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Circumstances combined to thwart Varian’s plans. Just as they reached the cliffs of the golden fliers, a squall broke over them and Varian had all she could do to wrestle the sled safely inside the cave. That put the skids on an immediate study of the giffs. Considerable progress had already been made to improve the amenities in the cave, including partitioned sleeping quarters at the back, tables, comfortable loungers and lighting near the hearth which had been augmented by cooking, cooling, and disposal units. Bug-screens kept the insects at bay. Mindful of Sassinak’s requirement, Varian forced a cassette on Portegin before he disappeared into the shuttle’s pilot compartment to restore the console. When she asked Lunzie the whereabouts of the rest of the team, she received another check. As soon as Kai had finished his session with the diagnostic unit on board Captain Godheir’s Mazer Star, he had drafted the assistance of a crewmember who professed to be an amateur geologist and went off to seek Dimenon, Margit, and Tor.

“In that order,” Lunzie said. “If the Thek let them land, considering their fascination with Iretan mineral deposits. Dimenon says they’re just squatting and gorging themselves. He swore six ways to Sunday that he can see the Thek growing.”

“Then the diagnostic unit has a cure for Kai?”

“No, but it’s much healthier for him to immerse himself in matters geological than sit about fretting and making mud maps,” Lunzie replied crisply. “He’s in a padded suit with skin-gloves. I’ve threatened Perens, that’s Godheir’s navigator, with grievous bodily harm if there’s so much as one new welt on Kai’s hide when they return. You ought to be glad that Kai’s got a second wind.”

“I am. I am. Where’re Triv and Trizein?” She could snag the geologists later for their reports.

“They’re off, too, in the four-man sled. Triv did promise Trizein to go beast-hunting with him, you know. Now that he’s ‘fifty-eight,’ Bonnard insists he’s old enough to be a full team member so he went off with them. Terilla wanted to be their scribe, so I let her go, too. Don’t wish to stretch Godheir’s hospitality with fretful kids.”

“Cleiti?”

“She’s in the Mazer Star, helping Obir construct bunkbeds for our sleeping quarters.” Lunzie waved to the back of the cave. “Godheir is determined to arrange for as many comforts of home as possible. Everyone’s the better for doing some light work to get muscles working again.”

“Aulia?”

Lunzie’s expression altered. “She . . .” and Lunzie wiggled one hand in a derisive gesture, “is recuperating from the shock of discovering herself time-stranded. I did point out that, when we got back to the ARCT-10, she’d look four decades younger than her contemporaries.”

“Did that cheer her?”

“Not as much as Triv’s reminder that all her bonus money has been collecting interest for forty-three years. She was demanding a transfer to the sanctuary of the cruiser until I mentioned that they were guarding the heavy-world transport. Sure cured that notion. Now, I expect you’ll want to be off stalking your bird friends. I’m going to catalog the local edibles and Divisti’s pharmacopia in case they’ve other useful medical applications.” Lunzie triumphantly hoisted the microscope loaned by the cruiser’s science officer.

“Not until you’ve reported your version of our mutiny,” and Varian stayed Lunzie’s departure until she had tucked a disk in her chest pocket. “By the way,” and Varian considered it only fair that she had a revelation to spring on Lunzie, “Commander Sassinak says she’s your great-great-great-granddaughter.”

As a series of emotions crossed the medic’s usually well-schooled face, Varian wished she had a recorder handy. Shock, surprise, denial, consternation, and finally resignation marched across the woman’s face. Then Lunzie blinked and displayed her usual composure.

“She could be, I suppose. My family tends to the services, and wandering.”

“Did you know she was commander of the ZD-43?”

“No. How could I? She couldn’t’ve been when we went to sleep forty-three years ago. The cruiser was only