Need became intense pleasure, transmuted to ecstasy as the warm pulses of selyn flowed into her system. Suddenly, she could sense her body using selyn in little pulses, in a very characteristic rhythm all her own, a thuttering like her own heartbeat. The incoming selyn harmonized perfectly to create a new, syncopated rhythm to dance the joy of life.

Each pulse was formed of billions of tiny flecks of colored nager, sizzling with a thousand rainbows like the heart of a diamond reflected to infinity. She tasted and savored each one, letting it fill her whole being with delight. Each tiny little pulse expanded within her void and filled and fully satisfied her, only to be followed by a new pulse that filled her faster and satisfied a renewed and sharper need. Faster and faster the pulses came until it was one continuous stream of molten golden joy warming and renewing herself. The pulses rose simultaneously from within her own cells, as if she were Gen, and from outside herself, given freely and in love for the joy of causing joy. And the given was received for the joy of causing joy.

Delight built upon delight, thrill upon thrill, not wearing out her nerves but leaving them more sensitive to the next surge of even more intense shared giving/receiving in the dance of life. It built and built to exquisite repletion that went on and on until she was wide open to her very core.

She was Gen, full to overflowing with selyn, delighting in the filling of need. She was renSime, thrilled by Gen delight. And she was channel, living and reliving the most ineffable experience in creation —or out of it. Slilbliss.

She was all of her Selves at once, dancing her love of life in syncopated harmony.

She came up out of it laughing, gasping, reluctantly letting Azevedo dismantle the contacts.

He shouted out a tremendous roaring laugh and picked her up and swung her full around before setting her on her feet again and hugging her close. "Oh, Laneff," he groaned. "Oh, dear God, you've learned to be renSime! That was so beautiful. Thank you, Laneff, thank you."

Re was crying, almost as if he were post.

And she was crying, too, genuinely post. I've never given a channel transfer before!

Shanlun's field and arms came around them both, and he was laughing, too. He kissed her. Then he kissed Azevedo on both cheeks. Then he kissed her full on the mouth and didn't want to stop.

She didn't want him to. It helped her keep and store up the feeling Azevedo had given her, and she had given him. I am renSime!

"Naztehr." Mairis's voice, Mairis's nager.

Shanlun relinquished the kiss, slowly, promising more later, and turned, cradling her in one arm while his other hand rested on Azevedo's shoulder.

"My Sectuib. May I present my wife. And my mentor."

Mairis zlinned her critically. Then he held out his hands to her, tentacles spread. "Step out of there for a moment and let me zlin you, Laneff. I can hardly believe what I sense here, though I witnessed it myself."

She stepped out, offering her hands confidently, for Mairis didn't zlin like a Tecton channel now. He was like Azevedo. Endowed. What Azevedo did to me was a trick of the endowed channels.

As Mairis examined her, she realized a dense crowd had formed around the plaza, newscameras mounted on trucks or newsmen's shoulders, crowded the front rows, held back by dark-clad security forces. A bank of microphones was already being set up right under the starred cross, the classic setting for a major pews conference.

But the ambient nager of the crowd was dark, disapproving, doubting, rejecting—yet openly curious, excited by portentous events. Her senses were ultrakeen, the world vivid in both sound and color as well as nagerically. She had no trouble spotting Yuan, inconspicuous while standing, gypsy-clad, just three arms' lengths from the security cordon of the Tecton guards. As she watched, Yuan faded back into the crowd and was gone.

Mairis grinned at Shanlun. "Your baby's fine, and your wife is disjunct—again!" Then he turned to Laneff, flashing a grin toward Azevedo, "Will you stand with us now before all the world and show them what we can do—united!"

"Yes," replied Laneff.

EPILOGUE

On the very first day of spring, Tansy Farris was born to Laneff Farris ambrov Zeor and Shanlun ambrov Zeor, First Companion in Zeor.

By Householding custom, the wedding was held on the day of Laneff’s next transfer, just after she pledged to Zeor through Mairis. But in defiance of Householding custom, the officiating channel at the wedding, Azevedo, was not even a House member.

The celebration lasted until dawn, when the small contingent of gypsies attending retired for their morning salutation.

"Aren't you going with them, Shanlun?" asked Mairis, watching as the buff-and-beige-clad forms left the pavilion that had been set up on the lawn at the World Controller's residence.

"With your permission," replied Shanlun, "my place is at your side, my Sectuib."

In the months since her disjunction, Laneff had come to appreciate the difference between Mairis and Azevedo. The Rathor channel was just too much—too potent—for any mortal to accompany for long. But Mairis was real, a flesh-and-blood, mistake-making, advice-taking person. Shanlun worshiped Azevedo, but he could live with Mairis. And she felt the same way.

"My permission for your presence is always granted. But I'll never hold you away from him."

"I know," grinned Shanlun, one arm around Laneff.

The guests had all left now, and workmen were cleaning up the mess. Laneff looked around at the aftermath, the glow of another perfect slilbliss transfer still warming her, and making her eager for her husband's bed now that she'd recovered from the birth. "Tomorrow, then, I can get back to the lab. I've only been away three weeks in all, and I'll bet I won't recognize a single report on my desk!"

"Not so fast," said Mairis. "You've got a series of personal appearances to make first. If we're finding this hard to believe, imagine how those who've never zlinned you disjunct and healthy are taking it?"

"But—" protested Laneff, having forgotten she'd agreed to travel. "Not yet–not now! There's so much to do—"

"Laneff," replied Mairis, "do you remember how hostile that crowd was around the starred cross? Until you and I stood up there and showed them your disjunction, there wasn't a single vote for me in that audience. And then there wasn't a single vote against me. The lesson: a Sime has to zlin things for himself. We're going to lose this chance at Unity and our funding if we don't get you out on tour."

"We'll take Tansy with us," said Shanlun, glancing at Mairis.

The World Controller said, "Of course you can go."

"You see?" said Shanlun to Laneff. "That way you can be sure we'll be back for Mairis's transfer, and then you can get to work."

She glanced from one to the other, sensing conspiracy, but there was nothing else she could do. Mairis would give her transfer—and Shanlun's selyn—even if he had to chase them around the world to do it.

There are no certainties in life. There never have been. There never will be.

She wasn't sure she was going to like her new life, but it was better than anything she'd ever dreamed; a good reflection of her current self.