"You understand it?"

"I think so, yes-enough. Later, perhaps, I will feel its meaning more strongly. But now I must see to Hish- too." She went to him, sat and took the tightly clamped head in her lap.

"It is now for us to talk?" said Gold Robe. "It is that I am he who takes the name Sholur, Keeper of the Heri- tage. You are Barton who are here though you should not be. It is that we decide now, what is proper, to do.

Most proper is for you to be made Demu."

"No," said Barton. "Most proper is for me to be as I am, and the others, also, outside this place. Most proper is that no more be made Demu who are not egg-born."

He gestured toward the room at large. "It is, Sholur, Keeper of the Heritage, that I know the meaning of all this. It is that I know what your people do pot-but which they may be told, all of them, if things are not most proper in my view."

"It is that you are here, and can tell nothing to the Demu people."

"It is that I am here, but my voice is free from here."

He pulled out the two-way radio. "Barton to 'Ship^One.

Abdul-listen carefully. I'm going to ask you a question in Demu. Answer likewise. And say it loud and clear- you have an audience.

"IB it," he said, "that what I tell of the Demu place of becoming is told to ships outside the Demu reach?"

"It is," said Abdul, haltingly but clearly, "that those ships know what you say of that place. It is that they tell it further or not, as you wish and as you say."

"Then it is that as I say before, I say again. For these things not to be told, it is that I and ours be free to re-

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turn to our ship, unharmed. That the ship be made free to depart unmolested. That the Demu ship, going to Demmon to rouse for war, be returned-or that another follow, to change the message to peace. That there be no war. That the Demu no longer take captives to make them Demu. That-" He knew Abdul wasn't get- ting more than half of it, but Sholur was-and he'd al- ready told Abdul,^ in English. He added a few more touches, then signed off.

"All that, you ask?" said Sholur.

"All."

"It is that the others, when they see here as you do, ask less."

"It is the Ormthu you mean?"

"You know them?"

"On Tilara, we meet one."

"It tells you-? But they agree not."

"No," said Barton. "What I see here, I see for my- self, with no telling from the Ormthan." True, he thought -as far as it went. . . .

"Then it is as you say-no more Earthani to become Demu."

"Nor the others."

"Tilari, FUjar, Larka-Te?" Barton nodded. "Tiengin?

Eroci?" Again the nod-he'd. never heard of the last two, but what the hell.

"Nobody," he said.

"It is that the Ormthu do not ask so much."

"We are not the Ormthu; they speak not for us, nor we for them."

"It is that you are not allied?"

"We know them little. We are not in conflict."

"It is that your terms are difficult, you who take the name Barton-but that the Demu are without choice but to agree."

"It is that I am pleased, Sholur, for the Earthani and others."

"Then it is that I go outside this place of becoming, to say what is needed. That our ship returns, or if not, an- other is to follow and correct. All the things you say, that are of now-doing. That no others are to be made Demu, cannot be told to all 10 one saying, for many are not near to listen."

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"Yes, it is understood."

"Then I go, and return soon-for it is that there is more to say between us."

"It is that I stay and await you, Sholur.'1^s the Demu reached the door, Barton had another thought. "It is also that the three Tilari are to be here with me now."

"It is that they are not Demu. They-"

"It is that they are needed by me, that they enter as you leave. That all things taken from them are re- turned."

"It is as you say." Sholur departed without further word. Barton looked to Eeshta, still cradling Hishtoo's bead in her lap.

"You heard all that?" Eeshta nodded. "How's Hish- too?"

"He relaxes slowly, gradually. He will wake, but not soon."

"And then what?"

"If I were not here he would surely kill himself. But I know what to say."

"You do?"

"Surely. I heard, as you did, what is said here. I heard what you said to Hishtoo, to bring him to enter this place. So when he wakes, and can hear me and per- haps understand, I shall say to him, 'Hisbtoo, there is no shame to your eggs.' "

"But he-" I will never, thought Barton, understand this small creature.

"He cursed mine, yes. But you explained to me why his curse was futile-I do not believe as he does. What I say, though, Hishtoo will believe-to his good."

"I Mope you're right. I-" The door opened; Limila entered, with livajj and Gerain. Both women embraced Barton; he was hard put to free a hand to shake Gerain's.

"You all right, everybody?" he said.