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Unable to stand by in silence any longer, Eiipul IXc stepped forward. “Honored parent, are you ssuggessting that the horror you jusst ssurvived be sshared with other nye?”

“It iss the only way,” he told her with atypical gentleness. “I mysself would not accept the ssoftsskin'ss wordss by themsselvess. I had to be sshown. I had to experience. It would be the ssame with any otherss. They would not accept jusst an explanation any more than did I. Only by experiencing will they believe.” He turned back to the waiting Flinx.

“I will take the preparatory sstepss. At the appropriate moment, I will make the necessary introduction.” He gestured to where Flinx's simsuit was neatly laid out on a polished section of floor. “I fear that for one more time, at leasst, you musst employ your ingeniouss dissguisse.”

Flinx took a deep breath. It was evident from his emotions as well as from his words that Lord Eiipul was not going to be dissuaded from the course of action he had chosen. On the positive side, Flinx had to admit that it would be very useful in the furtherance of his activities if the representatives of the AAnn Empire, wherever and whenever he might happen to encounter them, had been specifically instructed to give a certain tall young human freedom to proceed wherever and however he wished.

“All right,” he replied resignedly. “If you think it's that necessary. With whom do you want me to share? Mates of yours? Other family members?” He mulled other possibilities. “Representatives of the military?”

Lord Eiipul gestured first-degree inclusiveness underscored with pure unconditionality. “As the threat you sshowed to me iss the greatesst that can be imagined, sso therefore musst the greatesst be expossed to it. I sshall assume the necessary rissk.”

Flinx was instantly on guard. “What risk?”

The AAnn met his gaze unflinchingly. “I will make arrangementss sso that you can sshare your experience of thiss galaxy-wide threat with the Imperial Gathering and with the Emperor himsself.”

Startled hisses rose from his offspring. “Honored ssire, no!” Eiipul IXb rushed his parent, followed closely by his sister. Flinx noted that Kiijeem held back. This was a family matter. No matter what opinion he might hold, no matter what insight he felt he could bring to the discussion, the twins' friend would remain aloof from the debate. If the outcome went well, he stood to benefit. If it ended in disaster, he could claim noninvolvement. No wonder the strongest emotion Flinx read from his young friend was satisfaction. The feelings currently being broadcast by the two Eiipul progeny constituted another emotive state entirely.

They were frightened, as well as indignant.

“Conssider, my lord,” his daughter was pleading, “that if the unprecedented confrontation you proposse sshould fail, it could mean the end of your career.”

“Not only your career.” Her brother was politely irate. “The family Eiipul itsself could be ruined. Everything that our ancesstorss have built, our illusstriouss family hisstory, our sstanding within the Empire—all could be ssacrificed on the altar of a hassty decission. We could losse everything—even our name.”

Their patriarch was silent. For a moment Flinx thought the fretful twins might have persuaded Lord Eiipul to change his mind. But as it turned out he was only gathering his thoughts.

“If you had come into contact with the ssame monsstroussness as did I, you would undersstand,” he informed his offspring gravely. “You would hassten to my ssupport and not think to challenge it. But you sstood outsside the dire. For thiss I am grateful. For thiss you sshould be grateful. Revel in your continued ignorance and be glad our vissitor hass chossen not to convey to you the full force of hiss knowledge.” Off to one side, Kiijeem eyed Flinx meaningfully as Lord Eiipul turned back to the softskin.

“You musst do as I ssuggesst.” The noble's tail flicked sharply to the right. “Otherwisse, I will not help you.”

There it was. Whatever happened from now on, Flinx could consider himself absolved. The decision