Kris

couldn't resist asking.

 

The Captain's yellow eyes glittered.  "They will be made comfortable, I

assure you.  They will find their new quarters on Catten all, or even

more than, their fondest dreams."

 

"Have you a mate, Captain Tiboud?"

 

"I have," and there was that in his eyes that suggested to Kris that

perhaps all Catteni women were like those he was required to restore to

their men.

 

They, especially Sibbo and Milista, did not wish to be collected, even

after repeated assurances, and handwritten rune messages from their

respective male partners.  They were terrified that it was some kind of

Eosian trick.

 

"Is your com link strong enough for direct contact with Catten?" Kris

asked, thoroughly fed up with these antics.  "Then call .  .  .  High

Emassi Nitin and have him confirm your orders to Milista.  She's the one

who has to be convinced."

 

Milista said nothing when High Emassi Nitin, annoyed at being

interrupted and taken out of an important government meeting to reassure

his mate, gave her what had to be a tongue-lashing.  She blanched almost

ecru and began to bow apologetically, her bows getting lower and lower

to exhibit her willingness to comply.  She said several short, sharp,

low-voiced phrases to the other women which Kris thought she must have

misinterpreted.

 

Did Catteni women know such language?

 

As soon as they were boarded and being led to their quarters by

obsequious junior ranks, Kris signalled to her companions that their

duty was done.  Perhaps Zainal had made it home while she'd had to dally

here with the wretched ungracious Catteni females.

 

The captain, however, paused, looking out OVer the valley, once again

tranquil, despite bits and pieces dropped or discarded en route to the

cruiser ramp.

 

"I do not think the females will have appreciated the beauty of this

valley," he surprised her by saying.  He sighed.  "But I would.

Good-bye, Excellent Lady Emassi Kris;'

 

They exchanged bows, she keeping hers to the shallow dip that indicated

the difference in their ranks.  Then she went down the ramp.  Maybe the

Farmers had used the valleys as vacation spots for corporeal enjoyments.

 

That wasn't such a wild notion.  Raisha was circling above in the KDL

because there wasn't room enough for two ships to land without knocking

down either the houses or the lodge-pole groves.  The cruiser lifted

over the retaining wall and discreetly sped up, allowing the other ship

to land.  That was when Kris noticed that someone had painted new ID let

ters on its prow: BSS 2.  Was Baby to be BSS I ?  And where was Baby?

Her momentary lapse into amusement at the newly styled ship quickly

dissipated.

 

Once aboard the BSS 2, Kris sought refuge on the bridge while those who

had come with her stopped at the mess hall for coffee and to unwind.

 

"He'll be here soon, Kris;'

 

"Oh, yes," she said in a weary voice.  Half of her did not believe she

would ever see him again.  The other half wondered what his rank of

Excellent meant in terms of the work he'd now have to do.  Would he take

Bazil and Peran back to Catten with him, to be raised properly as young

Catteni males were?  "Nice touch, renaming the ship," she said after a

moment and because she knew that she ought to make some reference to the

alteration.

 

As RAISHA PILOTED THE BSS 2 over the hill above the landing field, she

had a clear view.  No Baby perched there.

 

"When you get your hands on him, eh?" Raisha said, cocking her head at

Kris, as if she'd known how much Kris hoped to find them there.

 

"You'd better believe it!" Now she was angry with Zainal for this

un-conscionably long delay.  How could he keep her in such unending

suspense?

 

Did he have any idea of how she had suffered during his absence?

Especially since the moment she had figured out that he was going to be

the sacrificial lamb?  That he would deliberately put himself in the

ultimate danger as the only way of gaining admittance to the Mentat Ix?

 

Raisha landed the ship and did all the after-flight checks.

 

"It can stay out tonight: the visible confirmation of our change of

status.

 

Frankly, Kris, I'm exhausted after so much good news and emotion and all

that wearying ceremony.  Aren't you, Excellent Lady Emassi?" She turned

one of the shoulder tabs on Kris's shoulder.  "Those are really fine

diamonds."

 

Kris was as tired, too, weary beyond belief.  Raisha had gone down the

passageway and seemed to be gathering up the others for their voices

drifted away.

 

Afterwoard THE NEXT TIME A FARMER UNIT scanned Botany, it reported that

the population had increased five-fold. A decision was reached since

these newest, and unexpected, protgs had proved so innovative and

independent.  When the maintenance vehicle reached the planet, it lifted

not only the food that had been harvested on its cultivated continents

but also all the equipment, vacating their premises to allow the

indigenous population to expand as populations had a habit of doing.

 

An unusual species had done well, and they could devote their attentions

where similar discreet and carefully limited assistance was required.