"I am Zical." He gave no other information, remaining silent, waiting-a measure of control that again made proud Dora proud to be with him.

"I, Avanti, am your appointed protector of life. I will do my best to defend you."

The woman's tone revealed a measure of frustration.

"Defend us? I don't understand."

"Of course you don't, but all will be explained soon." Avanti gazed past Zical to the others inside the ship. "Gather your people. I'll take you to... where you will stay until your trial. Lack of cooperation will be dealt with by immediate execution."

Zical motioned for them to join him. As much as Dora wanted to be by his side, she held back, waiting until others surged forward so she could remain next to Kirek, hiding the boy as best she could. Out here, with vehicles surrounding them, Kirek couldn't possibly sneak away. So she kept him close.

As Avanti turned and led them toward one of the pink stone buildings that surrounded the landing, field, blending with the cityscape beyond, Dora marvelled at the quiet. Most s.p.a.ceports tended to be noisy. S did cities. But she heard no skimmer engines, although she saw flying machines overhead. She heard no talking, no vehicular 119.

movement, so although she was at the back of the pack, she could clearly hear Avanti's dire news.

"Your people are charged with treason against the Kwadii. The crime is serious."

She paused for a moment, seeming almost reluctant to say more, then continued. "Even as much as a century ago, you would have been executed in hypers.p.a.ce. However my people, the Selgrens, have convinced others that the Kwadii should have become more enlightened, you are ent.i.tled to a trial."

Zical kept his tone his tone casual as if he were discussing what he would eat for breakfast. "We have never been here before. If we have violated your laws-"

"I'm sorry." Avanti's tone remained formal, her tone sympathetic. "Unfortunately, ignorance is no excuse. Our Risorian law does not provide for exceptions. At the trial I will defend you to the best of my ability, and my ability is considerable."

"You said we are charged with treason." Zical kept his tone even.

"Yes."

"What exactly did we do?"

"You travelled through hypers.p.a.ce. That is not permitted."

"Why?"

Avanti's profile softened with sympathy. "According to our laws, it matters not."

"It matters to me."

As they left the ship, Dora turned back to see Kwadii boarding the Verazen. Like Avanti, the men wore little more than a loincloth and sandals. Dora spied no weapons, yet military bearing and discipline implied these men were warriors.

As the swarmed inside the hull, Dora wondered if they'd examine the Verazen or take her apart atom by atom. And if Ranth still survived in the vault, would they find him? She hoped that after they examined the ship, they might turn off the dampening field, freeing the computer, but she considered that possibility unlikely. These Kwadii struck her as efficient people that left no detail unnoticed, and she shivered despite the heat.

"Any journey through hypers.p.a.ce leaves a trail."

"So?"

"Your trail through our quadrant might draw our enemy's attention to Kwadii,"

Avanti explained.

"You are at war?" Zical asked.

"Not at the moment, but we must guard against a from a ruthless enemy that drove us from our homeworld Kwadii. Our people are determined that our enemy shall not find us again through your hypers.p.a.ce trail."

Dora had no idea how long ago the Kwadii had settled this world, but as she recalled the view of great cities from s.p.a.ce, she'd seen little signs of recent building 120.

activity. But the stone buildings gave the planet an ageless feel. The cities could have been erected in the last century, or over a thousand years ago.

"I know what it is like to lose a homeworld.'' Zical wisely brought up what their people had in common. "Rystan was invaded and my people also resettled."

Avanti sighed, almost as if she did not agree with her people's edict. "Then you understand why my people set into law that we most rigorously protect ourselves. For all we know, you are enemy spies, sent here to a.s.sess our state of preparedness."

"If you examine our computer systems, you will see that we are not in league with your enemy."

"We will examine your ship, but I fear the evidence will not prove much in our court of law. The data in a computer system is only as valid as the computer specialist who enters the data," Avanti countered, without breaking her pace.

"Then how can we prove that we mean Kwadii no harm?"

"You can't. But I promise I will fight hard for you. This policy was set eons ago out of fear. It is time for change."

Dora listened to the conversation with growing trepidation. The Kwadii sounded fanatical, and fanatics often believed that any compromise was weakness. Yet Dora had caught overtones of sympathy at Avanti's intonation, but perhaps that was the alien translators and had nothing to do with the woman's personal feelings on the matter.

However, to Dora it seemed almost as if Avanti were spouting a line of propaganda that she didn't believe.

Dora was far from giving up hope. Zical could be most persuasive. He'd convinced Tessa to fund this mission and the Federation to go along with the plan, then convinced the scientists to join him. She had confidence that if any man could find a way to extricate them from Kwadii, that man was Zical.

They entered a large building. Inside the air was cooler and the decor reminded Dora of many s.p.a.ceport terminals. Benches, gates, booths for flight personnel. Except this site lacked other people. The kiosks were closed, the lights bright, with no place for Kirek to hide. Up ahead, Zical continued to speak with Avanti, and Dora was certain that while he spoke he was a.s.sessing and a.n.a.lyzing escape routes.

Kirek tugged on Dora's hand and she leaded down to hear his whisper. ''Behind us."

At his words she glanced over her shoulder. A man to the rear of their group, one of Dr. Laduna's scientists, bolted from the others and attempted to duck out a side door.

"Return to us," Zical ordered.

Lacking the discipline of the crew, the scientist kept running. The scientists paused to watch, their faces excited and with hope.

When the man touched the door, a laser beam sliced across the terminal, lopping off his head. At the sickening sight of the headless tody crumbling, spattered blood, and the head rolling across the floor, Dora swallowed hard. One of the woman scientists 121.

screamed, her hand covering mouth her mouth at the grisly sight, and another man led her away, his arm over her shoulders.

"I regret the loss, of life. But please remember, I did warn you." Avanti kept walking through the building, her pace steady, but Dora saw her bottom lip quiver, another telltale sign that she didn't necessarily agree with how her people treated strangers. They had no choice but to move on and leave the fallen scientist behind.

Dora could see by the fury in Zical's eyes that he wanted to protest, but he swallowed down angry words, again setting an example for them to follow. No wonder Avanti didn't fear them. With lasers hidden in the walls, at the first sign of escape or of violence, the Kwadii would slice off the offenders head.

If not for Zical's orders, they could all be dead. He'd been wise not to fight, astute not to try to escape without first a.s.sessing their circ.u.mstances. His decision had saved everyone who'd obeyed his orders, including Kirek. Stars. If Kirek had tried to escape, he would be dead. Dora couldn't bear to think of his little body... dead, left behind with no one to perform a ritualistic offering over him, and her stomach churned.

Again Kirek tugged Dora's hand Again she leaned, "The lasers are computer- generated. I can hide from them."

She wanted to beg him not to try. After what they just observed, she suspected these people wouldn't hesitate to shoot a child. But staying with the rest of them didn't promising either. So she asked. "You're sure?"

Kirek nodded and kept his voice low. "I can feel the machines as easily as you feel my hand."

"Okay." Despite her fear, she would stay with Zical's plan, even if the danger seemed to keep escalating. However, they had no way of knowing if their voices were being picked up by recording devices, if the aliens were listening right now and coldly plotting Kirek's demise in some other fashion, and she couldn't stop worrying.

They exited the terminal and trudged toward a large hovercaft with no windows.

Once again armored vehicles with guns pointed at them prevented escape-only smaller motorized carts, carrying tools, spare parts, cargo and luggage, rolled by. Kirek squeezed her hand tight, his way of saying goodbye, then he worked his way to the edge of their group.

Dora held her breath and forced her head straight ahead. She would not give him away, but tears misted her eyes.

When a parts cart rolled away from the s.p.a.ce pad behind them, she glimpsed the boy as he leaped onto the cart. Dora let out her breath, watching from her peripheral vision and d.a.m.ning her eyes that only saw in the forward direction. Tense, expecting Kirek's body to be struck down at any moment, she kept walking forward. When he ducked behind some crates and nothing dire happened, Dora slowly resumed her normal breathing and wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand.

Zical and Avanti had taken their seats on the hovercraft when she climbed inside.

Already missing Kirek, Dora prayed for his continued safety, that somehow the child 122.

would survive by himself on a world full of strangers. Before taking the seat behind Zical their gazes met and she nodded slightly.

Her silent message conveyed that Kirek was on his own. She didn't know whether to be elated that he'd deceived the Kwadii, sad that he was no longer among his own people, or grateful that he wouldn't have to undergo a trial. But Zical's calm nod stiffened her resolve to stay composed.

"Where are we going?' Zical asked Avanti.

"To a holding facility where we will prepare your defence. Your people will be given food, clothing, and medicine. I will see to it that you are well treated during your confinement."

''And how long until the trial?"

"Two days. I cannot delay. That is the time allotted by custom did given by the Kwadii Council to prepare. However, you should know that I have spent years studying our laws." Avanti raised for chin and spoke with pride, but there was a glimmer of anger in her gaze that Dora didn't understand. "And I am very good at what I do."

"This trial, is it public?" Zical asked.

"Yes. And if we lose, so will be your execution."

"Execution?"

"The penalty for treason against the Kwadii is death."

Everyone heard Avanti's words. One of the woman scientists fainted. Several men swore. Zical's crew remained steady as Dora battled with fear and anger. Anger won.

"If you fear our hypers.p.a.ce trail leading to your enemy to you, why don't the Kwadii simply keep us on your world?" Zical asked.

"I made that very argument myself during another trial and won a reprieve. The Kwadii graciously allowed all strangers to settle among us, but when they tried to escape, killing many of us during the attempt, our ruling council decided that being merciful was too risky."

"How often do you win the release of your clients?" Zical asked, clearly trying, to a.s.sess their chances.

Avanti's lips tightened. "I have never won. The laws are against us. But I am determined that the outcome of your trial will be different."

"We appreciate your help." Zical hesitated. "But is our position any different from that of others you have defended?"

"I'm afraid not," Avanti admitted. "But that won't prevent me from trying to save you and your people.

Avanti's determination was evident, but it sounded as if her best would not be good enough lo save them. Dora stared forward, caught Zical's gaze, and was rea.s.sured by his barely perceptible nod and an answering tenacity in his eyes. He had not given up. And neither would she.

123.

Kirek rode the cart to a storage facility where robots reloaded vehicles. He hopped off and looked around, hoping to spot something to drink. The heat on this world already him sweating and his stomach didn't feel too good since he'd left Dora and the others behind.

He spied lots of machine parts, plastic pipe, tools and seeds, no doubt exports to send offworld, but nothing remotely edible. Since this facility appeared fully automated, he didn't worry about anyone spotting him, but robots didn't require drinking water or air-conditioning.

Hot and sweaty, he watched the robots load carts that returned to the s.p.a.ceport Eventually, supplies had to come in and he planned to leave after the robots offloaded the exports. Searching for another option, he circled the building's, perimeter, but a walk across the open tarmac toward the city in the hot sun would leave him too exposed to discovery.

He went back inside and found what appeared to be a communications terminal.

He wondered if he could use it to send a message back to Mystique, but decided not to try. As much as he wanted to send one more message to his mother and father, he couldn't risk detection. Besides, likely the technology wouldn't match. And right now, his only chance to avoid capture was secrecy.

But as the hours pa.s.sed and the lining of his throat grew more and more parched, he decided he might not make it through another stifling day without water. If a supply truck didn't come during the night, he'd try to walk to the city. Not for the first time, Kirek longed for adult-sized legs. But wishing for a stronger body was as useless as wishing he were back at home with Miri. He napped in a corner and dreamed of his mom's sweet biscuits., his dad's powerful arms around him.

Kirek awakened in darkness. Around him he sensed more than heard the endless stocking of carts. He went outside relieve his bladder and glimpsed a huge skimmer approaching. He quickly took care of business. Surprised to see how swiftly the skimmer arrived, he ducked back into the warehouse.

If the slimmer's interior cargo bay was full, it would take hours until the robots unloaded, so Kirek didn't rush when the vehicle tripped mechanical doors and floated into building. Although he suspected the entire process was automated, he didn't want to stupidly risk walking right up to a Kwadii that would take him captive.

So he waited, concerned about the cramping in his legs due to lack of water. He needed to hydrate his body. An adult would have been able to go longer without fluid intake, but he was already weakening. Hot and grungy, wary, a desperate need for water drove him toward the giant skimmer. Robots busily unloaded cargo and Kirek realized that if he intended to depart in the skimmer he had to figure out a way inside.

The skimmer's cargo hold rested on an enormous rubberized balloon of air. With the balloon side too slick to climb, he needed to find a Ladder. But of course there were 124.

none. The robots possessed extended cranelike arms of steel to reach into the interior and extract the exports. And Kirek saw nothing going in that he could ride.

There was no other way. He'd have to climb the robot, scoot out on the arm, and pray that the drop to a landing wouldn't be so high that he'd break bones. Kirek didn't like heights. He really didn't like physical exertion. But he liked the idea of his skin shriveling up and his dying of thirst even less.

When a robot went by, he counted.

One. He teased his cramping legs.

Two. He lunged two quick steps.

Three. He leaped.

And caught a crossbar with one hand. His sweaty fingers slipped. His heart raced and he kicked, frantic to secure a toehold and prevent himself from sliding under the robot's tracks.

You can do it. He could hear his father Etru talking to him, telling him that the mind could overcome the weakness of body.

Sharp metal dug into his fingers. Kirek ignored the pain and swiveled until he found a toehold. It seemed as though he'd dangled for minutes, hot when he checked the robot's position, he realized only seconds had pa.s.sed. The robot was still unloading the cart giving him time to climb.

He had to reach the robot's arm before it returned to the huge skimmer and the arm extended. No way could he crawl that far without falling. He had to be on the end of the arm ride his way inside.

Clinging to the robot's body, he told himself not to look down. Instead, he tilted back his head, raised one arm, and grabbed the bar above. Next he found a toehold.

Arm leg, arm, leg. Hand over hand, he climbed higher.