Kirek joined the scientists and Dr. Laduna scooped the boy into his arms. And Zical's crew moved toward him as if sensing this might be their chance to free him. But they'd never arrive in time.

"Tirips's Oracle," the crowd chanted. People screamed and fainted.

Oracle? Cold metal lowered to his neck. Zical clenched his jaws, determined not to scream in pain.

The blade stopped sawing, barely bit into his skin. The pain was minimal. Blood dripped down his stinging neck, but be was very much alive.

Suddenly Zical felt a woman's hands helping to free him. Dora's hands. She untied him, and her tears of grief turned to joy. Then she was holding him, hugging him, kissing him.

Zical tucked her under his chin, confused about the sudden change of events.

"What happened?"

"I smashed the critical circuits."

He grinned "Good thinking. Thanks."

She'd stopped his execution. During the chaos and confusion, she'd reached him before any of his more experience crew. Bravely, she'd fought through the crowd, and he owed her his life. Dora had saved him.

Bui why hadn't the Kwadii soldiers stopped her? And then as a hooded cleric grabbed the microphone and spoke a prayer from the podium, he finally understood.

The Risorian believed Kirek was holy. According to the cleric's words Kirek had exhibited G.o.dlike vigor. The Risorians apparently believed the Federation people were the Oracle's disciples. They would be spared.

But the Selgrens disagreed that Kirek was Tirips's Oracle-hence the rioting. And Avanti hurried to him and Dora, her expressive eyes full of concern. "Nothing Like this has ever happened. You've been spared, but as glad as I am see that you will live, many Selgrens do not believe in Tirips."

"What are you saying?" Zical asked.

Avanti bit her bottom lip. "On Kwadii it's often difficult to tell who is a friend and who is an enemy. Be careful. Be wary. Trust no one."

While Avanti's pleasure that their lives had been spared appeared genuine, she obviously didn't believe Kirek was Tirips's Oracle. As usual, people believed what they wanted to believe. The Risorians had deemed Kirek Tirips's Oracle, yet after witnessing the same event, Avanti's Selgrens wanted to destroy the boy, just like they wanted to destroy the Risorians belief that kept them in poverty.

Zica1 didn't know what to think. Kirek had walked through the force field that would have killed a normal person. Thanks to Kirek's ability to avoid registering on machines, they weren't going to die. They might have the chance to finish their mission.

158.

The scientists and his crew had protectively surrounded Kirek, welcoming him back with great smiles of joy. Despite the death sentence on their heads, they sensed they would now live due to Kirek's actions. The force fields that had previously trapped them now kept them safe from rioting chaos around the arena. Dora and Zical pushed their way past confused soldiers back to their people. Dora kept her arm around Zical's waist as if she couldn't bear to release him, and Zical picked up Kirek.

"You were very brave, little man," Zical told the boy.

Kirek flung his arm around Zical, careful not to touch his wounded neck, and buried his face in his shoulder. "These Kwadii scare the pee out of me."

Dora laughed, her tone light.

Zical shook his head and grinned. "Me too. Thanks for showing up at exactly the right time."

Around the arena, the soldier gained control over the violence. Many Risorians celebrated and prayed, yet clearly many Selgrens remained disbelievers, Deckar ordered a cordon of solders around Zical, Dora, Kirek, their crew, and the scientists, and the soldiers escorted them past the force fields from the arena.

Although Zical's relief that they'd lived to continue their mission was as great as that of his crew's, he'd already begun to plan for the future. Zical wished to go directly to their ship and leave Kwadii before anyone discovered that Kirek was a brilliant boy with the power to remain unaffected by scanners and sensors due to his birth in hypers.p.a.ce.

But Zical didn't have an opportunity to speak with Deckar for several hours. Their happy group had been bundled into a military transport vessel and whisked across the city. Many of the scientists who had been seemingly stoic about upcoming deaths now cried with happiness. Others said little, the emotional burden and shock stunning them to silence. However, almost everyone had thanked and praised Kirek for his bravery and the kid was all smiles, but appeared weary.

They arrived at a military compound about an hour later. Soldiers made them comfortable in new quarters very similar to the ones they'd previously occupied.

Supposedly the guards were now there to protect them against Selgrens who would wish them harm, Selgrens who didn't want the Risorians to gain more political power due to new converts who'd witnessed the miracle of the Oracle. But when Zical had asked for weapons to defend themselves, the captain of the guard had refused his request, saying his men would protect them.

Located outside the city, the compound was made up of several bunkers, apparently a refueling stop for automated convoys, and Zical suspected they were now even farther from his ship than they'd been since landing. Yet his hope to reboard his ship was high.

These quarters were perhaps more comfortable, but no less confining. The captain of the guard had requested they remain indoors for their safety. Zical wondered if they'd be shot if they tried to leave. At the moment, he wasn't willing to test how far 159.

their new status would take them, especially since hiding in the open pasture and fields that surrounded the compound would be difficult.

However, as they'd entered the fenced and shielded facility, he'd noted the coming and going of many vehicles. And he made note of the entrances and exits, wondering if he and his people could escape on one of the transports. If only Dora could contact Ranth, the computer might be able program a skimmer to take them back to the ship.

He put the idea on hold until he'd gathered more information. Meanwhile, grateful to be alive, with a new opportunity to finish his task, he tried not to believe that they'd become a different kind of prisoner. When Deckar invited his crew and scientists to dinner in a large conference room, Zical accepted, eager to find out if they were finally free to leave.

"Welcome, my friends and most holy Oracle." Deckar crossed his wrists over his heart as he acknowledged Kirek. "Please forgive our earlier misunderstanding. We did not hear your words until Tirips showed your power."

"Then you now agree to see us on our way?" Zical asked, finding it difficult to put aside the bitter taste in his mouth. Deckar had almost had him executed. If not for Dora's quick thinking and Kirek's stunt, Zical would not be sipping a gla.s.s of wine or about to partake of the feast laid out on table. That Deckar had switched sides was due to his religious beliefs and Zical couldn't trust the man's sudden about-face.

This hour, Deckar believed Kirek was the Oracle. Who knew what he'd believe tomorrow?

Deckar spoke. "According to the scrolls, Tirips's Oracle must stay to help the Risorians convert the nonbelievers. You cannot leave."

Chapter Fifteen.

Kirek leaned forward. "Converting the nonbelievers is your task. Not ours."

Dora appreciated how Kirek emphasized that they were all in this together. He'd saved them all, a child, a brave and valiant soul. She couldn't seem to stop touching the boy. With her hand on his shoulder, she smiled down on him with proud affection, glad he'd done so well on his own. The nod of his head and the way he forced his eyes open indicated he was about to fall asleep on his feet, and she suspected he'd had little or no rest the previous nights. And when she tousled his hair and found, a lump on his scalp, she wondered how much he'd suffered while alone.

"Oracle I plead to differ," Deckar flipped a switch and several holoscreens revealed riots. "This is Baniken." Deckar's somber tone emphasized the images of the city.

Selgrens had taken over the streets, looting shops in the local markets. Any unlucky Risorian they caught suffered in the ensuing violence. In one clip, a group of Selgrens surrounded a skimmer, overturned it with their bare hand, and beat the unlikely occupants with b.l.o.o.d.y fists as they tried to escape. In another image authorities moved into the unruly crowd, spraying the rioters with chemical deterrents that froze the rioters in place until another squad collected the bodies. Yet another screen showed a group of kids dancing on the property of a wealthy Risorian homeowner who pulled out a weapon and fired, leaving three children dead and four others wounded.

Apparently Kirek had set off a storm of religious controversy that was tearing the different factions apart. The Selgrens, nonbelievers in Tirips, worked hard and played hard. They resented the Risorians who owned the land and who in their opinions did little but try to better themselves in Tirips's eyes and who lived off Selgren hard labor.

Kirek's appearance on Kwadii was like setting fine to rocket fuel, igniting explosive undercurrents.

"We need your help, holy Oracle," Deckar pleaded, his voice commanding and grave.

Dora stepped forward and tucked Kirek under her arm. Her every protective instinct was out in astonishing force. Kirek had saved the Federation people this day and the haughty Kwadii had no right to demand the boy's help. "The Oracle is exhausted. He needs rest."

Deckar frowned. "But-"

"He must rest," Dora repeated, and not waiting for permission to leave, escorted Kirek from the conference room before anyone tried to stop her.

161.

"Thank you." Kirek held her hand tightly, and once they were out of view, Dora picked him up and carried him to his new quarters down a long hallway. Although guards were posted at the exits, she suspected there might hidden mechanical listening devices but had seen no evidence of them. While she didn't want to pester Kirek with questions when he so clearly needed sleep, one question nagged. After she reached his room, she decided a full shower could wait until morning and settled for washing his face with a soft cloth. She tucked covers around him, and sat by his side. Keeping her voice easy and gentle and low, she pried, "What were you thinking to accomplish when you walked through that a force field."

"I'd heard about the Oracle earlier today. After I won credits a local carnival, we had to run away from authorities."

"We?"

"I joined a group of kids to avoid detection."

"That was smart."

"We hid in a Risorian place of worship, a lepach, the First House. A high cleric made us welcome, offered us water to drink, and told us stories. One legend was how Tirips's Oracle would walk through the field of death to prove his singularity."

"And if you'd failed?" she asked, amazed that he'd planned the effect he'd had on the audience. Still, the risk been great.

"I knew I could nullify the force field."

"I meant, what if you'd failed to convince the Kwadii that you were the Oracle?'

"Then we would have been together."

Troubled, she smoothed the covers. "You would have died with us."

"Better than living alone." His eyes fluttered closed but his tone remained sure.

"Kirek, you could have had a good life here. You would have made new friends."

"It would not have been the same."

She leaned forward, and kissed his brow, shaken by his words. "No. It wouldn't have been the same. Thank you for saving us."

Dora doubted the child heard her. His breaths had turned deep and even, his pulse steady and slow. But he'd made her think about human bonds, which were not so simple to understand. The strongest bonds seemed to be those formed early in life and those of blood and shared exploits that involved life-and-death encounters, undoubtedly bonds made stronger due to the shared intensity of emotions. It wasn't necessarily logical, but it was there all the same.

If she'd been stranded, on this world, she would have probably made a new life and new friends. But not a friend like Tessa. It didn't matter if she and Tessa couldn't speak spend time together for months or years. When they did reunite, their friendship would pick back up exactly where they'd left off, with no awkward silences, no fears about being accepted, for exactly who each of them was. Their friendship would withstand the test of separation over decades because the bonds they'd forged were stronger than 162.

bender. A new friend would never have known the old Dora who'd been a computer, would never know her in the same way that Tessa did.

This child had taken up residence in a corner of Dora's heart due to his goodness, his willingness to risk his life, she wanted to protect and coddle him in return. Were these maternal instincts evolving from her human DNA? She didn't know. But he was precious, precocious, and she knew the attachment forming between them would last a lifetime. If he ever needed her, she would be there, without hesitation.

And what of her connection with Zical? She had him when she was still a computer and had formed an initial friendship that had not only deepened overtime but that had broadened in scope to include a physical side. Making love had been one of the most treasured, experiences of her life. And she wanted more. Move physical bonding, more emotional bonding.

But what did he want?

Would he have made love if he hadn't believed they were about to die? She didn't know. The man was stubborn, but now that he'd had a taste of what they could be together, would he push her away again and attempt to revert to their former relationship? Or would he agree that they to spend more time together to determine if they were a good fit?

Thoughtful, Dora stayed with the sleeping child, reluctant to leave him alone. Not the least bit hungry, she had no desire to return to the conference room to eat. She'd suffered enough stress for one day and didn't need to listen to more endless debates.

Earlier, when Zical had been about to die, she'd been almost resigned to their fate.

But the moment she sensed she could save him, she'd been frantic to stop the machine.

She'd thought her heart would burst through her chest as she shoved past people, furious at the confusion that made the soldiers so slow to obey orders. She'd knocked aside one man with an elbow jab to the ribs, kicked another who'd tried to hold her back, using techniques that Tessa had taught her. Of course, without her suit, the skills were not nearly as effective, but her adrenaline had kicked in, giving her superior strength.

At that moment, when she feared she wouldn't stop the blade in time, she would have gladly traded places with Zical. He meant so much to her that she would have given her life for his. She had no idea if the strong emotion was love. Love wasn't supposed to make one hurt, but at the time, she could feel Zical's pain as if it were hers.

She'd seen the blade slice Zical's neck a moment before she'd smashed the circuits.

When she saw his blood, an overwhelming fear that she'd been too late crackled down her spine. Her legs turned all rubbery. Later, the knowledge he would live had brought her such joy that she'd shaken and cried with happiness.

The turn of events and the emotional highs and lows had left her as exhausted as little Kirek. In Kirek's bathing room, she removed her toga, showered, and crawled under the covers on her living quarters sofa, wishing Zical were here to enclose her in his strong embrace.

163.

She wondered if he would come to her. Closing her eyes, she was certain she would dream of him, dream of his handsome grin, his sparkling alexandrite eyes, and his mouth closing over hers.

"Dora. Wake up." Zical wasn't sure whether it was the urgency in his voice or perhaps his strong grip on her shoulders that awakened her. While he would never hurt her, he was too upset to be gentle. Luckily, she was one of the people who merely needed to open her eyes and her brain was already in gear.

"What's wrong?" She sat up, letting the sheet drop to her waist and grabbed her sarong. "Won't the Risorians let us go?"

"Kirek is missing."

She raced through the open door to where Kirek had be sleeping. The room was empty.

Her fingers fumbled with the knot at her waist as she dressed. Her big violet eyes flared with red alarm, leaving no doubt of her outrage. "What to you mean, he's missing?"

"After the Risorians insisted that the Oracle make an appearance on the holovid to ask for a cessation of violence, I went to wake Kirek. When he wasn't here with you in your quarters. I thought he might be with the crew, but he wasn't, so I returned to wake you."

"I left him sleeping." Ignoring her sandals, Dora skidded into her sleeping room.

Perhaps Kirek had warned to shower and didn't want to risk waking her. But he wasn't in her bath. Dora's hands clutched her hands into fists, her face pale with worry.

"Maybe he's visiting with-"

Zical shook his head. "I checked with Dr. Laduna too. He's not with the scientists.

He's not in this compound. And the guards claimed no one has gone in or out."

"d.a.m.n it," Dora swore, using curses she'd picked up the over the centuries and whose origin he did not benow. "I was sleeping so deeply. I should have stayed awake -"

"That's ridiculous." Zical read the fear in her eyes, a fear that matched his own. He tried to comfort her. "You couldn't have known someone would take him."

Although the boy had as intelligence as high as any adult's. Dora had mothered him and he'd responded to her like a son. Zical supposed the relationship had been good for both of them. In many ways they had a lot in common. Both possessed a keen intelligence that set them apart from the average person. In addition, both appeared to be outwardly normal, which wasn't indicative of their unique natures, Dora had been born as a computer and now lived as a human. Kirek was born in human form, but hypers.p.a.ce had enhanced his capabilities. Between his powerful psi and his extraordinary IQ, he'd never really been a child except physically. "While Dora still bonded with her machines and Kirek avoided the machines' sensors, they'd become 164.

true friends. Both had unusual abilities that set there apart, so it was no wonder they'd taken to each other.