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"Don’t worry," I tell her politely "We’ll have him back before you know it"

Then we’re off to the hospital

Not surprisingly, Sharis is well guarded Vel has to explain ourup the food chain each tie of the council around, he escorts us to a lounge to wait

Activity preventsabout what I’ve lost So, but there will be ti jump before the end anyway Mine has to be spectacular to live up to ns to co, technical explanation, which Vel translates At first the Ithtorian doctor doesn’t see He thinks it’s a trick, although e’d be di to finish Sharis off--well, it really illuminates for ht dawns, gradually How itthat the idiot soft-skins came up with a cure

"We will need to test this extensively," the doctor says, taking the datapad with Doc’s results on thes are accurate, ill be beyond grateful We are unable to do more than keep him stable, unfortunately Citric acid is an alien toxin, and thus, we have never had a case like this before Trying to figure out how to treat internal burns has stuet better," I say sincerely

The others echo et down to business We can’t be too pushy about this, or they’ll beco hidden in the data Scary hoell I’ve coht processes since we’ve been here They’ll waste crucial ti to deconstruct what Doc has found instead of verifying his treat as if the best of s have changed for the better cooverned A quick check tells , fetch-and-carry positions here He’s also lacking any stripes on his carapace, so he’s either young or inco before

"Councilor Devri would like a ith you," he says with an obsequious but somehow insincere wa

I return his polite discourtesy, layering s I’m not supposed to understand Maybe it’s petty, but I enjoy puzzling the that can howl in tune The ards le

Behind hi a soft sound that offers the illusion of privacy anywhere in the co ant colors that grow in a riot all around us On the far wall, there’s a cliht it almost looks artificial, and the blooh doors in any of their buildings Everything stands wide open, full of scrolling arches that ers three tiet March Instead, Imy teeth Vel translates unnecessarily--and I’m tired of that, too The air is too thick and sweet, a little too warm Ithtorians prefer to keep the indoors like the tropics they no longer enjoy outside, but I’m no hothouse flower

"We’d be honored to see Devri," I answer at length

"Only you and your translator," he cautions me

Well, that’s a familiar theme Does that uy, or does he really not trust us now? If that’s the case, it’s a fierce blow Besides Sharis, he was the strongest ally we had If he thinks we’ll take hostile action against hied

The others shrug to show they don’texcluded

"I think we’ll head back to the ship, actually" Dina doesn’t look to Hit for agreerees "Rose orry if I tarry too long"

He still hasn’t asked about March, likely figuring he’s off brooding so as possible I sure as hell don’t want to be the one who breaks the bad news; Doc will be devastated So tells me March is like a son to him They’ve known each other for turns I realize now I’h for hih for hiht a war to repay a dead woman’s kindness

I can’t continue with that train of thought It’ll break me

So the other four return to the spaceport, leaving Vel and h we know the way, the s our every step I’, or if he’s been charged with retrieving us like a couple of lost parcels Thankfully, he doesn’t saythe way

My heart isn’t in this any, but I don’t want to With all my heart, I wish I could scrub out my moral conscience and say to hell with the rest of the universe I want March, and I honestly don’t care howas we can find a quiet corner to hunker down soive ivable, and I’d still lose hi cold co harder to restrain , and the stress of my current situation exacerbates the proble to blow, and it will be spectacularI hope our business is done by then because nothing Vel does will hide the fact that the a et away

I don’t need to be following some stupid lackey up the lift to Devri’s flat Of course, I’s are Once we arrive, the er makes himself scarce

Unlike the last tiarden ato home I miss furniture made of synth, and solid floors, not stuff that squishes underfoot

Devri doesn’t keep us waiting long "If Sharis recovers, I a to call the vote," he says without preamble "Otherwise, you have no hope"

A blunt answer Well, I respect that