Dushau

Thellarue only nodded. "As always. I can only wait a little while longer, Jindigar."

He inspected his feathered hands. "I know." It was almost a groan. But he covered the ache by speaking crisply to Arlai. "Can you get the other two ships on conference?"

As the screen split, Krinata saw the other bridge crews included several Dushau also, and muttered shock spread among them at sight of Jindigar. Thellarue cut them off, asking, "Arlai, why didn't you tell us you had Jindigar aboard?"

"His name is not to be mentioned where it might be overheard. I was sure I had a secure signal, but he wasn't."

"We got away with it, and that's what counts," said Jindigar. "Thellarue, you can't go back to Dushaun now. If you breach the defense perimeter, the Allegiancy can attack."

Quietly, gravely, the old Dushau said, "We have young in third Renewal. We're going home."

Jindigar subsided. Krinata watched him face some sort of hopeless problem. Dushau, she knew, went home for Renewal. But she didn't know it was so important they'd risk letting hostile ships inside their planetary defenses.

A Holot female on one of the other ships said into the silence, "It really is Jindigar!"

His attention riveted to her. "Yes, Terab. You've done a very courageous thing."

"We may not yet survive to be called courageous."

It was only then that Krinata noticed the frantic activity in the background on Terab's ship. "Status report!" snapped Jindigar.

Arlai ran a dense line of symbols across the bottom of the screen, saying, "I'm helping their Sentient cope with it all, but frankly, another detuning might be their last."

Thellarue said, "These ships are indeed 'crates' as your Lady Minogue put it. We've no onboard Sentient to help them de-time, and Inrinan's Sentient can't function outboard."

Jindigar surveyed the bridge crew of the third ship. "Where are you pla

A Dushau female edged a human aside and leaned into the screen. "I'm Sopehan, Kithlinpor's Outreach." She spoke with the distant stiffness Krinata associated with a working Outreach. "We have young Treptian females aboard. Phanphihy would be too dangerous for them. We've elected to search, and so Kithlinpor's remains constituted and balanced."

"I understand," said Jindigar, but Krinata did not. She'd never heard of Phanphihy, and Treptian females were notoriously tough. Their mild telepathic abilities often gave them an edge in dealing with wild animals—or people.

Terab said, "Our Oliat suggested a place called Phanphihy, but we haven't been able to take a vote on it yet. There are those who feel the two ships ought to stick together. If you'll join us, instead of going to Dushaun..."

"My destination must be Phanphihy."

Phanphihy, Krinata concluded, must be the planet Jindigar had promised would be then" sanctuary. It seemed other Dushau also knew about it. Or maybe only other Oliat officers. All these people seemed to know each other. It didn't mean there was some general Dushau conspiracy. They probably used Phanphihy to teach Oliat apprentices to judge commercially valueless planets.

Thellarue was talking. "I still urge you to return to Dushaun with me. As my Emulator, you'd be able to surmount all the old difficulties."

Jindigar said something very softly in an old Dushauni dialect that sounded like a plea for mercy.

Krinata spoke up. "Perhaps we should all take time to hold a vote. We should be safe here for long enough, and it would be best if we could all stay together."

Jindigar turned to her. "Before we head out of Allegiancy-controlled space, I must yet contact four Lehiroh to whom I'm deeply indebted. They are experienced Oliat Outriders and will increase our chances of survival enormously. So next, Truth goes to Razum Two."

"We could set up a rendezvous," suggested Krinata.

Thellarue broke in. "You all have crucial decisions to make, but we are already determined. Let us bid you farewell."

"No, wait!" said Jindigar. "We have an onboard Sentient you can have. She should increase your chances of success."

"You have a what?" Thellarue interrupted.

But he was interrupted in turn by Arlai. "Thirlein? Jindigar, you mustn't!"

"It's not certain death, Arlai. With Thellarue aboard, they've a chance. And if they had a Sentient, too, it could make the difference."

"How could you—" started Thellarue.

Jindigar outlined how they'd come by Thirlein's core. "But she's in disco

Grisnilter appeared in a wedge of screen between two of the ship's bridges. "We've discussed it, and if Rinperee agrees– and if you have a Sentient psychoengineer aboard—we'd be willing to let her go. That is, unless she objects."

After some discussion it was decided that the Dushau ship would grapple to Truth and Arlai would help install and waken Thirlein under the care of Rinperee and several experts aboard the Dushau ship. Meanwhile, the passengers and crews of Truth and the other two ships would debate their options and decide on destinations. If they decided on different courses, people could transfer to the ships they preferred.

Krinata took time to divest herself of her disguise, then sat in on a meeting of all concerned via Arlai's holo display in her own room.

When she saw a group of humans aboard Terab's ship, pioneers by their dress and accents, she wavered in her determination to stay aboard Truth with Jindigar. Being the only human suddenly seemed a cold, bleak prospect indeed.

She leaped into the discussion, arguing Jindigar's expertise and fine judgment, to get at least some of the humans to transfer to Truth, if none of the other ships elected Phanphihy. They were overcrowded, and Truth had room. But she only attracted one very young Dushau who'd heard what a fine Oliat trainer Jindigar was so he wanted to transfer to Truth if Jindigar would train him and two other Dushau who preferred Phanphihy to planet hunting.

All the crew and passengers took an hour to discuss it among themselves, and then registered their votes with Arlai. Krinata came close to saying she'd go with the rest of the humans, regardless of where they were going. But in the end, she stayed with Truth. The final tally showed Inrinan still determined to prospect for then– own planet, and Terab's ship throwing in with Truth to go to Phanphihy though they wouldn't accompany them to Razum Two. There were dissenters on each ship who wanted to transfer.

"I believe," said Arlai when Krinata asked, "Terab's ship has a larger percentage of people who know Jindigar personally or by reputation. The outsystem humans, for example, were colonists on a world Kamminth's implanted just after Jindigar balanced them."

Krinata was relieved in more ways than she could count. They wouldn't be stray refugees on their new world. They'd have a constituted Oliat to read the ecology for them, find them a good living site and identify edibles, medicinals, and poisons right off. What unbelievable luck!

As the dissenters were packing up and changing ships, she went to the locking bay where the Dushau ship was co

Scurries interposed themselves everywhere, Arlai's servitors going into the Dushau ship with full cargo loads, and coming out with nothing. Jindigar was donating supplies and parts Arlai had stockpiled for their exile.

It was just like him. They were his people despite any friction among them. Suddenly, she wanted to see him, to tell him the outcome of the vote and watch his face. She worked her way into the densely packed crowd, hardly noticing she was the only Ephemeral.