Tedra laughed. Shanelle’s frown was an exact copy of Challen’s upon hearing that.

“Mother, it gives me the greatest pleasure to give you back your computer.”

But Tedra stopped her from removing the computer-link unit from her waist. “Not yet. I’m sure you’re going to want to show those friends around that Martha told me about last night-”

“She contacted you last night without telling me?” Shanelle demanded.

“Well, I don’t know why she didn’t mention it, but yes, we had a long chat, and anyway, I’ll feel better if you have Martha with you in addition to Corth, and I’m sure your father will, too. With Martha there to whisk you out of any trouble- not that I anticipate any-your father won’t feel it necessary to send his warriors along with you. Isn’t that right, Challen?”

But Tedra was still looking meaningfully at Shanelle, and Shanelle finally got the message, the unspoken message. She didn’t want Challen’s warriors dogging her steps, not today. Today was the one day she could be anonymous, but not with a full escort that would point out how important she was. Only Challen hadn’t even heard the question. Looking at the computer link had drawn his attention to what Shanelle was wearing, and his frown hadn’t changed any.

“First she will take herself home to find the proper clothing. She looks like a visitor.”

“Give her a break, damn it,” Tedra replied impatiently. “She just got here. And so what if she looks like a visitor. A quarter of the people here are visitors. For once it doesn’t make any difference, and she is cloaked, which is all that really matters. You wouldn’t really make her waste all that time going home when she has guests to see to?”

“Your Martha could Transfer her-”

“You’ve got to be kidding,” Tedra cut in dryly. “You’d let her Transfer when it isn’t an emergency, when you hate Transferring?” Challen was looking completely chagrined by now, so Tedra added, “And her friends have caught up with her. You’re not going to embarrass your daughter over something so minor, are you?”

For that Tedra got a just-wait-until-later look.

Shanelle got her cloak adjusted over her shoulders to cover more of her outfit, which she understood she was to leave that way-at least until she was out of her father’s sight.

“The competitions will continue this rising and likely several more,” he told Shanelle. “You may view them with your friends, but Martha is to Transfer you to me if you have any difficulties with these warriors who do not know you. Is this understood, Martha?”

“Crystal clear, big guy.”

Shanelle’s friends did arrive then, along with the nobles from Century III, who arrogantly demanded Challen’s attention even before Shanelle could finish introducing her friends. So her mother shooed her off with a whispered “Good luck, baby,” a wink, and a grin.

Martha was chuckling as they left. “My Tedra was in top form, wasn’t she? I love it when she talks circles around that warrior.”

“You told her about my desire to be incognito, didn’t you?” Shanelle ventured.

“Sure I did. I told her everything, kiddo. You knew I would.”

Shanelle’s sigh was loud and long. “All right, Martha, if I have to be stuck with you for the rest of the day, try making me forget it.”

“Close your mouth,” Shanelle told Caris with a grin. “You’re about to drool.”

“I can’t help it, Shani.” Caris sighed. “Will you just look at the muscles on that warrior? They look like they’re going to burst right through his skin.”

The muscles Caris found so fascinating were indeed bulging, but then the contest they were watching was one of strength, where two men would clasp hands and attempt to push each other off-balance. Lines were marked in the grass about two feet behind each contestant, so each had a little leeway, but not too much. The one to be pushed over his line lost the match.

From where Shanelle and Caris stood, they were seeing more of one warrior’s back than the other’s, and this was the warrior who had gained Caris’s avid attention. But Shanelle wasn’t seeing anything out of the ordinary. She wanted to go and watch the visitor events instead, but Caris had dragged her over here first.

This wasn’t a contest for visitors. Visitors simply wouldn’t stand a chance competing against a warrior’s strength, and weren’t expected to. They could try competing with warriors if they were daring enough, but they had their own contests in marksmanship, dexterity, speed, and agility. The main event, the one to claim the most arenas, was naturally sword fighting. The champion sword-fighter had to beat all comers. The champion of the visitor events could then elect to fight the warrior champion with swords-or not, and likely not. So, in fact, there could end up being two champions of the competitions, and it was the general consensus that this was how it would end. Presently, all events were still in the process of eliminations.

Only Caris remained with Shanelle, and, of course, Corth, who was being silently inconspicuous. Cira had ridden up to Sha-Ka-Ra with one of Shanelle’s escorts and had already made arrangements to spend the day with him before their arrival in the city. Jadd was sticking close to Dren, both Kystran males feeling quite out of their element amongst so many giants, but they had found a fascination in the sword-fighting competitions, and so had been left behind at those arenas with Yari.

Caris was interested only in warriors, which was why they were still in this section of the park, which had few arenas for visitors. But Shanelle was clearly getting bored, so it was no wonder her eyes started to wander, first to the spectators on the opposite side of the large arena, then beyond to the line of tents that spread out to the edges of the park. A white one in front drew her notice because it looked like a miniature version of her father’s pavilion, so she was looking at it when the four men stepped out of it.

They were a little too far away for Shanelle to make out their features, but her attention was definitely snagged, for these were obviously visitors by the dark color of their hair, yet all four were warrior-tall, warrior-big. Stars, what planet did they come from, that they had such a look of the warrior about them? Three had hair as dark as Shanelle’s mother, black as the zaalskin bracs they were wearing. The fourth man had chestnut hair, almost as dark.

The men spoke together for a moment in front of the tent before they split up, two going off toward the front of the park, two coming toward the end where Shanelle stood. These two were of an exact height, young, she saw as they got closer, maybe four or five years older than she, and handsome, she saw as they got closer still. She held her breath, hoping they would stop at the arena in front of her, and when they did, she forgot about letting her breath out.

Oh, Heaven’s Stars, was he splendid, the one she couldn’t take her eyes off now that she could distinguish their features. This one wasn’t merely handsome, he was sensually appealing to every one of Shanelle’s senses. His black hair was long and thick, caressing warriorlike shoulders and a thick neck. His skin was darker than golden; his chest and arms were immense, perhaps larger than those of some warriors she knew. He had an arrogant cut to his square jaw, hard, chiseled lips, a well-shaped nose for his face, and thick black brows that drew together in a serious manner as he spoke again to his companion.

Shanelle was still watching him when his eyes touched on her in passing-and came right back. Azure they were, as light as a midday sky, and disconcerting in their intensity, making her feel things…

She looked away, back to the two warriors straining in the arena, and heard Martha’s voice. “If I’m reading you right, doll, you just got your socks knocked off.”