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"I'm fine, Father Truly" Ashlynne pursed her lips and then said, in a rush, "Magny mentioned that some new rebel slaves were transported froa Twelve, and quite fierce"

Jadeleine and Marcus exchanged troubled glances

"Indeed?" Marcus lifted one brow, his displeasure at learning that Ashlynne had been gossiping with the overseer's daughter clearly reflected in that siesture

Ashlynne nodded Magny was Parah's only child It was froossip from the mine and the city She was a year and a half older than Ashlynne Her parents considered Magny wild and willful and a bad influence, but she was the only other girl in the area close to Ashlynne's age

"I had no idea you were interested in ent on at thesomewhat amused "But if you "

"In good health?" Ashlynne asked, and then wished she had not In all the years they had lived here, she had never before shown any interest in the captured rebel prisoners ere sent to toil in the mines

She could see by the expression in her father's eyes that he was thinking the sah," he replied

Well enough, Ashlynne

"How many did we lose?" Jadeleine asked Business was rarely discussed at ht seemed to be an exception

"Only three Two died of a fever while onboard ship One attacked an officer and was ter six will be put to work after they've been quarantined"

Despite all of the y at their co human labor Ashlynne had never wondered why until now Surely robots could do the work faster and more efficiently There had been a time when robots and androids had been used for practically everything Ashlynne had been glad when their popularity waned She had never liked them Soulless creatures, they had made her feel uncomfortable

She looked up, about to question her father, when she realized he was studying her intently He was a tall, handsoray; his eyes were blue So, but she had never known him to be so True, he was strict at times, but never cruel In addition to his responsibilities as owner of the overnment, and as

such, he and his faarded as royalty Because of her father's wisdom and diplomatic skills, Tierde had been at peace for the past twelve years

She smiled at him It wouldn't do to ask any ht, not now Heoutside the coo

Ashlynne turned her attention to her dinner while her parents resumed their conversation She stared at her plate, ant candlesticks in the center of the table, the fragile crystal glassware that glistened in the candlelight Her plate was filled with a variety of steaetables, fluffy brown rice and fresh fruit, and she wondered, for the first time, what type of fare the mine slaves received

Funny, she had never wondered about that before Never wondered, or cared, until now

Magny had told her the most recent batch of prisoners were ainst the Romarian cause, and that most of the captives were from Daccar The inhabitants of that distant planet were a dark-haired, bronze-skinned race, rumored to be barbaric in the extreme, and said to be enemies to all but their own kind

After dinner, Ashlynne followed her parents into the back parlor She sat down at the piano, playing softly, while her mother and father discussed mine business Tierde was the last free planet in the quadrant that produced baneite, the rare black crystals that were a primary source of power for the star ships of Romariz and Trellis, as well as several of the other planets in the quadrant

Her fingers moved over the keyboard effortlessly, hardly aware of the tune she played, her thoughts focusing on Number Four, as they had ever since the moment she had first seen him She had rarely seen any of the slaves close up, save for the ones who occasionally worked inside the cony had not dared her, Ashlynne knew she would never have found the courage to venture down to the landing bay Her father had forbidden her to go anywhere near the place, and now she knehy She wished, suddenly, that she had listened

Leaving the piano, she went outside The twinthe narrow footpath that led to the far side of the yard

She stared up at the moons It was the Term of Tranquils Riasna shone a pale, pale blue at this tiend had it that Brell and Riasna had been lovers When Riasna died, her soul had gone to live in the sky Unable to live without her, Brell had hurled hiered one of the ancient gods, who had decreed that, because Brell had done that which was forbidden, he would be cursed to spend all of eternity pursuing his love, able to catch her only four ti of each new term

When she reached the back wall, she clie flat rock

Standing on tiptoe, she peered over the top of the wall Far below, she could see the ocean, the light of the twinin the waves that tumbled over the shore And near the ocean, the s, were visible Nu to iine the pain he

had endured as they burned his flesh He was down there somewhere, huddled in one of the small stone cells that housed the slaves

What was he thinking? Was he one of the rebels? Had he left a fany had told her that some of the prisoners refused to adapt, refused to obey Rebellious and uneable, they were terminated, their bodies tossed into the endless depths of the sea Would Number Four be one of those, an intractable creature ould choose death over servitude? Juardens, pausing to adht shimmered on the water in the sarden was like a faerie land, with its tall gray-green ferns and the profusion of colorful flowers

With a sigh, she returned to the house Her parents were in theto each other as they often did in the evening They shared everything the running of the mine, a love of books and birds and science

She watched the, Ashlynne bid theht and went upstairs to her room

Later, as she lay there in the dark, ware rose up to haunt her Dark bronze flesh streaked with blood Eyes filled with hatred What color eyes? she wondered Long black hair, s as solid as tree trunks Arhened by a coarse black beard

Number Four, so-called because that was the nu Nu of him