“No.” Fiben shook his head. “Not to that. I just want to know this: Do we absolutely have to accept the sponsors’ choice as our representatives?”

The Gubru emissary immediately squawked indignantly. The chims looked at one another in surprise. Irongrip muttered, “When this is over, I’m gonna take that little frat boy an’…”

The Examiner waved for silence. Its many-faceted eyes focused upon Fiben. “Young one, what would you do, were it up to you? Would you have us put it to a vote of your peers?”

Fiben bowed. “I would, your honor.”

This time the Gubru’s shriek was positively painful to the ear. Gailet tried once again to step forward, but Irongrip held her arm tightly. She was forced to stand there, listening to the Probationer’s muttered curses.

The Serentini official spoke at last. “Although I am sympathetic, I cannot see how I can allow your request. Without precedent—”

“But there is precedent!”

It was a new, deep voice, coming from the dim slope behind the officials. From the crowd of Galactic visitors four figures now emerged into the light, and if Gailet had felt surprise before, now she could only stare in disbelief.

Uthacalthing!

The slender Tymbrimi was accompanied by a bearded human mel whose ill-fitting formal robe had probably been borrowed from some bipedal but not quite humanoid Galactic and was thrown over what seemed to be animal skins. Beside the young man walked a neo-chimp who had obvious trouble standing completely erect and who bore many of the stigmata of atavism. The chim hung back when they approached the clearing, as if he knew he did not belong on this ground.

It was the fourth being — a towering figure whose bright, inflated crest ballooned upward in dignity — who bowed casually and addressed the Grand Examiner.

“I see you, Cough*Quinn’3 of the Uplift Institute.”

The Serentini bowed back. “I see you, honored Ambassador Kault of the Thennanin, and you, Uthacalthing of the Tymbrimi, and your companions. It is pleasant to witness your safe arrival.”

The big Thennanin spread his arms apart. “I thank your honor for allowing me to use your transmitting facilities to contact my clan, after so long an enforced isolation.”

“This is neutral ground,” the Uplift official said. “I also know that there are serious matters regarding this planet which you wish to press with the Institute, once this ceremony is at an end.

“But for now, I must insist we maintain pertinence. Will you please explain the remark you made on your arrival?”

Kault gestured toward Uthacalthing. “This respected envoy represents the race which has served as stage consort and protector to the neo-chimpanzees ever since their wolfling patrons encountered Galactic society. I shall let him tell you.”

All at once Gailet noticed how tired Uthacalthing looked. The tym’s usually expressive tendrils lay flat, and his eyes were set close together. It was with obvious effort that he stepped forward and offered a small, black cube. “Here are the references,” he began.

A robot came forward and plucked the data out of his hand. From that instant the Institute’s staff would be inspecting the citations. The Examiner herself listened attentively to Uthacalthing.

“The references will show that, very early in Galactic history, Uplift Ceremonies evolved out of the Progenitors’ desire to protect themselves from moral fault. They who began the process we now know as Uplift frequently consulted with their client races, as humans do with theirs, today. And the clients’ representatives were never imposed upon them.”

Uthacalthing gestured toward the assembled chims.

“Strictly speaking, the ceremonial sponsors are making a suggestion, when they make their selection. The clients, having passed all the tests appropriate to their stage, are legally permitted to ignore the choice. In the purest sense, this plateau is their territory. We are here as their guests.”

Gailet saw that the Galactic observers were agitated. Many consulted their own datawells, accessing the precedents Uthacalthing had provided. Polylingual chatter spread around the periphery. A new floater arrived, carrying several Gubru and a portable communications unit. Obviously, the invaders were doing furious research of their own.

All this time the power of the hyperspace shunt could be felt building just upsjope. The low rumbling was now omnipresent, making Gailet’s tendons quiver in imposed rhythm.

The Grand Examiner turned to the nominal human official, Cordwainer Appelbe. “In the name of your clan, do you support this request for a departure from normal procedure?”

Appelbe bit his lower lip. He looked at Uthacalthing, then at Fiben, then back at the Tymbrimi Ambassador. Then, for the first time, the man actually smiled. “Hell, yes! I sure do!” he said in Anglic. Then he blushed and switched to carefully phrased Galactic Seven. “In the name of my clan, I support Ambassador Uthacalthing’s request.”

The Examiner turned away to hear a report from her staff. When she came back the entire hillside was hushed. Suspense held them all riveted until she bowed to Fiben.

“Precedent is, indeed, interpretable in favor of your request. Shall I ask your comrades to indicate their choice by hand? Or by secret ballot?”

“Right!” came an Anglic whisper. The young human who had accompanied Uthacalthing grinned and gave Fiben a thumbs-up sign. Fortunately, none of the Gajactics were looking that way to witness the impertinence.

Fiben forced a serious expression and bowed again. “Oh, a hand vote will do nicely, your honor. Thank you.”

Gailet was more bemused than anything as the election was held. She tried hard to decline her own nomination, but the same captation, the same implacable force that had kept her from speaking earlier made her unable to withdraw her name. She was chosen unanimously.

The contest for male representative was straightforward as well. Fiben faced Irongrip, looking calmly up into the tall Probationer’s fierce eyes. Gailet found that the best she could make herself do was abstain, causing several of the others to look at her in surprise.

Nevertheless, she almost sobbed with relief when the poll came in nine to three … in favor of Fiben Bolger. When he finally approached, Gailet sagged into his arms and sobbed.

“There. There,” he said. And it wasn’t so much the cliche as the sound of his voice that comforted her. “I told you I’d come back, didn’t I?”

She sniffed and rubbed away tears as she nodded. One cliche deserved another. She touched his cheek, and her voice was only slightly sardonic as she said, “My hero.”

The other chims — all except the outnumbered Probies — gathered around, pressing close in a jubilant mass. For the first time it began to look as if the ceremony just might turn into a celebration after all.

They formed ranks, two by two, behind Fiben and Gailet, and started forth along the final path toward the pinnacle where, quite soon, there would be a physical link from this world to spaces far, far away.

That was when a shrill whistle echoed over the small plateau. A new hover car landed in front of the chims, blocking their path. “Oh, no,” Fiben groaned. For he instantly recognized the barge carrying the three Suzerains of the Gubru invasion force.

The Suzerain of Propriety looked dejected. It drooped on its perch, unable to lift its head even to look down at them. The other two rulers, however, hopped nimbly onto the ground and tersely addressed the Examiner.

“We, as well, wish to present, offer, bring forward … a precedent!”