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its center during the working day, was the question of coldsleep. Not again! she wanted to scream at Zebara and anyone else who thought she should use it. I’d rather die. But that was not true. More particularly, she did not want to die on Diplo, in the hands of their Security or in their prisons. In feet, with the renewed strength and health of her refresher course in Discipline, she did not want to die anywhere, any time soon. She had a century of healthy life ahead of her, if she stayed off high-G worlds. She wanted to enjoy it.

The Venerable Master Adept had said she might need to use coldsleep again. She had trained for that possibility. She knew she could do it. But 1 don’t want to, wailed one part of her mind to another. She squashed that thought down and hoped it would not be necessary. Surely she and Zebara could find some other way. That night she had no message, and slept gratefully, catching up on much-needed rest.

The next step in Zebara’s campaign came two days later, when he invited her to spend her next rest day with him.

“The team’s supposed to get together for a progress evaluation.” Lunzie wrinkled her nose; she expected it to be a waste of time. “If I go off with you, I’ll get in trouble with them.”

She was already in trouble with them, but saw no reason to tell Zebara. And that kind of trouble would make it seem his employers’ plot was working well. Surely a lightweight alienated from her own kind would be easier to manipulate. She shivered, wondering who was manipulating whom.

Zebara’s image grimaced. “We have so little time, Lunzie. Your research tour is almost half over. We both know it’s unlikely you’ll come back and even if you did, I would not be here.”

“Bias has told me, very firmly, that the purpose of this medical mission was not to reunite old lovers.”

“His purpose, no. And I respect your professional work, Lunzie. I always did. We know it could not be a real relationship. You must go and I will not live long.

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But I want to see you again, for more than a few minutes in public.”

Lunzie flinched, thinking of the agents who would, no doubt, snicker when they got to that point in the tapes being made of this conversation. If they weren’t listening now, in real-time surveillance. She glanced at the schedule on her wall. Only one rest day after this one. Time had fled away from them, and even if she had not had the additional problem of Zebara and her undercover assignment, she would have been surprised at how short a 30 day assignment could be.

“Please,” Zebara said, interrupting her thoughts. Was he really that eager? Did he know of some additional reason she must meet him now, and not later. “I can t wait.”

“Bias will have a flaming fit,” Lunzie said. His face relaxed, as if he’d heard more in her voice than she intended. “I’ll have to talk to Tailler. I don’t see why you couldn’t wait until the next rest-day. Only eight days.”

“Thank you, Lunzie. I’ll send someone for you right after breakfast.”

“But what about?” That was to an empty screen. He had cut the connection. Damn the man. Lunzie glowered at the screen and let herself consider ignoring his messenger in the morning. But that would be too dangerous. Whatever was going on, in his mind, or that of his employers, she had to play along.

When she told him, Tailler heaved a great sigh and braced his arms against his workbench.

“Are you trying to give Bias a stroke, or what? I thought you understood. Granted he’s not entirely rational, but that makes it our responsibility to keep from knocking him loopsided.”

Lunzie spread her hands. If the whole team turned against her, she could lose any chance of a good position after the mission. And after the mission you could be one frozen lump of dead meat, she reminded herself.

“I’m sorry,” she said and meant it. That genuine distaste for hurting others got through to Tailler. “I