"I'm not crazy." Woodcarver's tone was sour. "On top of everything else, there's the possibility that all this is a feint, and Tycoon is set to attack us here."

Ravna nodded. What Woodcarver said made sense, but-"You know, I think there's still a chance for Pilgrim. From Wenda, I gather that Jo and Pilgrim crashed right in the middle of Tycoon's operation. I know Tycoon wasn't aware of that! It's possible that Pilgrim is still in hiding down there. And Tycoon is not the monster Vendacious was. Even if Tycoon has captured Pilgrim, I think he'd be safe."

Woodcarver sat back. All her eyes were on Ravna, except for the puppies, who were looking at each other. They did that just when the old Woodcarver would have said something really nasty. When she finally spoke, Woodcarver just sounded sad: "But Jo didn't tell Wenda what had become of Pilgrim. And when we were all on stage, we learned nothing more; Tycoon was too busy ripping at her. Face it, Ravna. Both Jo and Pilgrim are dead."

This was a dark outlook Woodcarver was not showing in public. Maybe the pessimism was entirely little Sht's influence, or maybe it had more history. "You also grieve for Vendacious, don't you, Woodcarver?"

Woodcarver's heads came up abruptly. "Yes. I grieve for a monstrous pack, who after a century shared virtually none of my blood. Even my own advisors call my sympathy 'the Queen's madness.'"

"Not ... madness." But Ravna remembered her horror when Gannon was crushed; Woodcarver's grief was a different thing. "You packs-you in particular-have done something most civilizations can't do until they've externalized thought; you've taken biological selection by the throats and put it in service to ideas. Your offspring packs are your great experiments."

"And two of them were the greatest Tinish monsters of all time."

"True," said Ravna. "But consider. Old Flenser changed the Northwest almost as much as you have-and he created and recreated Steel, and Steel designed and assembled and guided Amdiranifani."

After a moment, Woodcarver replied, "Long ago, I imagined Vendacious as a weapon against Flenser. That weapon ran amok. It has killed so many. It probably killed the pack my members especially loved. And yet, however much I hate Vendacious, I can't share everyone's joy at his total death."

Ravna nodded, trying unsuccessfully to imagine a reformed Vendacious. "So now, listen more to your members. Hope for what still may be."

Of course, their wagon trip up the Streamsdell Valley was nothing like Ravna's days with Chitiratifor. This expedition had decent food and good tents to sleep in. Domain troops were spread out around them and scouting ahead. The travelers who suffered were the Children who were most desperate to come. vin refused to give up on Edvi. Elspa had more hope for her sister Geri, even though she had heard Tycoon's terrible voice. Jefri said he was optimistic about Amdi, but he didn't look optimistic. Giske Gisksndot didn't talk about her feelings at all, but anger radiated from her. Right after Nevil's big announcement, the Chief Denier had "generously" allowed her to speak with her husband. Giske knew that no hostages would come home with her, that Rolf was determined to keep their two sons. "Powers be damned, I just want to see them!" she had cried to Ravna, begging to be included in the expedition. In the end, Ravna couldn't refuse her, but she worried what Giske might do when she finally confronted Rolf and Nevil.

The only traveler who seemed unconcerned was Ritl, though she complained as much as ever, especially when she was around Ravna. The singleton had not been given a choice about coming, but then she hadn't been left in the Domain by her own choice either. Fate had bounced the animal from place to place, but within the limits of her intelligence, she seemed to be searching for something. Ravna hoped that Tycoon would be grateful for her return-or at least not hold that return against Ravna and company.

After five days on the road, their expedition came in sight of Nevil's hanging valley. Benky's troops set up a perimeter and the travelers made camp by the river. While everyone waited impatiently for some sign from above, Flenser-Tyrathect spread himself out on sun-warmed boulders by the river. Flenser had brought several telescopes. He idled away the time peering up at the lip of the hanging valley. He seemed to be enjoying himself. "I wager that Nevil won't invite us into his caves. I remember when I was a co-conspirator." His heads, except for the ones eyeballing the heights, all bobbed in a grin. "He never trusted me with the exact location, but it was clear that Vendacious and probably Tycoon knew about it. I predict that Tycoon will support 'Best Hope' just enough to be a problem."

Ravna had come over to sit nearby, beside the member with the white-tipped low-sound ears. Even at its best, this crippled creature couldn't have climbed the rocks, but the rest of Flenser still kept it close. Ravna stroked White Tips along the neck, almost as she would a dog. It always accepted such affection. That had been one of the things that had made her want to trust Flenser-Tyrathect. White Tips emitted a rumbling purr; all of Flenser might be less of a sarcastic twit for a few minutes now.

"So you think the prisoner release is going to be down here?" said Ravna. "I don't see signs of anyone but us here."

Jefri and others were walking toward them from the tents. Despite Jef's ambiguous reputation-some of the loyalist Children thought he was Ravna's secret agent and others were convinced he was a traitor-Jef had ended up being their chief human advisor on this outing. As long as he was clearly working from Ravna's game plan, everyone seemed willing to accept his expertise. The camp wouldn't have settled down so quickly and comfortably without Jefri and Benky.

Elspa was just a few feet behind Jef. She gestured to Flenser. "Still no sign of Deniers?"

"Nope, sorry." Flenser waggled his telescopes authoritatively. Today he had better eyesight than anyone.

Elspa plunked down near Ravna. "I pray ... I pray they have my Geri."

Jefri came around to Ravna's right so he was standing by White Tips. He muttered just loud enough for Ravna's ears and the pack. "They better have Amdi. There's no excuse for not returning him."

Flenser's voice came even more softly, barely more than a hum that Ravna felt where her fingertips touched White Tips. "And they better have Screwfloss."

Their party sat by the river for a time, speculating, sometimes arguing. A meal broke up the discussion, but not the mood. Afterwards Jefri was gone for a time, checking with Benky that the soldiers and lookouts were in position. Ritl was occasionally visible, on some scouting mission of her own.

Ravna checked in with their hidden expedition participant: Scrup had parked his airboat on a mountain pass selected by Oobii. He was playing relay; ionospheric bounce was not good enough today. Ravna wanted reliable communication back to Woodcarver and Oobii. Scrupilo kibitzed on the link but wasn't supposed to mess with the main data stream. "Amazing," he said. "From this mountain top looking east, it's like being the Pack of Packs. I see glaciers and mountains going on forever, like a stony sea. Pilgrim used to brag about this."

"I still don't have imagery, Scrupilo." Ravna's data tiara was giving her audio, but she had no windows from Oobii.

"Sorry," said Scrupilo. "Maybe your tiara is finally busted? We're getting good pictures from Wilm Linden's camera."

"Okay." Audio plus Wilm's camera should be enough for today. She talked past Scrupilo: "Ship! What are you seeing?"

Oobii replied, "My radar shows mostly clear sky, a few bird swarms. I can't see all the way down into the valleys."

"Yes," interrupted Scrupilo. "Damn Nevil. If his idiots hadn't crashed EA2, we might have our own look-down radar." He ranted about Denier incompetence for some minutes; Scrupilo had his own geeky slant on what was wrong with Nevil.

The sun was well past noon when the packs farthest from the noise of the river sounded alarms. Their shouts were not quiet alerts. They were booming chords that announced, "Airship sounds! Airship sounds!"

Flenser was instantly scanning the ridgeline. "I don't see anything." He kept his scopes aimed at Nevil's side valley, but there was a subtle change in the rest of him. He was listening with most of his attention. "I'm too close to the river. It's not the best hearing ... Yes! Airships, definitely."

Now other packs began shouting. They were racing around, not looking anywhere in particular. Give me a clue, guys! thought Ravna. Where should I be looking?

Benky came racing down from the tree line, jabbing snouts at the southeastern sky.

Ravna followed the gestures. Nothing. And she still couldn't hear a shred of engine sound ... but now Oobii reported secondary radar echoes that might be aircraft following the curve of the Streamsdell Valley.

A minute passed. There! Just above where the glacial valley turned further south, she saw two dark spots floating against the snow glare.

Flenser was dancing around his telescope watchers. He had his own news: "Hei, hei! There are two-legs coming down from Nevil's little valley."

Eyes turned from the sky to the ridgeline. At least a dozen tiny figures were descending the valley wall. The abrupt, simultaneous emergence was as dramatic as Nevil and Tycoon had no doubt planned.

One of the airships might have been the one Ravna and Jefri had flown on; it had the Pack of Packs twelvesome painted on its nose. But the other airship was just as large. There was plenty of room for all the prisoners.

The ships didn't immediately land. They circled in a long elliptical path above Ravna's group, flying back and forth along the breeze that swept the valley.

vin made a rude gesture at the airships. "The crapheads aren't going to land until the Great Nevil gives the command."

Flenser's had one telescope on the descending humans and the other two on the airships. vin Verring's comment got his attention though: "Heh. That's certainly the claim Dear Nevil would make. But I remember EA2 landings. It's tricky without a ground crew to help."

Magda Norasndot said, "Yes. Be nice, vin. We can't afford nastiness." She and Elspa Latterby were already talking about where the ships would land. They wanted to be at the front of the welcomers.

Benky had run back into the forest. Now he and some of his troops came into view, accompanying the Denier party. Ravna didn't need a telescope to spot Nevil Storherte. How did he keep his clothes so clean out here? The villain strode confidently toward them. As he came nearer, Ravna could see he was grinning as with general good nature.

"Greetings, greetings!" Nevil shouted as the loyalist Children ran out to meet him. He stopped well short of Ravna to talk with those most desperate for news.

There were fifteen Deniers in his party. Tami Ansndot and several others were carrying cams and comms. They looked like a news crew from some ancient time. It was interesting the added importance they seemed to give whomever they were pointing at.

Nevil had picked Elspa out of the crowd. Ravna strained to hear him; the tiara was no help today. "Yes," Nevil was saying, "communications have been awful. Getting better comms should be everyone's highest priority. But I know your Geri is one of those whom Tycoon found. I know for a fact she is on the first airship-" He turned as Magda touched his arm. He nodded, giving Magda a hug. "Yes, I hope the Norasndots will be here too. We'll know soon enough." Some of the Children were openly crying.

Oops. Where is Giske? She wouldn't be in the middle of all this unless she was carrying a knife. Ravna glanced quickly around. There-Giske was almost thirty meters away, arguing with Bili Yngva.

Now Nevil stepped back and his voice became more public: "Please. Give us a few minutes. We have to get the airships safely landed." He looked into the sky at the farther airship, just now making a turn at the far end of its circuit. "I'll land the one with our friends first. The other is just a backup flier." He delivered this disappointment so casually that people scarcely seemed to notice. Could you really get all the missing on one of these airships?

Nevil touched his ear, like some player in an ancient drama. In addition to what he had stolen, he must be getting radios from Tycoon. With the orbiter for a relay, he had better comms than the Domain. Nevil looked around, then gave a go-ahead wave. Most of the Denier Children ran out into the marshy flats by the river's outer curve. Ah, there was Del Ronsndot in the lead, waving an arm in a wide circle. The other Children spread out. One of the airships was coming toward them.

The ship's buzzing rose to a whine. Its bow dipped till the long airform hung foreshortened, descending to earth. All conversation stopped. This was a little like what you might see in civilization-only there, the ship would be a solid mass, perhaps one hundred thousand tonnes, a vehicle that could navigate solar systems.

By the time the first craft had dropped lines and Del's crew had pounded down anchor spikes, the second airship was descending to land a hundred meters behind. Ravna noticed that Benky was shifting his troops around, inconspicuously setting up fields of fire.

At that point, almost everyone surged forward onto the marshy ground. Benky looked outraged; some of his own troops had joined the crowd. Here in the middle of nowhere, a couple of dozen humans and some packs were doing a good job of imitating a mob. Jefri-who was already at the first airship-got some of the troops into a circle around the ship's main hatch. Wilm Linden had made it to the front with his camera.

Flenser scrambled down from the river rocks. He let Ravna help with White Tips and his wheelbarrow. They made slow progress across the marsh. Ritl hung back with them. Maybe she realized that she was likely to get trampled if she rushed into the crowd.

Everyone made way for Nevil. As he walked by Jefri, words passed between the two, but Ravna was too far away to hear. She glanced at Flenser, who was watching the exchange too. "Couldn't hear it," he said.

Maybe Nevil's expression had darkened at Jefri's words. But then he grinned at Jef, and seemed to say something encouraging. He turned back to crowd, all smiles. Powers, even improvising, he was doing as well as back at the New Meeting Place.

"Friends," he shouted, his voice thin in the breeze. "Friends. Please stay a little back. I'm not sure of the order our loved ones will come out-" but he was waving Elspa to come forward.

Ravna and Flenser had reached the back of the crowd. Ravna tried to see around or over those ahead of her. Ritl wasn't helping. She was running around between Ravna's legs, complaining, presumably because she couldn't see a thing. Except for the fact that she was making trouble, this was very unlike Ritl. Why wasn't she flanking the mob, or worming her through the Children to get a front row view?

Wilm Linden held the Domain camera high over his head, scanning across the crowd. Then he turned back to the sealed hatch. "You're getting Wilm's video?" Ravna said to her relay link.

"Yup," Scrup's voice came back, and a second later Woodcarver confirmed: "Ravna, I'm keeping your audio private to Scrupilo and myself. We've got Wilm's transmission showing in Oobii's meeting place-as well as the video the Deniers are sending through the orbiter. We're hanging on Nevil's every word." She gobbled a mild obscenity.

Ravna grinned but didn't reply. Beside her, Flenser had made a Tinish pyramid of himself and now had a pair of eyes with a clear view. Benky stayed close to ground; she noticed he had three packs watching away from the main event.

Both airships had shut down their engines. Nevil was into a pregnant pause. The moment captured Ravna as much as anyone. Down by her ankles, even Ritl had fallen silent. The loudest sound was the breeze whistling up the valley.

Behind the port, there was a squeaking sound, the hatch wheel being turned. Ravna stepped to one side, finally got a sliver of a good view. The hull section swung out, dropping the main stairway down.

"So what's inside?" Flenser hissed at her.

"It's too dark for me to see," said Ravna. The entrance was in the shadow of the overhanging hull.

Woodcarver's voice came over the link. "Oobii did something with the image. There's at least a singleton crouched at the top of the stairs."

Somebody was pushing at Ravna's side, licking her hand. Ritl! "What? Are you crazy?" Ravna said to the animal. "Go run! See for yourself." Why was Ritl suddenly so shy? She was making desperate little whistling noises. In a way, that was more distracting than her usual bitching. "Okay," said Ravna, "but you better not slash me." She reached under Ritl's forelegs and hoisted the creature up the way the Children lifted their Best Friend's puppies. Of course there was a problem since Ritl was an average-sized female adult. Ravna staggered back a step, then recovered. At least the creature didn't try to hold on with her claws, but now Ravna was facing into lots of pointy teeth and the usual bad breath. Then Ritl twisted her head around to look at the airship.

For a moment Ritl was as quiet as everyone else, watching the space at the top of the stairs. Then the singleton that Woodcarver reported came sauntering out. No wonder it had been hard to see. It wore a cloak of midnight black. The radio cloak's golden highlights were mostly lost in the shade.

The singleton was Zek. He looked a lot better than the last time Ravna had seen him. Zek glanced around with an alertness and self-possession that must mean he had good connectivity. He nodded in Nevil's direction and boomed out the words, "I speak for Tycoon." His voice was not Tycoon's frightened little girl's voice. It actually sounded like one of Amdi's voices, the kind he used when he was pretending to be an adult human, someone serious and important.

Nevil gave a little start of surprise, but his response seemed as confident as ever: "As we agreed, sir, I have brought humans and packs from the Domain. Today we can settle many of the issues that poisoned their minds in the past. Have you brought those you rescued from the wild?"

"Indeed." Zek's head gave a jerky nod that might have been part of a cynical smile. "My employer has sent me with all the humans and Domainish Tines that we rescued on your behalf."

Zek stepped to the side, giving way to whatever was behind him. Ravna noticed that Nevil was urging Elspa forward so she would be at the foot of the stairs and visible to all his cameras.

A small human figure appeared at the top of the stairs. Elspa gave a cry and started forward. But this wasn't Geri Latterby. It was Timor Ristling, who even at fourteen was almost as short as Geri. He gave Elspa a little wave and smiled, maybe not understanding the disappointment in Elspa's face. He turned back into the darkened hallway and made coaxing gestures. After a moment, someone as small as he was took his hand. The face that peered out at them was as pale as any Straumer's face could ever be.

"Geri!" Elspa ran up the steps, sweeping her little sister into her arms. She teetered for an instant at the top, then came down a few steps to lean against the top rungs with her knee. For a moment, she just rocked the child in her arms and wept. Geri herself was much quieter. She seemed to be reaching back toward Timor, and after a moment Elspa brought the boy into her embrace.

As Elspa and the little ones came down the steps, the crowd jostled close, Nevil's camera crew at the fore. Ravna felt Ritl tense, buzzing. She was still looking at the top of the stairs. The only thing there was Zek-but now the creature was looking past the crowd, directly at Ravna. Or Ritl. The singleton exploded out of Ravna's arms and raced into the crowd. Crazy animal! Or maybe Ritl had somehow concluded that Amdi was here and about to be released.

Ravna had had enough of standing back here. She touched Flenser's White Tips and said, "I'm going to get closer."

None of Flenser looked her way, but the pack replied, "That's fine. Check out Geri. I don't think she qualifies as a propaganda coup for Nevil."

Three packs came out of the ship. Two were city guards who had been missing since before the first kidnappings. They were battered and scarred, though their injuries were mostly healed. The third was a fragment, all that remained of Edvi Verring's Best Friend Dumpster. There was angry muttering from Benky's troops on seeing all this evidence of mistreatment.

Some of Tycoon's packs had descended from the other airship. They looked like soldiers, but they kept their distance. Zek was the only crewmember who appeared from the first craft. He kept to his place at the top of the stairs; he wasn't saying much, mainly just ushering each prisoner out the door. Nevil did the talking. It took all his skill to spin this to his advantage.

Ravna worked her way through the crowd toward the little hillock where Elspa was sitting.

"Ravna!" Timor saw her and hobbled quickly in her direction. Ravna gave him a hug. Timor was talking fast and enthusiastically. "I was so worried about you, Ravna! We were mostly kept in our dungeons, but Tycoon said that-" He stopped himself as if he shouldn't be saying more, or perhaps he thought Ravna wasn't paying attention.

But I was paying attention. Ravna leaned away and brushed his hair into place. His face lit up with the smile she remembered.

Timor drew her over to where Elspa sat with Geri on her lap. Magda and Lisl were on their knees beside her, ignoring the continuing hubbub by the airship's stairs.

Elspa Latterby sat with her head bowed, almost curled around her baby sister. Kneeling beside her on the soaking grass, Ravna looked at the little girl. Geri Latterby had been such a happy kid, but ever since Ravna had heard her frightened voice coming out of Tycoon, Ravna's fears for the girl had grown.

Geri was not crying. Her expression was distant. She scarcely reacted to her sister's touch. But even though Geri didn't speak, Ravna could see. Two fingers were missing from Geri's right hand. Her left arm lay at a strange angle. She was dressed in a clean, warm robe ... that didn't quite cover the scars on her neck.

"She's been tortured," said Magda. She looked like she was chewing on glass. "Tycoon must pay for this."

"No!" said Timor. "The big guy only helped her-" but the Children didn't seem to be listening, and he shut up.

Nevil Storherte was circulating, mainly among the Deniers. His camera gang was split between tracking him and watching the airship entrance. Giske was nowhere in sight, but Ravna noticed that Jefri and vin were closing in on the Chief Denier. If this was the end of the releases, there was going to be trouble.

"S'cuse me, s'cuse me," she said, working her way through the crowd around Nevil. Meantime, she muttered to her remote link: "Is this all the people we're getting?" The airship's hatch was still open, but Zek had disappeared from his post on the stairs.

Woodcarver's voice came back: "That could be ... but hold off for now. The smart thing is to see how Nevil tries to explain the missing prisoners, then decide on the proper action."

"I don't think that's an option. Both Jefri and vin are going to start pounding on Nevil."

In any case, Nevil had noticed her approach. He waved in her direction. "Hei, folks, please let Ravna Bergsndot through."

Okay, for sure she was being set up. So be it. She nodded as casually as she could, and stepped into the open space in front of Nevil.

Nevil's smile was as gracious as the day when he ambushed her at the New Meeting Place-but this time Ravna was attacking: "Nevil, I've been talking to Elspa Latterby. That's her sister Geri who came down the ramp first and-"

Storherte blinked, but she'd given him enough warning that he actually managed to interrupt her: "Yes, I asked Tycoon to have Geri brought down the very first." His smile had morphed into sympathy and serious concern. "I'm afraid some Tines are insanely hostile toward humans. Some of them got to Geri before Tycoon could make a rescue."

There was muttered gobbling among the Best Friends and Benky's troops. Woodcarver's voice sounded privately in Ravna's ear: "I had to put up with a lot of this 'insane hater' talk while you were gone." But the Deniers were nodding sympathetically. Even some loyalist Children seemed to accept Nevil's point. And in fact, something like Nevil's claim was true, though apparently Nevil had decided never to mention Vendacious.

"Okay," said Ravna, "but we're still missing at least three packs and five humans. What about Pilgrim? What about Johanna? Remember her? The woman who loved you enough to propose marriage. Are we going to see any of these people today?"

Nevil's head rocked back a fraction and a certain "honest" indignation showed. "Whatever you may believe, I don't control Tycoon. He's my ally, and at least as honorable as your Woodcarver. You all know what that means." He let the words hang, creating lies out of pregnant silence. Just an instant before Ravna recovered from her own stunned indignation, Nevil continued, "I think we were all at the meeting on the Meadows. That did not turn out well. Sometimes a past wrong is so terrible that a person can't think straight. I think that's what happened to Tycoon that day. We're not going to get Johanna back today. Tycoon claims she's alive, but I'm not sure we'll ever get her back." He looked around imploringly. "And if we do get Jo back, then it would be up to us to judge her. I-I don't think I could do that."