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upper half of the travel-
globe, and sat up. His eyes glistened in an unusually pinched face, but he
waved away offers of help to stand. Noonday, who had watched all afternoon
with growing admiration, added her concern.
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"He will live?" she asked.
"I live," he said, hoarsely. "It is sometimes worse on Sky Clear."
"You're a hero," Keff said. "If you hadn't been there, I couldn't have pulled
that off."
The Cridi shook his head.
"It is nothing," Tall Eyebrow signed. He licked his lips, which were visibly
dry.
"Tchah! Nothing!" Big Eyes flicked her fingers, and the door of the spare
cabin flew open. Tall Eyebrow was whisked straight out of the main cabin. Keff
ran along behind
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corridor. He heard rather than saw the splash.
"I am all right!" Tall Eyebrow protested in Cridi. "Do not& blub!" Big Eyes
hands had moved, and Keff suspected she swept a wave of the cool water over
her loved one's head. He stuck his head in, and saw gallons of water washing
across the floor from the small bathroom.
"He is a hero," Big Eyes said, with a look at Keff and the Thelerie, as she
sailed in after him. "He does not complain."
"He does what a leader should," Narrow Leg said, nodding.
"Daddy approves, whether he admits it or not," Carialle said, in Keffs aural
receiver.
"I do love a love story."
"Seeing him in action, you can't help but admire him," Keff agreed.
"It is true," Noonday said, behind them. 'The Cridi are most amazing folk."
She gathered her wings about her, avoiding the water flying out of the door of
the spare cabin. "Now that night falls I must go back. The Ro-sayo and I have
much to discuss.
You will accompany us?"
"I'd better not," Keff said. "The Melange will be watching me closely now. The
Cridi will go, carrying a receiver so you can hear what Carialle and I say."
Noonday looked up, as if she expected to see the pirates and their
surveillance. "But how do I go, if you are watched? They will see me."
"Ah," Keff said. "The extreme cleverness of me! Thunderstorm asked a few of
your people to wait on the field. They'll come over and give you cover when we
lower the hatch again. You'll be one in a crowd of your people making
purchases."
The Thelerie were right on time. When Carialle activated the ramp again,
Thunderstorm and a cluster of his apprentices fluttered over, some carrying
boxes, some carrying other small items. Using Core power, to the great
astonishment of the locals, Narrow Leg and the others unloaded the contents of
the boxes, and rolled their globes inside.
Tall Eyebrow emerged from the bath with glistening skin. His face still looked
rather peaked, but Carialle checked his vital signs, and found them strong. He
showed no weakness as he sealed himself into his travel globe. Big Eyes looked
at him with dismay.
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"You should not go with us," the young female said. "You should rest."
"I am going," Tall Eyebrow argued. "These people have made many sacrifices for
us.
This is not a risk at all. I am healthy. I must hear what is said."
"You will all be well-maintained," Noonday assured Big Eyes solemnly. "I will
look after Tall Eyebrow myself." Big Eyes relented, but grudgingly, and
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allowed herself to be shut into a plumbing fixture.
"We will be back soon," Narrow Leg said to Keff, via radio, from inside his
crate.
Each of the Thelerie took one of the containers gingerly in its claw arms, and
flew away with it. Shaking his head, he stepped back into the airlock, and
Carialle sealed the door.
"A meeting with this tough broad," Carialle said, still enjoying the sound of
the phrase. Her Lady Fair image appeared on the wall armed with morning-star
and shield. "You mean a holographic manifestation?"
"Yes, but not like that one," Keff said, smiling. "Whatever would work to get
the most information out of them. We have to be careful. I don't want them to
leave again if there's the least chance an armed ship is on the way, but I
don't want to endanger this population. The Thelerie are vulnerable, and they
trust humans implicitly because of these brutes."
"The Melange are a mixed curse," Carialle said, thoughtfully. "On the one
hand, I'm glad they discovered this race. They're fascinating. On the other
hand, if it had been anyone else, the CW could have nurtured the Thelerie's
natural development. Look at this place. Except for the smelly air, it's
almost a type-G world."
"Yes," Keff said. "I notice the pirates don't bother with air filters."
Carialle caught the hopeful note in his voice. "No," she said flatly. "There
is a cumulative effect on your health. The Cridi have been complaining of the
residual ammonia brought into the cabin in the lungs of the Thelerie visitors.
You keep your suit on."
"Yes, mother," Keff sighed.
Keff had a grasshopper's eye view of the proceedings in the Sayad, from the
camera eye carried on GapTooth's globe. She was carried in a sack by one of
Noonday's guards and released into the Sayad chamber to the horror and protest
of the Ro-sayo.
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She rolled at once into the angle of one of the carved beams as the Thelerie
glared down into the camera lens.
"Why are they here?" Midnight demanded, as behind him the Cridi freed
themselves from the crates and other containers.
"As witnesses," Narrow Leg said, flying out of a box marked "Art Supplies."
"And as a conduit for our good friend Keff."
"But they are enemies!"
'They are not," Noonday said, mildly, settling onto her divan cushion. She
coughed, and was surrounded at once by Ro-sayo exclaiming concern for her
health. Keff felt pleased that the Sayas was held in such esteem.
"You are unharmed?" Winter asked her.
"All is well," she assured them. "I have spent a day in deficient atmosphere.
The effects will pass quickly." With a wing-finger, she signalled for the
doors to be secured. "Let no one in or out, and have a patrol hover about the
windows on the outside. Our guests must remain hidden from view." The guards
sprang out and away, spreading their wings to obey their leaders command. The
Ro-sayo settled down on their cushions, casting wary eyes on the cluster of
Cridi. Thunderstorm drew their eyes away by stalking into the center of the
circle of counselors.
"Before they speak," he said, "I have a speech to make, of apology to our
neighbors, for it is true what Keff told you. I will speak in Standard where I
can, for the sake of our listeners."
He went on to detail the history of the Melange. Although Keff couldn't
understand all of the Space Sayas' words, he could tell that many in the room
were shocked at the revelations he had for them.
"Then all of our accomplishments were based on lies!" Midnight said.
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Thunderstorm bowed his head. "I deserve that," he said. "But we may rebuild,
and beginning now, with the help of legitimate representatives of humanity, we
shall."
"And how do we know that Keff and the unseen Carialle are truly from the See-
Double-Yew?" another Ro-sayo demanded.
"Does it matter?" Noonday asked. "I saw the Melange show hostility to a
stranger human, telling him to leave Thelerie, and never return. That isn't
the act of a being
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