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“Very well,” Mr. Iyon said. “It is possible … but we must do it carefully. We must do it … in a way to amuse rather than offend.… ” His voice trailed off thoughtfully.

Dr. Hyos checked Chewbacca’s pulse at the large vein the wound had come so close to piercing. “Stable. There. Good. To the surgery with you.”

Chewbacca, barely conscious, gazed at Leia with uncomprehending eyes.

“Battlefield medicine,” Dr. Hyos said. “Haven’t done any in a long time. Didn’t think I’d ever have to see a battlefield again.”

“Neither did I,” Leia said.

The wyrwulf howled.

Leia had seldom worried about the safety of Jaina and Jacen and Anakin.

Thought about it, made arrangements for it, certainly; talked about it, with the children’s nanny, Winter, and with Han and Luke and with the supreme worrier, See-Threepio. But Leia herself had seldom worried. She would be aware of any danger. Her lack of training would not hamper her perception of her children. Besides, if she somehow did not know of the danger, Luke surely would. Winter would protect the children with her life. And when Chewbacca accompanied Leia’s family, as he so often did, he spent much of his time with the young ones. Who better to ensure their safety?

And Han, Leia’s dear Han, had helped orchestrate the spreading peace. All children, not just the children of the people who brought down the Empire, should be safe.

Or so Leia had thought.

Leia followed Dr. Hyos’s assistants as they carried Chewbacca back to the surgery in the ancient Munto Codru castle.

She felt very alone. Han and Luke had left on an adventure, with her blessing. Winter had taken the opportunity of this peaceful tour to attend a conference on runaway children. She too was worlds away.

The coincidence did not amuse Leia.

She waited outside the surgery, where Dr. Hyos and her assistants worked to heal Chewbacca’s wounds. Courtiers and aides hovered until Leia, with careful courtesy, sent them away.

The wyrwulf sprawled before the surgery doors. Dr. Hyos had spoken to it, told it that it could not enter the surgery until it was older, and left it on guard. It dozed, and its head tipped forward until it balanced on the tips of its awful fangs.

Chamberlain Iyon hurried into the stark stone waiting room.

“There’s no sign,” he said. “No sign. They are very bold, very clever. Madam, we must wait for them to communicate.”

“Wait?” Leia exclaimed. “That seems … unwise … to me.” When she was younger she would have chosen a more intemperate description: Stupid. Ill-advised. Idiotic.

“The ransom demand will come in the morning,” the chamberlain said, trying to reassure her.

“Morning! By morning the kidnappers could escape!”

“They cannot escape, madam. The port is closed. And furthermore, they will not escape. They have no reason to.”

“But it’s been two hours,” Leia said. “The people who stole my children also stole two hours!”

Mr. Iyon frowned. “How, stole? Madam, you worked through the noon hour. The chronos are correct, the sun is in its proper place …” He let his voice trail off, aware that his feeble joke had failed to lighten the mood.

“They stole two hours,” Leia said again. “These were no ordinary kidnappers! Ordinary kidnappers could never get through our defenses, they couldn’t get past Chewbacca, they couldn’t steal time from us!”

“But, madam, as I explained—Munto Codru produces kidnappers of rare quality.” He looked at her sadly.

He thinks I’m reacting from fear and grief, Leia thought. If I tell him I suspect a follower of the dark side is responsible for this outrage, he’ll believe I’ve lost my mind.

The doors of the surgery opened; Dr. Hyos patted the wyrwulf’s heavy head, came to Leia, and took her hands. The doctor held each of Leia’s hands pressed between two of her own.

“Chewbacca,” she said. “He’ll be fine. His hearing will take time to recover from the effects of the pressure bomb. He’ll be weak while he builds up his blood.”

“Did he tell you—”

“He’s not in any shape to tell anyone anything. Leia, my princess, he must sleep or he