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Watching the Roamer cargo ships and the eager customers, Denn said boldly, "It leaves the Spiral Arm open for us. That's how the clans are supposed to operate."

The Grand Governor brushed a few strands of long, windblown hair away from her face. "EDF weapons don't work against warglobes anyway. Their protection wouldn't do us any good."

Kotto grinned, suddenly remembering why he had come here. "Well, I know something that works."

Denn rolled his eyes. "What's going through that head of yours?"

"Oh, it's a simple little thing. I've got the blueprints right in my ship. KR, GU, go bring them back." The two Analytical compies marched off like wind-up soldiers while Kotto explained how his doorbells could pop open a warglobe's pressurized hatches. GU and KR returned carrying the simple plans between them, though either one could have brought the single sheet.

"You told us to get the drawing together," KR said.

"It did seem rather inefficient," GU added.

Kotto showed the plans. "At Theroc, with minimal expense and a handful of civilian ships, we killed as many drogues in a few minutes as the Eddies have managed to kill since the beginning of this whole war."

Denn looked at the simple diagram. "I can think of at least five or ten Roamer industrial facilities that could crank out your doorbells as fast as we could ship them."

A hard smile crept across the Grand Governor's lips. "We'll distribute these things to every orphaned Hansa colony. If the hydrogues try to attack, we'll throw your doorbells at them like confetti."

Denn laughed. "Nothing wrong with a little independence, as we Roamers always say."

Kotto placed his hands on the polymer shoulders of his two helpful compies. "Do you think I could stay here and help . . . maybe manage the project? I've been looking for an important task to occupy my mind."

85

ZHETT KELLUM

Lightning lit Golgen's nighttime skies with a simmering glow. In the troposphere, bright lights from new skymines blinked and signaled to each other. Exhaust lines marked where cargo escorts lifted up and away, and shuttles ferried visitors from one floating city to another. For the first time in years, Roamers were doing the jobs they were born to do.

Zhett sat in a mesh chair out on the observation deck, her long legs propped on a railing while breezes stole around her dark hair. Though she was listening, she pretended casual nonchalance as the facility operators and clan heads gathered to hear the news Nikko Chan Tylar had brought.

Young Nikko was enthusiastic about his task. He had arrived at Golgen that afternoon in his exotically transformed Aquarius and breathlessly asked to speak to representatives from each of the skymines. Zhett's father had used the excuse to host a party on his largest observation balcony.

While the milling attendees served themselves steaming pepperflower tea or home-distilled alcoholic beverages, they listened as Nikko filled them in on what had happened. "This is our chance, our real chance to defeat the drogues. The wentals are just as powerful as the hydrogues--but they need us to distribute them. Roamers--humans--are in this, too."

"Aw, we just got settled here, Nikko," said Boris Goff, who looked as if he hadn't slept in the four days since his clan's skymine had arrived. "Give us a few weeks to catch our breath. By the Guiding Star, do you know how long it's been since Roamers could produce enough ekti to sell?"

Nikko gestured over the railing of the observation deck, indicating the peaceful sea of clouds. "And the wentals are the only reason you've got a chance here. Jess Tamblyn released them into this gas giant's clouds. They cleared the drogues out of Golgen."

"Get to the point, kid," said Bing Palmer, who captained a skymine operated jointly by the Palmer and Sandoval clans. "What do you want us to do? Find more water planets for the wentals to live and grow on?"

Nikko shook his head. "No, the other water bearers and I have done that already. Now