Surveying the thousands of large, healthy creatures that cov ered the nearby gra.s.sland all the way to the horizon and beyond, Barriss tried to imagine worming her way through a densely packed ma.s.s of them while striving constantly not to annoy or alarm a single one. In contrast to Obi-Wan's earlier optimism, she found herself tending to agree with Anakin. When confronted with the reality of the immense, easily agitated herd, the task that had seemed so simple at first was looking more and more impossible. Given a landspeeder, now, or a confident suu-batar, or any other means of transportation capable of rising above the horned heads of the ma.s.sed beasts, the task set before them would be worth contemplating. But the Council of Elders' instructions, as relayed to them by the sympathetic Bayaar, were all too straightforward: no offworld technology could be employed in the carrying out of the undertaking, and no mounts could be ridden into the herd. No suubatars, not even a smaller sadain.

It didn't matter. They didn't have a landspeeder anyway. A mastery of the Force would enable one to rise momentarily above a small part of the herd, but it would not permit long-term personal levitation. Something else would have to be tried. She tried to imagine stepping through the electrified barrier and walking all the way to the center of the herd, past thousands of closely packed animals, any one of which could turn on the intruder at any moment. A single snort of alarm might be enough to set them off. Once deep within the herd, there would be no chance of escaping from a stampede. An intruder would go down beneath thousands of hooves and a million tons of surepp ma.s.s.

She wasn't the only one who was stumped for a solution to the problem.

"We'll come back here at evening time, just before sunset," Obi-Wan informed their host. "At least," he muttered more softly, "whatever we eventually try and whoever tries it will have a better chance of locating one of the albino animals when the members of the herd have cl.u.s.tered together for the night."

"And since we're not allowed to use advanced technology, we'll need a Borokii knife." Luminara spoke absently, as if her thoughts were focused elsewhere. "To cut the wool."

Back in the visitors' house, there was much discussion of possible ways to get around the council's stipulation. Getting around it seemed the most practical approach, since fulfilling the request as put forward seemed, on the face of it, unachievable. Numerous suggestions were proposed, debated, and just as rapidly discarded. The approach of evening found them no nearer a clear-cut solution than when they had begun talking.

With Bayaar once more guiding them, they returned to the outskirts of the provisional corral. Much to his distress, the sentinel had been appointed to take charge of and see to the needs of the visitors. No diplomat, he was uncomfortable with the a.s.signment, but resigned himself to carrying it out to the best of his ability.

A considerable source of his unease arose from the stipula tion the council had placed on the strangers. He found that he rather liked the squinty-eyed offworlders. It would make him unhappy to see any of them injured, or worse, trampled to death. He could not see how they were going to fulfill the council's requirement without that coming to pa.s.s.

Perhaps, he thought, they would simply accede to the hopelessness of the situation, have a pleasant but inconsequential meeting with the elders, and continue on their way.

He could not read their alien expressions, but those of their guides did not lead him to believe that the offworlders possessed some special magic that was going to enable them to fulfill the council's demand.

Standing close to the fence line, the visitors studied the a.s.sembled surepp attentively. Herded together for the night, the burly, powerful animals were already beginning to settle down. Settling down, however, did not mean they were unaware of or indifferent to their surroundings. A single bellow by one would be enough to alert every fellow surepp to any perceived danger.

Having learned of the demand that had been placed on the visitors, a small crowd had gathered, more hopeful of seeing a trampling than anything else. Though it was beneath a warrior of Bayaar's stature, others of his clan had no hesitation about placing bets on the chances of the strangers' success. The only problem was that those wagering against the visitors had to give long odds in order to get any action at all.

He frowned. What was the taller female doing? Removing her outer clothes struck him as a most peculiar approach to en tering the densely packed herd. If he was the one about to attempt the suicidal endeavor, he would want to have on as many layers of clothing as possible, to protect himself from thrusting horns, pounding feet, and the hard ground itself.

When the female finally finished, she was wearing only her strange, alien undergarments. In the light of the setting sun, he found them most peculiar. Still, they no doubt suited such an oddly formed biped. Concern for his guests was almost outweighed by his curiosity to see what they were going to do next.

Obi-Wan stood looking into his colleague's eyes while arguing quietly with her. "I don't think this is a very good idea, Luminara."

"Neither do I, Master," Barriss added apprehensively.

Luminara nodded, glanced across at the last member of their little group.

"And what about you, Anakin? You haven't said anything since I ventured the idea."

Asked for his opinion, the tall Padawan didn't hesitate. "I couldn't do it, that's for sure. It sounds crazy."

Luminara smiled. "But you know that I'm not crazy, don't you, Anakin?"

He nodded. "When I was a child, I did plenty of things that were called crazy. Everybody thought I was crazy to take part in professional Podracing. But I did, and I'm still alive." He stood a little taller.

"The Force was with me."

"Luck was with you," Barriss murmured tartly, but so low that no one else could hear.

"So you think I should go ahead with this?" Luminara asked him.

Anakin hesitated. "It's not for me to say. If Obi-Wan agrees ..." His voice trailed off without finishing.

She turned her attention back to the other Jedi. "Obi-Wan has already said he doesn't think it's a very good idea. Does Obi-Wan have a better idea?"

The Jedi hesitated for the briefest of instants, then gave a slight shrug. "I tend to side with Barriss in this-but no, I don't have a better idea."

"We need that piece of wool if we're going to get the Borokii to listen to us."

"I know, I know." Obi-Wan looked unhappy. "Are you sure you can do this, Luminara?"

"Of course I'm not sure I can." As she spoke, she was making certain the sharp, ceremonial Borokii knife Bayaar had loaned her was securely fastened to her narrow waistband. "But like you, I can't think of anything else to try. This is the best I could come up with." She smiled rea.s.suringly. "We can't convince the Council of Elders to persuade the rest of the Alwari to agree to our position if we never get to speak to them."

"While your death might convince them of our sincerity, and of the importance the Republic attaches to our mission here, that's still no guarantee they'll agree to listen to the rest of us."

"Then you'll find other ways of convincing them of our sin cerity," she told him. Reaching out, she put a hand on his shoulder. "Whatever happens here, now, may the Force be with you always, Obi-Wan Ken.o.bi."

Stepping closer, he gave her a firm hug. "Not only will the Force be with me, Luminara Unduli, I expect you to be with me for a while longer yet as well." He indicated their Padawans. "You wouldn't go and leave me with not one but two Padawans to look after, would you?"

Her smile broadened. "I think you would manage to cope with the challenge, Obi-Wan."

"Master. . . ," Barriss began. Turning, the Jedi put a rea.s.suring hand on her Padawan's shoulder.

"Not everything is a.s.sured in advance, my dear." Her hand slid off the strong shoulder. "I know what I'm doing. I just don't know what the surepp are going to do." Taking a couple of steps back, she took a deep breath and nodded at Bayaar.

It was not for him to try to dissuade the offworlder. He had already done all he properly could to apprise her of the danger she had chosen to face. Raising a hand high, he signaled to his right. Down the fence line, the operator in charge of this section of the corral responded with a gesture of acknowledgment. Something went softly ssizzt.

"The barrier here has been shut down," he told the visitors. "If you really mean to do this thing, you have to do it now."

"I know," Luminara replied. Whereupon she stepped carefully through the unelectrified fence line, gathered herself, and leapt onto the back of the nearest surepp.

16.

Rising above the twilight clamor from the town and the communal mewling and burbling of the tightly packed beasts, the collective intake of breath from the audience of watching Borokii was plainly audible. Their astonishment was paralleled by that of the two Padawans, even though they had been given some idea of what to expect.

Exhibiting the strength of a weight lifter, the agility of a gymnast, and the training of a Jedi adept, Luminara sped not through the herd but over it. Across it, rather, Anakin thought as he looked on in amazement and admiration. Touching down only long enough to kick off and launch herself to another expansive, woolly spine, Luminara raced across the backs of the Borokii herd, heading for its ap proximate heart. Occasionally, disturbed by the contact, a sleepy surepp would look up in surprise.

Unable to discern any threat or danger, it would then lower its head and return to its quiet dozing.

While her friends were able to monitor her progress via their macrobinoculars, Kyakhta, Bulgan, Tooqui, Bayaar, and the other observing Borokii could only strain to see with their eyes. Unable to stand the suspense, the sentinel finally sidled over next to the offworlder called Obi-Wan.

"How is your friend doing?" he found himself asking. "She is still alive, or you would have reacted."

"Moving fast." Obi-Wan spoke without lowering the device. "Back and forth. Fast enough that I couldn't keep her in focus, but this viewing device does it for me."

What seemed like hours but were in reality only minutes pa.s.sed in tense silence before the Jedi murmured softly but excitedly, "There!" His voice rose despite his efforts to keep it under control. "She's got it!"

"So soon?" Bayaar was all but struck dumb with astonishment. "She moves very swiftly indeed, your female."

"Not my female," Obi-Wan hurriedly corrected him. "We are colleagues, equals. Like you and your fellow warriors."

"Ah," murmured Bayaar without quite understanding the offworlder.

"Yes, she's quick," Obi-Wan added. "On her way back now." Suddenly he jerked visibly, lowered the macrobinoculars from his eyes, then raised them again.

"What? What's happening?" Turning toward the herd, Bayaar strained to see. His night vision was excellent, but no match for the advanced viewer. "I think I see some disturbance."

"She slipped." The offworlder's voice was not quite as neu tral as before. "Slipped and fell. II can't see her anymore." A rising mewling reached them from the place within the ma.s.sed herd where Luminara had gone down. Even without aid, he could see that several animals were stirring uneasily. Beside them, others were waking from their evening torpor.

There was no time to discuss alternatives. They had to act before the disturbance spread.

"We're going after her," he told the two attentive Padawans. Though he could see the anxiety writ large in their expressions, there was no time to rea.s.sure them, no time for coddling.

"Concentrate," he ordered them. "Concentrate as hard as you ever have concentrated. Focus. And stay together." Taking Barriss's hand in his right and Anakin's in his left, Obi-Wan led them through the barrier.

Pushed, pressed by the focusing of the Force from not one but three trained individuals, the surepp gave way. Mewling and hissing, they parted to make a path for the striding offworlders. Triple eyes glared angrily at the bipeds, furious at the intrusion. But something kept them at bay, prevented them from trampling the trio beneath ma.s.sed, sharp-toed feet.

If any of them lost heart, Obi-Wan knew, if either Padawan panicked or lost concentration, he and whoever remained fo cused might not be able to sustain the intensity necessary to hold the surging, increasingly restless herd back. He tried to will his own mastery into the two learners, to lend some of his own strength to each of them. Yet as they marched deliberately forward, ever deeper into the herd, a strange thing happened.

While Barriss held her own, Anakin seemed to grow stronger. It was as if, faced by the challenge and the very real proximity of death, the Force grew within him. Obi-Wan did not entirely understand what was happening, but at the moment he was far too preoccupied to examine the phenomenon.

Right then, one thing and only one mattered.

They found Luminara lying unconscious on the ground, a trickle of blood trailing from her forehead. A quick glance showed Obi-Wan that the injury was not deep. Still, he could not see what she might have suffered internally when she fell. A muscular trill ran through his fingers where he held Barriss's. He could see the concern in her face, could feel the distress. But Barriss Offee was her Master's student. As a healer, she might have been expected to drop immediately to the ground to begin ministering to her Master. As an incipient Jedi, she knew that what mattered now was not individual healing, but sustaining the Force against the powerful animals that were hissing and pawing at the ground all around them.

Displaying his physical as well as mental strength, Anakin hoisted the unconscious Jedi onto his shoulders. Together, they turned and began to retrace their steps. A growing section of the herd had been alerted to the presence of intruders in their midst. Even though no danger had manifested itself, and none among the herd had been attacked, the surepp were increasingly edgy.

It became harder and harder to hold them back. Perspiration streamed down Obi-Wan's face. Though he had the help of Bar riss and Anakin, the Force was centered on him, and it was up to him to maintain the energy that continued to hold the surepp back. He could see the barrier now, not far in front of them. The good-natured Bayaar was staring at him anxiously, wanting to encourage the visitor but not daring to shout his support.

Standing well behind him, the rest of the Borokii who had come out to watch whispered fearfully among themselves.

Something b.u.mped up against Obi-Wan, nearly knocking him off his feet.

For an instant, his concentration faltered under the impact of the heavy surepp flank. Barriss shot him a look of alarm while confusion replaced confidence on Anakin's face. Atop his shoulders, Luminara stirred uneasily. If she cried out. . .

Then an exhausted Obi-Wan was through the quiescent barrier, and Anakin was handing his burden across. The waiting Kyakhta and Bulgan took her, Tooqui helping as much as he could. Together, they placed her gently on the ground, laying her on her back. Barriss was at her side in an instant, running sensitive, trained fingers over her Master's forehead, using part of her robe to wipe the blood from Luminara's face. Beneath the Padawan's gentle ministrations, the unconscious Jedi moaned softly.

Behind them, something bawled loudly. There was the sound of bone striking flesh. Anakin Skywalker half tumbled, half flew through the tangling barrier under the impact of the surepp's head-b.u.t.t. He hit the ground hard, nearly knocking a startled Tooqui over in the process, rolled, and ended up on his belly. Obi-Wan eyed him anxiously as a crackling sound filled the night air. A surepp yelped, then another, as they made contact with the reactivated barrier and hastily retreated.

"Anything broken?" Obi-Wan inquired solicitously.

Wincing, Anakin struggled to his feet. "Only my dignity, Master." He nodded in the direction of the p.r.o.ne Luminara. "How is she?"

Barriss looked up at him. "I sense no internal damage, but I can't be certain."

Luminara's eyes opened. She blinked a couple of times and did not smile.

"Help me to my feet."

"Master Luminara," Barriss began, "I'm not sure it's wise for you to-"

"It probably wasn't wise for me to go into that herd, either," Luminara declared painfully as she straightened. With Obi-Wan a.s.sisting on one side and Anakin on the other, she was soon standing among them. "But it had to be done." She gestured apologetically to Bayaar. "I'm afraid I lost your knife."

"What happened?" Obi-Wan asked her.

"It's not exactly like running a training course at the Temple. Every surepp back was different, yet I didn't have time to study where I was going to place my feet. I just had to run, and not linger, and hope.

Everything was going well until I landed on an animal that was unexpectedly wet. It must have been grooming itself, or spent a lot of time being groomed by others. I slipped, and before I could catch myself, my head hit the ground." She smiled at each of them in turn. "Thank you for coming after me."

"You had no choice but to do what you did," Obi-Wan told her. "When you went down, we had no choice but to come after you."

"And I thought the Jedi were the masters of choice," Anakin murmured. "So much for that maxim."

Barriss's eyes widened slightly, then she slumped. "And we still have to find a way to get the fur, if we're going to get the Borokii elders to talk to us."

As she brought her hand down from her forehead, Luminara's lower, tattooed lip curled slightly upward. "You forget, Padawan: I was on my way back to you." Her expression fell. "Unless it slipped out when I went down." Reaching into her lower undergarment, she felt around anxiously for a moment. Then, slowly, her smile returned.

In her fingers she held the requisite tuft of fur from the albino surepp.

It was the color of dirty snow.

Turning to Bayaar, she displayed the small, seemingly in significant prize that had nearly been bought at so high a price. "You saw how it happened," she told the sentinel. Behind him, other Borokii were crowding around, each eager for a glimpse of proof of the extraordinary accomplishment. "It was done as demanded. Will the Council of Elders confer with us now?"

The sentinel gestured approvingly. "I fail to see why they would not.

This is a moment I will remember for my grand children, as you may do the same for yours."

"Jedi do not have children." Surrounded by her friends, she started back through the Borokii encampment toward the dis tant visitors' house.

Bayaar watched them go. They were very powerful indeed, these offworlders. Masters of a great many talents, not to mention the Force itself. Therefore it seemed strange that one should feel sorry for them.

But he did.

Her posture straightened and her stride lengthened as they walked through the encampment. Curious Borokii, busy with nocturnal tasks, turned to follow their progress. Anakin and Bar-riss, Obi-Wan and Kyakhta, Bulgan and Tooqui, all crowded around her, offering tender congratulatory pats and touches or, in the manner of the two Alwari, caresses that were exotic and lingering but in no way invasive. Meanwhile Tooqui did his best to express his own relief by clinging occasionally to one of the Jedi's bare legs-a position that incidentally kept him from being pushed aside by the others. Restrained by his status and outside the group, Bayaar nonetheless made a point of offering traditional Borokii congratulations.

"Here." Still breathing hard and gulping for air as they stopped outside the visitors' house, the utterly fatigued Jedi thrust the clump of albino wool into their host's hands. "Give this to your elders. Tell them who it's from and how it came to be in your possession." Turning away from the solemn, respectful sentinel she took a step toward the entrance-and slumped into the supportive arms of her friends.

"The Force is a wondrous thing, but you can't bathe in it. I'm sure roasted surepp tastes wonderful, but when alive they smell like any herd of densely packed herbivores. Crucial meeting or not, I've got to have a bath before I can think of presenting myself to even a junior elder!"

As they helped her up the stairs into the visitors' house, numerous Borokii, having learned of what had just transpired, had a.s.sembled outside to stare at the offworlders. Their whispered comments were full of admiration, their unwavering gazes un.o.btrusive. A reverent Bulgan carried the Jedi's bundle of outer clothing. His and Kyakhta's admiration for the female off-worlder, which up to now had been considerable, no longer knew any bounds.

While the notion of entirely immersing oneself in a tub or pool of water as a means of relaxation quite escaped the Borokii, they were more than willing to provide the means necessary for the visitors to indulge themselves. It was hardly an expensive request. While Barriss attended to the needs of her weary teacher and the ever-inquisitive Tooqui hovered nearby making a minor pest of himself, the other members of the group settled down to a late-evening meal and contemplation of the day to come.

Much good conversation and laughter filled the visitors' house of the Situng Borokii that night, followed by preparations for sleep that were carried out with more enthusiasm than usual. As Barriss had surmised, Luminara's injury was not serious, and was effectively treated. Tomorrow would hopefully see a meeting with the Council of Elders and, if fortune was with them, the successful conclusion of the Jedi mission to Ansion.

It was with such expectations in mind that each of them in due course retired to his or her dry, comfortable, Borokii-style bed. Even the seemingly perpetual internal spring that powered Tooqui finally ran down, and the little Gwurran collapsed into deep sleep with nary a word of good night to anyone.