"Fluid metal, Guild Master," Rudney said, "is a more accurate term for the material—FM for short."

"We called it Jewel Junk," Killashandra said, mimicking him. He didn't notice, but Klera did.

"Yes, we did, didn't we?" Lars said, clearing his throat. "For lack of a more accurate designation," he added, nodding toward Rudney. "You will remember that we actually made two trips there, the second one after our visit to Nihal Three. On the second one we fed some trash to several of the Jewel Junk aka FM."

Killashandra wanted to giggle at Lars, but mastered the urge.

"Actually, nine of the now twenty FM manifestations," Rudney said.

"Yes. As I was saying . . ." Lars's nostrils flared, a sign of rare impatience in him, and he gave Rudney a quelling glance. "We also tried to establish communications with the, ah FM opalescence." When the scientist seemed about to correct him yet again he said more firmly, "Or has the opalescence abated?" Lars fixed the scientist with a cold glare, then looked back to Killashandra, rattling his strong fingers on the table in a complex roll.

What appeared to be a nervous habit in him, plus the use of the words "opalescence", "Nihal Three" and "the infection" began to stir memories for Killa.

"We established a form of communication with it," she said. "Have you managed to enlarge on that beginning?" Why else would they be risking their lives visiting Ballybran?

"We are pure research scientists," Rudney said stiffly. "We are attempting to establish the parameters of an extremely complex life-form."

"Then you agree that the Junk is sentient?"

Rudney made a gesture, discounting her assumption. "We are only beginning to analyze its substance."

"Wasn't it impervious to diagnostic instrumentation?" Killa asked Lars.

"Ours is considerably more sensitive," Rudney continued inexorably, "and therefore we have made progress where the usual sort of instrumentation was inadequate to the purpose."

"So," Killa said, crossing her arms over her chest and focusing her entire attention on him. She had found this to disconcert the unwary. "What is it?"

"We have not yet finished our initial survey," Rudney admitted.

"After twenty-four years, five months and two weeks?"

"With such an unusual material, one does not rush to conclusions," Rudney informed her.

"Did it ever digest the Ballybran crystal we gave it?" Killa was very pleased with herself for that recollection.

"Ah, no," Rudney replied, and cleared his throat, causing an awful rasping sound to be broadcast. The nonabsorption seemed to worry him.

"In fact," Klera said, plunging in, "all nine FM units prominently display the crystal shards in the center of the reservoir. That's what we call the central node. Though 'node' is not exactly accurate either."

"Would blob do?" Killa found scholarly precision tedious.

"Fluid metal is the proper description of its composition and, even, of its function," Klera said, her round face solemn.

"But have you established any level of communication with my Jewel Junk?"

"Yyyeesss, and nn-no," Klera said, momentarily flustered. "Our xenolinguist had hundreds of hours of recording but . . ." She sagged with a weary sigh.

"No mutual lexicon," Killa said, adding her own sigh.

"The individual FMs, however," Klera said, brightening, " seem to be communicating on some level. Though whether or not it's through use of the crystal shards, we haven't been able to ascertain." She shot a worried look at Rudney.

"Just the nine, or the other Junks you've discovered?" Killa asked, wondering if that was the problem.

"We can't be positive that they don't have another means of interacting. But we have established that the crystals send bursts of piezoelectric current," Klera said.

"Though we have been unable to determine the exact reason for the activity," Rudney said, smoothly taking over the explanations. "All the twenty FM deposits show irrefutable evidence of a thermoelectric effect, generating a voltage flow which, we have posited, is due to the extremes of temperature through which the planet goes. There is a recognizable tide, as it were, in the fluctuations of the thermoelectric effect that can be timed to the onset of deviations in the planet's rotation around its primary."

"Naturally, we established a control group of three," he went on, settling himself in his chair for a long lecture. "Caves Three, Nine and Fifteen remain as we found them on our arrival, complete with their central nub of crystal. We've divided the others into three groups according to size, giving each group a special diet: organic wastes, which seem to have little effect on growth; inorganic wastes, which demonstrably increase the size exponentially to the amount offered; and a mixture, half and half, to the third group which seems to thrive the best."

"We've done hours of recordings," Klera managed to slip in while Rudney took a deep breath, "which I do maintain are not merely thermoelectric statics. Fizal, our linguist, is certain that the various rhythms are conversations of some sort."

"That's not as immediate or as interesting as the history we have postulated about the primary 478-S-2937 and the planet's relationship to it," Rudney went on. "Star 478-S has been through many stages, and our investigations point to the probability that the planet, Opal, was formed from ejecta of the various stages of the star's development."

"Now, Rudney," Klera said firmly, "you know that Sarianus's theory is equally viable." She turned to Lars. "Our astrophysicist is of the opinion that the star was a huge new star, formed near the remnants of others."

"That has yet to be proved, Klera. That theory does not explain—"

"The flares, Rudney," Klera said, and the pair ignored the others in the room to continue what was obviously a long-standing argument. "The solar flares affect the planet. We've noted the exceptional activity of the 'static' messages shortly before and after solar flares."

"Klera, you cannot seriously believe that FM is controlling the flares?"

"I do, Rudney, and there is much evidence to support this." She looked at Killa as if requesting her support. "I believe that the FM has developed intelligence—a bizarre form, to be sure." She pointedly ignored Rudney's crackling snort. "Its vision and sensory systems would be electric and magnetic fields, ions and electrons. Its pain would be changes in the strengths of those fields and their threat to its existence when the solar flares are especially violent. Until recently—well, recently in solar terms—it has been the sun which has manipulated the planet's environment, and therefore it tries to control the sun by emanations of its own thermoelectric fields, making sunspots come and go as needed. Our geologist has noted that the planet has had more than its share of magnetic pole changes, many earthquakes, and some major readjustments in consequence of the polarities. You might say it's attempting to avoid 'pain'. But it follows that the FM is intelligent, because it is attempting to adjust its environment. Only intelligence seeks to do this. I also think," she added, shooting a repressive glance at Rudney, who kept opening his mouth to interrupt, "it is capable of reproducing itself by asexual fission in order to increase its ability to control the sun. We have monitored a steady growth in all FM units . . ."

"How many levels do they go now?" Killashandra asked, suddenly remembering that part of their investigation.

"FMs with crystal nubs receiving the mixed diet have descended nineteen levels," Klera said, as pleased with such growth as a doting mother. "Those without crystal do not make significant progress and . . ." She faltered, glancing nervously at Rudney.

"Food plus crystal means growth?" Killashandra asked.