Jadell grinned. “Now does your anger make sense, yet the reason for it does not. She seemed willing enough to come here with you. Why would you let her leave if you were not finished with her?”

Falon’s eyes were suddenly blazing. “Because I allowed her Droda-cursed computer to best me with words!” The empty bottle went flying into the side of the tent. “Damn their machines and the powers they wield! I know not if the thing even spoke truth in its threats!”

Jadell’s eyes were wide with amazement, not because of Falon’s words, but because of his volatile reaction. There was humor in this situation, though he did not dare to show it. A measure of calm was called for instead.

“Another good reason why visitors are to be avoided. We can never know if what they say is so, because they have things that are inconceivable to us. Never would I have believed that their box called meditech could make wounds vanish, yet would I be dead now were it not so. With what were you threatened?”

“Transferring.”

It was Jadell’s turn to lose his calm. “Damn it, Falon, you know that is one of their more powerful weapons. It was used on Aurelet’s escort when she was taken, and they were never seen again. There is no defense against such an unseen power.”

“Visitors do not consider it a weapon, merely a means of moving from one place to another in mere seconds.”

“Yet can it kill if the place you are moved to does not support life, like the center of a mountain. You did not challenge this computer, did you?”

“No, but when I find the heart of it, I mean to kill it.”

“No… you… will… not!”

“Little brother.” Falon suddenly grinned. “Do you give me orders?”

Jadell’s bronzed cheeks darkened. “I did not mean-I would not-” Jadell sighed. “It is my hope that you will give the matter more thought when your anger has lessened.”

“The computer took the woman from me with its threats. That will not be forgotten.”

“Then find another way to best it. These men from Catrater want our gold. It is for that reason we are here. Let them destroy this computer as a condition to an agreement.”

“An idea with merit,” Falon said thoughtfully, “yet would I lose the pleasure in seeing the thing done myself.”

“Yet would you then be safe from Transferring.”

“True, thus will I consider it.”

Jadell relaxed somewhat, but was bemused to watch Falon begin his pacing again. “Was there something else bothering you, brother?”

“Why do you not go find Tarren and Deamon and plague them for a while with your inquisitive-ness?”

Jadell chuckled at that grumbling tone. “It must be terrible indeed. Best you tell me now and have done with it. Perhaps I can help.”

“Can you give me this rising to do over again?”

“To exclude your meeting the woman?”

“No, not that.” Falon sighed and came to join Jadell on the fur pelts. “It was her first time, yet did she not warn me of it. She lost consciousness, Jadell. When she awoke she was afraid of me.”

“Now do I understand why the joining was not completed, yet was her fear a normal thing. All women fear their first time with a-”

“She did not fear her first time,” Falon said impatiently, but then was forced to add grudgingly, “Not at first. Her fear came after it was begun, and only because I had no control of the passion she aroused in me. To my shame, I hurt her with it.”

“You lost-control?”

Jadell could not go on for the laughter that suddenly over took him. He rolled on the pelts, tears dropping from his eyes, and finally regretted his outburst when Falon’s knee came to rest in the center of his chest and he was looking up at the fist about to break his face.

“Consider it fortunate, brother, there is a meditech in this town.”

“Falon, wait! Have you no memory at all of our father’s words to you when you were given your first female slave?”

“What has that to do with your finding it amusing that I hurt the woman?”

“That is not what struck my humor, but that you lost control. Try to remember what father told you.”

“I have only a vague memory of it.” Falon frowned. “As I recall, I was too eager to experience my first time with a woman to pay attention to what he was saying.”

“Then listen carefully this time, for I was there for the telling so he would not have to repeat it again when I attained your age. He said, ‘Slaves are for a man’s pleasure, to be enjoyed but not to be taken seriously, for even if released from slavery, they never regain the spirit and pride of a free woman, which are qualities you will want for your children. The woman you will someday give your life to will be the keeper of your heart, and you will know you have chosen the right keeper when you must fight to control what she makes you feel.’ ”

Falon’s frown deepened. “You are suggesting I have found my lifemate? I wish to own her, brother, not join my life to hers.”

“You do not think it significant, what she made you feel?”

“I wanted her too much, is all. But she is still a visitor, and I would not bring home a visitor as anything other than a slave.”

“What if you can have her no other way?”

“I do not know if I can have her any way,” Falon growled, rising to his feet again. “It is that which infuriates me most, not knowing what I must do to make her mine. We know so little of visitors, no more than we ever did.”

“That can be easily seen to.” Jadell grinned. “You have merely to ask our host. His lifemate is a visitor.”

“His lifemate is the damn visitor who brought them all here when she discovered us.”

Dalden Ly-San-Ter was reluctant to return to the shodan of Ka’al that afternoon with the news he bore. He knew the man would never have come here if he didn’t feel he owed him a life-debt. Dalden also knew he expected to conclude the meetings expeditiously, so expeditiously that he had hoped to spend no more than one rising in Kan-is-Tra. Now he wasn’t going to like to hear that the competitions were going to delay the meetings with the Catrateri, but so they were.

The Ambassador of Catrater was aware of how the Ba-Har-ani felt about visitors. That was why he had asked Dalden’s father to make a formal request of the owner of the gold fields the Catrateri mining scanners had located near the town of Ka’al, and why Challen had sent Dalden to Ka’al to convince the owner to meet with the Catrateri. And that was why the ambassador had pleaded with Challen to lend his presence to the discussions.

But Dalden should have returned with the Ba-Har-ani last week, when Challen would have had time to involve himself in the matter. Now he lacked the time because of the competitions. And yet the Catrateri ambassador was too fearful of failure to begin the discussions without him, and with reason. If Dalden had learned anything during the time he’d spent with the Ba-Har-ani, it was that they had not the least care for the problems of visitors.

Dalden had done his part, due only to a piece of wild luck, but nonetheless accomplished. If the Ba-Har-ani chose to leave immediately rather than accept the delay, no one would stop them.

Only Falon Van’yer and his brother were present when Dalden arrived at their tent. Jadell offered a grin in welcome, which Dalden returned. He had formed a quick and easy friendship with the younger Van’yer brother, partly from having saved his life and gone on the little adventure afterwards to track down those responsible for nearly taking it, and partly because they shared so many things in common, including their easy natures. He also liked and respected Falon Van’yer, and although he hadn’t come to know him as well, it wasn’t hard for Dalden to sense that the shodan’s mood had changed drastically in the few hours since they had parted company upon their arrival in Sha-Ka-Ra.