Dainyl was tired enough that he didn't even offer a token protest as he eased himself down into the chair."You'll need a hot bath, too."

"After a bit," he replied.

Lystrana hurried to the kitchen, returning quickly with a goblet half-filled with the dark red wine.

Dainyl looked at his wife with both eyes and Talent. Then he smiled. "I had hoped..."

Lystrana bent down and set the wine on the table beside him. "A daughter."

Dainyl couldn't help but smile even more broadly than before. "She'll be like you."

"More like you, I suspect, but who can tell?" She rose. "I'll be right back."

Dainyl lifted the goblet and sipped the wine, enjoying it, just taking in the comfort of home and the presence of Lystrana. He had several swallows of the Vyan Grande before she reentered the sitting room with a small tray, filled with sliced early peaches, cheeses, and dark bread. The tray went on the side table she pulled over so that it was between their chairs, and she sat down.

"You said you couldn't send word..." she said softly.

"Not any faster than I could come," he replied. "We lost both pteridons in the last fight against the rebels..." He went on to explain, as briefly as he could, in between bites of the fruit and cheeses, what had happened in Dramur, including the power of the ancients and what had happened after that. "Captain Mykel came out and found me. He shot four rebels who would have killed me. The fourth one he took down after he'd been shot.

He almost didn't live. After that, his squad found us, and we recovered, but there was no way to let anyone know until the marshal sent two more pteridons. I left Dramur within a few days of the time they arrived."

Dainyl offered an embarrassed smile. "I could have sent a message three days earlier, but... I was asked not to send messages until I returned."

"You returned late on Decdi." Lystrana's left eyebrow lifted. "I suppose that was coincidence?""Novdi was as soon as I could leave. I did make sure that we would arrive late enough that the marshal would not expect me. I did want to see you first, and... our daughter. I had hoped."

"I had no doubts." Lystrana beamed. "I did tell your mother. I couldn't resist, and I suppose that means everyone knows."

"I'm glad she's a daughter."

"Because of your mother?"

"That's one reason." Dainyl took another sip of the Vyan Grande, enjoying it in the growing dimness of the sitting room.

"It seems so sad, in a way," mused Lystrana. "The landers and the indigens can have as many children as they want... and so many of them don't seem to care."

"The Highest claims that they rut like animals."

"Some doubtless do. So do some alectors," noted Lystrana dryly.

"We pay a price for being Ifryns. We bring beauty and culture to a world, and music and soaring song, but what sustains us means there can never be too many of us."

"Like on Ifryn now," she said somberly. "Have you read the latest dispatches?"

"When would I have seen..." He laughed. "You're teasing me."

"Just a little." She cleared her throat, then sipped her wine. "The dissipation point is somewhere between five and eleven years from now at the current alector population levels."

"How many now?"

"Eight thousand."

"What is the surplus lifeforce carrying ability here and on Efra at present?"

"Eleven hundred here, and twenty-one hundred there."Dainyl fingered his chin. "Thirty percent survival rate for a world translation is normal, and both worlds will have greater lifeforce within another year or so. Some will choose not to try the translation."

"Most will put it off, and that will reduce the margins," she pointed out.

"When will they begin mass translations?"

"The Archon has... indicated that key alectors will have to begin translations in six months-if they want a guarantee of a position here or on Efra."

"You don't look happy, dearest."

"The Marshal of Myrmidons on Ifryn attempted a coup, along with several colonels. Almost fifty alectors died."

"That won't help much;" said Dainyl. "Just a week or so."

"Dainyl!"

"What do they expect?" He snorted. "Our forebears took the risk of the translation here when the success rate was more like fifteen percent. Five percent for the very first, according to Asulet. Their chances are at least four times that, and for someone with the ability and lifeforce of a senior alector, it's more like forty-five percent."

"Dainyl..." she said softly.

"Yes?"

"We can talk about all that later. You're back, and I missed you."

"I missed you." Dainyl set aside the wine goblet.

108.

On Londi, Dainyl did not hurry unduly, but neither was he late in reporting to Myrmidon headquarters. He had no sooner settled into his study, not even with a chance to look at the reports neatly stacked there, than Colonel Dhenyr knocked on the door.

"Come in, Colonel." Dainyl offered the words with a smile and gesturedto the chair across from him. "How are matters with the other Myrmidon companies going?"

Dhenyr shifted his weight in the chair. "I'm most glad you're back, Submarshal. Most glad. Might I ask about Dra-mur first?"

"The revolt is over, and the mine production is back to normal. We did lose two pteridons to unusual circumstances. I'll have to brief the marshal before I can say more. Most of the rebels and rebel leaders were killed, well over a thousand rebel casualties. The Third Cadmian Battalion had a particularly effective captain. When I have a moment, I'll be recommending him for promotion to majer and command of the battalion. You may have to follow through on that. Now... what have you to report?"

"You knew about the pteridon lost near Scien?"

"Didn't that happen before I returned to Dramur?" Dainyl frowned. "Or did we lose another one?"

"Yes, sir. In that same area. The marshal has ordered all flyers to avoid it until further notice."

"Have we lost any more pteridons anywhere else besides Dramur?"

asked Dainyl dryly.

"Ah... yes, sir. One flying out of Dereka over the Barrier Range on a message run to Indyor, and one near Aelta. Fifth Company found the burned rock in the Barrier Range, but no one has found any sign of the pteridon that was flying north of Aelta."

"What were they doing up there?"

"I've put in an inquiry to Captain Fhentyl, sir, but we don't have a response."

Dainyl managed to take a long and slow deep breath. In less than a season, six pteridons had been lost-six out of slightly less than two hundred, and none could be replaced. According to the records, not one pteridon had been lost in the past three hundred years. Why had the ancients decided to attack pteridons now, after so many years of being invis-ible? It had to be their work. "What else? What about Coren, Catyr,and Hyalt."

"Hyalt's calm, and all of First Company's second squad has returned-except the one Myrmidon lost, of course. We've been able to stop overflights of Coren, and the marshal ordered the return of the squad covering Catyr yesterday. They haven't returned yet."

"Any more skylances missing in Dereka?"

"No, sir."

"What else should I know?"

"I understand that the Duarch is not pleased with events, sir. That's what the marshal said on Octdi, anyway."

"Thank you."

"Yes, sir."

Dainyl nodded, and the colonel slipped away. From what he could tell, Lystrana's analysis of Dhenyr was accurate. He tried hard, and he was conscientious, and he had even less Talent than people had thought that Dainyl had-and far less insight. Dainyl wasn't sure whether to be more worried about Dhenyr or about the lost pteridons. Clearly, the marshal and the Highest did not want any higher-ranking officers in headquarters with both insight and Talent. Dhenyr had neither. They'd accepted Dainyl-for the moment-because, while he had insight, they did not know that he had more Talent than was obvious.

"Submarshal! Welcome back!" Shastylt stood in the doorway.

Dainyl rose, not quite so easily as he had before and would again.

"You were injured, I see."

"Broken arm and broken leg. They're mostly healed. It happened when we lost Quelyt and Falyna and their pteridons."

Shastylt nodded slowly. "I feared something like that."

"I have a report here, sir. Would you like me to tell you, or would you prefer to read it, then discuss what happened?""Why don't I read it? It won't be long. That's the first thing we need to deal with. I assume that you resolved everything in Dramur?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good." A twisted smile appeared on the marshal's face. "The Duarches would like some good news. If you have that report..."

Dainyl lifted the thick envelope off the desk and handed it across to Shastylt. "It may be longer than you need. As you requested, that is the only copy."

"Good. I'll be back to you shortly."

After Shastylt departed, Dainyl settled down with the re-.ports. He'd only made his way though five when the marshal reappeared, stepping inside the study, and closing the door.

The marshal settled into the chair across from Dainyl, looking solidly at the submarshal. While Dainyl was well aware of the Talent-probing of the marshal, he left his shields in place, with the same apparent unaware stolidity that Lystrana had helped him develop years before.

"I've read your report, Dainyl. It's most remarkable. Or rather, I should say that your actions were most remarkable. You seem to have prevented a runaway rebellion with a minimum of casualties, that is, given the feelings of all those involved."

Dainyl had his doubts about the "minimum" of casualties. To him, nearly half of the Third Cadmian Battalion, more than a thousand dead rebels, and two Myrmidons and their pteridons were far greater than minimum casualties. He'd managed to salvage the situation, but his actions were anything but remarkable. The only thing remarkable was the fact that he hadn't seen what was happening earlier. In hindsight, it had all been so obvious. There hadn't been a rebellion, until the combination of Majer Herryf's arrogance and stubbornness and Majer Vaclyn's stupidity had collided and created one. But then, that was clearly what the marshal and the Highest had intended. Things would have been worse if it hadn't been for Captain Mykel.

"There was one aspect of all this that troubles me, Marshal," Dainyl said, trying to inject puzzlement into his voice. "As we discussed muchearlier, there could not have been a rebellion without large numbers of Cadmian rifles present in Dramur. Has anyone been able to determine how such unmarked weapons got there?"

Shastylt laughed. "Coins. Golds. All the steers of Acorus are obsessed with accumulating what they perceive as wealth. The landowners on Dramur tend to be fearful of both the prisoners and each other. They have more wealth than many. The smugglers knew that, and they bribed one of the assistant weapons engineers in Faitel to produce extra rifles. Over time, he reported a number of production runs as spoiled, requiring extra production. The runs were not spoiled, but were slipped out of the manufactory as scrap to be reused, then were diverted. The engineer in question has been discovered and punished. Before he died, he revealed what happened." The marshal smiled coldly.

"I see. Thank you." Dainyl returned the smile, hoping he could keep to himself, behind his shields, the knowledge that the marshal was not telling the entire truth.

"The more important aspect of your efforts in Dramur was the discovery that the ancients are still alive and active, if in a reduced capacity. Things could have been much worse," reflected the marshal, "but, in many ways, matters turned out better than they might have."

"Better, sir?"

"We are aware of the problem before the ancients have been able to act against us on a larger scale."

"Colonel Dhenyr reported that we have lost four other pteridons in the past season."

"That is true, but only in Dramur do we know what happened. In all other cases, the pteridons either disappeared or mysteriously crashed. We would be guessing, or acting with less than complete knowledge..."

Shastylt was clearly more concerned about the ancients. He had seemed almost amused about the abortive rebellion. "... the Highest and I have decided that it would be best if you were the one to brief the Duarch on the events in Dramur. You have the greatest personal acquaintance with the situation, and you were the one to bring everything back under control."Dainyl understood that as well. The marshal and the High Alector of Justice were tired of being called to task.

As abruptly as he had entered, the marshal stood. "The Highest requested that you attend him immediately upon your return. I took the liberty of summoning the duty coach. It will be here shortly, after taking a message to the Hall of Justice."

"Right now?"

"That is the meaning of immediate," Shastylt replied wryly.

Dainyl laughed and stood. "I'll be on my way."

He did have to wait a quarter glass for the coach to take him to the Hall of Justice.

Once he arrived there, what surprised Dainyl even more than the immediate summons was that the High Alector of Justice ushered Dainyl into his private chambers instantly, and with a broad, almost relieved, smile.

"I had feared you had been even more seriously injured than you were, Dainyl."

"I was fortunate, Highest."

"We have not talked since you returned from Lyterna, Dainyl. We've been somewhat preoccupied. What did you think of what you learned there?" asked the High Alector of Justice.

"Some of it, sir, I knew," replied Dainyl carefully. "There was much I did not know."

"Asulet knows more about life-forming and lifeforce than perhaps any alector in our history here on Acorus. We are most fortunate to have had him guiding us."

"He is most knowledgeable, and he was most instructive."

"You have seen much of Acorus over the years, Dainyl. What do you think about our progress in building lifeforce mass?"Dainyl kept his expression pleasant and a tight rein on his emotions and shields, even as he wondered why the Highest was more interested in Lyterna than Dramur. "I would not be the one who could best judge, but I would say matters are progressing more slowly than might have been hoped."

Zelyert laughed, a hearty booming expression. "You are so tactful!

'More slowly than might have been hoped!' So delightfully droll." His voice dropped into a lower tone, one almost sad. "And so unfortunately true.