"Acknowledged," answered Arlai crisply.

"These matters," said Fiella in a kindly tone, "are way beyond my comprehension, but I do know your supper has arrived. May I serve you? You all must be famished."

Jindigar nodded. "Please, Fiella; you're marvelous. Arlai, keep trying to get through to the ambassador. Use all expediency, on my authority, but don't let your requests be traceable to me by any local agency. Wipe all groundside records, and keep yours under seal. Understood?"

"Use graytime procedures. Understood." He executed an obeisance to Jindigar, made a courteous bow to Fiella and took his leave of her as if she were a lady of the high court. She clasped her fluttering hands before her ample bosom and sighed.

As they all rose, Jindigar took Krinata aside. "Now think very hard. Do you really want to harbor us? It could be very dangerous for you; if not to your life, then to your career."

"I don't see why. This is all some ghastly mistake, Jindigar, and as soon as the Emperor—"

"Krinata, it's the Emperor who's behind it. Not the hand that wakened Fedeewarn, but the one who ordered it done while he detained us. Think! Where is the Dushau delegation? What is going on here?"

She shook her head, bewildered. "I don't know."

"Only two things are evident. You're going to see the end of a galactic civilization. And the Dushau are going to be blamed for all the ills attendant on that disintegration."

"Now, I really think you're exaggerating—no, you're just plain wrong. The Dushau are known as the staunchest supporters of the Allegiancy. You've done more for our growth and continuance than any other single species."

"That's not wholly true. We take a passive stance in your affairs, for it's up to Ephemerals to choose how Ephemerals will be governed. But once you've chosen, we will support your choice, and your right to rechoose. Yet we're often blamed when things go wrong. I'm not episodic; my memory is functioning properly now, so believe me. If you befriend us, you're endangering yourself. Say the word, and we'll leave right now. Arlai can eradicate all trace of our presence, and you'll only have to account for why you pulled us out of the infirmary. Finemar's collapse is good enough reason for that. You'll be clear."

She looked at the door, then at the blank screen where Arlai had treated Fiella with such courtesy. How could she turn out three tottering Dushau? What if they collapsed, as Arlai seemed to feel they might? It would be her fault. Then she stopped kidding herself. She wasn't going to turn them out, because they were good people, and such were hard enough to find in any world. "Look, I don't believe it's like that. There may be some rotten people in high places, but the Allegiancy will come through on your side. You're not going anywhere tonight. Now get in there and eat your supper before I evoke Arlai and get him down on you!"

He stepped back. "Yes, Zavaronne. If that is what you wish. We're grateful—and obligated." He made obeisance to her, just a shade less than if she'd been Empress. There wasn't a hint of mockery in it, either.

Embarrassed, she rushed about, putting the piol out on the balcony with a dish of water and some scraps of food, then hustling Jindigar in to wash up while the aroma of rich, Dushau fare wafted through the apartment.

Once they were all seated about her small table, and Fiella had sent her serving scurry around to present each of them with choices of entree and beverage, Krinata heaved a sigh. There wasn't anything sinister going oh. It was just one of those things that were bound to happen when a government got as big and unwieldy as the Allegiancy.

They were hardly finished eating when Arlai came onto the dining-room screen and announced, "Jindigar, I've got Ambassador Trinarvil. She wants to speak with you—privately."

They adjourned to the sitting room where the screen was larger, taking their drinks with them. Seum lingered to thank Fiella. A scurry set out dishes of fruit as Jindigar brought Ambassador Trinarvil onto the screen, leaving a window in one corner with a headshot of Arlai's simulacrum.

Trinarvil was a small Dushau woman with anxious features and a high voice which nevertheless carried authority. Her plush indigo skin was darker than Jindigar's, almost as dark as Lelwatha had been, denoting truly advanced age. Yet she made full formal obeisance to Jindigar.

He waved that aside. "It's almost time to forget that silly title forever."

She grinned, showing healthy blue teeth. "Before we discuss sensitive material, we must secure this line."

"Indeed. Arlai, can you subordinate to Kitholpen?"

"Assuredly." Arlai's image was replaced by another Dushau, paler indigo, with a higher bridge to his nose than Krinata had ever seen on a Dushau.

"Your pardon," requested the new Sentient, whom Krinata assumed ran the Dushau embassy. The screen broke up, hissed alarmingly, then settled into a reddish image of Trinarvil.

"Secure," announced Jindigar.

"Secure," agreed Trinarvil. "Now—"

"Where were you this afternoon?" asked Jindigar.

"Consultation with home. For months, there have been rumors. Yesterday, word came of the first anti-Dushau riot. You haven't heard?"

Seum and Dinai were obviously shocked, but Jindigar said calmly, "So soon. Shocking how quickly Ephemerals turn.”

The conversation was in the modern Dushauni Krinata had studied, but she often lost the sense. She concentrated, intending to look up later what she missed now.

"It's only in the outlying districts so far, but it seems imperial agitators are behind it, as usual. Blaming the food shortages at space bases on us, accusing us of emptying the throne and then manipulating the government to our own profit. All vague enough to stimulate imagination, evading challenges for proof. The pattern, though, is clear."

"The next step may be already at hand," said Jindigar sadly. "Open indictment by the Imperial Court."

"Rantan laid the groundwork for that yesterday," the ambassador agreed, "addressing Parliament, obliquely hinting that Oliat teams could be withholding information on planets with agricultural or mining potential. He implied that since most of us expect to live through the next galactic civilization, we might hold back information that would buy us high places in that government. With our lifespan, he said, we've no reason to abhor the starvation of Ephemerals that collapse of the Allegiancy would bring. In fact, the end of the Empire would be to our advantage since it would hasten the New Age which we could engineer any way we chose, since we know where the richest planets are hidden."

"The man's insane," judged Seum.

"Probably," allowed Dinai. "But his logic will appeal."

'Today," said Jindigar, "he was probing for concrete evidence. He asked about Raichmat. And I believe he sent someone to question Fedeewarn while he kept us busy. I saw dismay on his face when Kamminth and Lelwatha collapsed. He didn't intend that. Advisors or no, he didn't believe the nature of the Oliat."

"Arlai told me your story. He lifted recordings of the entire grisly episode, even the questioning in the imperial private chambers. They don't make them like Arlai anymore."

Jindigar agreed while Trinarvil looked down at the table before her, working some invisible controls. "Someone's trying to crack our screening," she announced. "Briefly, Jindigar, I've been in conference with home and our best Historians and Sentients. We discussed hundreds of rumors, half-facts, and planetary trends. The consensus was clear. The Allegiancy is tumbling over the brink of disintegration, and trying to blame us. We're sending out retrieval missions to the Oliat teams in the field, and we're withdrawing all our embassies and consulates, breaking off diplomatic relations, before they openly indict us. Onerir is being evacuated tomorrow morning. Meet us at Overlook Station as the terminator crosses it—"