Still, he noticed something strange. "I don't see any children," he said to the Guides.

"Children are precious here," O-Rina told him. "Education is very important. They are sent to school at an early age to learn and explore. Ah, here is the Dwelling Circle."

V-Haad piloted the craft through a break in the wall and guided it to a penned enclosure where a few battered landspeeders were parked. They walked toward one of the many domed buildings that curved around the core in a spiral. Each building was connected to the next.

V-Nen opened the door and stood aside to let them in. The small room was furnished simply but comfortably, with low benches piled with thick cushions.

Qui-Gon turned to V-Haad and O-Rina. "Thank you for bringing us here.

We would like to examine the child alone with the parents."

"Oh, of course, we understand your procedures," V-Haad said.

"But we cannot follow them, so sorry to say this," O-Rina added.

"0-Melie and V-Nen have asked us to stay. They are nervous with outsiders."

Qui-Gon looked at the parents kindly. "There is nothing to be nervous about. We will simply tell you if your child is Force-sensitive. If so, we will explain what that means and what can be done, should you wish it."

V-Nen and O-Melie exchanged glances. O-Melie swallowed. "We wish for the Hospitality Guides to stay."

V-Haad and O-Rina smiled. "You see? You must not think of us as outsiders in this house," O-Rina rushed to assure them, "Everyone on Kegan is part of the same family. This is true, 0-Melie?"

"Yes," O-Melie said.

Suddenly, 0-Rina and V-Haad's smiles seemed fixed to their faces, as though what was inside did not match their friendliness. A small trickle of warning snaked through Obi-Wan. He had learned to trust that feeling.

Something was wrong here. Things were not what they appeared to be.

V-Haad and O-Rina had seemed to welcome them, but Obi-Wan had a feeling they were not happy the Jedi were here. Not at all.

Qui-Gon didn't trust V-Haad and 0-Rina from the start. Despite their wide smiles, they gave off a sense of unease that he could not attribute to being unused to strangers. And why were there Hospitality Guides when the planet allowed no visitors?

He nodded at them anyway, meeting their friendliness with his own. "Of course you may remain if V-Nen and O-Melie wish it," he said.

"There are exceptions to every rule," Adi said graciously. She, too, no doubt knew that it was better not to aggravate the situation by insisting.

"I'll get 0-Lana," O-Melie said shortly. "A neighbor is watching her."

She hurried from the room.

She returned in a moment with a small bundle in her arms. The child was close to a year old. She looked up at Qui-Gon with a bright, inquisitive gaze. He held out a finger. She grabbed it, then pulled it to her mouth and gnawed on it gently.

"Ah," Qui-Gon said. "I see." He studied her for some minutes, evaluating her reactions and expressions. Finally, he gave a short nod.

"You've reached your conclusion so soon?" 0-Rina asked, her smile a little tight.

"Yes, I have," Qui-Gon answered. "She is definitely hungry."

0-Melie and V-Nen broke into relieved smiles.

"0-Yani can feed her," O-Rina suggested. "That way we can all talk."

"0-Yani is the child caregiver for this dwelling quad," V-Haad explained to the Jedi. "There is one for each quad in each dwelling circle so that parents may still work or have time for themselves. Our child caregivers are the wisest and best among us."

0-Melie took the baby from Qui-Gon's arms. She disappeared into the other room.

With only a quick glance at Adi, Qui-Gon knew that his fellow Jedi Master had also picked up what he had: O-Lana was Force-sensitive. But how deep the Force ran was something they needed more time to discover.

"Let us sit down," Adi suggested. "While the child is feeding, we can explain more about why we have come so far to see her."

0-Melie and V-Nen sat down on a cushioned bench opposite from the Jedi.

V-Haad sat on one side of them, O-Rina sat on the other. As though they are guarding them, Qui-Gon thought.

"If O-Lana is strong in the Force, her powers will become more apparent as she grows," Qui-Gon began. "These powers should be nurtured and directed.

When they are not, the child can become confused and frightened."

V-Nen and 0-Melie leaned closer, their eyes on the Jedi.

"No one is frightened on Kegan," O-Rina said firmly.

"The General Good is strong. O-Lana will be supported by us all,"

V-Haad added.

Adi spoke up. "The Temple on Coruscant is a place where a Force-sensitive child can learn not only how to control her gift, but how to let it guide her and connect her to all things."

V-Haad nodded, smiling. "Excellent! The Jedi Order sounds very wonderful indeed. We have Guides here that show us how to connect."

Adi stirred impatiently. Qui-Gon quickly stepped in.

"If O-Lana is a special child — "

"Ah, here I must interrupt you," O-Rina said, her smile beaming gracious friendship at Qui-Gon. "O-Lana is special, yes — but only as each Keganite is special. V-Tan and 0-Vieve have taught us all that the Guide Within is powerful in each of us. No one is any better than another."

"We are not saying that O-Lana is better," Adi said. Qui-Gon could hear the impatience she was struggling to control. "We are saying that the Force will set her apart. The Jedi path will show her how to connect to the galaxy and to others."

V-Haad beamed. "Ah, now I see! A wise and just path, I'm sure. But O-Lana will have no need of this. Here on Kegan, each Guide Within unites and forms the General Good. It would be wrong to remove O-Lana from the circle of General Good, as the circle would diminish and O-Lana would be raised to believe she was special. This is against the counsel of the Guides." V-Haad and O-Rina nodded and smiled.

Slowly, V-Nen and 0-Melie nodded, too.

Qui-Gon understood Adi's frustration. V-Nen and O-Melie seemed to be listening intently, but they were not given a chance to react. Instead, the Hospitality Guides were doing all the reacting and talking. This was precisely why the Jedi preferred the first interview to be with the parents only.