"That can be arranged," Hakim said. "But it increases our chances of being detected."

"Otherwise, no transmissions of any kind. Complete silence."

Paola stepped forward at Martin's encouragement. She looked nervously between him and Hans. "Paola has the crew assignments," Martin said.

Paola projected the roster for each vehicle. "Twice Grown and I worked through our crew lists and picked out the best combinations. Where we couldn't decide, we did a kind of lottery. The list is subject to approval by Hans and Stonemaker, of course."

"Rosa and her group?" Hans asked.

"I've put them on inactive within Greyhound,"'Paola said. "I talked with Rosa. She didn't agree or disagree."

Hans shook his head. "We're treating her like another head of state."

"I couldn't think of anything else to do," Paola said tremulously.

Hans crinkled his face in irritation. "Forget it. Not your fault. I just don't like her thinking she has any say in what we do. She and her group go where we put her, that's it. We may need to put together a little police force if they try civil disobedience."

Brief silence.

"Who's on the pleasure cruise?" Martin asked, hoping to distract them from the unpleasantness.

Paola projected the list.

Ten humans and ten Brothers had been assigned to Trojan Horse: Martin, Ariel, Paola, Hakim, Cham, Erin, George Dempsey, Donna Emerald Sea, Andrew Jaguar, and Jennifer. Twice Grown, Eye on Sky, Dry Skin/Norman, Silken Parts, Green Cord, Double Twist, Many Smells, Sharp Seeing, Strong Cord, and Scoots Fast were on the Brothers' list.

Hans would be on Greyhound, Stonemaker on Shrike. The preponderance of humans would be on Greyhoundwith Hans; Brothers, on Shrike. Paola projected these lists as well.

"I approve, for now," Hans said after running his fingers down the names as they hung in the air. "I'll need time to think about it. Everybody out. Martin, you stay."

After the others had left, they went over the list name by name. Hans voiced his concerns about suitability; Martin tried to answer as best he could.

"You and Cham on the same ship—two past Pans. Can you work with each other?"

"I've had nothing but support from Cham," Martin said.

"Can you all work with Eye on Sky?"

"The Brothers aren't hard to get along with," Martin said. "You know that."

"Pardon my nerves. Ariel?"

Martin cocked his head to one side. "She's changed."

"I've noticed. She's gone sugar on you, Martin."

"I wouldn't say that."

"You should take advantage. She's smart, a good fighter, she has a strong instinct for survival. You could do worse. You slicked Paola once, I hear…"

Martin tried to keep his expression passive. Hans smiled as if scoring a point.

"Paola's not for you, believe me."

"I never thought she was. We comforted each other."

Hans pushed his lips out. "Right," he said. "If I were you—and I won't repeat this again—I'd take up with Ariel, even if she did shovel you shit when you were Pan."

Martin looked away stonily.

"All right. Sometimes you're a stubborn bastard, but that's okay. Anybody here you think will give you trouble?"

"No," Martin said.

"Then it's on."

Hans' wand chimed. Erin urgently asked to be let in. Hans casually motioned for the door to open and she entered, Ariel and Kai Khosrau behind her.

"Rosa's dead," Erin said, gasping for breath. "We found her body in her room just a few minutes ago."

"You killed her," Kai said, pointing to Hans, then to Martin. "You killed her!"

"How did she die?" Hans asked. He sat up on the pad and got to his feet.

"She was clubbed to death," Kai said. "You clubbed her to death!"

"Shut up," Ariel said. "Martin, she was beaten."

"How long ago?"

"Less than an hour," Erin said. "There's…" She turned away and choked.

"The blood isn't dry yet," Ariel said.

"Who found her?" Martin asked.

"I did," Kai said in a child's voice, eyes glassy, in shock.

"Who else knows?" Hans asked.

"I have to tell the others." Kai stepped uncertainly to the open door.

"Hold it," Hans said. "We'll all go look. Nobody tells anybody until we've seen what happened. Kai, stick with us."

Kai stared at Hans. "You think I killed her? You slicking insect."

"Stop it, stop it!" Erin cried, head still bowed. Her body trembled as she tried to control her nausea.

"Martin, we should get a mom. Now," Ariel said.

Martin called on his wand and asked for a mom to meet them in Rosa's room.

Rosa lay face up, one arm tucked under her back, the other outstretched, hand forming a limp claw.

Red hair outspread, mixed with clots of blood; lip split, blood smeared down her jaw and chin. Face terribly slack, the innocent relaxation of death, eyes indolent.

Martin bent over her as the others stood back. Hans kneeled beside him, scowling, squinting, head tilted to one side.

The mom hovered above Rosa's head. Martin reached out to check the pulse on her bloody neck. None.

"She is dead," the mom confirmed.

"We'll need to roll her over," Martin said softly. He looked around the quarters, as if asking for someone to object, so he would not have to do this. Nobody objected.

Kai stepped forward. Hans stepped back. Kai and Martin took her by one side. She hung limp, flesh cooling but not yet at room temperature. Martin grasped her shoulder, Kai her leg. As gently as possible, they rolled her over.

She had been struck from behind, on the back of the head. The occiput was misshapen. Beneath the red hair a pool of blood had gathered, and sticky strands of blood and hair clung to the floor, breaking loose silently as she rolled face down.

Jeanette moaned. Erin seemed fascinated now, past her nausea.

"What should we do?" Martin asked the mom.

"Rosa Sequoia is no longer useful," the mom said.

"Do you know who killed her?" Erin asked the robot.

"We do not know who killed her."

Kai looked up at Hans. "Where were you?"

"He was with me for the past couple of hours," Martin said. "I don't think she's been dead more than an hour."

"She has been dead for fifty-two minutes," the mom said.

Kai's face wrinkled in grief. "How do we know you'd tell the truth?" he asked Martin.

"I believe Martin," Jeanette said, wrapping her arms around herself. "Somebody else killed her."

"Why?" Erin asked.

"Because she was speaking God's truth," Kai said. "Will you let us tell the others, or are you going to pretend this didn't happen?"

"Everybody will know."

"Even the Brothers?" Ariel asked.

"They're our partners," Hans said. "We have no secrets from them."

Martin and Kai rolled Rosa over. Nobody's thinking straight, Martin told himself. He looked at the pots of flowers, the pad off to one side, seeking evidence of who had been here. The room around the body was normal but for the drops of blood sprayed in one corner; empty except for Rosa's things, and the nonessential parts of Rosa.

"Do you wish to have a ceremony?" the mom asked.