"Veroshi City Festival, pt 2" by Heidi Hecht

Wizenger sat with his back against the wall of a building on the edge of First's City. The only explanation the Grebsas had given for herding all their slaves into this complex was that some Guardians were visiting with their Veroshi and they didn't want a scene like last time. The place was heated and not especially drafty and the floor was dry, which was more than he could have said about the Shadows' secret prison. In every other way, this place reminded him of a large livestock barn. He had also spotted a few security cameras up near the ceiling. If any slaves tried to escape, whoever was watching would be on top of them in, probably, seconds.

He got Stephanie to tell him about the scene last time.

"A few months ago, the Guardian Commandrix visited Ariana with her eight Special Ones. They call the Veroshi 'Special Ones' when they're attached to a Guardian. Well, the Veroshi just pitched a fit when they saw us. I don't understand a word of their language but, from what Ariana says about it, I think the gist of it was that humans shouldn't get to serve the Grebsas."

Wizenger scratched his head. "From their point of view, that could be perfectly reasonable. I did get a peek at their Scriptures once and I think I remember something about the Veroshi being the Grebsa gods' only chosen people. The Grebsas would question our motives if we suddenly started worshipping them."

"Good point." Stephanie rubbed the back of her neck and grimaced. "It's even possible that the Veroshi will demand that they get rid of us if they find out we're still around. If it came down to us or the Veroshi, I have a pretty good idea of what the Grebsas would choose."

That caught Wizenger off-guard. "Surely they could have demanded that a long time ago if they meant to."

"You didn't see how the Veroshi reacted last time. If they demanded that we be put down like rabid animals, who could say that the Grebsas wouldn't have done it?"

"Are the Veroshi dominating the Grebsas then? I don't see the Lords of Sol System putting up with that for long."

"Not dominating exactly. Ariana talks about some kind of agreement with them, almost like they're equals. Besides, if our God refuses a request, it's usually because He has something better in mind, right?"

"Sure."

"Well, in this case, the Veroshi wouldn't be asking for anything their gods aren't halfway inclined to do anyway. They'd feel no guilt about ridding First's City of its slaves if that's what the Veroshi want unless they have an ulterior motive for not doing so."

"Are you saying we need to get on the Veroshi's good side? How the deuce are we supposed to do that if we can't even speak their language?"

"I didn't say anything about speaking their language. We have to prove we're not the monsters they think we are and that has more to do with actions than words."

Wizenger looked around at their environment. They were in a barn, with cameras leading to a monitoring system that was probably manned twenty-four hours a day, and the Veroshi definitely wouldn't be allowed in here. How could they prove what Stephanie wanted?

"That could be problematic," he said out loud.

Stephanie laughed. "You do have a talent for understatement. It is something we can think about, don't you think?"

"What could we do, anyway? I do think anything we do now would be too little, too late."

The huge doors to the outside swung outward and the humans closest to them skittered backwards. A half-squad of armored Enforcers towed a huge dumbwaiter into the building. Wizenger expected that it contained the sort of food that could be made for a crowd this size. At least the Grebsas wanted them healthy when they returned to their masters.

A few of the humans approached the Enforcers from all sides and the Enforcers growled warningly at them. They paused, and then started an orderly line. Wizenger tried to think the best of the situation. Perhaps the half-squad just didn't want to get mobbed all at once. They began handing out bowls of stew.

Stephanie and Wizenger got into line. Neither of them expected anything special because they were the Enforcer Commandrix's slaves and they weren't disappointed. As they settled back against the wall with their bowls, Wizenger poked at the stew with his spoon. He was almost sure he saw little bits of meat in the stew. He couldn't quite remember the last time he had actual meat.

"Wow, special treat today," Stephanie said, holding up a spoonful of stew. "There's beef in here."

"Beef? Seriously?"

"I've almost forgotten what it tastes like."

She took a bite, savoring it. Wizenger was almost certain it would make him sick. Still, he imagined the Grebsas wouldn't be very happy if he wasted beef that could have gone to feed their large-carnivore appetites. He took a bite. The stuff melted in his mouth.

"This is good!" he said around the mouthful.

Stephanie chuckled. "Yeah."

He cleaned out the bowl and brought it back to the dumbwaiter. The nearest Enforcer aimed a fierce eye at him and whuffed. Wizenger got the impression he was laughing. A year or two ago, he might have taken offense. Now, he just shrugged and walked away.

~~~~~~~~

Ariana wheeled in mid-air, observing the herd of deer below. It was a point of pride for him that he never ate any meat he hadn't killed himself. Most of the does were showing signs of pregnancy, though. The Hunting Code clearly stated that no pregnant or nursing female could be taken in a hunt.

He zeroed in on one that had just recently lost its horns, swooped and made a clean kill. One swipe of his massive paw and the buck never even knew what hit it. He gathered himself beside his kill and watched the rest of the herd flee with some satisfaction. If only humans would show that kind of sense, life would be a lot easier.

He wrestled the buck up onto his shoulders and took off, wondering why he was thinking about humans, anyway. Maybe it was those three poachers he had caught in this game preserve just yesterday. The boundaries were clearly marked, so Ariana hadn't believed their claims that they didn't know they were in a Grebsa-owned preserve, or that they were unaware that the penalty for being caught in one was death on the spot. Well, he had the satisfaction of giving the fish in a nearby lake a free meal and presenting a captain he favored with some pheasants as a love-gift.

He flew past an invisible boundary into First's City. The trees were just thick enough that he could have missed the signs of habitation if he hadn't known what to look for. Even then, he only saw the occasional corner of one of the Amazons' tree houses and a few rope bridges between the trees. He spotted the Amazon Commandrix on one of the bridges and bellowed a greeting. She looked up and answered telepathically.

*Caught yourself another deer, Ariana? And here we were sure you were hunting poachers again!*

*Can you blame me?* he said with a mental laugh. *We have enough trouble with humans without them getting into our hunting grounds too!*

*Well, Commandrix Reya wants to have a meeting. She says the Shadows aren't taking her request for operatives on the fishing boats seriously enough.*

*The Shadows can't be everywhere,* Ariana answered, but he could see Reya's point. Her Faction didn't have the manpower to patrol much more than the western North American coastline. With Shadow support, they could spread out a little more. *I'll drop my deer off at my place and then come.*

*Okay.*

He flew on to his apartment carved into the side of a mountain near the First Grebsa's. While the Amazons, Defenders, and the few Shadows who lived here preferred tree houses, the catmonster-types preferred a more cave-like affair. He pressed his thumb against the thumbprint reader and the rock that formed the door to his apartment rolled to one side. He folded his wings at just the right moment and landed just inside the door, remembering to wrap his tail around one leg. Captain Teran had lost the tip of her tail by getting it caught in her door. While Ariana assured her that it didn't make her any less attractive, he preferred not to repeat that stunt. It slid shut with a chunk that might have had an air of finality to it if he didn't know that the mechanism was working properly.

His tail sprang back into a curl. He would have preferred to process his deer right away. Instead, he stowed it in one of the larger coolers. It wouldn't hurt the thing to chill for the hour or two the meeting would take. Besides, Tranna wasn't in First's City very much anymore. If he could catch her before the meeting, maybe he could find out if she wanted to discuss anything that involved both Enforcers and Guardians. She certainly wouldn't be shy about it if she wanted something out of him.

She rumbled in his head, *Anyone who thinks I'm a blushing adolescent or a shrew can come wrestle me!*

Ariana couldn't take such a threat lightly when she won about half of their wrestling matches, and he couldn't go lightly on her out of some misguided sense of chivalry without insulting her. Life with the Veroshi hadn't spoiled her at all.

*Nobody said anything about shrews to my knowledge,* he said, leaving the "blushing adolescent" part of her comment out to tease her. *Reya's got a complaint for us to settle. If you want to discuss anything, now's the time.*

*If the Shadow's not doing his job, I'll settle it with him. It affects all of us. And my Special Ones have something they want to ask all the Commandrices. I brought them along.*

She sounded anxious. Ariana thought she would probably be sympathetic toward Reya, who protected the "other" extraterrestrial species that had come in on the Hoshrin. Ariana always mentally put the quote marks around the word "other" when thinking about the Miriana. Somehow, they didn't seem to make headlines the way the Veroshi did, even though the Miriana were much more accessible and just as cute.

Tranna aimed a mental swat at him. *Don't you try to set me against Reya just so you don't have to lose at wrestling again. I have my reasons for not letting every petty evangelist and news man into Veroshi City.*

*I know, Tranna, it upsets the Veroshi too much.*

He landed at the meeting site at the same time Tranna and her Veroshi octuplets did. No one could keep Tranna's Special Ones away without hurting them and Tranna would shred anyone who tried. The Commandrix settled in her usual spot and the Veroshi gathered up their silk skirts and settled into the sand around her. The dearlings reminded Ariana of an alien sort of ladies-in-waiting. Tranna shot an amused look at him.

*And I'm the big old ugly duchess.*

He deliberately pretended he hadn't heard that. He just watched Serith arrange some firewood and wrestle with working a fire to life. He could have used starter fluid if Reya wasn't so paranoid about having oil-based products this close to her ocean. Finally, he got one started with bits of newspaper and went to his usual spot.

The meeting place was located on a cove beach so Reya wouldn't have to inconvenience herself to attend the Commandrices' meetings. She was nibbling on a fish tail and looking a little annoyed. Anyone catching merely a glimpse of her might have taken her for a sea monster, with a seal's head, webbed hands and feet, and a pelt of charcoal-gray fur. A lot of her was hidden under the murky water, but Ariana knew about her highly flexible spine and a powerful flippered tail that moved up and down like a whale's. The Scientist Commandrix used to brag about how his Faction had been responsible for designing her "specs" until the others took a vote and asked him to quit. Ariana privately thought the Scientist had been a little hurt when Reya voted in favor of that resolution.

Commandrix Era showed no hard feelings about it, though. He just settled into a spot between Reya and Shadow Commandrix Serith without being too obvious that he was creating a buffer

zone between them. This time of year, it wouldn't be a good thing if she decided Serith needed a good dunking. She turned to Ariana and gave him an impudent wink. He curled his tail. She had tried dunking him once and nearly managed it. Serith was a lot lighter.

Deria of the Amazons and Renna of the Defenders arrived at a full run, surrounded by their small pack of wolves. The Veroshi eyed the creatures that could have been their four-footed cousins with considerable interest. They were probably going to pepper Deria and Renna with questions after the meeting was over. The wolves eyed the Veroshi with equal curiosity and might have caused some mischief if their masters didn't choose that moment to give some sharp orders to their pack. With the wolf-version of grumbles, the pack settled around their masters' feet.

There was no formal call to order. Once the circle of Commandrices were complete, any chatter between them simply stopped. Reya chittered what sounded like a question in the Miriana's language.

Ariana said tolerantly, *You can ask us over the Network, Reya. That's what it's there for.*

*I said, is the First going to be here?*

*In spirit, perhaps. She only intercedes if we argue ourselves to a standstill, and you know she can't show up physically in any case.*

A feminine telepathic voice, quiet but still managing to exude power, said, *I am always here, my daughter. Is there something you need?*

Instinctively, Reya's eyes drifted in the direction of the First's mountain. So did Era's and Serith's, since they were both facing that direction and they all heard her communication. Their ruler never left her mountain: not by choice, the way it might have been with past rulers. She was trapped there, in a suspension tank that prevented her from dying of wounds a crazed human had inflicted. Her mind still worked perfectly, though, and the Commandrices were used to acting as her eyes and hands.

Reya answered politely, *I am only curious. You don't seem to pay much attention to the Network anymore.*

Deria coughed. *The First pays attention. She just trusts us to do our jobs. That doesn't mean she can't demote us if she feels we're drifting too far from our Faction's proper function.*

*I hope I never have to do that,* the First added. *Anyway, I have an idea about that complaint you have, Reya. Why not sell the boats you've already seized and use the money to put together a monitoring link to our satellite imaging system? You can watch the activities on any suspect boat yourself. Era, didn't your people recently find a way to watch submarine activity, too?*

Era nodded, forgetting that the First couldn't see him. *We're still tracking down a few bugs. But we should have that sorted out in a month or two.*

Reya thought about that for a minute. *That would require a waterproof monitoring system. Era, I'll have to borrow some of your people to build and install the thing.*

*You can just let us know where you want it.*

The octuplets stirred restlessly as Reya and Era continued to discuss the details. As much as the Veroshi anticipated the Guardians' needs, it was easy to forget that their Special Ones couldn't hear the Grebsas' telepathic communication. They wouldn't know that Reya, the relative baby in this particular group, would need reassurance that the First listened and cared. The poor dears had to be cold, too. Even the fire didn't do much to drive away the usual beginning-of-winter chill. They were still adjusting to the idea of having seasons after lifetimes on their interstellar spacecraft and part of that meant learning how to dress for the weather. Tranna spoke softly to them in their own language and they happily cuddled against her soft, warm fur. She wrapped them in her wings.

Finally, Reya and Era settled their business. Tranna made a quick report on the security around Veroshi City.

*Actual crime has been non-existent in Veroshi City proper since the Spa was completed. We did catch two poachers in the game preserve who are now feeding the fish-* That comment got chuckles from Reya, Dranna, and Deria and curled tails from the rest of them. The Grebsas had borrowed the euphemism from nautical tradition. She continued, *-and thirty-two intruders in the Farms, mostly minor vandals, thrill-seekers, and the curious. At least one of them was an evangelist, though.*

That got a hiss from Era. He considered it a mark against his Faction that it couldn't reverse what that genius Prophet had done to the Veroshi. Their compulsion to worship the Grebsas caused an ethical tangle for their gods. On the one hand, they disliked having to accept such helpless devotion; on the other, they couldn't just throw the Veroshi out to fend for themselves when they relied on their gods for defense. Era might not have cared so much if one of his best biochemists hadn't committed the Grebsa version of suicide over it. He might not be able to "cure" the Veroshi of their compulsion, but the Veroshi version of DNA could have given the unfortunate biochemist something to puzzle over for several lifetimes.

*I do agree, Era. We have told the evangelists not to waste their time.*

"Is something wrong, Tranna?" asked Srango, the most assertive of her octuplets.

"Nothing serious. Era just doesn't like it when we have to discuss that thing Arax suicided over."

Srango whimpered a little. He didn't know the specifics of Arax's suicide. He just knew that it had to do with the Forbidden Room on the Hoshrin. Every Veroshi knew that it contained information for the Grebsas' eyes only. None of them knew that it contained all the original documents describing how and why the Prophet Rora created the Veroshi and sent them out to find their gods. It told the same basic story as the Scriptures did, but added many more details that Rora hadn't wanted her creations to know and information on their biochemistry. Any attempt to alter them would cause a meltdown in their biology. It was a cruel thing to do, but the Grebsas understood how desperation could drive a person to extremes. They could love the creation if nothing else.

"How about you tell them what you want to say?" she asked cheerfully.

It was exactly the right thing to say. She could divert them from blaming themselves for Arax's mind-death by letting them do nice things for the ones they worshipped. She tried not to be condescending about it and even wondered sometimes what caused people to equate "innocent" and "charming" with "childlike." The fact that the Veroshi population never produced any psycho killers didn't mean they couldn't be mature adults. Or maybe they were mature adults because they weren't psycho killers. Whatever. She spread her wings to let them stand in front of the most powerful gods and goddesses of the Grebsa Network.

*Except maybe me,* the First whispered for Tranna's mind only. It wasn't a scold. Despite everything, the Ruler of Sol System still had a sense of humor.

*Except maybe you,* Tranna acknowledged. *But this will be intimidating enough for the Veroshi.*

That got a mental chuckle from the First. Tranna's Special Ones drew strength from her by patting her head and getting a reassuring purr in return. She, at least, wasn't intimidating to them.

They still stayed close together. The Commandrices did their best to give their full attention without making them uncomfortable. Deria and Renna petted their wolves casually. Serith couldn't look like anything but a career secret agent, but he did his best to look like he wasn't about to swing into the climax of a spy movie. Ariana watched them with interest, but not the way he would watch a herd of deer. Even Reya decided she was tired of nibbling on her fish tail and tried to skip it over the water before turning her attention to them.

The others pushed Srango forward a little. Even the knowledge that he was facing seven friendly and sympathetic Grebsas didn't help a lot. They controlled the fate of worlds and a word from them could end the Agreement. None of them wanted that. Fortunately, what they wanted wasn't more serious than the Commandrices maybe taking a few days off.

"We're going to have a Winter Festival in a couple of weeks. We might even be able to combine it with a celebration of our first year on Earth," Srango managed a little cheerful pride. "We'd like you to come."

Deria smiled at them as if to say, That wasn't so bad, now, was it? "I think my commanders can handle things on their own for a week or two."

She wasn't obvious enough to add, "They know how to contact me in an emergency," even if it was true. Besides, it had been a few centuries since any Commandrix had gotten a decent vacation. They couldn't think of any better way to show their approval of their pretty friends than to help them celebrate their first successful year on Earth. Reya was the only one who had reservations about it.

"It may be a little difficult for me to travel inland," she admitted. "Era, do you know what happened to those anti-grav tanks we used on the Hoshrin?"

Era seemed to think for a moment, though he was probably just asking his people what had happened to the tanks they had used to transport Reya and her brother to and from the shallow "ocean" on the Veroshi's spacecraft.

"We have them in storage a day's flight from here. Though it may take a little longer if we add heating units to keep the water from freezing," he said.

Reya gave him a look. *Yes, it may be inconvenient for me if the water freezes,* she told him over the Network.

Era curled his tail in amusement. "Perhaps our Veroshi friends could spend a few days here while we work out the details," he said.

The Veroshi wolf-grinned and wagged their tails. Although he stated it informally, they knew what a blessing it was to be invited to stay in First's City. Even the debacle of the last visit couldn't daunt them. At least they knew it was mostly the Grebsas' fault for not foreseeing how they would react to seeing humans in a City meant strictly for high-ranking Grebsas and the gods would do everything they could to avoid a repeat.

~~~~~~~~

Six yipping Veroshi puppies nuzzled at Jetral's fur as if looking for something. It wasn't food, he was sure of that much. They had just been fed. Probably they were just trying to figure out this fuzzy whom their instincts told them was a young god who would protect them, even if it meant clinging to an enemy's leg with tiny pin-needle claws and gumming at the ankles until help arrived!

Overall, he was content to let them satisfy their curiosity. He reached out with one finger and stroked a puppy's head. The puppy leaned into it. Jetral decided it was quite impossible to tell whether this one was a girl or a boy. They were dressed in uniform white pajamas and gender didn't matter much at this age anyway.

There had been no progress finding the mother. It was impossible to explain to the Veroshi how skin samples could lead to the mother without a lesson on basic genetics. They weren't stupid and many Guardians suspected that the highest-ranking Priestesses and some Veroshi scientists understood very basic genetics, but a taboo kept them from wanting to discuss it. Finally, the Scientists had come up with a half-lie, saying they were doing research on skin cancer, which was something the Veroshi were familiar with, and just needed a few skin samples. There had been no shortage of volunteers then, and there was no reason why the Scientists couldn't use the samples for research afterward.

Jetral hated the idea of being dishonest to the Veroshi. They might find out and if they couldn't trust the gods, who could they trust?

One after the other, the puppies decided he would make a good comforter and curled up against his fur for a nap. He chuckled softly. The Priestesses always talked about how the Grebsas were the big, fierce protector gods. Nobody ever talked about how a Grebsa might be the big cuddly-creature, too. At least they weren't crying for his "tickly" wing anymore and only complained when somebody tried to cover them with a blanket.

He looked around for Ruyana before remembering that she was in the Temple, handling her duties as an Acolyte. She had mentioned offhand about wanting to spend more time with the puppies she thought might be her siblings and children, but she couldn't fall behind in her studies. It made him dizzy when he thought about it. He had thought they were just sextuplets, but something had caused them to form sibling-bonds and maternal-bonds with Ruyana...

He flinched slightly as a hunch hit him. He had found the puppies not far from where he had found that Veroshi couple he had taken to the spa. What if the lady had been on her way to the Healers when the full force of the blizzard hit and been forced to give birth in the snow? He hoped it wasn't his fault that they had been left. They certainly hadn't said anything about puppies. It could be like something Ruyana had said to him just yesterday, that the trauma of being caught in their very first blizzard caused them to abandon their puppies and forget they ever existed. It would still be partly his own fault for not checking for nearby heat sources.

He relayed his thoughts to Tranna.

*It's possible, I suppose,* she said after a moment's thought. *But amnesia in two parents at the same time?*

*It's like the Scientists are always saying. Even if it's billion-to-one odds, there's still that one chance.*

*I'll have somebody talk to this couple. I just don't want them to feel like they're being pushed into a false confession. How do you confess to something you don't remember doing?*

*Hypnosis,* Jetral suggested. *With certain kinds of amnesia, the memory is still there. It's just repressed.*

*I don't think we've ever tried hypnotizing a Veroshi,* she said slowly, *but we can ask the Priestesses if it's ever been done.*

*There could be a reference in the Scriptures. Or there's a group of Priestesses who specialize in the mental arts. We can ask them to see if there's a hidden memory.*

*Jetral, I don't think they like to use their powers to violate someone's privacy.*

*They weren't shy about telling Ruyana these puppies are maternal-bonded and sibling-bonded to her,* he retorted. *Surely they would understand if we asked them to help us find the real parents.*

*Let's leave them out of this.*

Jetral dropped the matter, but had to wonder why Tranna was so adamant about it. He didn't precisely think the Priestesses were lying, but couldn't imagine how six perhaps-unrelated puppies could form sibling-bonds and maternal-bonds with Ruyana. Was it really eight days ago that she had told him about her pregnancy? Well, he didn't think these puppies had been more than a day old when he found them and, if he looked closely, he could see her pregnancy just starting to show. Whoever the mother was, it wasn't Ruyana.

He heard the whimpering before he saw his Special One come into the room. She was obviously making a token effort to maintain some decorum around the Guardians and not quite succeeding. She came over, looking like she was doing an awkward version of the two-step as she tried not to run, and scooped Jetral up. The puppies yelped protests as they tumbled a bit.

"Whatever is wrong, Ruyana?" he squeaked.

Stars, he hated squeaking!

"I'm sorry, Jetral. I know you pressured the Priestesses to get me into the Acolyte program, but I have those puppies and more coming and I'm just not sure I can cope with it all."

She plopped down on the cushion, luckily not sitting on any of the puppies, and arranged him on her lap. Jetral purred sympathetically and rubbed her arm with his cheek. He hadn't thought he had leaned that much on the Priestesses. He had only mentioned once that it might help if Ruyana had something productive to do that she could be proud of. The Priestesses had, of course, taken it on themselves to come up with ideas.

"What do you want to do?" he asked, hoping she wouldn't just give him an answer she thought would make him happy.

"I want to take care of you and the puppies. I'm just afraid of being an Acolyte dropout. They're seen as the worst kind of failures because they weren't good enough to serve the gods."

Well, that was honest enough. For himself, Jetral didn't need a lot of care but remembered how Ruyana had fretted over not being able to check on him five times a day when she first started as an Acolyte. He suspected that it had less to do with making certain he was comfortable on patrol and more to do with a not-entirely-irrational fear that he would disappear from her life like everyone else who had ever shown her any decency at all. Had her fear of failing and disappointing her god really kept her in the Acolyte program this long?

"You'll always be good enough for me, Ruyana. I asked the Priestesses to help you accomplish something you could be proud of because I love you."

Ruyana scratched between his ears and his purr intensified. He always liked it when she did that and not only because it helped relieve the awful itches he used to get on his head and face.

"And I was going to talk you into going to the spa when you recovered from getting frost-bitten. Only, you never did, did you?" She sighed. "All of us worry about you gods because you never seem to think of your own needs."

"We think of you Veroshi first. We did promise to protect you."

"I know, the Agreement. I do have a day off tomorrow. Maybe we can go then."

At least it gave her a day to think about it.

"Okay, Ruyana."

~~~~~~~~

A contact from Lieutenant Fran brought Commandrix Era out of his meditations.

*Commandrix? Sorry to interrupt, but those three unattached Scientists we brought with us want to see you.*

Era sighed. The Guardian lieutenant probably meant the Veroshi scientists Tranna had told him about. They had apparently decided to join the party traveling to First's City at the last minute with a petition for him. It was really a wonder that they hadn't come to him sooner. He imagined they would want to help reverse-engineer their own technology, at the very least.

*All right. Send them up.*

A few minutes later, he heard the buzzer at his door. Not that long ago, such a thing would have been superfluous. No human wanted to come here and a polite mind-touch was the equivalent of a knock on the door for the Grebsas. Tranna had insisted that all of the "cave-dwellers," as she called those who had mountain apartments here, add one in case any Veroshi who happened to be here needed shelter in a crisis. He went to the door and thumbed a button. The door rolled aside and he invited the three Veroshi in. They introduced themselves as Proa, Srain, and Chara.

"So, what can I do for you?" he asked as they settled onto his cushions.

Proa took the lead. "We'd like to help you with your research. I was an engineer on the Hoshrin. Srain's a biologist and Chara's an astrophysicist."

Two of the three had, at least, been vital for the Hoshrin's survival, which meant that they likely knew as much about their respective fields as the best of his Scientists. The biologist, though...He had heard that genetics was a taboo subject for the Veroshi and he didn't see how one could have a complete knowledge of biology without it.

Srain noticed Era's thoughtful gaze. "I can help with the skin cancer project. If you've seen the statistics, you know it's the most common kind for us Veroshi."

"We would appreciate any insights you have. And if our researchers get on a subject that's uncomfortable for you, all you have to do is say so."

She nodded knowingly. "We biologists have to discuss it. We don't like it, but we can."

At least they were talking about the same thing. Or so Era thought.

"Maybe we can talk about it some more when we can get some private time." He nodded to Proa. "We would like some help with your technology. I'm just sorry I didn't think to come to you."

Proa wagged her tail. "We love you anyway, Era."

He dipped his head. She couldn't know how much it tore at his heart to hear her say that. She sensed it anyway and stood up.

"We hurt you. We should go."

"No, no, it isn't you. At least, it isn't anything that's your fault. And we do need your help."

He tried to put the emphasis on "need." If the Veroshi had taught his Faction anything valuable, it was that they couldn't do everything on their own. He supposed that was the real reason he hadn't gone to them. Though nobody else seemed to blame the Scientists for their failure to counteract the Veroshi's genetically-programmed compulsion to worship the Grebsas, he had never forgiven himself.

He glanced at the astrophysicist who had, so far, said nothing. Most projects in her field were based on the Outer System Outposts and it seemed unfair to send her away from Earth simply so she could work. That was something they did to human conscripts and criminals, the sort of people the Veroshi would rightly shun as "deviants." How could he tell her that in a way that wouldn't hurt her feelings?

"I know there isn't much work for me here on Earth, Commandrix," Chara said dreamily. "Though, to be honest, I wish I could simply return to the Hoshrin. That was where my life was."

Era would have been very surprised if she and every other Veroshi didn't feel somewhat uprooted after leaving the Hoshrin. They might have gained their gods and their promised land, but their ship had been their home. It had to be worse for Chara and her peers, feeling like they were leaving both their home and their careers. He lifted his whiskers.

"Maybe I can coordinate with Tranna to see what we can arrange. Oh, we consider the Hoshrin to be as valuable as Veroshi City," he said off their reactions. "If we hadn't, we wouldn't have gone through the trouble of parking it in a solar orbit. It's no sin to want to return."

Chara went to hug him. Era almost flinched away. He wasn't used to any kind of affection; certainly not when he didn't deserve it. He controlled his reaction and wrapped his wings around the dear young woman. As he relaxed, he felt a slight contact with her mind and remembered Tranna telling him that most Veroshi were empaths. He tried to send her comforting feelings and a willingness to work with her as a fellow scientist. Never mind that she worshipped him as a god; that was no reason why he couldn't treat her as a peer in the laboratory. Then...

He would later swear that he had dug deeper into her mind than he meant to. He reached the level that was equivalent to the kernel on a computer system, the very basic part of her mind that communicated directly with the brain's "hardware," and ran up against a barrier. His eyes narrowed as he probed it gently. There was no way that could be natural, certainly not when he recognized it for what it was. He had developed such a barrier himself centuries ago, before the First Grebsa found him, forcibly taken it down, and helped him deal with what had seemed like chaos at the time.

*I am sorry, Sara. This is going to hurt.*

*?*

It was a perfectly natural reaction. If she was anything like him, she would have formed that barrier as a very young puppy to keep from hearing people jabbering in her mind all the time. He gathered all of his power and jabbed at that barrier like stabbing with a knife. It burst like a bubble and he rapidly reshaped his mind, turning it into a cushion rather than a scalpel. Even so, she cried out in psychic pain as the Network rushed into her mind.

Most of it got filtered through the cushion he had formed around her mind. He held her and whispered reassurances to her, both mentally and verbally.

*It's all right, little sister-in-mind. I'll protect you.*

*What is this?* she gasped.

*It is the Network. I'll shield you until your brain develops filters of its own.*

*I can't be a Grebsa! I'm Veroshi!*

He carefully hid his sudden surge of fright. What if she couldn't cope? If so, he had just made a serious mistake. Tranna would never forgive him if he was responsible for a Veroshi going insane. Even a Grebsa hesitates to earn the ire of another, because they are slow to forget...

*Lean on me, dearest. That's right. You're still a Veroshi. Don't fight me, please, little Mind-sister. You're going to have all the help you need.*

By now, her sisters were reacting to the flash of mental anguish they had felt from Chara and went to see.

"Are you all right, Sara?" asked Proa.

"I-I can't..." Sara whimpered weakly, clinging to her god.

"Of course you can," Era whispered to her. "You have the ability. I can help you."

Proa fumed as much as a Veroshi could. She could sense that Era was trying to shield Chara from whatever it was that was causing her pain, but she was resisting.

"Chara, don't fight the god! Work with him. He can help you."

Chara leaned her head against Era's thick mane with a weak moan. Proa thought she was going to be sick. She relaxed slowly, though, and let Era set up his shields. He rocked her, still making reassuring noises.

"What is wrong with her, anyway?" asked Srain.

"Something no one should have to go through. Certainly not a Veroshi," rumbled a voice from the door. Proa and Srain both whirled, only to see Commandrix Tranna stalk into the room. "I came as soon as I sensed that a Veroshi was in pain, and it was sheer luck that I wasn't very far away. For the Scientist Commandrix, Era can show a colossal lack of sense sometimes."

Both Proa and Srain flinched a little. The Grebsas did not deride each other verbally, in front of the Veroshi, unless one of them truly deserved it. It still hurt to hear. Era didn't even look up.

Her tone remained flinty. "I hope you were planning to be these triplets' Patron because I am holding you responsible for this, Era. I'm having some of my Guardians bring Healers out but I'm not sure how much help they will be in this case."

Era shook his head. "You don't need to bother, Tranna. I'm sure no one will miss me here if I make the trip to Veroshi City a little early."

"I'm not sure I can trust you now. If you want to risk the trip with an iffy Veroshi, I will have three Guardians watching you at all times."

Chara began to cry. Fortunately, it was a healthy-sounding cry and Era still shielded her. Tranna checked gently and sensed that Era was installing her as a member of his own Faction. It was probably just as well, since she wouldn't be happy as anything but an astrophysicist.

*There's my sister-in-mind. I love you.*

She sniffed. *Is this what it's like to be your Special One?*

*You can be my Special One if you want to be. You are still a Veroshi. You're a very special Veroshi.*

She snuggled closer to him. Even though he had hurt her and violated her mind, she still loved him. He hadn't changed her VNA at all. He had simply made her capable of being closer to him.

She went over that last thought. *What is VNA?* she asked him.

*Oh, stars-* he groaned. *I didn't mean to let that slip. This may take a while to explain.*

*We have time, don't we?*

His mental laugh was like church bells in the distance. *You're clever. All right, I suppose you deserve to know.*

Era spent the next few minutes explaining basic genetics to Sara. At the same time, he could hear Tranna doing her best to keep the other two calm. Eventually, he would have to deal with them, since this was their sibling. He was beginning to hope he hadn't damaged her permanently. He still owed them an explanation.

*It is strange that such a small woven rope can control all that,* she finally said. *It's even more strange that I can talk to you this way.*

*I know and I'm sorry I had to hurt you like that. It just isn't right to leave such a barrier in place, little sister. Maybe you didn't even realize it was there, if you're anything like I was.*

She probed his mind a little and found the memory. *Yes, I see. The First did for you what you did for me.*

*You're actually coping better than I did. I was almost comatose for days afterward.*

She yip-laughed and licked his shoulder. "I still need you for support, Commandrix Era. I am yours forever," she said aloud.

"As I am yours, my sister. What do we have if we don't have each other?"

She knew the answer from the Scriptures. "Nothing."

*I suppose that settles that,* Tranna said sardonically.

*What did you tell my sister's sisters?*

*Only that I think you're a flaming idiot but I won't stop them from becoming your Special Ones if they want to stay with their sister.*

*They're welcome to stay. I wasn't lying when I said I needed their help and I'll try to treat them like equals.*

*Considering that fool stunt you pulled, I'd say you better.*

There was just no arguing with Tranna when she got into this mood. She bowed to the Veroshi with her wings spread slightly and turned to leave the apartment.

*Tranna,* Chara mind-called to her.

Tranna turned back. *Yes, my dear?*

*Please don't blame Era. He doesn't deserve it.*

*You are taking this well, Chara. I will hold him responsible but I won't hold a grudge. Not for a sister as beautiful as you. If you ever need anything, all you have to do is call me.*

She left the apartment, looking oddly defeated. Era stared after her until the boulder that served as a door rolled shut, wondering why. A new mind-sister did not mean she was a failure as a Commandrix or as protector of the Veroshi. Chara and her sisters had simply passed from her field of responsibility to his.

*At least you are willing to take responsibility for this. Did it not occur to you to check with me before creating new members of the Network?* the First said in the narrowest transmission squirt any Grebsa could manage.

*She was already a member, same as I was. She just had the same exact shell around her connection as I did.*

*I will hold you responsible for keeping her on an even keel. You know how unbearable people can be when they start thinking they're gods. In the meantime, since you're planning on going to Veroshi City anyway, I'd like you to find out if any other Veroshi have this shell.*

*And take it down?*

*We'll have to take it on a case-by-case basis. Chara's coping well but you saw what a shock it was for her. Remember the last time we had an insane Grebsa?*

*She was a member of my Faction, poor thing. She gave us all headaches and nightmares but that wasn't her fault.*

*Then you know what can happen if such a shock happens to a Veroshi less stable than Chara. Mostly I want to know if there are any others like her.*

That she referred to Chara by name, even though the dearling was not a Grebsa, was a mark of how important the First found her. Individual humans weren't important enough for her to notice. When she spoke of individual Veroshi, she referred to them as "the High Priestess" or "Geralt's Special One." Did she have something special in mind for Chara?

*Before I tell you that, I want to know if there are more like her,* said the First.

Era dipped his head, disguising the action at the last second by licking Chara's face. If Tranna was angry now, she would be livid when he stole more Veroshi from her. He had to admit that he had some idea of what the First was thinking.

~~~~~~~~

Chara began to shiver uncontrollably. She still clung to Era, even when her sisters went off to make supper. He could see them sneaking glances out of the kitchen. He had tried to explain what he did to their sister and couldn't blame them for not feeling very reassured. It was even possible that he had rattled all the assumptions that their society was based on. The line between god and worshipper had just been blurred.

*Are you cold, Chara?* he asked.

"Yes," she forced out through chattering teeth before remembering that she could transmit her thoughts to his mind.

*I'll ask Tranna for help.*

Tranna wasn't happy when he described Chara's condition. *Shock, probably. Not that I'm real surprised. I'll send Srango with an herbal mix that might help. Just get her to rest if you can and keep her warm.*

He coaxed Chara to curl up on a cushion with a blanket and promised that he would join her as soon as Tranna's Special One brought some herbs. Tranna blistered him for it.

*Nonsense, Tranna, you cuddle with your Special Ones all the time! And I'm still waiting for that electric blanket I ordered last week.*

The buzzer rang and he answered it. The timid Special One held out an herbal packet.

"Tranna says to mix this in warm water and have Chara drink as much of it as she can hold down," Srango nearly whispered.

Era thanked him as he accepted the herbs. "I hope Tranna isn't saying anything bad about me."

"Only that you turned Chara into a goddess."

"Good Stars, don't your Scriptures say I can't do that? She's still a Veroshi. She's a very special Veroshi who just had a harmful barrier in her mind." *Tranna, I can understand you being angry at me but don't be spreading falsehoods!*

He heard the sound of someone being sick behind him and glanced back. Chara was going as fast as she could for the bathroom, but hadn't been fast enough. It was probably just as well that he didn't have a carpet. The bare rock had always been good enough for him.

Srango bowed a little. "With your leave, Commandrix."

Era answered with the ritual, "Go with my thanks, Srango, and blessing to you."

Srango flew off toward Tranna's apartment. Era went back inside and poked his whiskers into the kitchen.

"Sorry, my dears. I'm not being impatient. I just need this packet mixed in some warm water for Chara," he told Proa and Srain.

He would have done it himself, but Srain insisted on taking it out of his hands. "I can do it. I've used these herbs before, when I used to work in the Hoshrin's Healing Center."

He left the packet with her, and then got his mopping robot to clean up his floor. Chara staggered out of the bathroom, still shivering.

*Srain's mixing up those herbs Srango brought. Are you all right?*

She whimpered a little. *I'm not used to you talking in my head. Would you cuddle with me?*

Well, he could certainly understand that. If she felt anything like he did whenever he had a particularly nasty migraine, his transmissions over the Network probably made her feel like she was inside a clanging church bell. He decided to spare her as much as possible.

As they settled on the cushion, Era took his cues from Chara. She curled up against him and he wrapped his arms and wings around her. He could feel how cold she had gotten.

*I think I'm going to give you a bath when I feel better,* she said.

*Fair enough,* he did the telepathic equivalent of whispering.

She looked at him with love and gratitude in her eyes. When her sisters came out with her herbal drink and his supper, she was almost asleep with her head against his shoulder. She roused just enough to drink some of the herbal mix.

Supper was a little clumsy to handle, since Era didn't want to abandon Chara altogether. To their credit, Srain and Proa had shown some foresight and made him some steak-and-mushroom wraps he could eat with one hand and without making a mess.

"Thank you for this, my friends."

Quite understandably, Chara didn't have much appetite for the supper the Veroshi sisters had made for themselves. As soon as she drank about half of the herbal, she settled back against Era's fur. Once they had eaten, Srain and Proa cleaned up the mess and then sat on the cushion with their backs against Era's.

"You don't have any slaves, do you, Era?" Srain whispered.

"No. I never needed them."

"Okay." She was silent for a long moment, then whispered, "I suppose I didn't have to ask. I know you're probably going to fight me on this, but we want to give you a bath as soon as Chara no longer needs you as a warmer."

He looped his tail. "Chara said the same thing. I won't fight you. I just don't want to treat you like servants. You're too intelligent for that and my cleaning robots can take care of most housekeeping duties."

Proa interjected, "Did you mean what you said to Srango, that she wasn't a god?"

"I don't know. This is unprecedented. I had to say something to keep him from working himself into hysteria. I did mean it when I said she's a very special Veroshi." He thought for a moment, then added, "We define a Grebsa as being a member of the telepathic Network. And she's definitely that. It'll be up to her to decide what she wants."

Chara murmured in her sleep and snuggled closer to him. Proa and Srain took that as a cue to swallow any further questions until the morning and relax against him. They certainly had enough to think about. In fact, he rather doubted they would be getting much sleep that night.

~~~~~~~~

Ruyana laughed when Jetral licked her hands.

"Now, Jetral, you're making this difficult! C'mon, we're just going to the spa."

She finished tying his hood on. In all honesty, he was being very cooperative about getting bundled up for an outing. His coordination had improved enough for him to help a little, though he couldn't match the strength he had possessed as Geralt. He had proven that when he took a swing at a kitten who tried play-fighting with the puppies. He hadn't accomplished much except keeping the kitten's attention on him while Ruyana whisked the puppies to safety.

At the moment, the puppies were nestled in a basket on the table, bundled up and waiting for them to get ready. Ruyana buttoned the final button on Jetral's wool coat and scooped up the basket with one arm while she cradled him in the other. He was just barely small enough to fit, reminding her of what his mother had said: "Enjoy it while it lasts!" Well, she found herself looking forward to a time when he was the big, strong one again. She liked carrying him, but, instinctively, she needed a protector she could hide behind in times of trouble.

She carried both him and the puppies out of the nursery and through the Grebsa wing of the Healing Center. Most Veroshi agreed that it had been added as an afterthought, if only because it jutted out at an awkward angle from the rest of the place. At least they had added it.

She reached the exit and hesitated. She was developing a dislike for the snow that had killed Geralt. It was so much like the Priestesses talked about when they spoke of the unseen hazards of Earth: beautiful, but that beauty was a lure that could lead the unwary into danger. Couldn't they have stayed on the Hoshrin, which only needed the gods to make it complete?

Jetral said, "Are you okay, Ruyana?"

He was learning to manage the squeak that used to make him sound like a toy. She shook off her hesitation and opened the door.

"I'm okay, Jetral. I was just thinking about how the snow killed you."

"The snow maybe helped," he said, "but the cold was worse. We won't be outside for as long this time."

She opened the door and took that first step outside. Instantly, the infants began to shriek.

Ruyana did an unconscious imitation of Priestess Oran, "Whatever is wrong with them? I thought they would have forgotten about nearly freezing!"

"They haven't forgotten that a tickly wing protected them."

She jiggled the basket. "It's okay, dearlings, this won't take long. You can be brave for Jetral, okay?"

One of them made a noise suspiciously like Jetral's squeaking of a week ago. Otherwise, they quieted. Ruyana took off. By the stars, it did feel funny to be carrying her Patron in flight. Maybe he felt the same way.

She reached the spa just as he was starting to get heavy. It wasn't his fault. Grebsa kittens were born bigger and grew faster than Veroshi puppies. She peeked down at him to make certain he was okay and noted that he had fallen asleep. Typical infant. They fall asleep so easily.

"Hey, Jetral. We're here."

He let out a big yawn. "Okay."

She checked in with the front desk. The receptionist smiled at Jetral as Ruyana set him on the floor with a sigh of relief.

"Hello, Jetral. You'll like the second floor, honest."

Jetral mewed. The Guardians had designed the second floor of the spa for use by Veroshi. Naturally, the Veroshi had promptly revamped the place for kittens. Tranna had grumbled a bit about waste of effort but couldn't deny them the privilege.

"He is still having trouble controlling the infant," Ruyana explained. "First time reincarnating, you know."

"Of course. You could probably take the puppies to the nursery if you want to."

The puppies wailed. Ruyana turned her attention to them.

"Whatever is wrong? There, now, shhh. It's okay."

Jetral purred in the exact same way he would whenever he was trying to reassure Ruyana. It didn't help much. The puppies balled up their hands and waved them helplessly.

"Would they be in the way if we kept them close to Jetral? They'll probably settle once they get tired."

The receptionist looked at them thoughtfully. The Scriptures did not say much about God's-children besides that one verse and an implication that they would somehow seal the Agreement. Still, they were special and if they wanted to stay close to Jetral, perhaps the attendants wouldn't mind much.

"I'll ask them about it," she decided.

She relayed the request to the attendants through her intercom. Their response came back more enthusiastically than she had hoped: "We'd love to see the God's-children. Maybe we can give them a little special treatment, too."

That seemed to cheer the puppies up. They quit crying, anyway. If Ruyana didn't know better, she would have sworn they could understand everything their elders said. She carried them up to the second floor. Jetral scampered after her and, pure trooper, pulled himself up the stairs until a passing attendant whisked him up and carried him into the kittens' spa.

The place was very similar to the adults' spa downstairs, only on a smaller scale. The only real difference from the downstairs was a play area where mischievous kittens could work off excess energy. During the redesign, there had been some debate about colors until they settled on earth tones. At least they had agreed that they shouldn't make the place look like a nursery. That would have been insulting to the "kittens" involved. Ruyana set the basket on a table, and then realized that she had forgotten Jetral. She was just about to go back for him when she saw the attendant holding him.

"Oh, thank you! I must be scatterbrained today. Jetral, I'm sorry, I forgot to bring you."

He squeaked laughter. "It's okay, Ruyana. I also look forward to the day when I can carry you."

Ruyana wolf-smiled and wagged her tail. He couldn't sense her thoughts, but perhaps the empathic link went both ways. The attendant stroked him.

"What do you think, Jetral? We can give you a good bath, and then a grooming and a massage. How about that?"

Jetral licked her hand, his eyes glittering mischievously.

"Ooh, you're going to be trouble, aren't you? We can always send you into the play room."

He purred an apology and rubbed her arm with his cheek. She yip-laughed.

"Okay, Jetral. Come on."

She carried him into the bath. It was just like an indoor Roman public bath, except for special cradles set up along the edge of the pool for kittens who couldn't swim yet. She placed Jetral in one. She talked to him while working some shampoo in his fur.

"I never did get a chance to thank you for rescuing us from that blizzard. It's been a busy week for us. The Scientists came through wanting skin samples for cancer research and, of course, we lassoed several of them for baths and pampering. I think Tranna had to speak firmly to them so they would allow it. They sure are prigs, aren't they, Jetral?"

Jetral curled his tail, thinking it was a good thing the Grebsas didn't consider the truth to be sacrilege. He had heard from Ruyana, who had heard it from a friend of hers who was a spa attendant, how several surprised Scientists had protested when they were lassoed. "Some of them are. I think they underestimated how seriously you take the Agreement."

"Well, I hope they'll come more often. The one I bathed was pretty nice about it. She said she heard about those little God's-children and Tranna had asked for their help with finding the mother."

Jetral couldn't even tell her why the Scientists didn't come very often. However, he could suggest to Tranna that they set up a small base near the City where Grebsa Scientists could work with Veroshi ones. They were still reverse-engineering a lot of the technology from the Hoshrin and perhaps their prettier counterparts could help.

"We may be able to arrange it. I heard some of the Veroshi scientists were getting pretty bored. Maybe a science base nearby would help."

"I heard you've been trying hypnosis with the ones who suffered head injuries in the blizzard, in case it caused them to forget."

"That only turned up a few unrelated sins. Which we forgave."

The attendant remembered what she was doing and scrubbed between Jetral's wings. "You gods are generous about forgiving sins."

"It's difficult for you Veroshi to commit an unforgivable sin. The Priestesses always made sure of that. Besides, we prefer that you come to one of us or a Priestess before a sin has a chance to fester."

"For a kitten, you're pretty articulate."

"I was Geralt."

She laughed and patted him. Like most Guardians, Jetral was easy to talk to. She thought the gods would have less trouble of humans if that deviant species just learned that it was okay to sit with their back against a Grebsa's shoulder and tell any problems to them. The Lords of Sol System couldn't be all bad when one of them could sacrifice a life for some little lost puppies.

She did feel sorry for those God's-children, though. Without a proper mother, how could they thrive?

********

The octuplets whimpered and clung to a very tolerant Tranna. She thought it lucky that their first tremor was a minor one. Of course, it was still frightening for them to feel the stone shake beneath their feet. She reassured them as well as she could.

"This is probably the worst we get in the mountains. We think the epicenter is near the coastline. We may get one back home but it won't be much worse than this and they aren't as frequent as they are here," she told them in answer to their questions.

One by one, they drifted off to resume preparing her meal, still whimpering a little. Tranna wouldn't mind if it was slightly burned. Just the fact that they trusted her to listen sympathetically to their fears was pretty touching, besides proving that she was doing her job. She didn't just want to be their protector-god. She wanted to be the kind of friend they could come to with all sorts of problems. It wasn't weakness to ask for help when one needed it. The Lords of the Grebsa Network relied on each other and it was no real stretch to extend that to the little wolf-fairies who just wanted to love them.

She felt Commandrix Era's presence in the back of her mind. *Tranna? Can I come in? Is it a bad time?*

She went to thumb the switch that would open the door.

*Not really. I was just reassuring my Special Ones after that trembler.*

He came in, carrying a few bottles of wine. Tranna lifted an eyebrow. He never brought peace-offerings unless he knew he had royally messed up. So, he wanted to make up for "stealing" that set of triplets and turning Chara into a potential goddess.

*How's Chara?* she asked.

*Still a little light-headed but holding up pretty well, given the circumstances. I have orders from the First to find ones like her in Veroshi City.*

*What is she trying to do, create a new Faction? Chara might not react well to suddenly being a Commandrix!*

Srango poked his head out of the kitchen, and then disappeared again. Tranna could hear him talking to his brothers and sisters.

*I think Srango saw you.*

Era sighed. *I wish you hadn't told him about me 'creating' new gods. You know we can't do that.*

*What do you call Chara if she isn't one of us?*

*I honestly don't know. My instinct tells me to pass her off as the Veroshi version of an angel. Right now, she's technically a member of my Faction but it'll be up to the First to decide what her exact status is.*

Tranna laughed mentally. *Well, this is why you're the Scientist Commandrix. You're smart, but you're not afraid to admit when there are questions you don't know the answers to yet.*

*We're still treading new ground with the Veroshi. I'm just sorry Arax isn't around to help. I don't mind my subordinates believing in some harmless religion-*

Tranna snorted at that.

*-But they shouldn't be suiciding over something that's really not a failure,* he finished.

*I miss Arax too. Some of the puppies still refuse to believe he didn't reincarnate. I don't call it a 'harmless' religion when we lose our best people over it.*

Srango brought out a couple of wine bowls and set them on the table. He bounced from leg to leg until Tranna gave him an encouraging look.

"He isn't going to eat you, Srango. You can say whatever it is you're thinking."

"I just wanted to remind you not to overindulge on wine. You did tell us about that time you got drunk."

She bowed a little to him. "Thank you for the reminder, Srango. I think I'll limit myself to one bowl."

He relaxed a little and went back into the kitchen.

*He is smart for thinking of that. I did just about tear up OSO-30 that one time,* she commented.

*I think we were all feeling celebratory that day. And where, exactly, were those grunts planning on setting off their own fireworks display?*

*Good point.*

Era poured wine for the both of them. He thought he recognized the bowls as Veroshi craftwork and commented on how good their pottery was.

*A hobby for several of them, I think. They do get to indulge in hobbies more now that their resources aren't limited to whatever's on the Hoshrin,* Tranna said.

*And you buy what they don't use for themselves, right?*

*Not exactly buy. They don't like to use currency. I just traded some babysitting duties for these bowls. You remember that time I had a pink ribbon tied around my tail.*

Era's tail looped. He remembered that from the only time he had visited Veroshi City since the Veroshi had taken up residence. *I thought the puppies were trying to wrap you up like a birthday present. I'm just surprised they aren't any of your Special Ones' offspring.*

*Not yet, though I did give approval for Lora and Asral to have puppies.*

Just then, Era heard Chara's weak mental voice in his head. *Era? Sick\'85*

*I'm coming, dearling.* Era rose from his seat. *I hope you have some more of that herbal. Chara drank the rest of it this morning but she just told me she's still feeling terrible.*

*I should come with you, with Srango. He has some training as a Healer.*

*I don't want him treating Chara any differently. This isn't her fault. What did you say to him, anyway?*

*I told him you made Chara a member of your Faction.*

Tranna went to collect Srango. She only had to argue a little with them.

"You can start without us if you want. Hopefully, this won't take too long. Srango, Chara needs your help and you still know more about nursing a sick Veroshi than I do. I know what I said but she's still a Veroshi."

Srango went to gather his Healer's things and then swung up on Tranna's back. They flew to Era's apartment. Era went straight to Chara, who was laying limply on the cushion. Srango fumbled a bit with his equipment, and then took her vital signs.

"She did drink that herbal mix I brought, didn't she?"

"Yes. Half last night and half this morning."

At the sound of Era's voice, Chara seemed to revive a little. *Was sick. I lost what I drank this morning.*

Era relayed that to Srango.

"I do wish I knew more about shock victims. They always tell us to get them to drink that herbal and keep them warm. I can leave some more with you. And if you have any Veroshi honey, you could mix some in as a stomach-soother." Srango sniffed a little. "You've been cuddling with her. That might be ideal."

Era mixed the herbal drink himself this time. It took him a few minutes to find his jar of Veroshi honey. He stirred in a tablespoon of the stuff, argued with himself for a few seconds, and added another. He brought it out to Chara and held her head while she drank it. When she finished, she licked his fur.

*You sweetened it this time,* she said.

*Srango says honey makes a good stomach-soother. I hope you don't have any trouble with it this time.*

She stirred, wanting to snuggle with him. He nuzzled the top of her head. Whenever he was this close to the Veroshi, he couldn't see them as an embarrassment to his Faction. They were people, and he had almost dishonored himself by not recognizing their scientists as potential partners. If the Grebsas were going to protect Chara's people effectively, they would need the knowledge and technology that had arrived with them on the Hoshrin.

Tranna and Srango politely took their leave and flew back to their apartment. As Tranna pressed her thumb against the reader, she caught a broadcast from the Amazon Commandrix.

*Holding Barn One has collapsed. All hands be on the lookout for runaway slaves.*

In a rarity when she was around her Special Ones, she snarled.

"What is wrong?" asked Srango.

She told him. He flinched and put one hand on her shoulder.

"How far is it from the holding barn to here?"

"About half a day's flight for us. I don't think any human could run that far in less than three days, even unhindered. The Amazons will stop any runaways before then."

Even so, Srango looked nervous until the boulder rolled shut behind them.

~~~~~~~~

Wizenger pushed his way through the rubble, grunting with pain. He had gotten the wind knocked out of him when the barn collapsed and he was sure he had cracked at least one rib. So I'll just have to be careful how I move, he told himself.

"Stephanie?" he called tentatively, not really expecting an answer. He had heard at least one feminine scream when the roof caved. Stephanie could be seriously injured, or worse.

He carefully worked his way free. He didn't really have a coherent plan. If he left the collapsed building, the Grebsas could easily interpret that as an attempt to take advantage of the situation. If he stayed put, he would likely get drafted to help dig out survivors. He walked along the edge of the destroyed barn, limping a bit.

A powerful furry fist punched its way through a pile of wood and shingles, confirming Wizenger's earlier guess. They had been monitored. A Grebsa pulled his way out, and then

collapsed as if that had been as much as he could do. Wizenger inched closer. An injured Grebsa was a very dangerous creature. It didn't take much imagination to see how a human might take advantage of the situation. The Lords of Sol System knew that.

The Grebsa turned and glared at Wizenger when he got close. Wizenger stopped and held up his hands.

"Hey, I can't hurt you. I'm just wondering how long it will take help to arrive. I've got a friend buried in that rubble."

"Not long."

Some red liquid was soaking the fur on his arm. Wizenger knelt and reached to stop the flow of blood. The Grebsa growled and moved his arm away.

"Hey, I just want to help."

"You can't."

Wizenger grunted, "What is it about Grebsas and two-word statements?"

The Grebsa just stared.

Wizenger tore a little cloth off his sleeve and tied it around his arm, just above the wound. Seconds later, the sound of wings heralded the arrival of a squad of Enforcers. One of them went over to the injured Grebsa and ran a scanner over him. Wizenger might have taken offense at being ignored if he didn't know how dangerous it was to attract their attention.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noted the Enforcers efficiently surveying the damage. For them, this might not mean much more than the loss of a barn and a few slaves. Wizenger did his best to see it from their point of view. Barns could be rebuilt and, as for the slaves, most of them had committed horrific crimes in the past. Each of them who died was one less who could escape and hurt a Veroshi. Something deep within him screamed that it wasn't fair. Commandrix Ariana's voice answered him: "You understand by now that death is not the worst fate there is."

The Enforcers began digging through the rubble. Wizenger glanced around.

"Did the Enforcers find somebody alive?" he asked the Grebsa.

It was the medic who answered. "A few slaves are wounded but still breathing. Perhaps your friend Stephanie is one of them."

Wizenger looked at her in surprise. Her gaze was steady, but not unkind.

"You don't hate us, do you?"

"I am one of several Grebsas who doesn't approve of keeping human slaves here in the City. It is not a matter of liking or hating. How can we trust you not to do something harmful here?"

So, the Grebsas didn't always agree on things. Maybe that was why Wizenger had witnessed at least two scuffles between Enforcers since Ariana had bought him, not that those scuffles seemed to affect official Network policy at all. He had thought the Enforcers were just venting extra aggression. Somehow, the idea that not all Grebsas agreed with their leadership made him feel better.

"And you have the Veroshi to think about. Stephanie told me about the time some of them reacted badly to seeing some of us."

"You might try looking at it from their point of view. You tried to destroy their gods. They aren't going to love you for that."

"Well, that makes sense. Though why you let them continue to worship you-"

She snorted. "Let them! We wouldn't be able to stop them. They've got a religion that's more stubborn than yours, if that's possible."

Wizenger laughed. "You may have a point. It does sound a little odd for you to admit to a weakness."

Her tail lashed as she assessed the readings on her scanner. "It has little to do with weakness. The Veroshi are as strong as we are in many ways. One does not have to be a warrior to see that."

She put the scanner away and hauled a large hunk of rubble off the Enforcer by main strength. Wizenger watched her as the Enforcer pulled himself out from under it. She wasn't the biggest Grebsa he had ever seen and he had no way to judge whether she was one of the strongest. She was strong enough, though.

He finally sighed. "I don't think I'll ever understand."

For the rest of his life, he would swear she smiled at him despite the stiff lion's face. "At least you are wise enough to admit it. You don't need to waste any brain cells over the matter. It would be a poor day for us if a human understood our motivations."

Another Grebsa came over to help her with first aid. Wizenger backed off a few steps, stung by her comment. Did she think he was simply incapable of understanding the Grebsas? They certainly did not put much effort into explaining themselves.

But, of course, why bother? said that annoying prick-voice in his head. If he saw their purpose, he was an exceptionally bright human; if he didn't, he probably never would. Besides, he was only a slave. It would have been very little loss to his masters if he had died in that barn.

~~~~~~~~

By that evening, Chara was feeling well enough to get up and eat a bowl of soup. She still didn't like to let Era out of her sight. Era hoped it was just part of being a new Special One and limited his speech to her over the Network to matters she needed to know but he didn't want her sisters to hear. Even then, they pretended to talk about inconsequential things while she sat next to him on the cushion. Her sisters had gone to take a nap in Era's bedroom, so they kept their voices low. Era just didn't want Srain and Proa to wake up and notice a long silence. He didn't like to remind them unnecessarily that Chara was different.

*Is the First going to single us out?* she asked when he told her about his orders to find more like her in Veroshi City.

*I don't know what she intends. I doubt she means it in a bad way. I know for certain that she can't force us to do something dishonorable like violating the Agreement.*

*You make that sound like a threat.*

*Tranna would rebel if the First tried, and none of us will support the First if she drives us into civil war. It's not blasphemy. It's just the honest truth.*

Chara considered that for a long moment. Then, she nodded.

*It's not much of a surprise, really. The First Grebsa would be an Oathbreaker if she ordered anything that harmed us.*

*She isn't stupid enough to do something like that. I don't suppose you've seen a Guardian in a real fight, and not just our scuffles and wrestling matches-*

*No, but the Scriptures are clear. 'The Gods are fierce in battle, and fiercest of them all is the Guardian Commandrix when her wards are threatened.'*

*That is well-said. I'm sure if the First meant any real harm, she could have ordered me to kill you, and I would have refused and reported it to Tranna. And then the First had better look out!*

*Is the First ever that foolish?*

*Only once before and that was resolved before it got to the exploding point. Now, she knows that we have minds of our own and we aren't going to let her get in the way of our rightful duties. I'm sure at the most, she wants to know if a new Faction is warranted.*

*A Faction! And who is to be Commandrix? Surely not me!*

*That is to be decided. Though the Commandrix, of course, has some say in the proper function of her Faction.*

Era shook his mane and steered the conversation toward lighter matters. Now that Chara was recovering, he wanted to plan for their trip to Veroshi City.

"First a bath for you!" Chara insisted aloud, laughing. "Commandrix or no, we can't have you flying into the City smelling like you've rolled in something stinky. We would be accused of neglecting our Patron!"

"Fair enough. And I'll have to pack that armor the metal-smiths made for me."

She laughed, remembering how Era had nearly refused to accept armor from the Veroshi metal-smiths. Both Tranna and Serith had reminded him that he could fight like a furry hurricane when his turf was threatened. Why not be an armored hurricane? He couldn't argue with that, especially after Serith accepted a chain-mail shirt to wear over his ordinary clothes.

"Why not wear it instead? We can look so majestic, you in your gleaming armor and the rest of us in our dress robes."

He curled his tail, though she didn't see. His action hadn't changed her basic nature at all. She was still Veroshi.

"I don't think it's one of those designed for Veroshi to ride, but I'll wear it if you want me to."

He went and got it out of his closet, blowing a little dust off. As he sorted out the pieces, Chara ran her hand along the biggest one.

"It does have the saddle."

"It does? That's funny. Somebody must have anticipated that I would carry Veroshi someday."

"Somebody knew we Veroshi scientists wouldn't wait forever for you to come to us. Well, before you put it on, I'll run the bath water for you. Proa, Srain!" Chara waved to her sisters, who were just coming out of the bedroom. "Era's going to get his bath if you want to help."

"We heard," said Proa. "You have a lot of nerve, bossing the Scientist Commandrix around."

Chara patted his shoulder. "Aw, he's a big pussycat. Right, Era?"

"Literally," Era chuckled. "And I don't mind as long as I know you aren't doing it to be malicious."

That got a round of protests from the triplets. They would never boss someone just to be malicious and they knew not to push any Grebsa too hard. That only confirmed what Tranna had told Era about the Veroshi's first few months in their City. They had been timid little creatures until they figured out that the gods weren't going to shred them for every little violation of the Law. The Guardians did take the Law seriously, but preferred that their worshippers come to them for help when they messed up or felt that they were about to. He let them off the hook.

Chara went to prepare the bath. Proa wanted to go help her, but something she couldn't quite put her finger on held her back.

To distract herself, she sat on the cushion beside Era and asked, "How is she feeling, really?"

"She will be fine as long as she doesn't push herself too hard. She just needs a little time to adjust," Era assured her. "She ate a bowl of soup and that's a good sign as far as I'm concerned."

Srain huffed, "It's just too bad Srango didn't think of the honey sooner."

"Srain, that's not nice. I didn't see you thinking of the honey, either," Proa scolded, but Era was already nodding.

"It may have slipped his mind the first time, though that might not be entirely his fault. I still don't entirely know what Tranna told him about Chara and me but it certainly rattled him."

"It rattled us, too," Proa admitted.

"I don't blame you for that."

Chara came out to tell him the bath was ready. He sniffed unobtrusively as he went into the bathroom and smelled some of the scents he rarely used. He was positive he hadn't taken a bubble bath in decades. He slipped into the bath, being careful not to splash.

"You can do his face and mane, but you be sure to sit down afterward. Era says you're recovering but we don't want you pushing yourself too hard," Srain was saying.

Chara wagged her tail. *Am I a god, Era?* she asked, half jokingly.

He sent a mental image of a cute Veroshi-cherub playing a harp to her and she yipped in laughter. The Veroshi might not approve of humans, but they recognized angels from what the Priestesses had chosen to release of the initial communications between Grebsas and Veroshi.

"What's so funny?" asked Proa.

"Era is teasing me."

"I just don't want your ego getting out of hand because of this," Era said.

"You're like Tranna, then. She won't accept a candidate for her Faction if she thinks the candidate just wants the worship or won't look out for the Veroshi's best interests." Chara's smile broadened a little. "Though she says we Veroshi are the best judges of character she has ever seen. She lets us have the final say once she's weeded out the obvious problems."

Era could understand that. Tranna could afford to be picky about who she wanted in her Faction and she didn't want anybody who couldn't attract a Veroshi sibling-set as Special Ones. It did cause a few amusing situations from what he had heard. A few Guardians played Patron for some very young and occasionally mischievous puppies.

*And the puppies only pick the ones they know have a great deal of patience,* Tranna noted dryly. *Era, your people just reported the results of the maternity tests to me. They say one of your triplets is the mother of those God's-children.*

He snorted. *You're not serious! They should have reported it to me.*

*I thought they would have. They just can't tell which one it is because they're identical triplets.*

*I'll see if I can narrow it down some more.*

*Thanks, Era.*

Chara, unfortunately, heard the entire conversation through her link with him. She just melted the way Tranna had warned him they would do when they felt really guilty about something. For an instant, Era was afraid she would fall in the water in a fainting spell and reached out to catch her. She clung to him.

*Oh, Era, I just didn't want my sisters to know about it. I think they guessed but I couldn't tell them that the Priestesses wanted me to produce the God's-children.*

*Did the Priestesses know you were a hidden Mind-sister? I did hear some of them had enhanced mental abilities. But why did you leave your puppies in the snow for Geralt to find?*

*They said it had to be that way. They knew Geralt would protect them, even if it killed him. Death really is no big deal for the gods.*

*It's only the inconvenience of having to grow up again. Do you really think the Guardians will be capable of protecting you if they're always going to be kittens?*

She whimpered. *Perhaps I should have checked with the gods first.*

He stroked her head fur. *I'm sorry, Chara. I shouldn't snap when you're still used to obeying the Priestesses. Perhaps the middle of a blizzard isn't the best place to leave newborn puppies, but I shouldn't blame you.*

"Do you need more of that herbal, Chara?" asked Srain.

"I don't think so. But what will we do, Era?"

"Return to Veroshi City as soon as possible. I'd like to have Tranna there, too, so we can settle with those Priestesses. Sorry, Srain," he said when she reacted. "A few of the Priestesses have been misleading Chara and possibly others. Abandoning puppies in a snowstorm!" He snorted again.

Srain rubbed between his wings until he calmed down. As far as she was concerned, the Grebsas tolerated a lot from their worshippers. Even the dozen or so unapproved pregnancies that she knew about didn't flap them a whole lot. It was as if the Guardians expected a population boom, with or without their blessing. Apparently, though, abandoning puppies was beyond Era's tolerance. Especially if it was the Priestesses' doing, since they should know better.

"Let us hurry up and wash you, then. We should pack tonight, though I would rather wait until we're sure Chara's up to the trip before leaving."

Era agreed to this readily. As they scrubbed him, he contacted Tranna. Though he was a Patron now, the Veroshi were still her wards and he wasn't the only one who was territorial.