'What did they say?' Sybil asked breathlessly the moment he was beyond hearing.

'We will negotiate.'

She'd expected as much and she still had to struggle with the churning fear that surged inside her. It was going to be worse if she had to go back. She'd shown them she'd never had any real intention of doing what they wanted. They'd ship her directly back and probably to jail.

Anka tapped her chin, forcing her to look up at him. 'Trust, nodia nodia. I will protect you whatever it takes.'

Sybil swallowed with an effort and nodded instead of telling him that putting himself in danger wouldn't make her happy either.

An elderly Sumpturian woman joined them when Sybil and Cerek made it to their garden project. Sybil had noticed her slow progress toward them and wondered at it. She hadn't realized the woman had them in her sights until she upended the empty bucket she'd carried out and sat down on it.

She looked Sybil over with frank curiosity and began to babble at her in her native tongue. Sybil stared at her dismay. 'I'm sorry. I don't understand your language.'

'She said we were doing this all wrong,' Cerek translated and then spoke to the woman.

The woman snorted in disgust.

'What did you tell her?'

'That you couldn't speak or understand hiutzu hiutzu.'

'I'm guessing that's your language? I suppose I should try to learn it,' she said a little doubtfully. Smiling at the older woman, she held out her hand. 'I'm Sybil Hunter.'

'We don't shake hands,' Cerek said in a low voice. 'You smile and bow politely.'

Sybil reddened. 'Sorry.' She tried to comply with Cerek's suggestion.

The old woman snorted again. 'Look like cow squat!'

Cerek uttered a snorting laugh and tried to pretend he was coughing when Sybil sent him a narrow eyed glare. He shrugged. 'She's old. They figure they've earned the right to be rude. You should watch the way the other young rilous rilous greet older greet older rilous rilous.'

'Oh G.o.d!' Sybil muttered. 'Don't tell me! You have different greetings for everybody?'

He considered it frowningly. 'I guess so sort of. It's more a variation. You bow one way to elders and a different way to peers. And then a little differently if it's someone of great respect.'

'They'll think I'm being rude for staring.'

'Well, I guess I could show you,' he said a little doubtfully.

The elder woman obviously wanted in on the conversation. She spoke rapidly to Cerek, no doubt asking what had been said. Clearly, she understood just enough English to be insulting!

'She wants to know why you aren't wearing a hat to protect your skin for your lover.'

Sybil stared down at her arms in dismay. 'I don't have a hat.'

The old woman promptly removed her own and handed it over when Cerek had translated. 'You use. Me old. Look like,' she paused, frowning, 'mertirz anyhow.' anyhow.'

Cerek chuckled and the old woman swatted him.

Sybil bit her lip. 'What was that about?'

'She said I was disrespectful for laughing.'

'What's merirz merirz?'

Cerek turned red faced. He cleared his throat but finally shrugged. 'It's a bad word. Well, not polite to use.'

'How do I say thank you?'

He demonstrated the correct bow and said, 'Shumitzfa.'

Sybil tried to mimic him, but could see from his face that she didn't pull it off very well. The old woman confirmed it, uttering another snort and then babbling at Cerek. 'She said I looked like a she-man and you looked like a man-she.'

'Her polite way of pointing out that you look effeminate when you do that and I look like a man trying to be woman?' Sybil guessed dryly.

Cerek looked surprised. 'Exactly!'

'I think I'm getting the hang of figuring out her insults.'

Sybil had no idea why the woman had singled her out for insults, but she stayed and pointed out what they were doing wrong all the way through the process of planting. Anka arrived just as she was contemplating knocking the old woman in the head. The old woman immediately went into a tizzy, leaping off her bucket and standing between Anka and her. Sybil simply stood gaping while they argued. Finally, clearly disgusted, the old woman wandered off with her bucket, flinging insults, Sybil didn't doubt, over her shoulder as she left.

Anka looked at her with amus.e.m.e.nt. Jerking a dismissal at Cerek, he helped her up.

'What in the world was that all about? I didn't say anything to upset her! I swear! I was really careful.'

'She was offended that I showed up when you were working,' Anka said, laughter threading his voice.

'I'm sorry, what?'

'The uh lecture was for me. On Sumptra, we live in the home of our mothers. My sisters would never have allowed their lovers to see them working in the garden and their lovers would've had better manners than to show up before they'd had time to groom themselves.'

'Oh,' Sybil said in dismay, wondering abruptly just how bad she looked. It didn't take much imagination when she could see she was filthy from crawling around in the dirt.

'I told her that you were always beautiful to me.'

Sybil couldn't help but be pleased. 'What did she say to that?'

He grimaced. 'She said that I was a fool and I should send you to live with her. She would be willing to adopt you as her daughter and teach you how to be a good Sumpturian woman.'

'Oh! That was so sweet!' Sybil exclaimed, dismayed at the notion.

'I told her that you were my Earth woman and that I was content to learn your ways.'

'You are?' Sybil gasped, thrilled beyond measure.

'Shall I shock the pants off everyone and prove it right here by kissing you?'

It was tempting. 'I'm filthy and sweaty,' she said pointedly.

He looked down at himself ruefully. 'Me, too.'

Sybil chuckled. 'I wouldn't mind that but I don't like being dirty, you know?'

'I told her that I would speak to you about a possible compromise,' Anka said, slipping an arm around her waist and guiding her toward the transports waiting to take the workers back to the habitat.

'What sort of compromise?'

He frowned. 'You will be more comfortable living among us, Sybil, if you understand our language and our ways better.'

Sybil's heart leapt. She knew nothing was settled yet, though. There was no point in asking if it was. 'I'm willing.'

'It would mean that you would spend your days in her company.'

'Oh.'

He paused, stroking her cheek. 'I don't want you to be a good Sumpturian woman. I like you the way you are.'

'You'd like being able to talk to me in your own language, though, wouldn't you?'

His lips curled up. 'Maybe. There is a certain advantage.'

She gave him a look. 'Yes, but it's your your advantage, not mine!' she said tartly. advantage, not mine!' she said tartly.

He looked uncomfortable. 'You might overhear things you'd rather not.'

Sybil sighed. 'You think I can't tell when they're talking about me now? There are some things that don't really need translation. You can tell from expressions and gestures and even body language.'

'So what am I thinking?'

Sybil laughed. 'What you're always thinking!'

He sent her a mock glare. 'I don't always think about that! You have dirt all over your face, by the way.'

'Oh! And you just let let me flirt with you like I looked good!' me flirt with you like I looked good!'

'You're cute even with a dirty face, nodia nodia.'

'Well! I don't want to be cute, d.a.m.n it! I want to be s.e.xy!'

's.e.xy, too.'

'Right!'

'I'll prove it the minute we have a little privacy.'

'No you won't! I'm taking a shower first!' She got a crash course on just how determined Anka could be when they got back to his quarters, but she discovered the grime didn't make it any less exciting. * * * *

Coward that she was, Sybil had hoped she could avoid the unpleasantness of dealing with Meachum about her supposed kidnapping. She didn't object when Anka explained that it was necessary for her to be present during the discussion. She knew he was right, but that didn't make her dread it any less.

She was vastly relieved, though, when she discovered the discussion would be conducted via satellite. At least she didn't have to be in the same room with the b.a.s.t.a.r.d!

It occurred to her as she walked with Anka to the communications center that the conference would offer them an opportunity that she hadn't immediately considered-the chance to make sure her side of the story was heard by someone other than the people who'd blackmailed her to start with.

'Can we broadcast to several satellites at once?' she asked Anka as they reached the center.

He looked at her curiously. 'We could. What are you thinking?'

Sybil gripped his hand tightly. 'I'm thinking I'd feel better, much better, if more than a small panel of government goons heard the discussion. As long as it's closed to everybody else, they can say anything they want to, even alter the recordings to make them work for them. The best way to keep them honest is to make it where they can't put their own spin on the talks.'

Anka still looked unconvinced. 'You're saying broadcast it where the public can watch and listen?'

'Yes. There can't be a cover up if everything's out in the open.'

He frowned. 'It's risky, Sybil. They could refuse to discuss this at all if they discovered what was happening. We need to come to an agreement.'

'I know we do, but don't you see? They could double-cross us if they get to tell the story their way. Who knows what they've leaked to the press? Or how everyone on Earth sees the situation? They could be scaring everyone with lies and using fear to get people to agree for them to do whatever they want to do! They've done it before!

'And if they've leaked that bulls.h.i.t about me being kidnapped, a lot of people could be scared and angry about it. I'm more interested in rea.s.suring everyone back home that it isn't true than Congressman Webb and Meachum! They don't give a d.a.m.n about me!'

He studied her doubtfully for several moments but finally nodded. 'I hope this doesn't backfire on us, nodia nodia.'

The suggestion that it might increased her uneasiness, but she was sure-as certain as she could be-that anyone as underhanded as Meachum could be counted upon to stab them in the back if possible. She couldn't think of any other way to insure that it wasn't possible.

Of course, as insurance went, it still wasn't fool proof. They could still come up with a lie to bury her attempt to get the truth out, but she didn't see any other possibility.

Inside the communications room, she was introduced to the Premier, whom she remembered meeting before, and two councilmen she didn't remember. Anka moved to the communications console and spoke to the officer there. When he returned, he spoke quietly to her. 'We've linked to two other satellites, but one will be out of range shortly. I instructed Inge to watch for another and link with it when possible. I hope you're right about this.'

She wished he'd quit saying that! It was undermining what little confidence she had in her idea!

Congressman Webb's face appeared on the large vid display at the front of the room. Any doubts Sybil had entertained that the transmission was two way vanished when the Congressman looked directly at her. 'Lieutenant Hunter. It's good to see you. How have they been treating you?'

'Very well, Sir,' Sybil said a little stiffly.

He looked at the other men in the room with her. 'You may speak freely, Lieutenant. We're watching over your interests.'

'I am speaking freely, Sir, and you wouldn't do me much good from Earth if I wasn't.'

He frowned. 'They haven't coerced you in any way? I notice you look a little Your skin looks burned.'

'It's sunburn, Congressman. I've been working in the garden, and, no, I haven't been coerced. The report of my abduction was entirely wrong. I'm here because I want to be.'

He frowned, looking down as if he was studying something on his desk. 'The report I have says otherwise. According to this you were taken against your will from the Emba.s.sy, which is American territory, I might add and a breach of the treaty agreement so lately signed!'

Sybil gaped at him in disbelief. She'd expected that they would try to twist everything she said to make it sound as if she was afraid to tell the truth and she was still still too shocked for several seconds to react. 'That is a bald faced lie!' she said angrily. 'Anka didn't even go inside the Emba.s.sy! He asked for me at the door. Ask Lt. Brant! He was on duty! For that matter, check the security tapes!' too shocked for several seconds to react. 'That is a bald faced lie!' she said angrily. 'Anka didn't even go inside the Emba.s.sy! He asked for me at the door. Ask Lt. Brant! He was on duty! For that matter, check the security tapes!'

Congressman Webb's face was stony. 'The report was filed by Lt. Brant.'

'Well, he's a d.a.m.ned liar!' Sybil glanced at the Premier. 'Don't look if you're squeamish,' she said warningly just before she jerked her top up and her trousers down to fully expose her blossoming belly. She turned to give the Congressman a profile view. 'I'm here because Commander Anka is the most wonderful man I've met in my life, because I want want to be with the man I love and I want his baby born here, among his people. I was to be with the man I love and I want his baby born here, among his people. I was invited invited to live with them.' to live with them.'