"We also know of a group that we call the Merry Pranksters. Now, you're either their leader, or you know exactly who is, and who's part of that group."

Aaron shrugged. Now his face had no expression at all.

"And we all know that during trips to the mainland, you have private gatherings. Some of these involve the younger children and are part of the graduation ceremonies. Some do not. We haven't interfered, because it is important that you assume as many of the responsibilities of this colony as possible. Some of us understand that you really are citizens, you know."

"Yes, sir. And?"

"What I want to know is... were you performing such a ceremony the night that my daughter was killed?"

"Yes, sir, we were."

"Were you further away from the encampment than you had been directed to travel?"

At the corner of Aaron's mouth, a muscle spasmed. "Yes, sir, we were."

"Were you out of radio communication?"

"To all but an emergency alert, yes, sir."

"And it is conceivable that Linda might have been too confused, or in too much pain, to remember proper procedure for an emergency message."

Aaron thought for a moment. "Yes, sir, it is possible. I might even think it likely."

Cadmann nodded. He could respect this boy. He was a good one.

"And you can agree that it was your duty to remain within range of the base camp, which you did not. And to remain in contact, which you also chose not to do."

"Yes, sir."

Zack interrupted. "I have another question."

Aaron regarded him almost as if he were an intruder. "Yes? Sir?"

"During this period of time when you were out of communication, were you intoxicated?"

Aaron's eyes narrowed. "Yes, sir, we were."

"And the intoxicants were not on our list of... " Zack struggled for a word.

"Sir. They were not on the list of recommended inebriants. But if it had been beer, or marijuana, the results would have been the same. We made a mistake. But the choice of psychoactives has nothing to do with that."

"I disagree," Zack said. "From the very beginning, from the discovery of that eel, to the discovery of the explosions on the mainland, to the way we were pressured into this operation, to your behavior on the mainland, this entire affair has been handled in an irresponsible, childish, criminally stupid fashion."

Aaron turned back to Cadmann. "Sir. Our actions on the mainland were disastrous as it turned out. We certainly broke rules. But normal safety precautions were taken, with the exception of radio links, and proximity.

I submit to you that whatever killed Linda and Joe might well have killed anything else nearby. And in any event we weren't supposed to be up there that night or that morning. Yes, we used teacher plants and then connected with each other—"

Zack was unimpressed. "You mean you got high and had a sex orgy."

Aaron didn't rise to the bait. "We put the littler ones to bed first. We chose Toshiro Tanaka to stay straight and be in charge. And while we're talking for the record here, I want that record to show that the kids were our responsibility, and we met that. Not one of them was killed or hurt. They were our responsibility. Not the people up at the mine, who would have been there even if the rest of us hadn't gone to the mainland at all."

"Aaron—" Julia said.

"Yes, Dr. Hortha, I should calm down," Aaron said. "And I will. But I wanted this on the record. We met our responsibilities.

"As to what we were doing, that is the business of the Star Born. The Second, if you like that term better. But we are all adults, and the nature of our ceremonies is no concern of you Earth Born."

"I say it is!" Manny Halperin had been quiet until this explosion.

"It was a spiritual ceremony, Mr. Halperin. We have the freedom to practice what we will—"

"You got stoned and fucked your brains out!" Spittle flew from Halperin's mouth. "What the hell is so damned spiritual about that?"

"Do I have to answer that?" Aaron demanded.

"I'd appreciate it if you did," Zack said.

Aaron paused. When he spoke all of the incredible blowtorch intensity of his will was focused onto Zack.

"I didn't choose to come here," Aaron said, his voice so soft and low that they had to strain to hear it. "I didn't ask to be born not of woman.

You brought us, and gave us a world filled with opportunity—"

"And dangers," Cadmann said quietly.

"Yes." Aaron smiled. "Dangers. You brought us here, into a situation which you couldn't possibly understand, a very dangerous situation indeed. And many of you died. Did you hold a tribunal then? Did you judge each other? Did you ask each other questions about how you prayed, on those nights?"

Damn straight we did. Cadmann wouldn't have spoken anyway—

"How dare you question us!" Aaron thundered. "How bloody god damn dare you! We are not your possessions. And I am not your child. Not the child of any of you. You made damned certain of that, didn't you? Not one of you would give me his name. My name came from a record book. The only place I could call home, the closest one of you I have to a father, is the man whose bones I picked up out there on that pass! You think you lost something out there? So did I!"

"Aaron," Julia Hortha said.

"No, ma'am, I won't calm down. Not this time! You hypocrites! You believed that because you fed us and clothed us and taught us we should be freezing grateful to you... well, we are. But don't tell me what god to worship, or how to worship It. It is none. Of. Your. Freezing. Business."

He had lowered himself so that both knuckles rested on the table, and he stared directly into Zack's face.

Then he stood up. "Of all of you, only Cadmann is a man," he said. "The rest of you can go to hell. Cadmann. You have always told me the truth. You have always spoken from your heart, not from some freezing rule book. What do you say?"

The entire room turned to look at Cadmann.

He felt small. Finally he spoke. "I lost a daughter," Cadmann said. "For reasons that are still unclear. But that was an accident, a result of another of the hideous secrets this planet conceals from us. I can't hold that against you. But you agreed to follow certain procedures. And you broke your word. We are a community, and a community must have its rules. We can't break away from that."

Aaron seemed to be hearing beyond the words, and gave the barest of nods to Cadmann. "And so?"

"And so," Zack said. "The mainland is off limits. There will be no human return there. Robotic probes will be devised to learn what needs to be learned. You'll help us design them. You'll help us ask the questions they will answer."

Aaron seemed to grow dark. "We lost one of ours. Administrator. We have a right to our revenge."

"You have no right!" Zack exploded. "Don't you understand what you represent?"

"We decline to represent anything! We're not your frozen fetuses anymore. We are living creatures, with our own wills, and our own needs! We are not your freezing children! WE are the future of this planet. You are its past."

"There will be no return."

Aaron glared at them. He seemed to be on the verge of saying something. Then he nodded curtly.

"Is that all, then?"

"It is," Zack said.

Aaron Tragon turned, heel-toe, and left the room.