When life again to dust is given,

an hour in your company, the sound off you makes the hairs on my arm stand up. See? Killashandra exchanged glances with Rimbol, before they examined the proof on Antonas extended arm. Antona laughed reassuringly, laying gentle fingers on Killashandras forearm. A perfectly normal phenomenon for a singer whos been out in the Rangers steadily for over a year. Neither of you would be affected but, as I dont sing crystal, I am. Get used to it. Thats what identifies a singer anywhere in the Galaxy But the Rani hot springs will diminish the effect considerably. So does time away from here. See you. As Killashandra watched Antona enter the lift, she felt Rimbols hand sliding up her arm affectionately. You feel all right to me, he said, his blue eyes twinkling with amusement. Then he felt her stiffen and suppress a movement of withdrawal. He dropped his hand. Privacy sorry, Killa. He stepped back. Not half as sorry as I am, Rimbol. You didnt deserve that. Chalk it up to another side effect of singing crystal that they dont include in that full disclosure. She managed an apologetic smile. Im so wired I could broadcast. Not to worry, Killa. I understand. See you when you get back. Then he made his wobbly way into the yellow quadrant to his quarters. Killashandra stared after him, irritated with herself for her reaction to a casual caress. Shed had no such reaction to Lanzecki. Or was that the problem? She was very thoughtful as she walked slowly to her quarters. Fidelity was an unlikely disease for her to catch. She certainly enjoyed making love with Lanzecki, and definitely he exerted an intense fascination on her. Lanzecki had unequivocally separated his professional life from his private one. Rani, huh, she murmured to herself as she put her thumb to the door lock. She entered the room, closing the door behind her, and then leaned against it. Now, in the absence of background sounds, she could hear the resonance in her body, feel it cascading up and down her bones, throbbing in her arteries. The noise between her ears was like a gushing river in full flood. She held out her arms but the static apparently did not affect her, the carrier, or she had exhausted that phenomenon in herself. Mineral baths! Probably stink of sulfur or something worse. Immediately she heard the initial phluggg as radiant fluid began to flow into the tank in the hygiene room. Wondering why the room computer was on, she opened her mouth to abort the process, when her name issued from the speakers. Killashandra photoshop camera raw support digital Ree? The bass voice was unmistakably Trags. Yes, Trag? She switched on vision. You have been restored to the active list. Im going off-world as soon as I can arrange transport, Trag. Expressionless as ever, Trag regarded her. A lucrative assignment is available to a singer of your status. The Optherian manual? As Trag inclined his head once, Killashandra controlled her surprise. Why was Trag approaching her when Lanzecki had definitely not wanted her to take it? Youre aware of the details? For the first time Trag evinced a flicker of surprise. Rimbol told me. He also said he wasnt taking it. Was he your first choice? Trag regarded her steadily for a moment. You were the logical first choice, Killashandra Ree, but until an hour ago you were an Inactive. I was the first choice? Firstly, you are going off-world in any event and do not have sufficient credit to take you past the nearer inhabited systems. Secondly, an extended leave of absence is recommended by Medical. Thirdly, you have already acquired the necessary skills to place white crystal brackets. In the fourth place, your curriculum vitae indicates latent teaching abilities so that training replacement technicians on Optheria is well within your scope. Nothing was said about training technicians. Borella and Concera both have considerably more instructional experience than I. Borella, Concera, and Gobbain Tekla have not exhibited either the tact or diplomacy requisite to this assignment. Killashandra was amused that Trag added Gobbain to the list. Had Bajorn told Trag who had inquired about transport to Optheria? There are thirty-seven other active Guild members who qualify! Trag shook his head slowly twice. No, Killashandra Ree, it must be you who goes. The Guild needs some information about Optheria Tactfully and diplomatically extracted? On what subject? Why the Optherian government prohibits interstellar travel to its citizens. Killashandra let out a whoop of delight. You mean, why, with their obsession for music, there isnt a single Optherian in the Heptite Guild? That is not the relevant

On a bedstead striped with bright-blue paint,

with them, and just then she didnt wish to see one more sanctimonious, self-righteous, smug Optherian face. She strode to the edge of the stage, peered over at the ten-foot drop to the ground, saw the heavy doors at each end of that level and made her decision. She lay at the edge, swung her legs down, gripping the overhang, and let go. Her knees took the jar and she leaned against the wall for a moment just as she heard the men emerge from the organ room. Shell have gone back to the Complex, Thyrol said, breathless with anger. He hurried across the stage, followed by the others. Simcon, if you have offended the Guildmember, you may have jeopardized far more than you have protected The heavy door closed off the rest of his reprimand. Somewhat mollified by Thyrols attitude and pleased with her timely evasion, Killashandra dusted off her hands and moved toward the clearly marked exit door at the outer edge of the amphitheater. Even the soft sound of the brushing was echoed by the fine acoustics. Grimacing, Killashandra stepped as cautiously and as silently as she could toward the exit. The heavy door had the usual push-bar on the inside, which she depressed, holding her breath lest it be locked from a control point. The bar swung easily out. She opened it only wide enough to permit her egress and it closed with a thunk behind her. Its exterior was without handle or knob for reentry and a flange protected it from being forced open if such a circumstance ever arose on perfect Optheria. Killashandra now found herself on a long ledge which led to one of the switchback paths she had seen yesterday, though this one was at the rear of the Complex. From that height she had a view of an unpretentious area of the City, to judge by the narrow streets and the small single-story buildings crowded together. Between it and the Complex heights lay a stretch of cultivated plots, each planted with bushy climbing plants and fenced off from its neighbors, and most of them neat. In several, people were busily watering and hoeing in the early morning sunlight. A rural scene served as a restorative to Killashandras exacerbated nerves. She began her descent. As she reached the valley floor, her nose was assailed by the unmistakable aroma of fermenting brew. Delighted, Killashandra followed the odor, squeezing past an old shed, traversing the narrow path between allotments, nodding polite greetings to the gardeners who paused in their labors to regard polaroid pc 1100 digital camera kit her with astonishment. Well, she was wearing a costume which marked her as alien to Optheria, but surely these people had encountered aliens before. The aroma lured her on. If it tasted half as good as it smelled, it would be an improvement on the Bascum brew. Of course it could be Bascum, for breweries were often situated in suburbs where the fumes would not irritate the fastidious. She reached the dirt road that served as main artery for the settlement, deserted at that morning hour except for some small, peculiar-looking animals basking in the sun. She was aware of being watched, but as that was only to be expected, she continued her inspection of the unprepossessing buildings facing the road. The brew-smell continued to permeate the air but intensified to her right. Common sense indicated that the wide gray structure on the far side of the road some thousand meters away was probably the source. She headed there. As she walked she heard doors and windows open behind her, marking her passage to her objective. She permitted herself a small smile of amusement. Human nature did not change and anything new and unusual would be marked in a society as dull and repressed as she suspected Optherias was. The brew-smell was almost overpowering by the time she reached the gray building. An exhaust fan was extracting the air from the roof, its motor laboring. Although there was no sign or legend on the building to indicate its purpose, Killashandra was not deterred. A locked front door, however, did pose an obstacle. She rapped politely and repeated her knock when it brought no immediate response. Thumping on the door also produced no results, and Killashandra felt determination replace courtesy. Was brewing illegal in Optherias largest city? Or could it be brewing without due license? After all, Bascum originated on Optheria and might have a monopoly. To be sure, she hadnt paid much attention to what plants were being so carefully tended in the gardens. Home industry? Thwarting the ever vigilant and repressive Elders? Quickly she stepped around the building and toward its rear, hoping to find a window. She caught a glimpse of a running juvenile body and heard it raise its voice in warning. So she raced around the corner to find the rear doors folded back on a scene of much industry as men and women supervised the bottling of a brew from an obviously improvised vat. The young messenger took one look at her and fled, ducking