"You go first." "Me?" tim went all wide-eyed and nervous.

"They've set everything up for you, honey," syrona said encouragingly giving him a little shove toward the gig's open hatch.

"They have no weapons with them," helm said, his low reassurance making tim square his shoulders and advance. "Based on doc's medical reports, they are at ease and waiting. No elevation of pulse or heartbeat." "We're right behind you, cadet ensign," jon said.

"So long as you are." tim muttered, but he took the step forward . Then he paused and gulped as he reached ground level and began to appreciate just how many were assembled up the hill beyond the meeting place. "There's an awful lot of them, isn't there?

What do I say? What do I do?" apprehension made his voice quiver.

"Walk up to the table, tim," jon said. "We'll prompt you. Put your left hand behind your back if you want suggestions. I suggest that you point to yourself and say your own name. Then ask for ay and bee. Let's see if they remember the names we gave them." "Shouldn't one of us go with him?" syrona asked anxiously.

"Tim's a brave lad," Nimisha said, assessing the rows and rows of quiet gray aliens seated in their odd cross-legged position. "He'll do the ambassador very well indeed." she made certain her voice was loud enough to reach timmy's ears as he advanced. He must have heard her, for he suddenly stood a little straighter.

Four aliens rose and came forward to the table, bowing to tim, and then bowing again to the larger humans and gesturing to the seating provided. Timmy bowed back.

ed obediently the adults sat down, though the stools were more suited to smaller rear ends than theirs.

"Notice the much darker coats of two of them," Nimisha said softly. "Would that indicate age?" jon shrugged. "We should have painted ay and bee on the two while we had them. They all look exactly alike." "They won't when we get used to them," casper said. "I think they mean to get used to us." Nimisha firmly hoped so. That would be a plus for the pootheg crew, and for herself and the achievements of the fiver. She tried to settle on her stool, but it was too unstable on the soft ground for her to really relax or even put her full weight on it.

"Tim," the boy said, pointing to himself. "Ay? Bee? Oh, hey, they know who they are!" as two of the four aliens took an additional step forward, he turned about to grin at the adults.

Ay bowed again and said quite plainly, pointing to itself, "ay." "Bbbbbeeee," the second one managed to get out, having a lot of trouble with "b," which sounded more like "bubbubb," as it stepped forward. It took a plate carefully in both three-fingered hands and held it out to tim. Then it took one of the unevenly chopped pieces and popped it into its mouth, chewing vigorously and making a thing of swallowing.

"I don't know what it is," tim asked plaintively, eyeing the dish with anxiety.

"Doc says the offered food will not harm you but he can't guarantee the taste, tim," helm said softly, using the earring amplifier.

Tim reached hesitantly, but he took the food, sniffed it as the aliens had done, licked it. "Not so bad." he popped the morsel into his mouth. "Chewy," he added. "Like the nuts we found, syrie," he smiled, then rubbed his stomach and licked his lips.

The two who stood beyond ay and bee recoiled slightly.

"What did I do wrong?" tim asked anxiously.

"I don't think you did anything wrong," jon said quietly. "Take another piece and don't make faces."

I thought it'd help if I showed 'em I liked it," tim replied, but he took another morsel, chewed it, and swallowed. Ay offered him a pottery cup with water in it. Then bee picked up another cup, took a careful sip, and handed it to tim. He sniffed at it, since that seemed to be acceptable behavior. "Some sort of sweet-smelling stuff, like the fruit you picked last year, cas." "Doc says neither will harm you, tim," helm said through the earring.

"Hey, the juice is good," timmy said after the first sip, and drained the cup. Bee was quick to refill it, and ay presented a different plate of small brown balls that Nimisha thought might have been cooked. Ay ate a ball before offering the plate to tim.

"Doc says it's a meat product and harmless," helm informed him.

Tim popped a ball into his mouth, closed his mouth, and then reacted in distress, opening his mouth wide, fanning it.

"Harmless?" tim drained the fruit juice with a sigh of relief.

"Hot stuff-not hot to touch, hot to eat. Wooof!" his antics seemed to amuse not only ay, bee, and the other nearer aliens, but all those observing. Muted hoots and ooos rippled through the audience.

Bee said something liquid in sound to ay, who changed plates to some green sprouts.

I know what these are," timmy said and crammed a handful into his mouth, nodding enthusiastically. Another ripple of hoots circulated the audience.

Ay picked up another plate and, after showing it to tim, waved its free hand in front of its mouth and put the plate to one side.

"Thanks, ay. That was hot all the way down," tim said. I wouldn't mind some more of the first stuff," he said, and picked up two more morsels from the plate. This appeared to please the audience.

"is it possible to get samples of all they have offered?" helm asked.

"Tim, why don't you load some of the food on the greens plate and bring it back to us," jon suggested.

Shouldn't I ask first?" "Make gestures," jon said and tim went through an elaborate pantomime, of filling a plate, taking it to the adults, and bowing as he pretended to serve it.

Ay and bee turned to the other two, sound rising and falling in the ensuing conversation.

Ay made the selection itself and indicated that it would like to do the serving. Timmy shrugged and gestured for him to proceed.

Bee produced more cups and filled them with the fruit juice. It used the largest plate to convey the cups to the adults, following after ay.

"It is tasty," Nimisha said.

"Tim's right about having had it," syrona said, "but it's not in season right now. So where did they get it from?" "Curiouser and curiouser," Nimisha said.

"weapons, pottery, food preservation technique," casper said, grinning. "And smart." now, if we can only figure out how to exchange-" jon stopped as the two very gray aliens came forward, bowing not quite as deeply as ay and bee did.

Jon rose carefully and bowed at the same angle. Casper, Syrona , and Nimisha followed his example.

Ay and bee stepped back, out of the way, as if they had done their part in introducing one species to the other. Two others came out of the crowd, carrying stools similar to the ones provided for the humans. When the legs of these were firmly pushed into the ground, the dark grays gestured for the humans to sit. Jon indicated that they should be seated first. They motioned for the humans to sit.

Jon held up his fingers. "One, two, three." he mimed that they should all be seated at once. "Sit." he matched action to the work.

The darkest gray personage hissed as it sat, turning its head slightly to its companion and making some liquid comment.

The other nodded.

"Ex and wye?" Nimisha said out of the corner of her mouth, leaning toward jon.

Ex touched one digit to its chest and "ooool" was the sound that came out.

"Ex equals ooool?" ool nodded vigorously and the mouth slit opened. The other gray clearly said, "ooook," pointing to itself. Then it indicated ool and repeated that sound.

"Help, helm," jon murmured.

"The true sound goes beyond human hearing, commander. Repeat the sounds you do hear as closely as you can," was helm's advice.

"Ool, ooooool?" jon pointed to ool. Then struggled with "ooook." the two grays titled their heads from one side to another, regarding each other with black bands of eye slits wide.

" They're too polite to laugh," syrona murmured. "But they have a sibilant ... let me try my name. Sy-ron-ah." "Ssssooo ah," was ool's attempt and it struggled with that much.

"Tim?" tim offered, pointing to himself.

"Immmmm." for some reason this sound was repeated not only by ool and ook, but by ay, bee, and then the audience.

"Pay dirt," casper remarked in a low tone.

Ool and ook exchanged several remarks.

If they could be kept talking," helm said quietly, "more sounds could be registered and there would be a better chance of isolating words within the sounds."

"What do you call this?" jon said, holding up the cup and pointing to it.

Ool and ook once again exchanged glances. Ool said a quick combination of vowels.

Jon pointed into the cup. Ook replied with another set of sounds.

And the audience repeated these. Then the aliens began to chant the sounds that had already been made, starting with the names of the two grays, syrona's name, tim, and the word for cup and for the juice. The name, "immm" caused what must be alien laughter whenever it was repeated.

"Let's everyone sing along," Nimisha said softly, struggling to keep from laughing aloud. "Cup," she said in a louder voice, holding it up. Pointing inside, she said, "fruit juice." the audience came in right on cue, and that was how the rest of the morning went: each species getting a chance to point and name things in its own language while the other struggled to replicate the sounds. Occasional ululations rippled through the audience , but the overall reaction seemed to be one of enjoyment.

"Makes me think of the sounds from old terran africa," syrona remarked at one point when a warble had been musically extended.

Then jon raised his arms for silence, a gesture understood by the aliens. He pointed to all the humans and said very clearly, "hu-manz." he put his thumb on his chest "hu-man." "Ooooh-maaaa-zuh!" ool said carefully.

Jon repeated the word, aspirating the "h." "Yu-man-z." "Yu-ma-z," was as close as ool, ook, ay, bee, and the crowd got. But jon clasped both hands above his head in approbation. He gracefully turned his hand to ool and ook, then circled his fingers toward ay, bee, and the audience.

Ool gave a quick bob of its head. "Ssss-imm," was the carefully enunciated reply, with ool opening its mouth wide and showing the regular row of tiny pointed teeth before the lips closed on the I'm" sound.

"Maybe that's why they laughed at my name," tim said.

"It's something like a word of theirs after all. Ssss-immm," he said, enunciating with lips and sound.

The hooting was widespread, and many repeated jon's gesture of clasping their hands above their head.

"Helm, are they saying shim or ssssh-im?" casper asked.

"On the decibel recorder it is two separate sounds. Sh'im is closest," helm replied after a nanosecond's deliberation.

"Sh'im," jon said, pointing to them. His thumb in his direction.

"Oo-man." I am picking up private conversations in the audience," helm said. I am recording. They are relaxed and enjoying this." "Best show in town," casper said, rolling his eyes with amusement.

They kept on pointing at and learning things, from the dirt and stones underfoot to the shrubbery, the stools, the ruins of the old ship, the sky, sun, and moons until the sun was high in the sky.

At last syrona admitted to a splitting headache, which allowed Nimisha to say she, too, had one. Tim had been quiet for some time, but sat quietly on his stool, watching the sh'irn leaders.

"Have you enough to work on now, helm?" jon asked as both sh'im and humans seemed to take a pause.

"Yes, captain." "Good, then let's wind up this session and thank our hosts." he rose, bowed to ool and ook, and gestured to the gig. Then he pantomimed the sun going down and raised one finger.

Ool bobbed his head and held up his two fingers. Then turned his head from side to side.

I "now does that mean a bob is no and a shake is yes?" syrona asked.

"That would be my interpretation," helm said.

So jon lifted two fingers and shook his head and bowed again.

Ool, ook, ay, and bee rose and bowed. So did all the sh'im in the audience, and with that the two groups separated.

"I don't know when I've been more exhausted," Nimisha said as they returned to the gig.

"That's normal enough when trying to reach a rapport with new aliens," jon said. "I'm whacked." "Thank goodness," syrona muttered, but she gave jon a quick grin to take away the sting of her comment.

"And tim's our star," jon said, putting his arms across the boy's shoulders and then catching him as the boy stumbled. "Our tired star. I think he rates as many burgers and as much ice cream as he can eat." "If he doesn't fall asleep first," casper said.

"You have been followed," helm said softly. "They do not carry arms." "Don't turn around," jon said quickly, twisting tim who was about to do just that. "They would be curious about our transport." I'ay and bee'd've told'em," tim said tiredly, plodding along.

I think seeing's believing," syrona remarked, reaching out her hand to help him.

"Shouldn't we at least wave goodbye?" Nimisha asked, keenly aware of being under surveillance.

"A bow would be safer and equally appropriate," jon replied.

They had reached the gig now and, when jon murmured "aboutface ," they did so as well as any drill team, bowing at the line of sh'im who crowded the crest of the hill, some creeping up to peek through the shrubs. The hisses, hoots, and other sounds which could only have been made by sh'im vocal equipment carried on the still midday air. Once again bows were exchanged. Then the humans entered the gig and the hatch slid shut.

"That's hard work," casper said, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Cater, something cool and tart, please. Tim, what do you fancy?"

"Anything cool," tim said, flouncing down in the nearest chair.

"I never thought talking could be such hard work," he added.

"Cater, please increase the cool and tart order by ... all of us?" Nimisha looked round at jon and syrona, who nodded.

"My pleasure. This is a combination of tart fruity flavors, unsweetened," cater said in her lovely alto voice. "It should be refreshing to the entire body." I agree, tim," Nimisha said, taking two glasses from the dispenser counter and bringing one to him.

"Using a different section of the brain," jon said. "Not one that ordinarily gets much exercise. But I think we did well." he lifted his glass in a toast.

"I have acquired a great deal of phonetic information which I will now analyze. Your next session in two days' time will be much easier. Hand units can be adapted to synthesize their words in tones they can hear and reduce theirs to ones you will understand." helm paused. "Verbs would be very useful." "Some languages on old earth didn't have the verb 'to be'," syrona commented after a thoughtful sip of her drink.

" 'cogito, ergo sum," " jon said, laughing.

Nimisha regarded him with surprise.

"Latin can be very useful," he added, and his eyes twinkled at her with humor.

"You continue to surprise me, captain," she said, raising her empty glass in a toast.

"More?" jon asked, reaching for the pitcher.

"Yes, please." "You continue to surprise me, lady Nimisha. I thought first families were above normal courtesies." Nimisha blinked. "Not if you were raised by my mother." "Orders please, ma'am?" "Oh, yes, helm, we'll be returning to the fiver shortly." she gestured to the controls. "You or me?"

Jon grinned. "Shall we give casper a turn? He needs the practice." "Which means," casper said, rising and putting his glass down, "that your headache is worse than mine. Well, I don't mind if I do." he seated himself at the control panel and checked the screens to be sure there were no sh'im lurking close enough. just in case, he lifted vertically, very slowly.

As the gig rose above the obscuring hill, they could all see the sh'im on their way back across the broad plain where the bird ship had carved its final path.

"Do we wait for a formal invitation to see where they live?" Nimisha asked.

I have the feeling that that would be appropriate. I would suggest we bring the fiver and perhaps rig an exterior screen so a vid can give them the usual out-of-this-world briefing," jon said.

"Hmmm. That could be very interesting," Nimisha mused.

The invitation to visit the sh'im settlement was issued halfway through a very productive session at the original site. The visual aids, carefully prepared by the federated sentient planets exploratory team for showing to sapients, was avidly watched three times, in fact, after ool and ook asked with many bows and gestures. The tape included space views of earth and its moon, diagrams of sol system, the two sexes that inhabited it, and the many animals that still roamed the wildlife preserves. The first moon landing and the subsequent installation and the space station were included, and then the first great colony generation ship that was launched to alpha centauri binary system.

Mathematical equations were included, since this had always been considered the best way to bridge a semantic gap. While the humans watched for signs of especial interest in the reruns of the tape, they saw none.

Many small comments were made and recorded by helm during the replays. When the third showing finished, tim, jon, and casper began to acquire action verbs by demonstration. Vocabulary increased in a quantum jump as both species could now repeat what they learned in their own way and get across meanings.

By afternoon, the sh'irn were able to indicate that they were indeed descendants, of those who survived the crash. They had remained near the wreck, hoping to be rescued. The cliffs not far from the wreck were riddled with habitable caves. The survivors had explored these when such equipment as they had was still operational.

"If we're figuring their notion of a year correctly," Nimisha said, "that was not quite a hundred of our years ago." "Yes, but we can't establish if they are from this general spatial area or if they got caught by the wormhole," jon said. "Helm, have you anything we can screen that looks like a wormhole?" "Yes, captain," was the prompt response. "I recorded the one we came through." "Oh, well done, helm," casper said. "We bounced around so much that we couldn't get any sort of an accurate record." "I suspect it's only because of you, helm, and your response time that we weren't badly damaged," Nimisha said.

"That is why an AI helm is superior to the fastest human reaction times," helm said.

Jon leaned toward Nimisha and whispered, "do I detect a bit of condescension in that reply?" then he nearly fell off the stool when it responded to his change of position by tilting.

Nimisha smothered a laugh. "Helm is only stating a fact," she replied, recovering her composure.

The humans also learned that the sh'im had two sexes, and that the darker the coat the older the being. They did not have long life spans, thirty years being an average. The female tended to have multiple births-two and three, produced every year for ten years.

The male also tended the young, who matured quickly and could help in providing food for the latest arrivals by the time the next group were born. An increasing population appeared to be the main reason why the sh'im had been searching for a suitable planet: to relieve overcrowding on their home worlds. They had three, but the humans could not grasp if these were m-type planets in separate systems or three planets in the same one.

"Three m-type planets would be most unusual in the same system ," jon said.

"Unless they've terraformed or shimmied others in their home system," Nimisha said. "If they could fly in that crazy bird, they might have been technologically superior in other ways." the sh'im had power from windmills, laboriously constructed out of local woods, which is why there had been no metal echo on the fiver's screens. Over the hill and at the original town site, the windmills were busy spinning in the good breeze. The sh'irn had four towns, since they were prolific even with the number of predators on erehwon. That was why the two-day interval was needed: to allow the leaders of the other townships to arrive, go home and report, and return for the next session. They had a form of chemoluminescent lighting in their caves. They had blown glass artifacts, some in brilliant colors. They were able to draw water from artesian wells, and they had power to smelt and manufacture metal implements. They hunted in large groups for protection and to transport meat back to their homes. They dried and stored the meat in the large pottery containers they produced from local clay and fired in kilns. There were a few metal containers from the shipwreck, but these were rarely used, more treasured as objects to venerate. They had looms and collected fur from the huge grazers to weave into rugs for their homes and for use at night in the coldest part of the year. Otherwise they did not use clothing or footwear. They had written glyphs, and the young were taught basic lessons. in each cliff site an elder kept meticulous records of births, deaths, achievements, and a general history.

We shan't be breaking any fsp laws, then," jon said with a sigh of relief, "if we help them upgrade to a higher technology." "How much higher do they need to go?" Nimisha asked.

"Well, a repeller screen would keep them from the periodic attacks of the avians," jon said. "If helm has sufficient parts to make them." I do," helm replied, and Nimisha frowned.

"Why not?" jon asked. "They've already shown us more edible vegetables and burrowing creatures than we were able to find.

They've had a more balanced diet than we managed." "The terrain here is different," Nimisha said.

"Not that much," jon said.

It's not that I object to offering what the fiver has," Nimisha began, not really sure how to present her real objection.

"I'd say it's more the time it'll take us to do installations, isn't it?" jon said, glancing sideways at her, one eyebrow raised.

"You come right to the point, don't you?" "I don't see why not," was his quick reply. He touched her arm lightly. "I do want to see what the other planets are like. Those orders remain whether or not we have the pootheg. In the light of what we now know, one of them might be sh'im, and we can return them to their own civilization. Or tell their planetary leaders where they are." "They wanted to found a new colony. Basically, they have," she said, almost resenting how well he read her body language.

"If their ship had landed intact, they'd've had more essential tools and equipment, as well as bodies, to found an efficient colony." "I don't see what prevents us from giving them stuff from the freighter," casper said.

"Do we know they haven't found it?" jon asked. "They indicated that they've done some considerable exploring."

"I think they would have mentioned it," syrona said.

"Though that would have been a long way for their shorter legs to go. Most of the open pods we saw had been damaged in the drop. We didn't attract ones that had been opened manually." "Good point," jon said. "More to cement good relations with them." "We are being candid?" Nimisha asked.

"As they have had space drive, even if none of those now alive ever flew a ship, I feel we should be as honest as possible," jon said. "I rather like them." "I do, too," Nimisha began and then realized she had no reservations. Being open and forthright saved all the trouble of remembering what they should or should not say; or what useful technology they could give the sh'im to improve on what they had already achieved. "Of course, we'd have to modify equipment for threefingered hands." jon grinned, and if he could read her body language, she could read his. He was relieved that she was willing to be open.

"They will need tools that give them a different leverage than we'd need," casper said thoughtfully. "Their body center of mass is at a different height above the ground, which requires a different lever length, and their smaller handspan means they would need smaller spans for tools." "Look, Nimisha," syrona said, "I know you're anxious to investigate the other planets, so why don't you and jon go do that while casper, tim, and I stay here to help the sh'im. Tim's had so much fun with the young sh'im.. - and I'd really like to stay here." she glanced down at her hands, which were nervously pulling at the seams of her coverall.

Instantly casper put a sympathetic arm about her shoulders.

"Pregnant and all, I'd say that might be wiser, love." he looked up at jon and Nimisha, not exactly pleading but obviously siding with his mate. "And for tim's sake, too."

I beg your pardon, syrona," jon said, executing an apologetic bow. "An excellent proposal, since priorities are pulling us in two directions. Two birds with one stone..

"Where's a stone here big enough to get one of those murderous avians, much less two?" syrona asked, giving a nervous little laugh, but she was clearly relieved by the reception of her suggestion.

"We'll stock the gig from cater's supplies so tim won't go without burgers," Nimisha said, chuckling.

I think he's taking to what the sh'im eat all the time," syrona said with another laugh, not quite as nervous. "Those nutty morsels, not the hot stuff." "So let's take a group of sh'im in the fiver to the freighter wreck, shall we?" jon proposed. "See what they can use from the pods. The fiver can bring back quite a bit. When there's enough here, we can go exploring." he glanced at Nimisha with a look of approval for the versatility of the ship. She waved a hand, accepting the idea. An exploratory voyage with him would certainly allow her to get to know him better. She liked him, but with syrona and casper so intent on their making a partnership, she felt herself resisting. She had the notion that he was resisting the pairing as well, which both put her in charity with him and made her wonder why he didn't attempt to forward an interest. Maybe he resented being catapulted into an intimacy even though she knew she was feeling the strains of celibacy, possibly more than he was. Perverse of her, she knew.

Then more immediate concerns diverted her from such rumination.

Ool and ook were surprised to see helm's tape of the freighter and the pods. And delighted when they understood that these supplies would be available to them. Even their most adventurous scout parties had been unable to traverse the mountain range that lay between the two wrecks. Nimisha had had helm make maps of erehwon from space, a mercator projection, a goode's homoloj sine, and a lambert azimuthal equal area for detailed views of smaller areas, plus modified cylindrical and conic projections for the hemispheres. Helm could also, on request, put up on any screen the 3-d spherical globe. She had him print up an azimuthal for the area in which the freighter had come down, complete with topography.

The freighter had come down on the eastern edge of this continent , and to the south of the sh'im, the formidable mountain range separating the two portions. Three very dark-furred sh'im were fascinated by the maps, poring over them. They hooted loudly and with great appreciation when helm screened the 3-d of erehwon and they could watch it turning. Nimisha had him do the same for vega in and old earth. In their turn, they responded by unrolling carefully preserved star charts, printed on a flimsy material that casper suggested was the sh'im plastic analog. The colors were as bright as when they had first been printed; the designations of the various stars provided no clue to any of the humans or helm as to their current galactic position. The sh'irn had colonized three different star systems, one quite far from the home world, which proved they had been space-faring for a significant period of time. None were apparently near erehwon, so the sh'im were probably just as lost and distant from their original star system as the humans were. Neither species took encouragement from that fact.

Ool and ook quickly picked a group to go with the humans.

Syrona chose to stay behind, as she was feeling oddly queasy. Doc ran a check on the fetus and found nothing untoward. For good measure, he administered a spray of broad multivitamin and trace minerals. He recommended some peace and quiet, with her feet up, and she was as glad to have the gig to herself while the others went on the fiver. Tim was essential in any team working with the sh'im.

"Good thing they're on the small side," casper remarked as the furry bodies of the sh'irn took up most of the floor space in the main cabin of the spaceship.

Warn them we're taking off," jon told tim, who was sitting with their guests.

"He hoots as to the manner born," casper said with due pride as tim relayed the message.

"Not that they'll feel much movement," Nimisha said at the controls. She and jon had arrived at a tacit arrangement: they took turns piloting the fiver. She felt that was only fair. Jon was not only acting captain of his own group, but also a very deft pilot. She could not object to his taking turns and it allowed her to watch someone else obviously enjoying the command of the fiver.

"Take her up in a vertical lift, helm." "Yes, ma'am." "Any reason you didn't use fleet usage?" jon asked idly.

"This fiver is a civilian ship," she said with a grin. "The fleet will program its own helms, if they decide to use AI's." "The fiver survived the wormhole a lot better than the pootheg or the others," he commented, jerking a thumb at the broken birdship in the rear screen. "If that's what an AI can do, I'm for it." "Thank you, captain," helm said.

"You're welcome, helm. That was one superior job of piloting to come through that wormhole with only a few scrapes." he shook his head, apparently recalling the battering the pootheg had taken.

"Can we please see where we're going, Nimisha?" tim asked, leaning into the bridge area.

"Helm, if you would be so good," Nimisha said.

"Of course, lady Nimisha." in the next instant there were startled hoots of the sh'im and a rustling and moving about that made jon look around the partition.

He was grinning broadly, but signaled a thumbs-up to reassure her about their passengers.

Later on, tim had them line up at cater's dispenser worktop and gave orders for food and drink. Cater had accepted samples of the sh'im edibles and was able to re-create them. Tim had a burger and served jon and casper. Nimisha had a cheese pasta dish and a salad, since they now had access to the fresh produce from the sh'im gardens. The broad green leaf was neither spinach nor lettuce but had a definite and pleasant taste, more like fennel.

Even at cruising speed, it took several hours to make the trip. However, as it was the vernal season, they would have six hours of daylight in which to conduct their work.

The humans had arbitrarily decided which pods they'd open first: tools, blankets, some of the prefab building, the disassembled vehicles, and the repeller shields. If, for instance, the older sh'im allowed those to be mounted on the cliff, the danger of stone dropping avians would no longer terrorize them and the town could expand out of the crowded caves. The gardens could be extended and more edible leaves and roots provided, especially as they could put the repellers to work underground as well as over it. Further afield, the sh'im gathered wild grains in season where it grew naturally. Although the harvesting was fraught with the peril of avian attacks, the sh'im managed to keep casualties low. To protect their towns, they had devised a powerful catapult-similar in structure to the ancient crossbows. They were evidently good marksmen.

While the humans had not seen the device in action, both jon and casper allowed that it would be as effective as the gig's missiles. They were of two minds about installing a missile system on the cliffs. Nimisha had suggested that as long as the sh'irn had an effective defense, they should reserve their more advanced technology for the time being.

Then they were fast approaching the wrecked freighter, and -in broken shim timmy was excitedly telling the passengers about the marvelous things they would soon see.

"Where shall I land, lady Nimisha?" helm asked.

Nimisha looked at jon and casper. "Near the biggest clump of pods. I think that constitutes a fair selection of what's available." "Won't they want to see the freighter?" casper asked.

"They'd find it awkward climbing into it, I think," Nimisha said. "Unless you have ladders available." "Point," jon said, "but I think we should take a couple of darkfurs on a tour to show good faith." "It's not as if they could fly it away, is it?" casper added.

"too true," Nimisha remarked wryly.

I can't remember if we closed the hatches on those skeletons," jon said, frowning. "We should have." "If there's time, I'll grab body bags and cover them up," casper said. "Leave it to me. We can hold a proper burial ceremony next time we're back. I suspect we'll be making additional trips. I know we'd have the gig while you're gone, but syrona wants a house, a proper house," he said with a long-suffering sigh for the vagaries of his pregnant partner. "I think I do, too, complete with a fireplace for the cold winter nights ay was talking about. Have you ever felt how thick the fur on him is?" r, Nimisha nodded, for she'd had occasion to touch some of a weavers when they showed her their looms and what they were currently working on. It was a craft that had always fascinated her.

She might try her hand at it when they got back from their exploration of the other two m-type planets.

Though none of them discussed the subject, once helm had regretfully admitted that none of the primaries listed on the sh'im star charts matched anything in his data files, they were individually coming to terms with the fact that, quite possibly, they might spend their lifetimes on erchwon. That is, if one of the other planets was not gentler in its climate and indigenous species. Not that she was eager to leave the sh'irn and erehwon. There were only four of them and not a sufficient gene pool. She'd have to have children by casper, as syrona had had one by Jon. Or more.

"They exude a sort of lemony smell, don't they?" she observed, bringing herself ruthlessly back to the moment.

Helm set the fiber down so gently there wasn't so much as a bump.

"Well done, helm," she said and touched the control to open the two hatches.

The exodus was remarkably like a stampede as the sh'im leaped daringly from the open hatch down the human-adult-sized steps to the ground. Jon, casper, and Nimisha followed as sh'im swarmed about the pods, hooting and ooing and dancing with excitement.

"Tools, I think," casper said, consulting the printout in his hand and going to the nearest pod on his list. "Jon, the next one has tools, too. Nimisha, you open the third one. Jon, go to the fourth on the left. It's listed as prefab units. I'll join you as soon as I open up." though the sh'im were small, they had unusual strength for their body size. They were also good observers and they needed only to be shown what to touch on the digital locks-each commodity had its own series of four numbers-and managed to undo the tight clasp.

"One way to teach them our numbers," Jon said, pleased with their quickness.

Rather than requiring the sh'irn to scramble up and into high pods, Jon and casper tipped those containers still upright to their sides for easier access. Soon enough, all the pods in that first strewing were open and the contents examined-even the farm tools that had been designed to be drawn by some four-legged draft animal.

Neither jon nor casper-and certainly not Nimisha, who'd been city bred-could explain exactly what the more complicated equipment was used for, though they did recognize a plow.

"I can see juvenile shaggies from those grazers on the other continent being taught to pull one of these," Nimisha said, laughing at such a whimsy.

"They have tried to domesticate them," casper surprised them by saying. "But so far they've only found the ones the herd rejects, the weak or lame. So long as you feed them, they're amenable to being kept enclosed. The trouble is they grow up and break out of any enclosure the sh'im have been able to construct." "There are other, smaller, grazers," Nimisha said. She remembered seeing them eating apart from the bigger creatures.

Casper grinned. "They've tried. Fast as the sh'im are, those deer types are faster. We weren't able to hunt them, much less catch any. First hint of danger and they're off ... at incredible speeds.

Like the springbok types from old earth." "Didn't the altair in colony domesticate their deer types?" "Finally," jon said with a grin.

The sh'im also spent a great deal of time trying to figure out the use of some of the tools, talking among themselves and turning the equipment this way and that. Then jon found a pod full of disassembled wagon elements. He showed the sh'im the instruction booklet with its illustration of the finished product and they went into a frenzy of excitement. One group was trying to push and shove the pod toward the fiver in their eagerness to take possession of its contents. Others were wildly running up and down the line of pods trying to find a similarly marked one. Jon and casper managed to convey, with tim acting as pantomimist, that as many as the sh'im wanted would be transported. In this first trip, they should take back samples of everything that looked to be useful.

"I had an easier time of it with my girls," Nimisha said. She and her group happened to find blankets, clothing, pots, pans, and domestic items. They had run back to see what was causing so much hooting and ululation. "The wooden wheels with the metal rims they're using now are pretty good, considering the materials to hand, but these low-pressure balloon tires will revolutionize travel. Good thing they were reinforced with that plastic fiber." jon grinned. "Whoever stocked this vessel thought ahead to cope with unknown and undoubtedly rough terrain." what the sh'im considered essential to take back with them was more than could be accommodated in the fiver. There were plaintive ululations from the sh'im as they pared down the stack of treasures to fit the available space. That was when one of the darkcoats was pinned down under one of the crates, ooooling piteously.

Instantly, sh'im and humans went to its aid, but it was obvious from the way its foot hung, it had been hurt.

"I can't do anything with it there, you know," doc said tersely.

Ay and bee came forward and purposefully led the way for the dark-coat to doc's facility, patting the injured sh'im and volubly reassuring the others who crowded about anxiously.

They got illi, for that's what tim understood its name to be, safely on the couch. Though it was wide-eyed with apprehension, a whiff of some gas near its face had it reposing in happy comfort while doc made his examination.

"More of a bad bruise, with some ligaments torn," doc said.

Tim did one of his mimed explanations, which was passed back through the ship to those waiting for a response. "Its joints are bulging with mineral deposits, and it's got the worst case of accretions I've seen so far. But then it's older. I'll just remove them while I regen and nu-skin the graze. He'll return in far better shape than he came."

That was when tim suggested they accommodate the passengers in the sleeping cabins, a move that opened up more space in the main room. They also used the gymnasium space on the lower deck.

"Helm, are we overloading?" jon asked as he settled in the pilot's seat for the return voyage.

No, commander. The fiver is capable of lifting considerable tonnage without stressing the engines," helm said.

Jon, his eyes sparkling with suppressed laughter, grinned at Nimisha seated in the next chair over. She grinned back rather smugly.

"I'm really looking forward to seeing how she flies on is drive," he said.

His words were delivered in a level, thoughtful tone, but she got a hint of his eagerness to put the fiver to that test.

"How many trips will we have to make, captain, to provide the sh'im with enough to keep them happy before we go?" she asked.

"Not how many trips, lady Nimisha, but how few we can get away with," he replied, some impatience coloring his voice.

They made six trips, to equip all four towns with repeller screens, enough weapons and the fuel to run them, and farming and domestic equipment. Only one pod of blankets and fabric was brought, since not much was needed with spring in the air. With many willing hands, casper and syrona had a fine two-bedroomed prefab house in four days, with running water from their own well and a septic tank for waste products. They had a shower and a bath in a small but adequate bathroom. The sh'im produced basic furniture items, like beds, chairs, chests, and tables that craftsfolk had made, working late into the night, in gratitude for the help the communities had received from the humans.

At doc's suggestion, another, longer trip was undertaken, to bring the pootheg's diagnostic unit to the main sh'im town.

"As I mentioned in my analysis of ay and bee, they had residual accretions of minerals in their systems. These are present in varying quantities in all those sh'im I have treated for broken bones and cuts. I have automatically removed the accretions as a preventative treatment. We do not wish to upset our little allies, but I would like to use every opportunity possible to remove those accretions from all the sh'im, especially the dark-coats, like illi, who was all but crippled by the deposits. Those are not at all beneficial." "Do you know how many thousands there are of them?" Nimisha asked "perhaps when they are completely confident of our goodwill toward them, a proper program can be initiated. In the meantime, I will remove the material whenever I can. I will program the pootheg unit to that effect." "You're the doc," jon said.

"It's a very good idea," syrona said, casper nodding agreement.

While the pootheg's diagnostic was not an ai unit, doc updated its memory with information on the sh'im anatomy and biology as well as the physical profiles of the humans, especially syrona. He programmed in automatic checkups for tim who was showing substantial physical improvement from the nutritional program doc had initiated. Additional supplies and a maintenance check had the unit in perfect working condition. Syrona was reassured by its availability, more for tim's sake than her own.

Then syrona came up with an excellent notion. She was, after all, a communications expert. So a satellite pulse beam was constructed to be put into position by the fiver when it reached the proper orbit for the satellite, on its exploratory trip to the other m-planets. That way, the fiver could keep in contact with erehwon.

They found sufficient units to make a powerful enough comsat, with solar panel wings to keep it operating for several generations, if necessary. Nimisha was impressed with syrona's professional abilities seeing her in a new light. Syrona was also improving in health and vitality from the better nutrition she was receiving.

Am "if you've no objection, syrona," Nimisha said when they were reviewing the comsat's design, "I've some bits and pieces of newer communications technology that I made fleet give me." she grinned, tacitly admitting that she had acquired the "bits and pieces" by devious means.

When syrona saw, the specifications for the new solar panel wings, she couldn't wait to install the upgrades to her design. Nimisha realized then just how much of the equipment in the cave had probably been designed by syrona, though the two men had done the construction.

Once Nimisha and jon were certain that casper, syrona, and tim would be housed and safe-their home had its own solarpowered repeller screen-they decided they could leave. The sh'im were sociable by temperament and used any occasion for celebration : the housewarming, even if the sh'im didn't know the custom, was an excellent excuse for a party.

"They could be at this for days," jon said quietly to Nimisha as they watched the sh'im doing a very energetic and athletic form of a dance that even tim could not imitate, though he was willing to try.

"I don't know about you, but I avoid leave-takings whenever possible," Nimisha commented.

"Good thing syrona and casper have moved their things out of the fiver, then, isn't it?" he asked, making eye contact with her.

"Indeed." she rose. They happened to be sitting well beyond the bonfire that was warming the chill spring night air for the spectators.

He got to his feet and, putting a hand under her elbow, guided her away.

I did warn casper we might just leave now they're settled," he said after they were well away.

I hope we can return before syrona delivers. I promised her I'd be there for her," Nimisha said.

"If that ship of yours is as fast on is drive as you say, we will." Jon's voice rippled with amused challenge.

"Oh, she can move," Nimisha assured him.

And the fiver did, with helm managing one of the quiet vertical lifts that he was so good at. He achieved a higher altitude than was generally required before he cut in the main engines and kept them on minimal power until they were out of range of the acute sh'im hearing. Then, at Nimisha's command, the nose of the fiver tilted up, toward the unnamed stars, pierced the atmospheric envelope, and increased speed to a safe system maximum.

Nimisha felt elation grip her as the fiver was once more in space and doing what she had been designed to do. She was about to admit that in the fiver she had reached the perfection she had been seeking so long.

Then helm announced they had achieved the altitude for the release of the comsat.

"Let it go, helm," jon said.

To herself, Nimisha added, "and let it receive news of home." jon touched her arm. "Let's get some rest, shall we?" "Helm, you have the conn," Nimisha ordered.

"Yes, ma'am," helm replied.

Jon and Nimisha walked across the main cabin, but when she opened the door to her compartment, he once again touched her arm.

"If I'm not rushing matters ..." he began, cocking his head a little in tacit appeal, a shy, or rather nervous, smile tilting his mouth up on one side.

Since Nimisha had experienced a sudden rush of sensuality at his first touch, this second physical contact only emphasized what she had been denying: that she was very much attracted to him.

"No, I don't think you are," she agreed and took his hand. "We could shower together and save time," she added.

His chuckle was deep and charged with eagerness. As she shed her one-piece coverall, he turned on the water and, with remarkable speed, was also naked by the time she stepped into the stall.

The touch of his skin on hers was quite the most wonderful sensation and matters progressed with great pleasure from then on.

In fact, Nimisha reflected when she heard the gentle chime from helm and awoke to find herself curled against jon's long body, he was quite possibly the best lover she had ever had. Of course, the prolonged celibacy that both had endured produced an intense hunger that had done much to increase their ultimate mutual satisfaction.

Several times. She decided that morning to have doc remove her implant. Tim should learn how to deal with human children and, if she chose to have a male this time, he could be a mate for the girl child that syrona was carrying. With a proper medical unit to monitor pregnancies, she was not averse to increasing the human population.

"jon ... she caressed his shoulder, running her hand down to his chest to the strong pectoral muscles, then tweaked him. Hushed awakenings were one of the minor pleasures of having a good lover. Indeed, as the fiver sped toward the heliopause, they left the cabin, and the bed, only to eat, bathe, and do cursory checks of their progress.

"I heard helm," he murmured and slowly turned toward her, capturing her hand and kissing the palm. "I just didn't want to move." "How long to heliopause, helm?" Nimisha asked.

"Thirty-five minutes, ma'am." "That's time enough to spare," jon said, and rolled over onto her.

Dressed and ready for the translation into is drive, jon grinned as he gestured for Nimisha to take the pilot's chair. She grinned back and took it. She'd have been quite willing for him to do the honors but liked it in him that he gave her preference.

The actual translation was accomplished effortlessly, with helm increasing interstellar drive toward the nearest system with an m-type planet.

"The journey to the programmed destination will take four days, seven hours, and twenty minutes to reach the heliopause, ma'am, helm announced. "All systems are functioning at recommended levels." "Thank you, helm. You have the conn," she said, rising.

"I don't know about you, jon, but I'm starving." "Burgers?" jon asked, his expression merry.

"No," she said firmly as he stepped aside for her to precede him to the main chamber. "Cater, I'd like a proper big breakfast, please." "Double that, cater," jon said, following her and placing an arm about her waist the moment they had cleared the partition. "I'm rather tactile, Nimisha. Do you mind?" she shook her head, grinning up at him, and looping her arm around his waist.

They ate, dawdling over the meal and talking about nothing in particular, until jon, taking a deep breath, asked a question that Nimisha knew had been on his mind for some time.

"Could I possibly see the specs for the fiver, Nimisha? I'd understand ," he added hastily, raising one hand, "if you were reluctant "helm, bring up my special design disks on the cabin screen," she said, leaning back, pleased by his interest in her work.

"Thanks, Nimisha." his eyes were warm with love as he gave her hand a special squeeze. She returned the pressure.

"Fleet will have the specs by now, anyway," she said.

"They will?" he was surprised by that.

"I assume so. I had a second hull nearly finished when I took this one out on what was to be a short testing run she gave an ironic chuckle. He pressed her hand again. "I gave-" she paused, suddenly overcome with a longing for the daughter she might never see again. "I gave cuiva the final design disks. She'll know when to give them to caleb rustin. And I hope she has. If they're to find us, they'll need a second fiver." jon sat up straighter, his eyebrows lifting. "Caleb rustin ... tall guy, blue eyes, attached to vegan fleet?" "You know him?" I was jig on the ship he was first assigned to. Good man." he gave her a long thoughtful look.

"He was my fleet spy." she never talked about previous alliances and did not intend to now, so she deliberately deflected the possibility of that question.

Your what?" jon's voice reflected conflicting emotions: anger, surprise, and indignation.

"Well, you can hardly blame vegan fleet headquarters for wanting to keep their eyes on my designs, can you?" when he shook his head, his eyes flickering with questions, she went on. "I did get a chance to choose my-" she chuckled. "-naval attache. He was the best choice I could have made, though I'm not sure who was more surprised, he or admiral gollanch. He had some very good notions, and had seen naval action against that annoying band of freebooters over in the beta system. I'm not averse to using other people's ideas when they're as good as some caleb came up with.

Actually, I'm more of a tinkerer than an innovator." "considering the performance of this ship. Lady Nimisha, I a question that description." he gave a snort of denial.

"No, really, that's the truth. You know how fleet economies constrict real advances," she said. "I'm under no such restraints, so I can tinker and refine a system until I've achieved the optimum possible performance no matter what it costs. Of course, I do keep an eye on the best way to achieve what I want at a suitable price.

The designs have to be feasible if I'm to make a profit from the yachts." "You have to know how and when to tinker." 'If it ain't broke, don't fix iff " she quoted, grinning.

As the designs shown on the screen were getting to the more interesting alterations she had made, he was torn between looking at her and them.

"Well, I see you've worked on the missile recoil problem." he gave her a quick admiring glance. "The solution is so simple, I'm surprised it was overlooked." "I don't think it was, jon. But it required a new design of buffer that was expensive until my yard found a substitute material that could be imported from altair rather than earth. Transportation expense is often an inhibiting factor, as you know." "All too true," he admitted and they continued to discuss her "tinkering," which he called "inspirational" or "inventive" until she was almost uncomfortable with such unstinting praise.

"You know," he began, taking his eyes away from the data on the screen, "I've known many career fleet women, but I've never before met one so ... possessed by the design factors. Oh, I've heard them complain about the inadequacies of this or that system-" "males do, too," she reminded him.

"Of course we do, but we don't often know how to rectify the problem. This fiver of yours is a total beaut inside and out." he shook his head, partially in envy, partially in approbation. "Hey, lady Nimisha Boynton-Rondymense can blush!" he stroked her hot cheek. Then turned her chin so he could kiss her mouth.

Of one mind, they rose and adjourned to her cabin.

"The ai's have no access here, do they?" he asked as he closed the door behind him.

"Only comunit. And I shut it down for out-going until I address it." "That's good!"

And very shortly, Nimisha was intensely glad that there was no contact with the other intelligences aboard the fiver.

Late that night, while jon was soundly asleep-she was grateful that he was a quiet sleeper-she crept out and to the medical unit.

"Doc, please remove my implant," she said softly, settling herself on the couch.

"Local?" he asked, responding in as low a tone.

"Yes." "You do know what you're doing?" "Yes. I do. And now's the time to do it." "For what it's worth, I agree with you." "Thank you." "Thought you might need a vote of confidence. You're a very healthy young woman, Nimisha, and should carry and deliver a fine healthy baby with no more trouble than you had with cuiva.

Especially since you will have me to keep you in tiptop form. I took the liberty of checking captain svangel's gene patterns when I did his physical-" when she made an inarticulate sound of surprised protest at his initiative, doc chuckled in his best lord naves imitation. "Only routine at the time, of course, but vital information to have on hand on an alien and basically unknown planet. I found no genetic incompatibilities between you." while he was talking, he had deadened the spot on her leg that contained the implant. She felt nothing even when he sprayed on the new skin. "There. That's done. If my reading of your menstrual cycle is accurate, you are likely to be fertile in the next two days. Good timing, Nimisha.

That's all. Except check in with me each morning while we're on our run to the new m-type." Nimisha slipped out of the unit and thanking doc, made her way back to her cabin and into the head, the faint noise of flushing rousing jon from sleep and to renewed activity. She was not averse to satisfying him, and herself.

Helm called them to the bridge just after they felt the translation into system drive.

"Unidentified object drifting off the port bow, lady Nimisha." magnify," she said as she and jon slipped into the seats and automatically netted in.

I don't think that mess poses any problems," jon said, regarding the twisted, battered flotsam.

"It was once a spaceship," Nimisha said.

"It had no luck coming through the wormhole. And I think that's what happened to it." they got close enough to circle the wreck, but it was too battered and compacted to give them any idea of its original shape. No markings of any kind remained. Helm did an analysis of the metallic composition but that was unexceptional enough, containing no unusual alloys that might have given them some clues as to its origin.

Jon asked for a spatial map of the area and, after some figuring, decided that the vector of its current velocity did not point to the same spot where the fiver and the pootheg had exited from the wormhole.

"How could that be? Are your figures correct?" Nimisha asked, astonished.

"Check'em yourself." jon handed the pad over to her, grinning.

"I could hope that there is an error. If there isn't, then there may be more than one wormhole exit in this area of space." Nimisha regarded her calculations with dismay and slowly handed back his pad. "I don't like to think of more wormholes emptying who knows what in on top of us." "That one's going to do us no harm," he said consolingly, and had helm record its presence and their disturbing calculations.

"Where'll it end up, helm?" "Plotting its current trajectory, it will probably be attracted by the gravity of the fifth planet and impact on that surface," helm said.

Jon saluted the wreck. "I wonder how many other vessels met a similar end in this part of the galaxy." "Unknown, commander," helm replied.

"A rhetorical comment." jon grinned at Nimisha.

they continued inward, examining the other planets of the system , none of which would sustain humanoid life.

The m-type planet had three moons, one with a thin atmosphere but obviously dispersing, for what plant life was still supported was starving for oxygen. They continued on to the planet. Its atmosphere did not check out as eminently suitable, in its present geological age. Even as they made their first orbit, they could see that the active volcanoes in its mountain ranges spewed forth black dust and pyroclastic materials, as if celebrating the arrival of the observers.

Though life-forms, small and large, were scanned, there seemed to be more aquatic types than land surface dwellers. A smart option with such volatile landmasses. The vegetation managed to cling where it could and was lush enough but all too primitive to be useful even as basic stuff for a catering unit to turn into edible substances. What oases of habitable areas there were without nearby volcanic action were few and far between.

"Maybe in a few millennia, all that volcanic activity will calm down," Nimisha said, not entirely disappointed since she already was quietly nurturing the good news doc had given her early that morning. Even rhidian had not succeeded in his first attempt to impregnate her for her body-heir. She would tell jon later. She wished to savor the news herself for a while.

"Who knows when they'd grow volcanoes, too," jon said.

"Let's come back in a few centuries and see if it's calmed down." "You've had rejuv?" jon asked.

"of course, though I resisted when it was first mentioned. Have you?"

He nodded. "There were moments a while back when I bitterly resented having to deal with longevity." "Not now?" she asked in a teasing voice. She had discovered that she could tease him about almost anything without him taking offense. Caleb had so often backed off when she spoke whimsically or sarcastically that she had controlled her habit. Caleb had been far too aware of his anomalous situation as attache and determined not to presume.

Jon glanced at her, his expression tender, and he stroked her bare arm. "None at all." his genuine spontaneous responses were another point in his favor. Rhidian had always been on his dignity, even in bed with her, as befitted a first family scion-polite, courteous, and appropriately concerned for her enjoyment, delivering his query as a necessary ritual. Jon never needed to inquire; he knew! Caleb had been ... well, a nice lover, but ... unimaginative. With jon, she could be as spontaneous and inventive as he, which added a zest to their love-making. She had also discovered, in the moments when they conversed-and they seemed to have a lot to talk about on many subjects-that jonagren svangel came from an old and property-owning family in the scandinavian peninsula. It probably accounted for his innate self-confidence with none of the posing that a colonial first family male would display. Lady Rezalla-if she ever saw her mother again-could find no fault with his lineage. He could be as stern as command required him, or open and frank in discussing anything that they had so far considered. Sometimes he was even so outrageous that he could surprise her out of long-held notions that his observations made her reexamine.

With considerable time to fill in the journey, they had watched new tapes as well as the old favorites she had. First he had wanted to update his understanding of naval technical advances and the general history of their worlds during the time he had been marooned. He was apolitical, as most naval officers found it expedient to be, but he had definite ideas about individual rights and other domestic issues on earth, and opinions about some of the colonial worlds' issues. He always called them "colonial," which amused her. Though the adjective was essentially accurate, any one from the "colonies" would have risen up in indignation at its use. Certainly lady Rezalla would have been outraged, as would rhidian. She wondered about caleb's reaction, since he was vegan by birth, but they had never discussed the subject. Jon had such a nice way of teasing her about her "colonial" status that she humored him. She could warn him about her mother ... later, when the need arose. She could hope that it would, but she was becoming more and more resigned to the improbability.

Resignation to the loss-no, absence, she told herself firmly of her daughter, cuiva, was another matter entirely. The thought of a new baby did not reduce the longing for her firstborn, but it was comforting.

she had checked with doc each morning during the fertile period , and he ascertained that ovulation had taken place.

Shortly thereafter he confirmed that an egg had been fertilized.

Despite her good health, she started feeling queasy before they reached the heliopause of the second m-planet system. In such close companionship, jon noticed her distaste for breakfast, as well as for any pungent food smells, and jumped to the right conclusion.

"Pardon me for being personal, nimi, but could you possibly be experiencing morning sickness?" jon asked.

"I did offer you a remedy, nimi," doc said, sounding miffed.

"you wanted to be pregnant by me!" jon gave a whoop and a holler and swung her about the cabin in his arms. "And you never even warned me you'd taken out your implant." "My option, you know," she replied. "And I wanted to surprise you.

"You've sure done that." then he was pushing her toward the medical unit, his expression altered to one of deep concern.

"No need to worry, jon, dear. Doc says our genes are eminently compatible." he hauled her back in his arms again to kiss her thoroughly, a spontaneous reaction that she found far more satisfying than rhidian's fatuous expression when she had informed him of cuiva's conception. In fact, jon kept on hugging her, doing a sort of twostep dance of success all around the main cabin until she had to stop him since the motion was making her nauseous.

"I'll settle that for you, Nimisha," doc said when jon contritely stopped the whirling, "if you'll deign to visit my couch." jon immediately escorted her there and held her arm out while an extendable hypospray permeated the skin with an antinausea drug.

By the time they reached the third possible m-type system, she was well over that stage. This world, with two moons, was more hospitable in climate and terrain than secondo's. On one moon, when they did an exploratory orbit, they saw a crater, its center showing a metallic signature. Helm took them in low enough to record the anomaly, and the analysis provided them with the resting place of yet another of the eighteen missing spaceship to establish its identity, they would send the analysis back to navy headquarters on earth-when they finally made contact again-and see if a match could be found in their data banks. Its metallic signature was definitely similar to fsp materials.

"The other wrecks could still be traveling onward," jon remarked . "We may never find them." "I think it's amazing we've located any of them, considering the odds." "True. I'm just overwhelmingly glad you found ... me." his eyes sparkled.

"Later; we'd best do what we came for ... for a while, at least." to their astonishment, they found evidence from space of some I'd sort of discernible ruins at the confluence of two rivers that meandered through the flat plains of one of the smaller continents.

Once helm had checked the immediate vicinity for possible dangers, they fitted themselves out for on-site exploration. They found a rusted shuttle of such an awkward design that Nimisha wondered that it had landed at all, its exterior eroded by time and weather.

"Acid rain?" Nimisha guessed, putting her gloved hand on some of the pitting.

"Perhaps. They do seem to have built some sort of a settlement ," he said.

"And a cemetery," she said, noticing eight stone markers. Time and weather had obliterated the shallow carvings of names and dates.

"In I'd guess some element of the first diaspora," jon said, squatting down and running an index finger across the indistinct legend. He rose and, silently, they walked over to what was left of stone walls. They stepped over them into a compound with the ruins of several small dwellings. Splinters of wood, protected by iron in the stones, proved that the unknown builders had acquired wood from some other place, since there was none on the broad plains.

"They didn't go in much for mixed crews at first, did they?" she asked.

Jon shook his head, digging his toe into the dirt clogging the remains of a hearth. When the metal tip of his boot hit something, he used a trowel to uncover the corroded remains of a pan.

"The deceased had no survivors," she murmured, unconsciously stroking her still-flat abdomen.

"Life-forms are approaching cautiously through the vegetation ," helm said. "Some are large enough to be dangerous."

"Let's not take unnecessary risks right now," jon said, taking her arm.

They ran back to the fiver and were safely within it when the creatures could be seen on the main screen.

"Carnivorous, to judge by the shape of their muzzles and protruding fangs," helm reported. "And large enough to suggest the reason the compound was walled." "Well, let's see what else this planet offers prospective settlers," jon said, shedding the protective gear.

"Thirsty work," Nimisha said, ordering beverages for both of them from cater while helm lifted.

Careful quartering of the planet showed no further remains of interest.

"And it's boring, geologically speaking," was Nimisha's complaint . "Normal plains, old mountains, wide rivers, three oceans, and a dozen seas." "Some rather nice indigenous specimens, six-legged, too," jon said. "More extendibles to capture us and teeth to eat us with.

Also, there doesn't really seem to be much in the way of easily obtainable metal and mineral resources. Deep pit mining would be necessary, and we will need metals when the freighter's cargo is used up. As it will, the way the sh'im proliferate." he gave her hair an affectionate ruffling, which she liked, though she hadn't expected to. "While we will try our best, I don't think humans are given to litters as the sh'im are." "Well, it's a good place to have to fall back on. Or give the sh'im in a few generations. Though this primary's a lot brighter than erehwon's." "Oh, you'd noticed that about their eyesight, too," jon remarked.

I didn't. Doc did," Nimisha said. "The sh'im optical equipment is not happy with bright sunlight. Their home-world sun must be much dimmer. Maybe the real impetus for them to colonize is that their sun's old and dying."

"At first I considered it possible that they habitually required a midday rest," doc said. He had had his own reports to make of the two planets they had investigated, but he granted them the courtesy of silence unless they asked him a direct question. "Then I noticed that their eye slits become narrower as the erehwon sun nears zenith. Their eye slits are wider at night, and I don't think it has that much to do with their night vision, which is better than that of you humans. I've compared their optical equipment with that of other minor species available on data file. I suspect that you're right, Nimisha. They originate on a world with a dimmer sun, an older world." "Would tinted lenses help, doc?" Nimisha asked.

"I would suggest it, though the problem seems to affect the younger ones more than the darker-coated elders. Perhaps the pigment alters with age, and their sensitivity to harsh sunlight is reduced, "put wraparound sunglasses on your list of things to do," jon said.

"I have," doc replied blithely. "May I suggest that since the necessary investigations are complete for this planet, we return forthwith, posthaste, and immediately to erehwon? You have promised to assist syrona in the birth and she might just deliver early. I neglected to request a connection between my diagnostic and the pootheg's unit." so helm plotted the most direct return flight to erehwon, and when Nimisha told him to come as close to redlining the drive as possible now that the engines were well broken in, they made it back at a record speed. She spent a lot more time sleeping, which doc reminded her was a normal part of the first trimester.

She did try to access the beacon at the wormhole exit.

"Not that I expected anything," she murmured when there were no messages. "Not as far away as presumably we are from home." "We live on hope, you know," jon said gently.

"It's almost two years since I pulsed the maydays from this side," Nimisha said.

"We know we're far away from our homes, love." he stroked her hand. "Too soon." "Or the damned beacon's malfunctioning." jon gave her a mock-surprised look. "A rondymense unit malfunctioning ? I find that hard to believe." his teasing reassured her. She knew that the beacon had been functioning. Wasn't it receiving the updates helm sent?

"Report on all systems, please, helm," jon asked, as he was the day's pilot.

"All systems are in perfect working order. All diagnostics are in the optimum range," helm reported. "I have taken the liberty of forwarding a message through the comsat, giving our eta," he added.

"Well done, helm," jon said, smiling over at Nimisha. "We can expect a welcoming committee!" Nimisha considered this for such a long moment that jon raised his eyebrows in query.

"I haven't missed them. I should have." he leaned over and kissed her. "Thank you," he said, his eyes glowing.

"No, I thank you, captain svangel," she said softly. "I've never had a ... a more restful voyage." she grinned.

"The voyage is not yet over." he held his hand out.

"Helm, you have the conn," she said, rising and following him back to their cabin.

You will want to see the improvements," helm said, interrupting the afterglow of their activities.

Improvements?" jon said, dutifully donning his coverall while Nimisha was still struggling to sit upright on the bed.

"Yes, captain. Truly impressive." the two humans made eye contact. It was rare for helm to comment. Nimisha hurriedly pulled on a clean coverall and joined jon in the pilot area, "now that is worth seeing," she said. "Helm, are you taping this?

They'll surely want to see the aerial view. Impressive! They have been busy!" where there had been but the one prefab l-shaped building, there was now an avenue of twelve residences, all slightly different, as the prefab units had been designed to allow variations. These were neatly fenced with space for small gardens that did not entirely feature edible plants. There were more flowers in the largest unit that housed syrona, casper, and tim.

The most surprising building was the large triple-span barn with a corral to the right of it: a corral in which they could see fourlegged animals that had to be the smaller deer that the sh'im had not been quick enough to capture. She'd want to hear how casper had turned cowboy in the gig. Since it was early morning erehwon time, they also saw farm units and wagons on definite tracks that wheeled vehicles had packed down.

"They've tripled the amount of cultivated fields," jon said. "The repeller shields have made a big difference." "And look at the prefab sheds by the cliffs!" Nimisha added.

Does every family have a ground unit now?" "Have they completely emptied the freighter? Look at all the empty pods." jon pointed as the fiver swung around the bend of the cliff, and they could see the entire sh'im town, not just the peripheral buildings. "Seem to be using some for rain barrels..

." "And tree houses," Nimisha added with a whoop of laughter.

I hope some were saved for storage purposes," jon said.

"Casper's the optimist. Hevve put some aside for a bountiful harvest with all those fields under cultivation." their arrival had been seen, and the powered vehicles were making for what had obviously become a landing site. The gig was parked by a large prefab hangar. There was sufficient room for the fiver to set down.

"They've collected the skiff, too," Nimisha said, spotting the vehicle inside the garage as helm did a neat vertical landing. "Well done, helm. Not so much as a bump." "Of course not, ma'am," was the imperturbable response.

"All running systems inactive. Performance data will be stored for analysis by fourteen hundred planetary time." "Very good, helm," jon said. "I'd like a report on any necessary service, maintenance, or resupply required." "That will be available at the same time, captain." someone banged on the hatch that was still space-locked.

The two humans grinned at each other just as helm released the hatch.

"Apologies tendered." "None required," Nimisha said and, taking jon's hand, they went to meet their friends.

Tim was first, brown as a nut, followed more sedately by his parents. Syrona waddled, she was so near the end of her pregnancy . She looked as healthy as her son and obviously relieved to see Nimisha. When the two women had embraced, while timmy and a beaming casper greeted jon more circumspectly, syrona held Nimisha off.

"You're pregnant," she said, accusingly.

"Well, what else had we to do with the time between planets?" Nimisha said. "But how could you tell? I don't show yet." "Yes, you do," casper said, grinning. "You're glowing." "I am?" Nimisha turned in astonishment to jon and then back to syrona.

"Indeed you are," syrona said and then kissed her cheek, squeezing her hands to indicate how very happy she was for Nimisha.

Then the sh'im, who had tactfully allowed the humans to greet each other, moved forward. Ool and ook wanted to know if their search had been successful, so jon told them there would be a showing of tapes of the planets that evening when they could rig the exterior screen to allow all to see.

Chapter 8

in order to cloak their exit from vegan space, five b slipped into the middle of a large convoy of drone-pulling freighters.

"It's not exactly the kind of exit I'd prefer to make," caleb remarked to it. Commander kendra oscony, his executive officer, seated beside him in the bridge compartment.

She grinned. "Ignominious for a ship of this caliber," she said, her glance sliding around the control panel. She had had some simulated training on a mock-up at fleet headquarters. But even the best virtual simulations never equaled the reality. "She is some beauty. When can we slip the dogs?" "As soon as we've cleared the comsats," he said, almost as eager as she to be free of their cover vessels. "We don't want our markings too visible." "We've only got an interim marking, rx-25. The admiral isn't being overcautious, is he?" she asked.

"If he isn't, I am," he said firmly. "Lady cuiva's safety is as important as the task of finding her mother." she cleared her throat at that subtle rebuke. He took the edge off it by giving her a grin. "I sure never thought to be this lucky," she said.

"Nor I," caleb admitted, trying to make friends with his executive officer. He knew the xo by reputation, although he would never tell her that it was her fine mathematical abilities that had decided her selection for this shakedown cruise.

"she's a nice child, too." "She is," caleb agreed.

"Coming up to the last comsat, captain," said helm, and kendra shook her head.

Caleb grinned more broadly. He was accustomed to the ai trio on a fiver, having helped program and install the original units. It would take the naval segment of this crew time to adjust to having independent AI's as integral entities. The chief engineer, ian hadley, had been over all the design specs; he had spent hours with hiska, who had actually talked volubly about the refinements that lady Nimisha had made to drive components. Gaitama rezinda had received intense briefing by hiska on how to deal with any adjustments that might be required during this shakedown cruise. The young rondymense yard employee had been a bit goggle-eyed over the responsibility, but there was no question that she was capable of handling the job if hiska had approved her. Caleb had given hiska the choice of being the shakedown cruise jack-of-all-trades, or joat, as such mechanics were called. She had declined on the grounds that lady Nimisha had given her the responsibility of attending to her quarters, workspace, and office, and not even to find her patron would she abandon that position of trust. Which, admiral gollanch remarked, was very well, since the woman had personality problems that could have proved awkward even on the test run.

"In that case, helm, proceed to maximum insystem speed," caleb said.

"Aye, captain." caleb wasn't certain that Nimisha would approve of him programming naval parlance into this AI, but with six naval personnel on board, it would simplify matters.

"Time to heliopause?" "At maximum speed, eighty-two hours, thirty minutes, ten seconds and-"

"Thank you, helm." "Aye, sir." kendra smothered a laugh.

"You have the conn, xo," caleb said, releasing the safety net and rising.

"Aye, sir." she slipped over to the seat he had vacated.

With an AI helm, it was not actually necessary to maintain a watch schedule, but naval tradition required it.

In the main cabin, he found lady cuiva and perdimia having a snack.

"All settled in?" he asked.

"Yes, captain," the two replied in chorus. Perdimia grinned and nudged cuiva with her elbow.

"May I join you?" "But, of course," cuiva said, inclining her head in an imitation of her grandam.

Caleb ordered on his way to cater's dispenser and received the caffeine drink and the sandwich he'd requested, all neatly and appetizingly arranged on the naval crockery supplied to the unit.

"How long will it take us to reach ... that place?" cuiva asked.

"As soon as we're past heliopause, we'll translate into interstellar drive. Then it'll be a week on is before we return to normal space and begin the testing." "Just as my mother was going to do?" "Just as I am sure your mother did do," caleb said.

"Everyone's very nice," cuiva added after a moment's silence.

"We had no trouble picking a crew when they heard the five b was going out to be tested," caleb said.

"Even hiska was pleased," cuiva said before taking the last bite of her snack.

"How could you tell?" caleb was startled into asking.

"Oh," and cuiva waved an airy hand just like lady Rezalla would, "hiska talks to me." "You're one of the privileged few." "But she talks to you, too, caleb," cuiva replied, blinking, and that was the first time she had not hesitated about using his first name. He was making progress.

On business matters only." "She said you're very good," cuiva remarked.

Perdimia shot a surprised glance at rustin, who had to chuckle at such a confidence.

"I'd never have known had you not told me," caleb said.

"Oh?" cuiva's eyebrows shot up and now she resembled her mother more.

"I think," perdimia interrupted gently, "that it's time we said good night, lady cuiva. It's been a very long and exciting day." cuiva obediently slid out of the chair. "Thank you, caleb, for allowing me along on this trip." so, caleb thought, she prefers not to refer to the real reason she's on board. That was fine by him. No reason to upset the child needlessly.

"I know your mother meant to take you out on the fiver when she returned from the shakedown cruise," he said, rising in deference to her rank. "Since I could appoint the crew, I asked for you to ride along with us." "We will find my mother, won't we, caleb?" cuiva asked, her heart in her expressive blue eyes.

"Indeed we will, lady cuiva." cuiva's eyes were suddenly filled with tears and she took a deep breath. "If I may call you caleb on board the five b, you may certainly address me as cuiva, captain." with that, she pivoted on her heel and walked briskly toward her cabin.

"She'll be fine," perdimia murmured before following her charge.

"And safe," caleb said to himself. He finished his meal and then went to his own cabin, to finish stowing his gear.

They were three hours away from the heliopause when helm announced receipt of an encrypted message from admiral gollanch.

"We're to meet a courier at these coordinates," caleb said after decoding the message. He was puzzled as well as annoyed.

They were to heave to and await the courier's arrival. He tapped the numbers into helm.

"You don't suppose there's been news from---' kendra broke off.

He had the same thought: there'd been contact with Nimisha.

His chest was filled with a sudden surge of some conflicting emotions. He wanted above all else to have Nimisha safe and sound, but he also, almost equally, wanted the chance to test the five b. If by any chance it was a fault in the ship that had caused her disappearance rather than the wormhole, he wanted to know.

Both caleb and kendra were right. The courier had a copy of the pulsed message that had been intercepted by a small interstellar freighter on the outskirts of explored space. It contained a message from Nimisha giving all the information her helm had been able to collect as to her location-a location so far away that it was estimated that the five b, traveling at maximum is speed, would take four years to reach it. Fleet and navy had verified the pulse beam as genuine. If the pulse had taken nearly sixteen months to reach this side of the galaxy, would Nimisha still be alive? Caleb firmly edited that thought out of his mind.

"Has a message been sent back, confirming receipt?" he asked.

Even if the return pulse took another sixteen months to get back, it would reassure Nimisha that rescue was on its way.

"Yes, commander," the courier said with a grin. "Like right then, saying you'd been ordered to those coordinates. I heard the co say that updates will be sent to her on a regular basis." then he handed over to caleb the disk containing the new orders.

I've got additional supplies for you on board, commander," he added. "Admiral gollanch's respects. You'll be away longer than you're provisioned for. And these." "These" were two packages the sealed one had a note in lady Rezalla's angular hand tucked under the gold cord of the distinctive coskanito wrapping.

the second, larger one obviously contained gowns, and caleb lifted the cover high enough to see folds of white and gentian-blue.

Caleb had little doubt that the coskanito box contained lady cuiva's necklace and he slipped it under his arm. The dress box he carefully put to one side while he gave orders for those on the five b to help the courier crew unload the supplies. Well, the ceremony would be a few years late, that's all, but he devoutly hoped that it would be Nimisha who conducted that important ceremony for her daughter somewhere and sometime.

Admiral gollanch's new orders to captain rustin were for him to proceed at maximum speed on is drive to reach the beacon that Nimisha had had the good sense to release.

Handing the disk to nazim, who was in the pilot's chair, caleb told him to give helm the data. He took the packages and went to find cuiva. She was dutifully doing lessons in the cabin she shared with perdimia. Cuiva gasped when she saw the dress box.

"I've very good news, cuiva," caleb said, gesturing for perdimia to remain where she was. He sat on the edge of the bed. "Your mother's been found. Or rather, she's sent out a broad pulse that has finally been received. We're going to make all haste to the coordinates but I have to add that she's very, very far away from where we are now." cuiva struggled not to break into tears; it was to caleb, rather than to perdimia, to whom she turned for comforting.

"Don't hold back the tears, cuiva, dear," caleb said. "You've been brave a long while, and there's just me and perdimia here and we'll never tell." she didn't sob long, despite her intense relief at the news. She was very shortly in control, drying her eyes on the handkerchief caleb produced. Then he handed over the coskanito box, which she clutched to her chest.

"A pulse message sent by your mother from way the south side of the galaxy was picked up at the edge of explored space by an interstellar vessel and relayed to fleet headquarters. The message has been verified as originating from equipment only she had available. My orders are now to proceed at all speed to that point." cuiva sniffled as she rocked slightly, the box in her arms. "So that's why my grandam has sent this. So my mother herself can necklace me in-" she looked at the ceiling, reckoning the time to her fourteenth birthday. "-one year, and eight months." caleb cleared his throat and looked anxiously at perdimia for assistance.

"It'll be longer than that to get where your mother is, cuiva, love" he said as kindly as he could.

"But mother has to put on my necklace!" cuiva exclaimed, sitting upright in her anguish.

"And so she shall, but it's going to take us roughly four years to reach that part of the galaxy, judging by the length of time it took the pulse to reach occupied space." "Four ... years?" cuiva's voice squeaked in surprise. "But I'll be too old to be necklaced." "No, no," perdimia started to say.

"my mother has to do it-" she burst into tears again and caleb took her in his lap this time to comfort her, stroking silken hair that had the feel of her mother's under his fingers. Hastily, he transferred his hands to her slender shoulders and back.

"Now, now, honey." he rocked her soothingly.

"There's cold sleep, cuiva," perdimia said, gently smoothing cuiva's rumpled hair from her flushed and tearful face. "If captain Rustin and doc agree, you can go to sleep the day before you'd be fourteen and wake when we find your mother. Then she can properly necklace you." that solution seemed to ease the tears, and cuiva sat up on Caleb's lap, still hugging the jewelry box.

"But you'll all be older ... and so will mother, if it's going to take that long to get there." "But you," caleb said, pushing one finger gently on the tip of her nose, as he would no longer dare to do to a son who was already in the academy "will be just fourteen. Which seems to be the important issue we have to resolve." "What about my grandam?" cuiva sniffed, and then remembered her handkerchief and blew fiercely into it before wiping her cheeks. "She'll miss the ceremony, and so will my cousins and uncles and aunts." "You'd really miss them?" caleb asked teasingly.

"Not great-grandam lady astatine," cuiva admitted candidly.

"And some of my cousins definitely. But there's the celebration. .." "Nothing that cater can't match, if not exceed," caleb said.

"I feel she's quite capable of spreading the most impressive minor majority feast ever presented this very select company.

Wherever we have to hold that all-important ceremony," he added quickly.

While she considered that offer, cuiva gradually eased her grip until the box settled to her lap. Now she handed it to caleb.

"I think you'd better put this safely away then. Until we find mother." "You could go to sleep now, if you wanted to," caleb suggested, but he heard perdimia's mutter of dissent just as cuiva shook her head.

"No, I've lessons to learn," cuiva said firmly. "I want to know as much as I can from commander oscony, chief hadley, and maj reena. Then mother will know I haven't wasted travel time or the pains you took to be sure I had good instructors while I'm away from acclarke. I'll go to sleep"-she straightened her shoulders in a brave gesture-"the day before my fourteenth birthday." she turned to perdimia. "That's the correct way to handle this problem, isn't it predict is certainly one solution," perdimia said. "Perhaps captain rustin or kendra or even gaitama can think of another one. It's good to examine all available options." "Well spoken, perdimia," caleb said, rising from the bed, the necklace case in one hand. "We'll see what alternatives we can come up with." "Thank you very much, caleb," cuiva said, suddenly adult again "when will we be making the translation?" "We're three hours from heliopause right now." "But the five b will have to get up to speed first before translation ," cuiva said.

"Correct. Did you want to stay awake for that?" "It's uncomfortable, isn't it?" she asked, affecting unconcern.

"I'm accustomed to it, but if you'd rather be asleep, you won't notice it at all." "I am rather tired," cuiva admitted.

Perdimia was on her feet. "Then perhaps I'll just fix your bath, dear, and get you settled. You can read until you're sleepy.

"That's an excellent idea," cuiva said, still adult. "I do have that tape chief hadley recommended as an introduction to astronomy." "Good night then, cuiva, and sleep well. I'll put this--' caleb lifted the hand holding the coskanito box. "-in my security drawer." "Thank you, caleb." and with that he left. He did exactly as he promised her. He did, however, open the jewelry case to have a preview of that magnificently crafted jeweled necklace that would match the tattoo on cuiva's neck. To his surprise, Nimisha's was also tucked in the box. It did not quite match her daughter's, but that was as it should be. He sighed. When they found Nimisha, she'd be able to wear her own necklace as she placed the new one on her daughter's neck. This journey would certainly prove the five b as a long-voyage vessel. He wondered if some instinct had prompted him in his careful selection of the crew for what had initially been just a shakedown cruise. Their endurance and patience would be vigorously tested in four years on a vessel this size.

And since this was going to be a much longer voyage, maybe he should give cuiva the option to do a junior officer qualification. It would give her another incentive for two years of lessons.

Not a bad idea to make her a practical factor. He rather thought Nimisha would approve.

syrona, with Nimisha and casper in attendance and doc supervising , was delivered of a fine healthy daughter.

helm, spread the word outside," Nimisha ordered.

"Oh, she's lovely," syrona exclaimed when Nimisha put her daughter in her arms. "Just look at all that hair, and the eyelashes.

Why she's marvelous! So much bigger than tim was, and listen to her wail! She's much more robust than he was." "You had me watching over you most of the pregnancy, syrona," doc said at his smuggest. "All the extra nutrition and the good catering you received makes the difference." "When I think of how weak tim was ..." tears formed in syrona's eyes, trickling down her cheeks. "Oh!" she exclaimed, startled as the afterbirth came out in a rush.

"That's all right now," doc said, and a receptacle appeared in which Nimisha could deposit the placenta. "And a little something to encourage your milk." "I didn't have much with tim," syrona said apologetically.

"You will this time," doc promised. "And if you don't, cater has substitutes that I know will do almost as well. Put the child on that platform, Nimisha, so I can record the vital statistics." Nimisha did so. "Can I wash her now?" she asked almost testily. She knew the sh'im females were waiting eagerly to see the new human baby. They were going to be surprised to be shown just one child since they had multiple births. Of course, the baby hope was the name syrona had chosen for her-was much larger than sh'im young at birth. Maybe that would help balance matters.

Once she had finished with the gentle sponge bath she carefully wrapped the baby in the soft blanket syrona had knitted, made from finely combed fur of the big shaggies.

Then Nimisha handed the neatly packaged little new bundle of life to its father.

"Go show her off, casper," she said. And that's what he did, his face nearly cracked with his joyous smile as he displayed his daughter. Sh'im were mooving and ululing softly-whether it was out of courtesy for the newborn or because there was only one offspring to be shown Nimisha didn't care. None of syrona's fears for this child had materialized, thanks to doc attending her so early in the pregnancy and counteracting the effects of poor nutrition.

"She's so big," casper was saying, showing her to jon and tim, and then to ool, ook, ay, and bee, who had crowded in close since they were, in effect, the oldest friends of the humans.

"She's not white," was tim's critical assessment.

"She's certainly not as red as you were at birth," jon said, ruffling the boy's hair.

"You mean, that's a natural color for a baby?"

"You've seen the sh'im young," jon went on, "and frankly she's an improvement on those gray slugs." "Ssssh," tim said fiercely. "They'd be offended." jon laughed, and glanced up at Nimisha, still in the hatch.

"Can we see syrona while casper does the honors?" Nimisha beckoned them in, and tim squeezed up the stairs ahead of jon and rushed to the entrance of the main cabin, where he suddenly slowed and tiptoed to the medical couch.

"Mom?" "I'm all right, tim. Come on over," syrona said, holding out her arms to him and smiling.

He was in her arms in two running steps, crying and hugging her. "I thought it'd never come." "you mean, hope, love?" syrona said gently. "Why she didn't take long at all." "She took hours, mom I" the words were nearly a wail.

Nimisha glanced at jon, who held back from congratulating the new mother.

I don't think he's ever called her that-unless he was sick," jon remarked softly. He put an arm around Nimisha's shoulders and hugged her against him, kissing her cheek. "Cater, I think it's champagne time," he said in a louder voice. "And I think tim ought to try a sip of it, since he's now the oldest in his family." Nimisha was always amazed at jon's attitude toward his biological son. He never exhibited any paternal feelings toward the boy, yet he was as careful of him as casper was and was just as proud of tim's ability to cope with their new life among the sh'im.

Tim certainly could speak their language with far more fluency than any of the adults. Either he had more acute hearing-which doc agreed was true-or he intuitively placed the sounds he couldn't hear in the context of the sentences. He still had to use the voice box, though, since his vocal cords could not approximate all the sounds sh'im words used.

Jon was handing Nimisha a proper champagne flute-one drink wouldn't hurt, doc assured her-from the tray he carried. She walked with him over to the couch, where he gave a glass to syrona and one to tim. A fifth remained on the tray that he set down on a nearby table.

"That is, if casper ever comes back from showing hope off." "No fear of that," Nimisha said drily. "A few hungry howls and he'll come back as fast as he can." "Will she howl much?" tim asked. But he was more interested in the bubbles rising up in the glass. When the adults raised their glasses in a toast, he followed suit.

"To the healthy hope we've just received," jon said.

"To hope!" tim's voice was as triumphant as the others. I don't like it," he added, running his tongue over his teeth as he firmly set the glass down on the tray.

"It is an acquired taste," jon remarked.

"And this is a special occasion," Nimisha added.

"For which I am infinitely grateful," syrona said with a sigh, lying back against the pillows and closing her eyes.

"You all right, syrie?" tim asked.

They all heard a faint wail. Tim frowned. "Hope," he said with a note of complaint in his voice.

The sound was coming closer and then casper was rushing into the fiver, baby cuddled close against him.

"She's hungry, dear," syrona said, reaching out for her daughter and deftly putting her to her breast.

Jon tactfully led tim to a table, half-pushing him into a chair.

"So, what was the sh'im reaction, casper?" "I think they didn't expect her to be so big," casper said. "Oh, champagne? Thanks." "You can have mine, too, cas," tim offered.

"I will. They were surprised that there was only one, but we'd figured they would be, since they have multiple births."

Humans are capable of them," doc remarked.

"It is much easier to have one at a time," syrona said firmly.

"Then why do you have two breasts?" doc demanded.

Symmetry," Nimisha replied, grinning at jon.

A point," doc said, "but a woman could very easily suckle two children at once." I "if she had nothing else to do," syrona said, her tone a little tart. "You can talk all you want, doc, but you will never have babies. And, were I you, though I am indeed grateful for such an easy birth of a healthy child, I'd shut up about how many babies a woman should have at one time." i "I stand corrected," doc said, sounding unusually meek.

"Thank you," syrona said. She smoothed the fuzz on her daughter's round little head.

"I may not like champagne, but is there something else I could have because I'm a brother?" tim asked wistfully.

"Cater, what have you that could convince our tim that this is a celebration?" jon asked.

"I believe I have just the thing," cater said.

"Wow!" was tim's response when he saw the three-layer cake, iced in white with lavish pink decorations adorning it. He brought it, along with plates and cutlery, back to the table, and displayed it to the men first. "It's got 'happy birth day, hope' written on it, syrie!" you'd better be sure to leave me a piece, you ravenous lot.

I'll have quite an appetite when I finish feeding this daughter of mine." traveling on is drive as the five b was, they could not receive additional pulsed messages.

The amenities on board did, indeed, prove felicitous. Unlike the accommodations on ordinary naval vessels, each cabin was so well built that no exterior sounds penetrated to disturb the ocuhl cupant. This meant more privacy, a valuable commodity on an extended trip. Fortunately, though, the psych profiles had been accurate : there were no unpleasant altercations. Each specialist held classes that included more than cuiva and allowed her the opportunity to interact with other people in the learning process.

She had the sort of temperament that responded well to competition and discussion, a facet of education not available during her private tutoring. Caleb's idea of making her a jo, and giving her projects to be signed off on to prove she knew the material, was received with delight by cuiva and nods of approval by the rest of the crew. She very much wanted to learn as much practical material as she could, to show her mother her achievements. The competition, friendly as it was, still inspired her to achieve at the highest possible level despite her being the youngest of the students.

She had received very good basic training: if she wasn't at the top of the class, she was rarely lower in the scale than second. She was most interested in astronomy and stellar navigation. She soon mastered everything chief hadley had to offer, so they both resorted to the educational tapes provided by the extensive ship's library.

"Some of these are just theories," hadley warned her. "Can't take them as fact yet. Too da-" he cleared his throat and altered his phrasing. "Too bad we can't stop and examine some of the systems we're passing, so you could see examples." "But we'll come out in a totally unknown sector of the galaxy," cuiva said, her eyes gleaming with anticipation, "and we'll be the very first to catalog ever so many new primaries and systems." "Must admit I'm looking forward to that opportunity myself, young lady," hadley said. "Now, let's do some exercises.

We've missed gaitama's general lesson watching that tape." the main cabin was often sectioned off, to allow for multiple activities to be scheduled. Plays were rehearsed privately and then performed on the lower deck in the gymnasium. Perdimia had a little pipe that she taught cuiva how to play. Gaitama had brought along "a a lap harp that she had made; caleb had taught himself guitar, and cherry had studied violin. All on board could sing, and so they included musicals in the evening entertainment. Cuiva was enchanted with so many things to do and new skills to learn. If she privately mentioned to perdimia that lady Rezalla might be shocked at all she was being taught-including some of gaitama's unusual skills she was overjoyed at the chance to learn what regular people did.

The long journey continued.

"Twins!" Nimisha's shriek of dismay echoed through the fiver and brought jon out of their cabin, where he had gone while doc did his monthly examination.

"I thought you were expanding more than is normal," doc remarked in a deceptively casual tone.

"Thought?" Nimisha did not diminish her tone. "You've known for the past seven months, if not immediately after you told me I'd conceived, that I was having twins. In fact, I suspect that you may well have done something to ensure the egg split so that I would! "Nimisha. Really!" doc's indignation sounded honest enough.

I don't trust you, doc." "Is it true, doc?" jon asked, hurrying to the diagnostic couch.

Delight and concern warred with each other in his expression as he helped the bulging Nimisha to sit up. She was bulky enough to need assistance, and that annoyed her even more. She had not been nearly as large with cuiva.

"it is true that Nimisha is carrying twins. I thought I was hearing a mere echo of the heartbeat, but I now perceive that there are undeniably two. Some of my equipment is basic, you know, and amniocentesis and other more esoteric requirements in a maternity unit were not deemed required." "Since you did a lot more than listen to fetal heartbeats in those tests you've been regularly subjecting me to, you've known!" Nimisha's eyes were flashing and her mouth was set in an angry line. "And I don't trust you not to have interfered. You had the chance." jon, looking abashed, scratched his head before he met her irate gaze.

"It might not be doc's fault, love. There are twins in almost every generation in my family. In fact, I'm one. I have a twin sister." "You never mentioned her." "It's not a fact that fleet needed to record." "Is it in your sister's file?" Nimisha demanded.

"She went into law," he said, still chagrined.

"Why, I'm no better than the sh'im." "I'd say you were not quite as good as the sh'im, my dear," doc remarked at his driest, "since the majority of their multiple births are triplets." "That is small consolation." her tone was acid as she slipped off the couch and waddled toward cater, requesting a snack. She turned back for one more angry shot at the AI. "No wonder I eat more than tim does." she whirled on jon as she heard him trying to smother a laugh. "You watch out, captain!" she waggled a finger at him.

"Whatever is wrong with having twins, dear heart?" jon queried, striding ahead of her to collect the ordered snack and bring it back to the table. His agility only emphasized her own uncomfortable condition.

"How am I going to cope?" she turned around in her chair and shook a fist at the med unit. "And if you remind me that I have two breasts, I'll-I'll-reprogram you!"

"Not until after I've assisted your delivery," doc said, totally unrepentant.

Nimisha snorted but was far too peckish to bother to reply as she picked up the leg of poultry she had ordered along with the vegetable salad and the baked potato that was served with other indigenous roots to which she had taken a particular liking.

She concentrated on eating as an excuse not to look at jon, but he could outwait her petulance. He sat with folded arms, tipping his chair on its back legs, to wait until her temper improved.

She finished her meal without a single word, but jon, quite familiar now with his lover's moods, knew that she had regained a normal perspective.

"What are they, doc? Boys? Girls?" jon asked.

"Boy and girl. So if Nimisha will deign to accept the fact that I did not interfere in any way except to ensure the healthy development of both fetuses, I will feel less threatened." "Well," Nimisha began, though jon could see she was not quite convinced of doc's innocence, "you could have warned me earlier. You've known a long time, doc. I'm sure of that." "Yes, I've known, but considering your speech when hope was born, I kept my counsel. There was always the chance that one twin would dominate and absorb the other, or it would spontaneously abort." Nimisha clutched at her belly in unconscious rejection of those possibilities. Then she allowed a penitent smile to spread across her face.

"Boy and girl, huh? Then we'll be able to use both names, won't we, jon?" he leaned across the table and kissed her with the tenderness that he had displayed toward her throughout her pregnancy. She stroked his cheek and allowed the kiss to continue.

"The sh'im females will approve," she said when they parted.

"There's that," jon blithely agreed.

Nimisha went into labor with both jon and syrona assisting doc.

As the medic had predicted, she had less trouble delivering the twins than she had had with cuiva.

"But then, you've kept fit and you're a multipara," doc said.

"Second delivery," he explained.

The sh'im were overjoyed to see that the humans could follow what they considered the best way to increase population. If Nimisha had worried about how to feed twins, she found herself overwhelmed with offers of assistance. The sh'irn suckled their offspring until teeth appeared, after which they chewed food into pulp and fed it to their young. But many continued to lactate. Since Nimisha was unable to feed the lusty twins for more than six weeks, cater supplied formula milk, increasing its strength as the babies grew.

There was always someone quite willing to feed perria and sven their bottles. Jon proved as devoted and affectionate a father to them as she could have wished: far superior to rhidian, or any other man of her acquaintance.

Nimisha was as glad to be freed up from heavy maternity duties as there was so much to be done: organizing improvements in all the sh'irn settlements, teaching those who were now past producing young and wished to take on new duties, and using her own engineering skills to develop useful tools. Often she thought fondly of lord tionel and the "toys" he had given her to assemble and disassemble. Those designs and that experience were proving to be incredibly useful now. The one disappointment, the anxiety that nagged at the back of her mind when she was falling asleep at night, was when would they hear news from home? The beacon seemed to absorb the updates helm sent, but he reported no incoming pulses.

When syrona had twins, Nimisha's suspicions about doc's interference, however well intentioned, surfaced. Though there were no multiple births in either of syrona's and casper's families, doc insisted that he had not interfered. Good food, proper rest, perhaps some unknown factor in the planet itself had caused syrona's ovaries to release two eggs at once. Even the small grazers, called 14 boks in deference to the old-earth-type antelope they resembled, were having multiple births "could have something to do with the fact they feel safe," casper suggested. He was far from upset to know that syrona was carrying mixed twins. "A general fertility increase for all of us.

Nimisha refused to be convinced. It was all too true to say that everyone felt safe now in the six sh'im towns; their allies rarely had fewer than three births at a time, and more accommodations had to be raised. With repeller shields to protect settlements they no longer needed to seek caves for shelter from the lavian denizens.

In order to reduce that danger, the four adult humans led a armed sh'im, transported in the three air vehi large band of well cles available, for a concerted attack on the mountain mews where the avians bred their young.

the nests, with as many as twenty eggs, were destroyed, along with as many of the female defenders as possible. At doc's suggestion they also left out poisoned substances, reluctantly prepared by cater to simulate what the avians preferred to eat. The poison that doc concocted, having examined the flesh of an avian before scavengers could your it, would inhibit the formation of healthy yolks in the eggs.

"We may succeed in reducing the population on this continent in the next decade or so," doc remarked.

"You're fixated on eggs, doc," Nimisha said slyly.

"not at all, m'dear Nimisha," was his airy reply, "but it does get to the heart of the problem." when the resources of the freighter were exhausted, the humans turned to the primitive mining that the sh'im had already begun and Nimisha focused her design talents on designing better mine hoists, drills, tracks, and carts.

"Rather primitive she said, dubiously reviewing the sketches.

"I'm no mining engineer," jon replied, "but I don't see why those wouldn't work. You based them on data from the library." "I just wish there were an easier, less physical way of achieving the same results," she said. "It's bloody hard work, even if we have been able to locate the main lodes without having to do a lot of exploratory prospecting." "The sh'irn won't mind," syrona said.

"They'd be delighted to have work for some of the maturing younglings," casper said.

"They don't pay attention to lessons. Ay says we've made life too easy for them," tim put in, disgusted. He was usually included in planning sessions since he often contributed good ideas, being closer in so many ways to the sh'im. He, ay, and bee formed quite a triumvirate. "Used to be that as soon as they had all their teeth, they were sent out to hunt, gather wood, and search for tuber plants." "Well, I've designed the mining equipment for three-fingered usage," Nimisha said, tapping the drawings.

"What'll I use then?" tim asked, affronted.

"You don't need to mine," syrona said.

"I gotta show 'em all that I can do everything they can, and better. Then they can't figure out ways to show me up," tim said with a malicious grin.

The others all laughed.

"We had noticed that little trick, tim," jon said approvingly.

The inauguration of the fiver-sh'im mining company involved Nimisha as chief engineer so completely that she failed to notice any indications that she was beginning a third pregnancy.

"nimi, pet," jon began one morning as they started the day by indulging in the most pleasurable of activities, "you can't be putting on weight just here he spread his wide hand across her abdomen. "And, unless I'm mistaken, you seem to be a trifle touchy here-" he touched her left breast.

"Oh, shaggit," she murmured, feeling her belly and wincing as she prodded her breasts. "I am pregnant. Not," she added hurrie your missing it. my twins are old enough." "Have you seen doc?""no, I haven't," she replied quickly and then grinned. "And it's too late for him to fiddle me again."."

Jon turned a chuckle into an amused snort before he gathered her close against him. Then, with one finger, he traced the tattoo on her neck. "I never thought I'd father vegan first family progeny "Let me remind you that we are the first families of erehwon, and that's an achievement reserved to two families alone! Not many planets can boast that kind of hierarchy. Or do I mean hegemony?" "Oligarchy?" jon put in.

"Aristocracy ... of some sort or another." "Whatever," jon said, and then he turned serious, smoothing her long hair back from her face. "Get doc to check you over.

You've been working pretty hard in the mines. And you're to stay out of them from now on, hear me?" "Oh, come on, jon," she said, a bit annoyed. "It's not as if we've had any problems, not with being able to seal the shafts the way we have." he pulled her back when she started to rise. "No, I'm serious, Nimisha. You take enough chances as it is. Please don't take unnecessary risks." "And I haven't." "We all have," he said in a very serious tone. "We all know we have, but there's even more at stake for you now." once again he placed his hand on her abdomen.

"We can't ask the sh'im to do what we won't. Tim's notion on that score is very accurate," she protested.

"Even the sh'im females know when to stop working, lover mine." Nimisha looked down at a stomach no longer flat, feeling here and there as if trying to estimate what was going on inside. "I can't be that far along. I've been feeling so energetic. Last time it was all I could do to get out of bed some mornings." "It's your third-" he inhaled sharply, for any reference to her first daughter tended to sadden her.

"My third, yes. And cuiva will be fourteen in three days. My dam will put on her necklace-" Nimisha bit her lip, tears forming in her eyes. "-and pronounce that she has reached her minor majority so she can take her rightful place in society. Won't my dam just love that!" "Oh, my love ..." jon held her tenderly against him, wishing there were some way to relieve her anguish.

"We can't be at the end of the universe, can we, that we've heard nothing?" she asked piteously.

"I devoutly hope not," jon said firmly, doing his best to comfort her. I designed that beacon. It's eating our messages, so the receiver's working." "I do feel more confidence in anything you've designed, love," jon said with a twinkle in his eye. "Now if it had been fleet issue, I could entertain doubts." she sniffed, rubbed tears from her cheeks, and gave him an over bright smile. "I'm silly. There's not a damned thing I can do about it.

Nor you, but you're sweet to worry over it." she kissed him, pushed him away, and decisively swung her legs over the side of the bed.

She didn't immediately check with doc. Jon had to remind her twice. When she did, doc sounded peevish.

"I honestly didn't know," Nimisha said, imbuing her tone with innocent surprise. "Jon noticed my belly protruding more than it should the other morning.

"Other morning?",,doc repeatedly sarcastically.

"Two mornings ago, all right? I had to supervise the drilling of that new shaft in the iron mine." "had to?" "Had to," she said, getting angry.

"You're fine; fetal health and development is normal." she felt a spray penetrate her left buttock. "That's concentrated full-spectrum vitamins and minerals. I'll send cater the information for dietary additives. You may follow your troglodyte imperatives until even you can't fit in those holes you're digging." unaccustomed to such curtness from doc, Nimisha made haste to leave the fiver and indulge in the "troglodyte" activities on her schedule. All too soon she discovered a sudden claustrophobia, and because ers and uv were now well able to supervise the underground work, she let them.

r other sh'im, aided by helm, were printing out the sh'im history found on board the bird ship, as well as translating sh'im glyphs into English. Helm was also translating a short history of humankind into sh'im for ool, ook, and any others who might be interested. The older sh'im, unable to work as long or hard as they had in their younger days, found that reading passed the time enjoyably. They repeated the information in storyteller sessions in the evenings, amusing the youngest sh'im.

At Nimisha's suggestion, helm had glossed over human pre-space history and emphasized the space exploration and colonizing as more palatable to a species that had never indulged in wars and massacres. Then she accessed some of the ancient tales nurse had read to her, and she made time every evening to read to perria and sven, who loved nothing better than a chance to curl up with mimi, as they called her, and be read to.

"We'll miss you, you know, cuiva," caleb said, his remark echoed by everyone else gathered the day before cuiva's fourteenth birthday.

"I don't believe I'll be aware of time passing," she said with a charming smile that reminded him of neither her mother nor her grandam. It was completely cuivish, a development of the last year as she picked up womanly traits from the other five women on board the five b.

She had learned everything she could from the specialists and signed off on every area open to a junior officer. She had then delved into independent and rather esoteric studies, almost exhausting the formidable resources of the onboard library. She had written two operettas that she had directed and performed inscripting eminently suitable parts for crew and the three AI's, though cater was the weakest of the cast and generally managed only the easiest of lines, similar to her programmed responses as cater. Cuiva had composed music that cherry, the most accomplished of the musicians on board, had genuinely acclaimed as close to brilliant.

"My grandam would definitely not have approved," cuiva had said with one of her wry grins. "First families do not perform for payment." "Who's getting paid?" kendra had demanded. She was usually cast as the heroine, since she had a light but well-placed soprano; as caleb was usually the baritone hero, she had no objections whatever. Their on stage romantic parts had led to offstage intimacies.

But despite all these activities with companions who had become a surrogate family, cuiva did not waver from her intention to sleep until her mother could necklace her on her fourteenth birthday.

Gaitama, swearing all the time at losing her good friend, had constructed a special cabinet to be secured in the gig, which had been programmed to exit the garage and return to base if the ship had to be abandoned for any reason. Caleb had insisted on that precaution, and cuiva had accepted it. At last, she thanked them all for what she had learned from them, kissed them all, and then laid herself down in the medical unit. With all her friends watching doc initiated the suspension.

The entire crew felt her absence in the first weeks, and perdimia became quite depressed.

"I should have gone to sleep, too," the bodyguard said. "That would be in keeping with my contract with lady Rezalla." "You're watching over her all the time as it is," caleb said, knowing how often perdimia slipped out of the main cabins and into the garage to be sure the life signs on cuiva's sleep capsule were functioning properly. He was somewhat at a loss to find her occupation, until doc suggested that perdimia study nursing with him. It was always a useful profession, and she had sufficient time to qualify in the two and a half years remaining of their trip.

"But I'll be lady cuiva's companion when she wakes," perdimia said in a weak argument.

"And certainly she'll need special attention in the first week after she's roused," doc responded. "And if lady Nimisha has, as we suspect, gone into suspended animation until she is rescued, your new nursing skills will be an important factor in her complete recovery." perdimia was persuaded, and once agreeable, she applied herself with the same sort of single-minded dedication that her charge had shown. If she spent her free time reviewing the tapes made of cuiva's performances and recitals, that was her option. She wasn't the only one who did so.

And the five b continued on her course for yet another long year.

Chapter 9

>> "this is my ninth tour here," it. Commander globan escorias said as he reported to captain nesta meterios, the current commander of the scout ship acclarke, one of the mark 4's. The officer he was replacing had boarded the courier ship with such avid relief on her face that he had grinned back at her on his way off the fsp supply ship. This had brought human and equipment replacements and consumables for both the acclarke and the space station known as "wormhunter." in fact, in his first tour, he'd coined the name "wormbusters" for the astronomers constantly scanning the area for any sign of their quarry. It was the hope that he would be aboard the acclarke four when the wormhole reappeared-and the extra pay-that kept luring him back.

"And just what does that imply, xo?" the commander asked sourly.

"Nothing really, sir," escorias replied quickly. Maybe there was another reason for relief on the former xo's face as she left the acclarke. "Only that I am already fully aware of the duties, parameters and operating procedures relative of the acclarke as your executive officer. Unless, of course," he added quickly as he saw her expression darken at his glib response, "there have been significant alterations with you as captain." he closed his eyes briefly, wincing because that hadn't come out any better than his first cheerful remark.

Captain nesta meterios sighed, her face patient. "I wish I could tell you there were. There hasn't been so much as a-" red lights came on and the siren wailed a full alert.

"Helm?" the captain demanded. This was not the fully programmed independent AI that escorias knew had been designed for the fivers, but its reaction time was still faster than a human's.

"Sir, sensors indicate an unstable rippling effect in the area bordering sectors five and six." "Alert the station. I spoke too soon," she said, gesturing for him to follow her out of her ready room and down the short passageway to the bridge. "Xo, general quarters," she yelled, inserting herself into the pilot's chair and gesturing for globan to net into the second seat. "On the view screen, helm." then, under her breath, "if those supplies aren't secured board lights blinked into green readiness to indicate that all crew were reporting in at their battle stations, though out of the corner of his eye, globan saw one crew member wearing only a towel tucked about his waist.

"Net in, prepare for emergency breakaway," the captain ordered.

It was obvious to globan escorias by the console that helm had already anticipated a precipitous departure. The vss acclarke was always on standby, and globan automatically took in the comforting gauge that registered full power available. What he couldn't easily explain was why the wormhole was so damned close to the station and the acclarke, which were supposed to be several hundred thousand kilometers from the coordinates where lady Nimisha's ship was lost.

"Xo, find out the status of the wormbusters. Someone's going to insist on finishing some experiment, and they're closer than we are to that damned ripple." globan saw that the ripple was now a discernible wave, with light like combers breaking through in places.

"Spatial disturbance is growing," helm said dispassionately.

"Fraggit," said the captain. "Tell the wormies to get into their escape pods. Now! Drop whatever they're doing and get into their pods!" her voice began to rise from contralto to a frightened soprano pitch.

Globan felt his heart pounding with excitement. To be here when it happened had been the ambition of everyone who had served the long, tedious hours on the Nimisha watch, as the fleet officially called it.

"Helm," he said, following the standard procedure he'd never thought he'd have to originate, "dispatch a pulse back to coyne with these coordinates for the wormhole." meterios shot him a furious glance and then recovered herself as she realized he was fulfilling his duties and initiating an operating procedure in which he had previously been well drilled.

"Aye, sir. Pulse dispatched," helm responded.

"Probe ready for launch," meterios said.

"Probe activated and ready, sir," helm responded.

are those wormies getting to their pods?" meterios asked.

"We're not supposed to be so close to it," was the annoyed response to meterios's query. "We're supposed to be far enough away for observation." "Observe the phenomena from your escape pod, dr. qualta," globan said, recognizing the voice of the senior astronomer on the wormhunter.

"Helm," meterios said, "get as close as you can to the station and forward of it." globan was not at all sure he liked being a sacrificial offering to anything. He also doubted by what means the captain thought to

protect the much more vulnerable space station.

Dr. qualta had left the comunit open and he could hear noises, metal and other clackings. "Move it, dr. qualta," he said into his comunit, knowing the propensity of the older woman to procrastinate. "Don't haul anything in with you," he added, rating a startled glance from meterios.

"Oh yassssus," the captain cried, her voice rising to a near squeak.

Globan gulped, wishing he could get that much out of his mouth as first a whiteness appeared in black space where none had been. it widened slowly, approximating a grinning toothless maw. That's what those who had seen wormholes called it: a maw.

"Hold steady, helm," meterios said, trying to keep her voice even.

"Probe's launched," helm said. They could already see the flare of its rockets as it streamed across the all-too-short distance between the acclarke and the widening lipless smile of the wormhole.

"Full reverse, helm," meterios said.

"Full reverse already engaged, sir," was helm's calm reply.

"Then why are we moving forward, helm?" "The engines are fully engaged, captain," helm said. "The wormhole is powerful." "Gods above," some crewman said, "look what's happening to the station!" meterios abruptly signaled globan to look while she tried her best to increase the resistance of the acclarke to the superior force drawing it steadily into the wormhole.

"The station's breaking up, captain." "Launch, you worm-watchers, launch!" meterios screamed.

"The order has been given," helm said even as globan reached for the intercom. "This unit is operating on emergency override, captain." the captain nodded, accepting the fact that an AI's reflexes and preprogrammed procedures had taken over control of the ship.

She and globan watched as the individual pods shot out of the now-twisting structure of the space station, its interlocked units breaking up into shards and flying debris. Several of the pods even seemed to be making headway from the disaster area. Then they, like the heavier acclarke, were inexorably drawn toward the phenomenon. Globan realized he was grasping the armrests and leaning as far back in the safety net as he could, being pushed even further into the padding by the increased velocity with which the ship was being pulled in.

"Net in, net in!" the captain yelled. "If they aren't netted in, they'll be pulp," she murmured and groaned, unable to close her eyes as they entered the maw. "Helm, can you establish the position of the piggyback?" "It is operational, sir, and some distance ahead of us." "I hope the shagging thing works," globan muttered. He had so hoped for some action on this duty. Well, he was getting far more then he had ever expected. The fiver had been missing for over five years now. In fact, the rescue mission aboard the five b ought to be nearing its destination, half a galaxy away-a distance they were about to take by shortcut. At least he hoped they would end up where lady Nimisha and the fiver had. Of course, there was absolutely no assurance that they would. They could well be number twenty on the missing ship list.

This wasn't an easy ride. Even with the refined devices incorporated into the acclarke, as well as the faster response time of an AI helmsman, they were still bounced and dropped and dribbled along a corridor that seemed to contract and expand in no regular pattern. Now and then globan could see the riding lights of the poor wormbusters in the pods; the behavior of light in the wormhole was as capricious as the diameter of its gullet. just so long as it had no stomach, globan thought. Except for the flashing of prongs and spears of rock or unknown debris, the acclarke was traveling too fast for either occupant of the bridge to discern any details of the innards of the wormhole. The pods were being bounced back and forth like so many balls. He didn't think even the most efficient netting could save lives. What a hideous way to die! The gravitational pressure eased far more abruptly than it had begun. Globan realized that he was dizzy from holding his breath, and then they were flung forward again at such a high velocity that he thought his skin would peel off his bones.

"Return probe just passed us, sir," helm's dispassionate voice reported.

Globan managed to turn his head enough so he could see nesta meterios's pressure-flattened face. She didn't appear as comforted as he was that the probe device was working. Unless, of course, the entrance maw closed before it could exit. Its engine was the most powerful rondymense had ever constructed, driving a slender package at is drive speeds. But would it be powerful and fast enough to exit on the right side, leaving a view that could be identified by other searchers?

As abruptly as they had been swallowed, they were spat out into black space. The wormhole pouted once more, as if it hadn't liked the taste of them at all, and closed up. There was no sign whatever that that particular portion of space had ever been breached.

"A standard beacon, two points starboard, captain," helm reported in its unemotional baritone, "has been identified as similar to the type used by lady Nimisha's fiver. It is still pulsing a mayday and has data to be downloaded." "Download by all means, helm," captain meterios said in a breathy voice, but she was back down in the contralto register.

"Damage report? Crew?" each station reported; some of the six voices sounded shaky.

"Prepare to retrieve the station's pods," she said in such a bleak voice that globan knew she shared his doubts that they'd find any survivors. "Helm, engage retrieval pattern." "How many should there be?" globan asked, releasing his safety net while scanning their immediate vicinity for the blinking lights that an inhabited escape pod should be emitting.

"Twelve," the captain replied, licking pale lips in a shockwhite face.

He wondered how he looked and then realized that his mouth was dry as dust. He had no idea how long that incredible journey had taken.

He released his harness. "I'll check casualties." "Do," meterios said. "Helm, easy as you go to the first pod on the starboard. It's nearest." "Aye, sir." globan entered the day room-which also held the medical facility-just as the man in the tower led in a yeowoman with a broken arm and face scratches.

"You're not in uniform," globan said, taking charge of the injured yeowoman and jerking his head toward the crew quarters.

He pretended not to hear the muttered response. "When you are, bring the captain a mug of stim." "I'll do that, sir," another man said, holding a rag to his forehead. "That was the chief engineer," he added in an undertone.

"The least he could do is tattoo his rank on his arm," globan remarked with a wry smile as he helped the yeowoman into the sick bay. "Let me see that first," he added.

"New skin'll take care of it, sir," the man said, pointing to the appropriate cabinet on the wall.

Globan knew enough about lacerations to confirm the selfdiagnosis just as the medical rating arrived to take care of the broken arm. There were several other minor cuts and certainly bruises, but they were all attended to before globan joined the medic, parappan, at the main hatch to receive the escape pods. Before helm had eased the acclarke near enough to gently grapple the first one, globan sorted out the crew he had had no time to be introduced to. The chief engineer was evard hinvic; ace parappan, the medic; the gunnery officer, brad karpla; the yeowoman was tezza ashke; luthen drayus was the com jig; and the yeoman was fez amin, who doubled as captain's steward.

It took hours to locate and retrieve eleven pods. Globan decided not to think about what had happened to the one that had not been debouched on this side of the wormhole.

Five passengers had died because they had not securely netted themselves into the shock-absorbent couch provided. The other six were injured, one critically; she was instantly placed in the medical unit, while globan, brad karpla, and the chief engineer tried to make the others as comfortable as possible.

The captain appeared, speaking to each of the survivors, none of whom could quite believe that they were still alive.

"I have good news," nesta meterios said. "The beacon is packed with updates from lady Nimisha. She has found human survivors of the pootheg and another ship." she acknowledged the weak smiles at her attempt to lighten the atmosphere.

That news shocked others out of self-absorption and depression.

"In fact, they have a thriving community on one of the m-type planets, she continued. "Three were discovered in her initial survey of this sector of space." "Then lady Nimisha is still alive?" the captain gave a real smile. "Alive, well, and, with the survivors of the pootheg, colonizing erehwon. Last update is three weeks ago.,, "erehwon?" the, chief exclaimed, looking up from spraying new skin on the multiple abrasions of the civilian communications expert from the space station.

"That's 'nowhere' backward," globan said.

"Appropriate, I'd say," the captain remarked in her dry voice.

"Yes, I guess it is if you don't know where you are." "Wasn't that a story from pre-space travel times?" the civilian asked, trying to distract himself from his discomfort. No one seemed to know.

"Then the five b hasn't arrived yet?" the chief asked.

The captain shook her head. "It isn't due for several more months. We took the shortcut. Helm, did the probe safely clear the wormhole?" "Unable to confirm, captain. However, judging by the speed at which it was traveling and the duration of our time within the phenomenon there is a good chance that it exited before closure." "But you're not sure?" "No, sir. That cannot be ascertained, despite factoring in the variables of the wormhole itself and choosing the best possible conclusion. Since the wormhole did not exhibit any stable size or exert a constant rate of speed while we were within the phenomenon we cannot be sure the return probe was able, or in time,. However, the possibility is significantly favorable that its size allowed it passage where a large object would have been retained." globan blinked, trying to assimilate that spurt of almost contradictory phrases. He thought the captain was experiencing a similar difficulty.

"if it did, it did," nesta meterios said finally, raising her hands in fatalistic acceptance of the circumstances. "Damage report, helm?" "The hull came in contact with the sides of the wormhole on nine separate occasions but sustained no significant damage. All systems are in working order." "if you have stripped the coordinates of this m-type planet lady Nimisha has discovered..

I have, sir." "then let us proceed to that world. Doc, what is dr. Qualta's condition?" "Serious, sir, with broken ribs and internal bleeding that has now been stemmed. The doctor will require monitoring. Unless there is another patient requiring diagnostic evaluation, it would be best to retain dr. qualta in this unit." the captain looked from the medic, who was closing a scalp wound with nu-skin and regen gel on one of the wormhunters, to the chief, who was dealing with a station technician's skinned legs and arms, to the other patients who were either making use of the couches in the lounge or eating.

With a nod of her head, nesta made it plain to globan that she wanted a private word with him. He followed her back to the bridge.

"One thing bothers me, xo," she said. "There are messages on the beacon that lady Nimisha ought to have been able to strip, re assuring her about the five b's rescue mission and other matters." meterios's expression did not conceal her grave concern. I had helm scan the beacon, and he discovered small holes that might be meteor damage and could have affected any relays to her on this planet she's found." globan nodded, trying to radiate calm reassurance. To him, the captain appeared still somewhat dazed by their wormhole ride and the extent of the injuries to the wormhunter's personnel. He hoped she'd been given a proper stimulant. Well, that's why there was always an xo, even on a ship as relatively small as the acclarke.

"Which reminds me, xo, did you bring any disks for me? We never got to that part of our introductory meeting." she sounded a bit more like a captain then. Globan had forgotten the packet completely. He felt for it in his uniform pocket and handed the disks over.

"Mostly mail," she said, opening it and shuffling through the various disks. "Always welcome. Perhaps more so now than ever before. Ah, and some updates for the library. Due you think," she went on more slowly, her brown eyes clouded, "that the supply ship made it out of danger?" globan relaxed a bit and grinned. "She was burning her way homeward before I reached your office, sir." "Yes, I should imagine she was. I hope they made it." she stood, hands lightly clasped behind her back, regarding the sprinkling of stars visible. "This seems almost as empty an area as the one we left." I wasn't aware that wormholes also ingested planets or moons or suns, sir." she shrugged.

I do know, sir, that fleet headquarters has sent a warning to all naval units to avoid the ... area we just left to prevent any further inexplicable disappearances." "Too late for us, of course, but in time. I wonder how long it took them to make such an obvious order." she glanced over at him. "Forget I said that." "Said what, captain?" she awarded him a smile. "This will not be your normal tour of duty escorias." "No, sir, it won't." "Perhaps you'll wish to settle in." "Jon!" Nimisha cried as helm delivered the news that had been pulsed in from the acclarke.

He came racing to the bridge, his eyes wide with apprehension.

"No, it's. not me," she exclaimed. She was far bulkier this time and suspected twins again, no matter if doc kept on saying, "fetal development is progressing with no problems." she was in her last three weeks of pregnancy and wanted nothing more earnestly than to be delivered.

"Report, helm," she said, trying to get comfortable in a pilot's chair that had not been designed to accommodate her present mass.

"A ship identified as the vss acclarke is in is drive heading in this direction." no message?" Nimisha was both annoyed and surprised.

"I have dispatched a welcome," helm said, "but there has been no acknowledgment. Possibly their exterior comunits have been damaged in the passage through the wormhole-if that was their mode of entry into this section of space." "They couldn't know we've even got a comsat, dear," jon said, pressing her shoulder with a consoling hand. "It won't take them long." "If you tell me to be patient one more time, jonagren.

"I wouldn't dream of it. Nor dare." and with a second quick squeeze of his hand, he backed off. "I'll tell the others. At last, rescue." we don't know that," she said, pushing herself to her feet with difficulty and arching her aching back as she followed him into the main cabin. "I'd say if they accessed the wormhole exit buoy, they got sucked in, too. Vss acclarke? I don't remember a ship of that designation at fleet headquarters." "We've been gone a long while," jon reminded her on their way to the hatch.

"Still," she said, pausing to grip the back of a chair, "if it came through the wormhole and was able to access the buoy's information and head here, it might well be one of my ships." jon paused in the act of taking the first step down, eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Only an ai helm could make it safely through the wormhole, you know," she said with understandable pride.

"Thank you, ma'am." you saved us, helm, no question of it." "I'll spread the good news," jon said and disappeared.

"Oh, save me," Nimisha murmured, perching on the arm of the chair, panting from her recent exertions: she who had been able to run kilometers for the sheer joy of the exercise. She was overwhelmingly grateful to the groups of sh'im who minded the rambunctious human children, hope as well as three-year-old perria and sven. She was going to have doc replace her implant. This was her last pregnancy. Period. End of her maternal increasing! She had intended to have at least a girl by casper for tim's sake, since they had to spread the gene pool as wide as they could. Well, they might have had to ... but how could they have counted on being rescued after so long? When there hadn't been a single pulse beamed back to her beacon? It wasn't as if she didn't adore the twins, mischievous demons that they were. But much as she loved them, they could not ease that aching need for her far-distant firstborn body-heir. Surely by now the pulse had reached a listening comsat somewhere in the civilized galaxy! And surely this new arrival might have news: some message from her grown-up daughter. Her dam would surely have put the necklace on cuiva, wouldn't she?

"Don't be so vapid, Nimisha boynton," she chided herself.

"You are far from vapid, Nimisha Boynton-Rondymense," doc said. "Helm says the ship should arrive within two or three days. It would certainly have accumulated some news in the six years since our arrival here. If I do not misread commander rustin's ingenuity any ship set to watch for the reappearance of that wormhole will bear personal messages for you. Most certainly one or more from your daughter, and many from your dam, lady Rezalla." "Mother will certainly have something to say about my absence ," Nimisha said drily.

"Possibly the official mail might include a means of rescue from this outpost of civilization." "Outpost of. Despite herself, Nimisha chuckled, though even that activity was difficult with so much mass in front of her.

"We are, aren't we?" "Indeed, my dear Nimisha, you and the sh'im have civilized this continent." there was the slightest emphasis on "this." now what's at the back of your devious mind, doc?" "With the complement of a ship's crew, expansion may be feasible ," he said, highly pleased.

"I'll tell you this, loud and clear, doctor lord naves, from the moment I deliver my current little package, I am out-" she paused for emphasis. "-of the maternity business." "Which I would strongly advise, my dear Nimisha," doc said, with a ripple that she could not quite translate.

"What's behind that advice, doc?" she asked suspiciously.

"The conservation of your energies for other tasks eminently suited to your particular training and expertise," he replied, in that oh-so-bland voice he could assume. "As I have heard you remark, you, jon, casper, and syrona constitute the first families of erehx won. I cannot see any group usurping that position." she heard excited voices then, the higher pitched ones of her twins,, as well as timmy's alto warnings. The six other humans on erehwon piled into the fiver's main chamber. Syrie had evidently left her young twins, boy and girl, with their sh'im care giver. The adults all had questions, and their babble made Nimisha hold up her hands for silence.

"I know no more than jon's told you. Helm says they're on their way. He's sent a message, but it has not been acknowledged.

But in two or three days they'll make it here. They are heading directly here, so clearly they downloaded our data." "Oh, shroo-oom," syrona exclaimed, using a sh'im sound meaning excited anticipation. "News, people, new faces. Rescue?" her expression flickered through hope, distress, and delight, and ended up in uncertainty.

"There wouldn't be boys my age on a naval ship, would there?" tim asked plaintively.

"We don't know that it is a naval ship, tim, so you may retain your number one status," casper said, circling the boy's wide young shoulders with an affectionate arm. "Grab hope before she spills whatever she's ordering from cater," he added, pointing to his threeyear-old daughter who had just marched up to cater and politely requested a drink.

"You are allowed a fruit juice at this time of day," cater said, following programmed orders on the care and feeding of human young.

"Can I get you anything, nim?" tim asked solicitously.

Jon had taken perria and sven off to clean their hands and faces, which managed to attract far more dirt than sh'im younglings ever collected.

A drink. I think I was on my way for a drink before I stopped," Nimisha said wearily.

Syrona gave her a surreptitious glance, trying not to be too obvious in her check on her very pregnant friend. Nimisha gave her a reassuring flick of her hand.

"The arm of this chair is the right height, that's all, syrie. I did move as fast as I could when helm reported receiving a message.

At long, long last!" she accepted her drink from tim, thanked him, and gratefully sipped it. She could neither drink nor eat much at one time anymore so small, frequent snacks had become her habit.

"Backache?" syrie asked, and without waiting for an answer, started to rub exactly where she could give Nimisha the most relief.

Nimisha had done the same when syrona had been pregnant with calum and camilla.

Jon returned with his children, who tugged him toward cater.

"I'll see them served and seated," tim said, immediately taking charge.

"he's so good with them," syrie said proudly. I wonder, though, are we presuming on his good nature too much?" "I don't think so," jon said. "The sh'irn take over once they're outside and he goes off with the younglings. He's only just back from their latest foray." "Maybe there'll be a way to get him back to acclarke and a peer group," Nimisha said.

"He does fine here," casper said, "doesn't he, syrie?" syrona put both hands gently on Nimisha's arms and pressed gently. "Even if we could get back, I don't think we'd want to." she paused and craned around to look at Nimisha's face. "You would, of course, for cuiva's sake." Nimisha didn't trust her voice to answer, nodding instead. Cuiva had gradually assumed far more importance than anything she could achieve at the ship yard. The fiver had proved itself and, if the ship on its way to them was one of her design and had survived its wormhole transit as well as the fiver had, she had proved her design and could ... do something else, more challenging. If only cuiva ...