Spencer was sullen as he was escorted out, but once he'd gone Sybil discovered she was able to relax even surrounded by the *enemy', as he'd put it.

They rose from their seats when everyone else did, moving out of the way and watching a little uneasily as the troops cleared the room, stacking most of the tables and chairs against the wall and then setting a line of chairs out so that anyone who wanted to could simply sit and watch.

Anka stood stiffly erect, his hands clasped behind his back, watching the soldiers as they cleared the room and set it up for whatever it was they were about to do. Sybil divided her time between watching what was going on and studying Anka when she thought no one would notice.

It was the first time she'd seen any of the ferils ferils besides him. She was embarra.s.sed to admit, even to herself, that she'd more than half suspected that she wouldn't be able to tell one from another. He truly was impressive, handsome even among his own people, though. besides him. She was embarra.s.sed to admit, even to herself, that she'd more than half suspected that she wouldn't be able to tell one from another. He truly was impressive, handsome even among his own people, though.

Of course, she supposed their concept of handsome might be entirely different from hers, but from her point of view, he was magnificent. She wasn't altogether sure it was entirely his looks, however. There was no doubt that he was handsome and well built, even compared to the physical perfection of the other soldiers, who were no doubt also very fit for their species due to their profession. She supposed it was partly due to his position of power, but she actually hadn't thought much about that-or didn't think she had.

She thought it was his personality more than anything else. She couldn't help but admire the traits she'd seen in him even while she wondered if she'd seen the *real' Anka at all. For all she knew he might be an excellent actor, playing a role entirely for their benefit.

He'd admitted he knew a great deal about them-his facility with their language was proof even if he hadn't-but she had to wonder if it went well beyond that. He hadn't wanted to tell them any specifics about how long they'd studied humans, but they must have gathered a lot of data over the years. They must have studied the human psychology exhaustively.

Then again, even humans had trouble understanding other humans. Was it possible for a people so different to understand an entirely different species?

She discovered when she emerged from her reverie that she was not only staring directly at Anka, he was staring back, a faintly quizzical expression on his face.

He moved closer, coming to stand beside her, but when he spoke he included her entire group. 'This is festival, a custom that goes back many generations among my people. It's celebrated at the beginning of each season-Sumptra has four as the Earth does.'

Holly looked delighted. 'We have pagan rituals that we still observe for the seasons.'

A glint of amus.e.m.e.nt entered his eyes. 'You do?' he prompted, although Sybil had the feeling he was well aware of it.

'Well,' Holly said depreciatingly, 'I don't suppose exactly the same. The beliefs of so many cultures have blended together until it's rather a hodgepodge-a very loose marking of the seasons with ritual. And so many new holidays have been added that celebrate other things, but a lot of the holidays we celebrate now had their roots in pagan rituals.'

He nodded. 'Ours are a celebration of life and renewal, an appreciation for what each new season brings. It is a time for choosing lovers.'

Holly gaped at him in horror.

Sybil whipped her head so quickly to stare at him that she popped a joint in her neck.

His lips twitched. 'No one expects any of you to take part,' he murmured, his voice shaking with amus.e.m.e.nt, 'Although you are certainly welcome to do so if you would like to.'

Powell shifted uncomfortably. 'Maybe we shouldn't have stayed,' he murmured.

'Maybe I should explain,' Anka countered. 'You are not about to witness what you would call an orgy. The song and dance is a courtship ritual, but there is no obligation for anyone to chose. There is simply the opportunity to do so, and everyone takes part in them- even elders who no longer have any interest in courting or taking lovers.'

Holly cleared her throat, obviously torn between scientific curiosity and a natural shyness that made her uncomfortable with the subject. 'But the festival is how uh when you uh mate? And then you choose another at the next festival?'

'Sometimes. Those who have no lover, or who are unhappy with the one they chose before, may find another who appeals to them more. For those who have found a lover they wish to stay with, it's a time to renew their pledge to one another, to enjoy the excitement of that first meeting all over again.'

Sybil didn't know about the others, but she was still confused. She wasn't comfortable with the idea of asking him to explain in more detail, however. Fortunately, Holly managed to overcome her own discomfort.

'Then you're saying that you don't have marriage as we do? Or is this something else?'

Anka shrugged. 'We do not have marriage as you do.' He frowned thoughtfully and finally smiled. 'It's rather more like an endless honeymoon. Lovers never live together as your people do. Our blood bonds are strong and we stay with them, with the family we were born in to. Each night males go to their lovers and each morning we return to our own homes.'

Powell looked intrigued.

He would, Sybil thought sourly. 'I suppose that would keep things fresh,' she said wryly, 'None of the tedium of day to day life.'

Anka's eyes gleamed with more than amus.e.m.e.nt as he studied her. He shrugged. 'It has worked for our people for many generations. We are rarely lonely and always aware that if we fail our lovers we will not be welcome to return and they will choose another.'

Sybil stared at him while that slowly sank in. 'The women choose.'

Surprise flickered across his features. 'Of course.'

'You have a matriarchal society,' Holly exclaimed with sudden comprehension.

'Naturally. As I said-blood bonds-and there is no surer way to follow them. In any case, it is the mother who makes the home.'

Sybil and Holly both glanced at Kushbu and Powell with amus.e.m.e.nt to see how they'd taken that news. Both men looked disbelieving, irritated, and uncomfortable. Sybil could see they were regretting the decision to stay. She discovered, however, that she felt a good deal better about her own decision, not nearly as intimidated by the fact that the males in the room outnumbered the females by about six or seven to one.

There were a surprising number of women for all that considering that it was a military gathering. She wouldn't have thought, given what he'd said about their society, that women would be inclined to want to join the military. It sounded as if, on their world, they held a great deal of power.

Maybe that in itself explained it, though? With power came responsibility. Or maybe it was just customary in their society for all young people, male and female, to serve?

That didn't seem to fit, however, not when the men outnumbered the women-unless there was simply an imbalance of the ratio of men to women on their world? She might have speculated on it longer except that the first strains of music began to play and the soldiers began to form into groups.

The music was lively and so was the dance. It reminded her strongly of old fashioned country dances she'd seen in old vids, although, not surprisingly, neither the steps or the movements were like anything she'd seen. By the time it ended, the dancers were breathless and relaxed enough to smile and talk with one another animatedly.

'Would you care to try it?' Anka asked politely when the next song began and the dancers began to form up once more.

Sybil grimaced. 'I don't think I could. I don't know how to dance like that.'

'No one expects you to know it.'

Sybil chewed her lip, wavering, but it did look like fun. 'Promise not to laugh?'

He grinned at her. 'I give you my word.'

She glanced uncertainly at Powell. He flicked a look at Anka and shrugged. Taking that as permission to partic.i.p.ate, Sybil allowed Anka to lead her out to join the closest group. She discovered it was a lot more invigorating than she'd expected, but she was pleased that she managed to follow the steps fairly well. Breathless by the time the song ended, she was more than happy to find a chair and collapse. Anka followed her but disappeared as soon as she sat down. He returned with a gla.s.s of water while she was searching the sea of dancers for the rest of her crew who'd disappeared.

She took the gla.s.s gratefully. 'I'm not nearly as fit as I thought I was,' she murmured ruefully.

'I instructed them to turn up the cooling. It's cool enough ordinarily, but we rarely engage in anything quite this vigorous.'

For some reason the comment instantly connected in Sybil's mind with vigorous s.e.x. She wasn't certain why unless it was his conversation of before. Ignoring the blush that gave away her thoughts, she smiled at the humor in his voice. 'You don't have to stay with me. I'll be happy to sit here and catch my breath.'

'I'll be happy to sit with you and catch my breath. I'm not as young as I once was.'

Sybil sent him a searching look, surprised to realize it hadn't even occurred to her to wonder what his age might be. He looked young, but how did they look when they were were older? She supposed, after a little thought, that he couldn't be very young or he wouldn't have attained the rank he held. older? She supposed, after a little thought, that he couldn't be very young or he wouldn't have attained the rank he held.

He grimaced at the speculation in her eyes. 'As it happens, I'm in my prime. That was meant to be humorous.'

Sybil chuckled. 'And wasted on a human. A feril feril would've known immediately that you were joking.' would've known immediately that you were joking.'

Something gleamed in his eyes. 'Perhaps-maybe not. Maybe I look very youthful for my age?'

'And maybe you look older than you actually are?' she suggested, smiling.

He studied her face. 'Maybe.'

'How old do you think I am?'

His gaze flickered over her face. 'Oh, that's completely immaterial to me as long as you're breedable,' he said lightly.

Sybil gaped at him, feeling her face redden.

He chuckled. 'I am fascinated by the way your face changes colors whenever you're disconcerted. You do realize that?'

'You mean you weren't serious?' she asked doubtfully.

'I didn't say that,' he responded, his lips curling in a smile.

'So you were serious?'

'I usually am.'

Disconcerted, still uncertain of whether he was joking or not, Sybil studied his face. 'You are, aren't you?' she said finally.

It was his turn to look disconcerted. He recovered quickly. 'So I'm told. Are you ready to dance again?'

Sybil did a mental inventory and decided she might be able to handle one more dance without pa.s.sing out if she rested a little longer. 'The next one.'

Nodding, he settled back to watch the dancers.

'Exactly how is it that this works?' Sybil asked after a moment.

He looked a question, but she didn't believe for a moment that he didn't know what she was asking. 'The courting you told us about?' she prompted.

'You haven't noticed?' he countered.

She shook her head.

He leaned closer. 'Do you see the young man facing Dr. Rains?'

Sybil searched the dancers until she spotted Holly. 'Not really. He has his back to us.'

'Wait for the turn of the dance.'

She studied them, watching the man he'd pointed out intently. Finally the steps carried the group into a half turn where she could see both Holly and the man opposite her in profile. She frowned. 'I still don't see'

'But his attention is entirely on her. He waits until she finally notices his prowess in the dance steps and then he searches for a smile of encouragement.'

Holly finally looked up, did a double take when she discovered the man in front of her was staring at her pointedly, turned first white as a sheet and then as red as fire. Sybil clapped a hand to her mouth to stifle a snort of laughter. 'Poor man! He's been slighted.'

Anka chuckled. 'Ah if he were human, perhaps. We ferils ferils are made of sterner stuff. He'll try again.' are made of sterner stuff. He'll try again.'

Sybil looked at him, smiling faintly. 'That's all the encouragement you need? A smile?' she asked teasingly.

His eyes darkened. 'It's a certain smile we look for, a look in the eyes. When a woman looks at a man a certain way it's an invitation.'

Sybil felt her face heating up again. She looked away, realizing abruptly what he was saying. Her heart began to thump like a trip-hammer.

'Yes or no, nodia nodia?' he asked in a husky whisper.

Sybil swallowed convulsively, trying to decide whether she was more excited or more terrified. As confused as she was, however, the thought of refusing him was almost scarier, not because she was afraid of him, but because she feared she would always regret it.

It still took a tremendous effort to look at him. 'Yes,' she said a little hoa.r.s.ely.

Chapter Six.

Sybil wasn't certain if it was her that was shaking or Anka or both of them, but she felt so weak and trembling when she settled her hand in his that she felt downright faint. Almost like a sleepwalker, she rose when he stood and urged her to her feet, following him as he led her from the room.

He paused outside and turned to her, studying her face intently. 'You're afraid?' he asked harshly.

'Terrified,' Sybil responded before she thought better of it.

Something flickered in his eyes. 'It isn't supposed to be that way, nodia nodia. Come, I will take you back to your quarters.'

'Uh but Spencer's there. I don't think that would be a good place at all,' she pointed out, struggling to keep step with him as he led her along the corridor.

Anka sent her a sharp look and paused. He shook his head at her. 'Not this way, nodia nodia,' he said gently. 'I'll return you and leave you alone.'

Sybil felt her heart skip several beats. 'Don't.'

He smiled ruefully. 'It's alright, nodia nodia. I'm not angry. It's your choice. I told you that.'

Distress filled her. 'I know that. I can't help being unnerved by this, but it doesn't mean I don't want to.'

He lifted a hand and lightly stroked her cheek. 'Stay the night with me, then. We needn't be lovers. I'll be content to hold you.'

Some of the tension left her. 'You would?' she asked doubtfully.

'Not really,' he said wryly. 'But I'll make do.'

She couldn't help but chuckle. 'You're a strange man, Anka.'