By the time Rndeel arrived towing the other three Dushau and a white bodybag, swearing about Dushau in general, the first three were ready to certify the lander spaceworthy.

Nevertheless. Rndeel insisted on taking the co-pilot's seat beside Rinperee. a female with a graceful dancer's manner and gold flecks in her violet eyes. Her throaty voice floated through the air as she let Rndeel run his own check. She leaned far back in her seat, her eyes drooping shut, her body relaxed like a feline feeling safe.

When she took up again, as Krinata was securing herself for a rough ride. Rinperee's voice, even lower, carried each number clearly to the pair in the rear who entered her calculations manually. At last, one of the Dushau at the rear said, "I'll bet this lander hasn't done this since it left the factory, but it's as ready as it'll ever be."

Rinperee chanted more numbers as she touched the controls. Gravity swooped out from under them sending loose items flying, then steadied. "Sorry." said Rinperee abstracted. "I've got Truth on scope. Our approach vector?" More numbers were faithfully repeated from the back.

They soared free for longer than it had taken Krinata to negotiate the tube, then a sharp bump made her bite her tongue. "Arlai's got us in his beam!" announced Rndeel. "Good work, Rinperee. Maybe Dushau be not so bad."

She grinned ferociously, "From you, I consider that a compliment." She tapped at her controls. "Look. Here's Ac?." On the hushwall appeared the dark, star-speckled view of Intentional Act, running without the tiny marker lights of emitting sensors, its lower bay doors gaping carelessly, scanning receivers motionless.

Then the view was cut off as Arlai's bay doors closed over them. Safe, breathed Krinata, letting herself go lax during the wait for pressurization.

But the moment the lander hatch swung wide, Rndeel was racing down the ladder and across the bay to duck under and around the landers that belonged to Arlai and race toward the bridge. Krinata followed, marveling aloud at Arlai's precision in stowing a lander he had no room for.

Arlai's simulacrum flashed into full projection beside her and paced her as she led the Dushau after Rndeel. Behind her, several more Arlai projections paced the Dushau and spoke with them in low tones. To Krinata, Arlai said, "If I hadn't been able to fetch you in, you'd have crashed into my forward scope nodule! But other than that, Rinperee pulled off a miraculous feat that makes mine look picayune. I honestly didn't think she could do it. I underestimated incarnates as much as Jindigar tends to underestimate me."

"I'd given us up for dead several times in there," said Krinata. "I wonder how many times I'm going to owe you my life before this is over?" She didn't dare think about the weakness in her knees, for once she let the screaming fear out, she knew she'd collapse. No time for that now. She smiled bravely. "I'll learn not to underestimate you."

"That warms the grief over Thirlein's death," he replied in Dushauni.

She stopped at the hatchway to the bridge. "Thirlein's not dead!" She told of the extraction of her main module. "They risked their lives to rescue her. She'll get new external components, a ship, and a new life."

The classic relief the Sentient displayed almost made that nightmarish trip through the dark worthwhile.

Rndeel squatted at his station on the bridge, an image of Act on the big screen. He tossed a glance around as she arrived, and said, "Captain, they still be alive in Act now. I dispatch detiming capsule to Ithawa Station—Arlai, be you sure no rescue team being arrive before we clear Cambera?"

"Not unless they have one poised and waiting, with a spare Sentient module onboard. In times like these, how likely is that?"

"Point oh, oh, oh, three percent," answered Rinperee, then added. "Sorry. You got me started."

"It's three five," argued Arlai. "I prefer to round up."

Rndeel swore, shutting them both up, and said, "Captain, yours to scribe in the order. Or're you plannin' to leave those poor souls dyin'?"

"No, of course not," she said. "Arlai, send the message as Rndeel says. But remind me of that deadline. When they have communications again, they'll broadcast our identities throughout the Allegiancy. Zinzik will be having fits!"

Rndeel gave a Skhe grin, and bounced on his stool. "His face bein' the sight of the century!"

"We're not going back for it, though," said Krinata, almost able to share the Dushau's zest. -

"But where is Jindigar taking us?" asked Grisnilter. "I admit I never expected to see him alive after the official announcement that all ofKamminth's died traitors to the Emperor."

"Be saying so?" asked Rndeel mildly. "Well, Jindigar be unlikely again visible among Allegiancy."

I hope hell be seen here, soon," said Rinperee hugging a small shudder as she eyed Rndeel.

"Not very," answered Rndeel. "Next be stopping Cassr. Friends of Jindigar to liberate. Arlai will gossip it all out to you. Now when’d passengers scoot off' our bridge! Revered Historian, Grisnilter. be needing rest."

Krinata was shocked on one level—any of those Dushau were better spacers than she—and admiring on another. Never once bad Jindigar unintentionally fallen out of the Rndeel character. Trying to find some charity in her heart for one Jindigar obviously held in high regard, she followed Grisnilter a way and said softly, "We'd planned to rescue some Cassrian friends of Jindigar's. News from Cassr indicated they'd soon be executed, if they hadn't been already. We were rushing there when we got your distress call. There're four more groups on other planets to collect, and the Jindigar is going to take us someplace safe."

The others stopped to listen. An unwelcome thought leaped to Krinata's mind. After what she'd just been through, she didn't know if she could face more of the same, but she was compelled to ask, "Do any of you have friends who have to be rescued? I'm sure Jindigar wouldn't spare any effort."

"Jindigar," said Grisnilter in a parchment dry voice, as thin as his emaciated physique, "is famous for entanglements with Ephemerals. Please understand, we're not callous to the fate of such as are accused of befriending us, but in most instances the charges are wholly false. I, personally have no obligations among living Ephemerals—except yourself, Lady Zavaronne." He looked about at the others, and there was a murmur of agreement.

In a small voice, she said, "I had to ask."

"Your thoughtfulness bespeaks a greatness of heart, my Lady. We notice."

After so much time with Jindigar, she'd forgotten how aloof most Dushau could be. "Thank you," she replied coolly. "Arlai will see you settled and answer your questions, I'm sure. You must need rest after your ordeal."

"This is a truth, ephemeral and eternal," answered Grisnilter.

That was the highest compliment she'd ever get from a Dushau, she knew, so she wished them well and went back to Rndeel. Settling in her station, she said, "This captain thing makes me feel so ridiculous. Any of them could do this better than I."

"Not a'fore Cassrians, and none of 'em're in any shape fer more danger." He spun his stool about to face her, his head cocked to one side quizzically. "But're you any better? Will keep ur nerve, girl?"

"We've lost so much time, I'm not sure we should go through with this. Maybe we should go on to Khol."

His eyes, shielded by inserts to disguise their midnight violet color, bored into her. Then he spun back to the console. "With ur permission, Cap'n, I'd like to go aground on Cassr... alone, to attend me business there."

He was giving her a way out. Coward, screamed her mind. She'd given her word. True, that was before things got complicated, but still...