“What is her reason for coming here?” Zoreen asked to divert the two sisters from a heated exchange.

Lanar answered. “To put it simply, she left her planet to try and escape the man her father gave her to, but he has followed her in another ship that is only hours away.”

“Gave her to?” Donilla said derisively. “Her planet really is barbaric, isn’t it?”

“According to my notes,” Zoreen replied, “the men are of the warrior caste that uses swords as weapons.”

All three women felt a measure of superiority. And the Antury had alluded that they were backward in relation to other worlds. Only in space travel, apparently.

But Donilla finally said, “I still don’t like it. It’s a story designed to outrage our sensibilities and make us sympathetic to her plight. It’s the perfect story for another Armoruan plant.”

“But if she’s genuine and we don’t help her, she’ll have no choice but to apply to the Armoruans,” Lanar pointed out. “They’ll be ecstatic to get their hands on her and her ship, especially since it doesn’t need a crew to fly it.”

“No crew? How is that possible?”

“She claims it’s run by a machine called computer.”

“The Antury had those, but none that could run an entire ship,” Zoreen remarked.

“And if her family is as rich as Zoreen says, the Armoruans can hold her for ransom,” Lanar added. “Imagine the things they could bargain for, Doni, things Zoreen and the others returned to tell us about, weapons that can destroy whole planets. Do we dare push such a prize into their laps? I say we do the bargaining, but with her, for the sanctuary she wants.”

Donilla hesitated before finally nodding agreement, albeit reluctantly. “All right, have the Shield opened enough so she can enter and land. But I want two guards posted at the quarters you give her, and they’re to stay with her whenever she leaves them.”

It was Lanar’s turn to hesitate. “Certainly-but she doesn’t want to land her ship,”

“Then how does she expect to join us?” Donilla said sarcastically. “Fly?”

“She has something called Transferring that allows her to just appear before us.”

Donilla’s eyes flew to her advisor with alarm. “Zoreen?”

“We were told of this Transferring briefly, but it seemed too complicated to understand, so we didn’t ask for further information on it.”

“Are you telling me this woman could have just appeared anywhere on Sunder without our knowing it?” Donilla shouted. “She has the means to pass through the Global Shield?”

“Apparently. But I told you the Armoruans would be thrilled to get their hands on her. Imagine what they could do with this Transferring.”

“That doesn’t bear thinking about. So why does she even need our permission to come?”

“Because she wants our help to keep the man who pursues her away from her when he arrives, he and his men.”

“And how are we supposed to do that if they also have this Transferring thing?”

“If they appear, we detain them. If they won’t cooperate, we use the Altering rod on them. They won’t be any trouble after that.”

By the look of her, Lanar obviously relished the thought of doing just that. But Donilla hated even the mention of that damn Altering rod that had changed all their lives so drastically. She hadn’t been truly happy since it was invented.

“Will you stop with the gripes, Martha? The Sunderians are just nervous, but who can blame them after what you told me about the Armoruans? You’d take the same precautions if you faced the constant threat of invasion.”

“You managed to talk them into letting you keep your clothes on,” Martha grumbled. “You could have talked them into letting you keep one little computer-link unit.”

“I wasn’t going to press my luck after that grueling interrogation they put me through,” Shanelle replied. “After all, they aren’t welcoming me with open arms.”

Martha’s tone switched to indignant. “They should be after you promised them a whole crateload of gaali stones, and for something a warrior would give you for free.”

“Ah, but when the job requires protection from a warrior, what I promised may not even be enough.”

“And that’s another thing. What makes you think they can keep Falon away from you?”

“They said they could. I have to count on that.”

“But I won’t be there to help you, and neither will Corth. They could have at least allowed you to bring Corth along.”

“They don’t have the technology to analyze Corth or you. If they did, they could see for themselves that neither of you is programmed to do them harm-not that you would let them get near you, but you get the point. They’re just being cautious. And stop making such a fuss. You know all this better than I do.”

“I don’t have to like it.”

Shanelle had to grin at this new tone that was pure pout. “So you’ve filed your complaint for the record. Let’s just do as planned and stop worrying, all right?”

“Stop worrying when I’ll only be able to hear you half the time you’re down there?”

Shanelle sighed. “Without the computer link, we can’t do any better than what we planned. Even you said so. All you have to do is keep a fix on me until I’m shown to my quarters; then you remain fixed on that room. If you tried to follow me everywhere, you could end up losing me altogether, and then where would I be? This way I’ll know where to find you if I need to Transfer back to the ship.”

“That’s if I can manage to keep you on my monitor until you get to your quarters.”

“Stars, you just had to make sure I’d have something to worry about, too, didn’t you? Thanks a lot, Martha.”

“Anytime,” Martha fairly purred. “Maybe now you’ll stop being so damn blasé about a dangerous situation. You’re going to walk in there blind, because we know next to nothing about these Sunderians.”

“But I do know what will happen if I stay on the Rover, so I’m opting for the unknown.”

“Stubborn-your mother would have a fit if she knew I was letting you-look out! The intruder is coming through again.”

And Brock’s voice was there, arrogantly male, ordering, “You are forbidden to go down to that planet, Shanelle.”

It wasn’t surprising he’d figured out what she was planning to do. He was, after all, a Mock II, and as capable at probables and deductions as Martha was. And he had been transmitting his voice every few hours for the past three days with a full gamut of orders, persuasions, threats, and warnings, none of which Shanelle listened to. But she now knew that Falon hadn’t come after her alone. He had his relatives with him-he also had her brother with him. That was playing dirty as far as she was concerned, and she had plugged up her ears and buried her head under a pillow each time Dalden had tried to talk her into giving up.

From Falon she had heard nothing, but his very silence unnerved her, predicting that what Martha had said was true. The longer it took him to find her, the angrier he was likely to get. And she had been gone six days now. She planned to make it much longer with the help of the Sunderians.

Right now, she ignored her father’s computer once again, and told him so. “Sorry, Brock, but I didn’t hear that. Martha, I’m ready.”

“So long, doll.”

“Wait!” Brock began, but Shanelle was gone. “You should not have abetted her in this foolishness, Martha.”

“So what else is new?”

“If you were aware-”

“I’m always aware, brick-brain.”

Brock released a sigh and tried a different tack. “Her lifemate is losing patience.”

“He didn’t have any to lose. And shouldn’t you be doing something about that?”

“He is not an easy subject to work on.”

“Poor baby. Has he threatened to destroy you yet?”

“Save your sarcasm for the humans, woman. I am not impressed.”