“At, we got to make a few decisions real soon. We’re gonna drop Jelly-bones here off on Miranda, but what next? Do we try to steal this ship? Do we go to Sentinel Gate with the others? And do we make a pick-up at Miranda later, when they’re all done with Zardie?”

“No, we do not steal this ship. No, we do not go to Sentinel Gate.” The emphatic pheromones became charged with suspicion. “Will the Lang female be there? I feel sure of it. We will not go there. But yes, we do collect the Zardalu after it has been examined. That all fits the grand design.”

“It does?”

“Certainly. Why steal this ship, which is of indifferent performance? We will have plenty of money when the Zardalu has been delivered to Miranda.”

“But no ship.”

“Miranda Spaceport offers the largest selection of vessels in the whole spiral arm. We will acquire one. We will then claim our Zardalu. If you like, we will visit the Mandel system and determine if your own ship, the Have-It-All, has reappeared there. And then — we return to Genizee.”

“Genizee! At, no offense, but you’re out of your mind. I spent months tryin’ to get out of that place.”

“In very different circumstances. First, the Anfract is no longer to be feared. Any dangerous aspects were a consequence of its being a Builder artifact. The same is true of any problem we had in escaping from Genizee itself. Finally, let me remind you of Quintus Bloom and Darya Lang’s assertion: the Zardalu will play an important part, along with the other clades, in the future of the spiral arm. And we, Atvar H’sial and Louis Nenda, will control the Zardalu! Already, they think of themselves as our slaves. Let me ask you a question: Do you know of any other planet in the spiral arm that we can make completely ours?”

“No place that I’d want to go. We could probably buy Mucus for next-to-nothin’, but you can have my share. All right, I’ll go for the deal as you’ve pitched it. But I don’t know why you keep goin’ on about me and Darya Lang, that’s old history.” Nenda turned back to the waiting Zardalu. “My partner has pleaded with me on your behalf. We will make sure you don’t get damaged too much on Miranda.”

“Thank you, Master.” The purple tongue came slithering out.

“Put that away. I don’t ever want to see it again.”

“Yes, Master.”

“And after we get you back from the people on Miranda, we’re going to take you home. To Genizee. Then you’ll help us make plans for all the Zardalu to come back to space. Under our control. You understand?”

“Yes, Master. I will serve you faithfully. If necessary, I personally will kill any Zardalu who seeks to do otherwise, or who disobeys you in any way.”

“Attagirl. That’s what I like to hear. If you’re really good till we get to Miranda, I’ll let you glide down the gangway on your own tentacles and wow the locals. That’s a promise.” Louis turned to Atvar H’sial. “Okay. Done deal. Only thing left is to collect the money.”

“That, and one thing more.” The Cecropian followed Nenda as he started out of the cargo hold. The pheromones were oddly hesitant. Nenda wondered. Atvar H’sial was not noted for diffidence.

“What’s up, At?”

“I wish to request a great favor of you. These past weeks have been most frustrating for me. I have lacked communication ability with anyone but you. And yet the future of the spiral arm, we hear, must involve increased interclade activity. Therefore, I have reached a decision. I must perfect an ability to interface directly with humans.”

“No problem. We’ll get a ship with plenty of computer capacity.”

“That will not teach me the human outlook, as it is reflected in your curious speech. I will need a computer as the interface, true. But I must also converse with a human.”

“What the hell do you think I am? A peanut?”

“A patient human. One willing to devote substantial time to the effort.”

“Forget it.”

“Precisely. Which brings me to my request. Would you consider asking Glenna Omar on my behalf to travel with us, to assist me in perfecting my human speech skills? She already taught me to employ beat frequencies within my echolocation system, and so offer the longer wavelength sounds accessible to humans. Thus, a greeting.” Atvar H’sial produced a grating low-pitched groan. With a lot of imagination Nenda decided that it could be interpreted as “Hello.”

“Why don’t you ask her?”

“Improbable as it seems, I think she admires you more than me. The request would be received better from you. Also, you are able to frame it with more precision in human terms.”

Nenda swung round and stared up at the Cecropian’s blind head. “Let’s get this straight. You want me to try an’ talk Glenna Omar into signing on with us? Long term.”

“Precisely. If you are successful, I will acknowledge a major debt to you.”

“Damn right you will. It sounds impossible.”

“But you will make the attempt?”

“I don’t know. When?”

“As soon as possible.”

“Hell.”

“I hope not. You will do it?”

“All right. I’ll talk to her.” Louis glared up at his towering partner. “But I don’t want you watching. You’ll mess up my style.”

“I will not move from this spot until you return.”

“Might take a while no matter what she says.”

“I will wait. And I will steel myself for the possibility that you will return with bad news.”

“You do that. I’d better get it over with.”

The passenger quarters were in the bow, far from the cargo hold. Louis started the trek forward, wondering how he was going to handle this. There wasn’t a chance in a million that Glenna would agree, but he had to make Atvar H’sial believe that he had done his best.

In the mid-section of the ship he came across Kallik and J’merlia sitting cross-legged on the floor. He stopped as he came up to them, struck by another thought.

“What are you two planning to do, now the trouble’s all over?”

Lemon-yellow eyes on their short eyestalks and doublet rings of black eyes gazed back at him in shared amazement. “Why,” said Kallik, “we are coming with you.”

“And with my dominatrix, Atvar H’sial,” J’merlia added. “What else?”

Which made the presence of Glenna Omar unnecessary. J’merlia was the perfect interpreter. It would be no good telling that to At, though. Louis knew from experience, the Cecropian was nothing if not stubborn. If she insisted that she wanted to learn human speech from a human…

“Atvar H’sial is back there.” Nenda nodded aft. “Go tell her that the two of you will be staying with us, and say that’s fine with me. Tell her I’m on my way to talk to Glenna Omar.”

Which just about wrapped it up. A quick and indignant refusal from Glenna, and Louis could break the bad news to the Cecropian. He started out again along the corridor.

Glenna was alone in her bedroom, staring into the mirror. Even now, with the emergency long past, she was not wearing makeup. Her blond hair was piled high, showing the long and graceful neck, and her skin was as clear and smooth as a young girl’s. She was wearing a scanty pink slip with a plunging neckline, long gold earrings, and nothing else. Her reflection beamed at Louis as he came in.

“Just the man I wanted to see.” She did not turn around.

“Yeah?” A bad start.

“You know that after Miranda, the Salvation is heading for Sentinel Gate?”

“I hear that’s the plan. Darya Lang and E.C. Tally want to go there.”

“But Hans Rebka says you won’t be going on. You’ll stay for a while on Miranda, then take off for some other place.”

“Sounds more than likely. Miranda’s not the place for me and At, any more than Sentinel Gate.”

“Or for me.” Glenna spun around in her chair to face him. She stood up and grabbed his hands. “Louis — take me with you. Wherever you’re going, I want to go.”

“What!” Nenda’s defenses came up automatically. “Sorry. Can’t do that.”