Casper and syrona were not as lucky, but fell back on the fact that they were jon's crew, not hers.

With calculated reluctance, jon finally gave permission for her to visit the hulk of the pootheg.

"Once she sees the gouges in the hull, she should be able to realize that the ship could never have been repaired this side of the main mars yard," jon said.

"Especially since we couldn't even get the cladding off to be used where it would do some good here," casper added.

"It'll be a relief to have her out of the way," Nimisha said.

"She's beginning to get on everyone's nerves." meterios had gone through the broken bird wreck with brad karpla-or rather those areas of it humans could access.

Karpla had been keen to see what sort of weapons the ship had mounted.

Jon had explained that, according to the sh'im, they had carried only asteroid deterrents, but meterios and karpla had to make a hands-on verification. Since the "cannon" had been situated in the now-broken nose of the ship, they were inaccessible. Karpla could find no other defensive or offensive gear and came back rather grumpy after a hot day's climbing through the wreck.

"She got real dirty," tim announced with a massive grin on his face. What he didn't say, and which the adults knew from other sources, was that he and his particular sh'im cronies had shadowed the pair.

"Captain meterios? Dirty?" Nimisha said, feigning surprise. "That would have been worth seeing." "No," tim replied. "She was real angry, too, and we kept out of her way." "just as well, or you'd be in for another chewing out," Nimisha said. In meterios's opinion, children should be seen and never heard. Tim usually ordered his sh'im gang about in a voice that a drill sergeant would have envied.

I don't know how she keeps her uniforms in such impeccable condition, but she always turns herself out properly," syrona said, trying hard to find something positive to say about the woman. Nesta meterios was not a tall woman-just making the height required by naval regulations-and skinny, rather than thin. She might have been attractive if she'd tried to emphasize a finely textured skin and rather large eyes and if she'd chosen a more flattering hairstyle.

"Does it herself, I'm told," casper said. "Not that those uniforms would last long if she were working the way we are." "Not that she'd ever demean herself to do so," Nimisha said.

Meterios had elected to go on the mission to the pootheg, reassembling the entire crew complement of the acclarke at a time when jon, Nimisha, and casper had been counting on the extra hands to help raise a windmill to power a new well. The only person who went willingly, in fact, was valina kelly, who wanted to scan the night skies on that side of the planet. Meterios had been difficult about including a "civilian" on a naval expedition until dr. Qualta intervened and reminded meterios that after all valina's official and top-priority clearance to be a member of the wormhunter space station guaranteed that she was cleared for a minor reconnaissance operation.

When the acclarke lifted at dawn, Nimisha happened to be up, soothing a fractious son. Bouncing him on her shoulder, she hurried into the pilot compartment.

"Helm, are you in constant contact with the acclarke's AI?" "Yes, lady Nimisha. We have established a permanent link.

I can screen their progress for you, if you wish."

I do. Keep it up at all times on the b screen and please inform me of any untoward occurrence you two may notice." "Yes, ma'am." later that day, Nimisha cornered jon for a quiet conversation with him over the disruptive presence of captain nesta meterios.

"I want her out of here before cuiva arrives," she said.

Jon raised his eyebrows in surprised query. "Why then?" "I'd have to invite her to cuiva's necklacing, and it be damned if I'll give the woman that satisfaction." jon chuckled. "We don't like her, do we?" "No," Nimisha said flatly. "This is our adventure, venture, colony, world, whatever, and her attitude could affect our relations with the sh'im. They're not stupid." "We can't just send her off on the acclarke," he protested.

"Why not? Helm would get her back." "True enough, but her xo doesn't think she received any new orders in the packet he handed over." Nimisha considered that. "And she's not the personality to do anything without orders to cover her butt. I'm surprised she went to the wreck." "I'm not," jon said with a wry chuckle. "She's going to do all she can to find fault with me or casper or syrona. She's welcome to. We are different branches of service, and what holds for a courier does not hold for an explorer." "Then how is she trying to fault you?" "Misuse of naval property." "You used it to survive, didn't you? Which you once told me was your second operational procedure." I did and it is, and on those grounds she cannot fault me. But that sort of personality has got to try." Nimisha let out an exasperated sigh. "Well, we have to do something about her. I'm not having her at cuiva's necklacing."

"I agree, love" jon said. "Too bad the rest of the crew is so nice-with the exception of that flat-faced toady, karpla. He takes an altogether unholy delight in hunting. Tim says his wholesale slaughter goes against sh'im notions." "That's what casper said, too." "May I suggest a way out of the difficulty?" doc said.

Nimisha swung round. "You have one?" "If you're looking for answers, you find them," he said at his most sententious. "What exactly were captain meterios's orders?" jon and Nimisha regarded each other. "Helm, ask acclarke's helm the exact wording of meterios's original orders." yes, ma'am," was the quick response. "I quote 'captain met Ilerios, naval id "skip the heading, helm, and get to the essence of the orders," Nimisha said.

"Is to maintain the acclarke courier vessel, 4cg 2440, in constant readiness at all times. To launch the specially constructed probe the instant the wormhole should appear. To instantly pulse a message of its reappearance flash override to fleet headquarters on vega in. To maintain the beacon and all drone beacons in the assigned patrol area. To assist as required the scientific personnel on the space station. If feasible to traverse the wormhole and acquire sufficient stellar spectrum analyses to establish proper coordinates in the space grid. To establish, if at all possible, the current location of lady Nimisha Boynton-Rondymense. To return at top speed with all pertinent information regarding the wormhole for analysis and dissemination." those are the orders. Shall I prepare hard copy?" "Yes, but I think we have the one we want," jon said, rubbing his hands together with a gleeful expression on his face. "She has not 'returned at top speed with all pertinent information for analysis and dissemination' and is therefore delinquent in her duty we've got her."

"Undoubtedly, because top speed is going to take her four years," Nimisha said.

"Unless she plans to go back the way she came in the next five, that'd be my assessment.,, "four years is not so long," Nimisha added, delighting in the prospect of how bored meterios would be. "But I'd hate for her crew to have to go with her." "They needn't," doc said. "Acclarke's helm is as capable as ours in getting her back to vegan space. She wouldn't need the crew." "Yes, but she is their captain." "Hold it right there," jon said. "Helm, what orders govern the rest of the crew? Didn't globan say something about short tours of duty?" "He did, he did," Nimisha said.

"Technically speaking, they would be off duty at the end of those tours, whether or not they have been returned to base and a new assignment," jon said, rubbing his chin. "I'd have to check regs on that." " If you'll pardon me, commander," helm said, "you are correct in your assumption. Globan will have served the full four-month tour in another three weeks and five days. The others, with the exception of brad karpla, who is serving a year's tour as he is checked out on the special piggyback probe, would all shortly have been replaced. Several, in fact, are overdue for reassignment." "Meterios could argue that they are not in a position to be rotated in the normal fashion," jon said, thoughtfully, "and are therefore still nominally under her command. I outrank her, and exploration has the right to draft additional naval personnel to assist in emergency situations, but I don't fancy trying to argue the matter with her. She can stump me on some unknown paragraph in a footnote in new regs that I couldn't contest."

"I could, sir," helm said. "The latest updates were added to my memory banks by commander rustin on the orders of admiral gollanch." "That's good to know," Nimisha said.

"That would be useful if meterios happened to admit the infallibility of artificial intelligence." "She denies it?" doc said, indignantly. "Maybe I can help out here." "So globan says, and I'd hate to lose him. He's fitting in here so well. And we need more colonists. Almost none of the science crew want to leave-not with all these undocumented primaries and systems to be listed." he grinned. "Qualta's in heaven and hopes her rejuv will last long enough for her to complete the maps." "My orders," doc began firmly, "are to assist lady Nimisha in all matters." "Even to shanghaiing an officer off-planet?" Nimisha asked, chuckling.

"If need be." jon rubbed his chin again. "Orders would work best. She can't with direct orders." "she's already ignoring one of the specific orders she was given, jon." Nimisha said.

"True.

"It won't be long before rustin's here," jon said. "He can say he intercepted new orders for her at the pulse beacon." "Any information reaching the beacon is supposed to be forwarded to both helms," Nimisha reminded him.

"But, if you tell rustin what's been going on here, wouldn't he help?" "Does he know captain nesta?" Nimisha asked.

"Whose side would he be likely to pick? Yours or hers?"

"Point." Nimisha said, eyeing him askance. "I'd rather we covered that before caleb reaches erehwon." jon cocked his head at her and she shook hers.

"We were very good friends," she said, "but having met you..

"Propinquity is a decided advantage," he said, pulling her into his arms and grinning at her.

"And five children," she added.

"Will you hold that against me forever?" he asked with a chagrined expression.

"Now and then, perhaps," she admitted. "It's just as well we have the sh'im to take over, or my attitude would be considerably different." "You do have your implant operational, don't you?" he asked.

"As of the day I delivered the triplets." "Then shall we?" "I was wondering when you were going to get up the nerve to ask again." "Jon," she began later, "speaking of orders, can you be ordered away from here?" "Hell's bells, love I was on an exploratory mission that, with due modesty, I can say I have acquitted to the best of my ability.

As well as taking a cursory look at two other m-type planets in the immediate vicinity. I'm certain that we have a case for making erehwon the center for further investigations. Since my knowledge of the area is intimate, I might even get bumped up in rank to administration. Which would suit me admirably." "You want to be an admiral?" "That'd keep me in administration, which wouldn't hurt my feelings. Depends on how my initial reports and performance are received."

"Another good reason for getting meterios out of the picture and on a long and uninterruptible trip back," she said.

"I agree. I like erehwon. I like the life we've been carving out here. I love you." she stood up and curled her arms about his neck. "I rather thought you might, but do you realize that's the first time you've admitted it?" "Out loud." he curved his lips in a very tender smile. I rather thought you'd've guessed as much." "I did, but I'd rather hear you confirm the situation." "Then, lady Nimisha, I respectfully request a similar confession from you," he said softly into her ear, holding her very tightly.

"I do love you, commander jonagren svangel," she said softly, "though I certainly never expected to." "Well, you have designed the perfect long-distance yacht: you are free to set that inventive mind of yours to new challenges." "Hmmm. What a good idea." john gave her another long and deeply stirring kiss before he on swung his feet over the bed and reached for his discarded coverall.

I want to have a private word with some of meterios's crew. And dr. qualta." "And I think I'll just dash off a little note to await caleb's arrival at the beacon. Something about orders he's received for the acclarke." they'd have to be at the beacon," jon said, stamping into his boots. "Headquarters would have had word by now of the loss of the space station and the acclarke, but he wouldn't have any pulses while on is drive. So make it clear he's stripped them from the beacon now that it's been repaired and we can get messages to and from." "Dear heart, don't worry. I come from a very long line of devious women."

Her first instruction to helm used the cipher she and caleb had set up for private messages. He'd know to accept and read it by himself. In the opening paragraph, she suggested that the five b helm beam orders directly to captain meterios on four's comunit.

That would be less suspicious than for him to have documentation to give her. While a pulsed beam message carried no signature, caleb did know one of admiral gollanch's private codes to give authority to such new orders. By citing meterios as a xenophobe, she'd gain caleb's understanding of their need to rid the planet of her presence. A pulsed explanation would reach the admiral well in advance of the acclarke. She also asked caleb how to keep the useful crewmembers on erehwon. The long trip home under such a captain was likely to cause severe disciplinary problems. Since the original tour of duty had been four months, not much attention had been paid to matching psych profiles. With a helm to guide a ship through is drive, no human watch was actually required, and helm could always rouse the captain for any emergencies requiring human intervention. Not that Nimisha had much faith in meterios's ability to handle real emergencies. She must have exhibited some initiative to get to be a courier captain but Nimisha couldn't imagine it.

When jon returned, unable to check with all the people he wanted to speak to, she showed him her message.

In any case, we have her for not attempting to return back to base as her orders specifically state," he said. "Send it." she did, and marked off yet another day until she would see her daughter again. The waiting was worse now that cuiva was so close. While she had been busy, while she had been making a new life here on erehwon, and with jon, she had been able to censor painful thoughts and the realization that she had missed so much of cuiva's youth. And the necklacing. That was such an important moment in a girl's life. it had been in hers, when she was suddenly about to take her place in society and be allowed to talk to adults without waiting to be spoken to: to be grown-up! She only hoped that her dam had not constricted cuiva to what lady Rezalla thought was proper for a first family body-heir to learn. And in that, Nimisha would be to blame, having such an unusual interest stand up for any individual interests she might have developed.

as ship design. Cuiva would have had no one like lord tionel to well, lady Rezalla was fair ...

Chapter 11.

"we are emerging into normal space, captain rustin, in precisely nine minutes at my mark," helm said. "Mark." "About bloody time," was caleb's soft murmur.

He had risen well before time and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast before translation could occur. Kendra had joined him; since she was such a light sleeper, she woke no matter how carefully he had tried to slip out of the bed. He devoutly hoped that Nimisha would accept his new alliance without rancor. He suspected she would be sensible, but she'd been alone a long time. Would kendra understand ? Probably. They'd developed a very good rapport. Although the five b's initial orders had only covered a three-month trial run, he had been careful to match the sych profiles of all aboard the five b to form a good environment for cuiva's benefit. The result had been felicitous, if startling, when mareena favored gaitama and nazim and perdimia had paired off. He wondered how cuiva would take to that, but perdimia had made it clear to nazim that cuiva remained her first order of business. Since he was a rondymense employee, he accepted that equably.

Kendra joined caleb in the pilot compartment, slipping into the second seat and netting in. Translations out of interstellar drive were not likely to be as rough as entering, but this was totally unknown space. There had been bets that Nimisha, discovering herself alone in a strange section of the galaxy, had taken the obvious out and gone into cold sleep. So the fiver would be nearby. Knowing Nimisha better, caleb wagered that she'd been exploring-if that had been an option-since she was not the sort of person to avoid a challenge. They'd soon know, and caleb had helm plot reentry well away from the beacon so that, if the fiver were there, they'd not run into her.

Nine minutes can, seem a long time. Kendra was tapping her fingers on the armrest by the final second countdown. By then, the entire crew had gathered in the main lounge in the couches that had security straps.

"Eight ... seven ... six," helm's voice counted down, and then exactly on "one" they were out of the dark gray interspace and back into black space and a bewildering mass of unfamiliar stars.

Helm went into instant evasive action, veering away from a turnbled mass of twisted metal.

"Jasassssusss," kendra said, tightening her hold on the armrests . "That can't be the fiver!" caleb's heart had twisted violently at the fleeting view he'd had of the object, but a second's sober thought steadied his heartbeat.

Nimisha had managed to send pulsed messages. So what was that tangled mess of wreckage?

"Messages are pouring in from the beacon, commander, and analysis suggests that the debris is the remains of the wormhunter space station, not the fiver." "What the hell would the space station be doing on this side of the fragging wormhole?" caleb demanded.

"Latest messages first, captain," helm said. "From captain meterios-2' "meterios?" kendra's voice squeaked in dismay.

"of the acclarke courier stationed on the other side of the probable site of the wormhole." "She shouldn't have been drawn into it," caleb said. "Her position was a hundred thousand kilometers from Nimisha's beacon."

"How do we know that that wormhole has a stable point of entry?" ian hadley asked. "The space station wouldn't have stood a snowball's chance in hell if the wormhole opened within even fifty thousand kilometers of it. Can helm check to see if there are any pods in the wreckage?" "Later, later," caleb said. "Let's get the latest reports." "I shall screen the earlier ones in the lounge, sir," helm said.

"The acclarke reports that it saved eleven out of twelve pods, chief astronomer dr. qualta having sustained the worst injuries." "How did the acclarke weather the passage?" nazim asked excitedly. He had helped build the fours that vegan fleet had ordered.

"Later, later," caleb said again, shushing them. "Go on, helm." "Messages in the beacon indicate that the acclarke proceeded immediately to the coordinates left by lady Nimisha for the first of three m-type planets." "Nimisha went exploring?" caleb grinned, having won that bet.

"There are reports of her investigations, with commander jon svangel, of the other two m-type planets relatively close to the initial one. She has named it erehwon." "Erehwon?" kendra exclaimed.

"That's nowhere backward," cherry absin-hadley said with a grin. "Appropriate." "There is also an encrypted message for you, commander, which I will forward to your cabin," helm said. "Numerous pulsed messages have been sent back to vega, sir. Including the latest from captain meterios, dated five days ago, vegan time." "What's she still doing here?" caleb demanded in a rhetorical tone. "I know what orders the acclarke was given. In the event the courier got drawn into the wormhole, she was to ascertain if lady Nimisha was alive and then proceed with all possible speed back to vega."

"She would first have had to deposit the space station survivors wherever lady Nimisha is," kendra remarked. "The acclarke could not manage eleven more passengers." "In cold sleep it could," caleb said grimly. Because the entire complement of the five b's crew was listening, he did not voice his private thought: whatever had possessed anyone at vegan fleet command to give nesta meterios a tour of duty on the acclarke?

He answered himself: it was possibly one of the few places in which she could do the least damage, excluding the sudden appearance of the wormhole, which it should have had the speed to outrun. The acclarke helm had been programmed to take command in any emergency, including the reappearance of the wormhole. Nesta the nothing would have been merely a passenger.

While helm kept trying to present a coherent report, everyone had questions, especially about the world erehwon. Caleb wished to know who this commander jonagren svangel was. Mareena handed him hard copy access from fleet files, and consequently he learned that pootheg had been the last known ship missing in this general area. Captain panadus querine had been captain of record with it. Commander jonagren svangel listed as executive officer. The pootheg was an exploratory service vessel with a crew of ten. Caleb experienced intense relief that Nimisha had not been alone for nearly six years. Not that she wasn't capable of surviving by herself, but to have had company-and the pootheg had had a mixed crew-would have made her life there more agreeable.

Captain," kendra said suddenly, "they have made contact with"aliens also shipwrecked." "Aliens! Kendra grinned at the vehemence in his voice. "Sapient ones, too, since their ship crashed on erehwon." "Ship? Space-farers? How fascinating! Work for you, my sweet," ian said to his semantics-trained wife.

"Well, I never," was her astonished response, her green eyes sparkling with anticipation. "Oh, dear, I'd better see if I can locate the translators. I brought them along sort of as an afterthought.

Never for one moment thought I'd need them." "You signed cuiva off on their use, too, you know," ian called after cherry, who was running across the lounge. "We'll have plenty of time, honey - -." he shrugged as she continued on her way to find the equipment.

"Pretty good detail on the pulsed reports," gaitama called out, as she was the only one watching the screen in the lounge and the earliest reports. "Planet has some real nasty life-forms.

Mareena, come take a look." mareena joined the biology ensign in the lounge and gulped when she saw the size of the avians and the immense shaggy creatures. Nimisha had added a human figure to the image to show comparative size.

"Nimisha found other wrecks, not as lucky as the pootheg," she added, rewinding the tape to show those.

"That's ancient," nazim said. "Must have been first diaspora." "All right, crew. Helm has stripped the beacon of formal messages ," caleb said, half an eye on the screen as he delivered orders. "Helm's sending a pulse beam indicating our eta at erehwon.

They've put up an operational comsat so they'll know we've made a safe translation. I'm assuming that the acclarke has informed them of our imminent arrival." "An operational comsat?" kendra repeated with a respectful glare in her eye. "Well done." "Any crew member wishing to add a message to a pulse going back to vega in should have it ready in twenty minutes," caleb went on. "I don't intend to hang about here. We'll be resuming is drive in twenty minutes." "Hey, that's not long enough, caleb," nazim protested.

"Write your reams during is drive, nazim, and helm will relay them when we reach erehwon. Our first priority is to deliver our sleeping beauty to her mother as fast as possible." "Aye, aye, sir," was nazim's prompt reply, and he bolted down the corridor to his own cabin.

"Twenty minutes, nazim," caleb called after him.

"Helm, is there anything worth saving from that space station?" caleb asked.

"The metal and perhaps smaller objects," helm replied.

I shot a warning and light beacon over to it, captain," kendra said, "to ward off any possible collision." "Good idea," caleb said, as he netted in for translation. "Though why meterios neglected to do so is something I shall have a word with her about. I suspect there'll be more traffic rather than less if Nimisha's planet has aliens. just like her to find some." some people do have a knack of turning disaster into triumph ," kendra said with a mischievous grin.

"Nimisha certainly does," he agreed, and gave her hand on the armrest an affectionate squeeze.

Her ability to maintain a light touch was one of the qualities about her that caleb particularly enjoyed in their relationship. He'd never been quite sure when Nimisha was being humorous or subtly sarcastic; being able to relax with kendra had been an especial boon on this long voyage. She was also assiduous in separating their personal life from their professional.

"Fifteen minutes," caleb said over the com. "Sent your pulse, kennie?" "First in," she said.

"If you'll be good enough to send the official pulse to fleet headquarters, I'll have time to send lady Rezalla reassurance." she nodded and began to key in the obligatory notice while caleb, pausing to word his note carefully, sent a privately encrypted message to the boynton house. He discreetly commented that lady cuiva was enjoying excellent health, had completed all the lessons and tutorials sent for her instruction, and was looking forward eagerly to rejoining her mother.

"Translation in thirty seconds," helm announced and in the main lounge, caleb and kendra heard the scurry of people making for secure seating.

don't know what it is, karpla," doc said, and Nimisha had an image of lord naves stroking his chin and shaking his head in perplexity as he regarded the state of brad karpla's naked body under the plastic canopy. She could see the dust that oozed in little gouts from the pustules.

He had been complaining of a skin irritation for several days and, although he had seen the acclarke medic, when the irritation began to spread with alarming speed to cover even the soles of his feet, captain meterios had insisted that he consult the more sophisticated system. They had been a ludicrous pair on their entry, the smaller captain supporting the taller, heavier gunnery officer up the steps and to the diagnostic unit. Traces of the gray powder that the irritation exuded clung to her uniform, and she had asked permission to use the fiver's facilities to wash and brush it off.

"Use the farthest cabin, captain," Nimisha said. "The children are presently asleep in the two closer ones." "Where have you been, karpla?" doc went on, his extendibles busy brushing the powder onto slides, disclosing the odd boil-like pustules covering karpla's body.

"Hunting," karpla said, squirming on the couch in an attempt to ease the intolerable itching on his back. "Took a gang of the sh'im kids-with permission, sir," he added, craning his neck around to address jon, "to hunt in the mountains." "Did they warn you about any of the vegetation?" doc asked.

"well, I guess they did, but it was much quicker to go through the thickets. We'd spotted a covey of a-alli and you know what good eating they are. 'Sides, these coveralls are pretty impervious to most of the thorns and prickers this planet grows. Would you for mercy's sake stop the fraggin' itching, doc?" the gunnery officer's plea came out as a nearly hysterical invocation.

"I've already given you a broad antihistamine, karpla. It should be working," doc said. "Let me get some idea of what causes it, and I'll knock you out until we come up with a remedy. You'll skin yourself if you keep on doing that." karpla was writhing violently.

Jon could now see how karpla had scratched all over himself in an effort to ease the discomfort. His fingernails were bloody and broken, with the gray powder caked under them.

"That fragging thicket caused it. Nothing else on this fragging planet's bothered me. Has to be that." "Describe the plant?" "Jasssus, will you stop the itching!" "I must be sure no one else is caught out as you've been." karpla wailed in anxiety.

I suspect the sh'im tried to make karpla avoid the bushes.