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  * * *

  Suki approached Nyk as he scanned Koichi's journal. “I have more evidence -- Koichi's family lived in Queens for over two hundred years.”

  “I suppose by the twenty-third century, many could claim such.”

  “At the same address -- In the same house?”

  “You mean my parents' house?”

  “It's more circumstantial evidence.”

  “Nykkyo, why is Andra here?”

  “She's working at the Sudal University sea research center, south of here. I'm letting her live here -- I'd rather the house be used than shuttered. The Agency arranged her position there, as a way of thanking her for helping bring down Zander. That man abused her horribly during their marriage. Suki, I know you were abused. I don't want to trivialize what you went through, but it was a walk in the park compared to what Andra endured. To think Zander was my childhood friend.” Nyk stroked a pair of scars on his left wrist and showed them to her. “Zander made these when we were boys in a silly bonding ritual.”

  “I thought she was beautiful in a vidphone image -- she's nothing short of breathtaking in person.”

  “Andra has looks that would stop traffic. All her ilk do. She's an ax'amfin. Don't use that word in front of her -- it's not polite. She was genetically engineered to look that way. Like all ax'amfinen, she was taken from her parents before puberty and sent to a special finishing school. They're trained in carriage, politics, protocol and statecraft. Most become consorts to high government officials -- like her friend Janna. Suki, Andra and I are bonded and friends for life. We trust each other with our lives. You can trust Andra.”

  “I do like her, Nykkyo.”

  “Senta's another story. Andra told me Senta's behind our current dilemma. We must be more cautious than I first imagined.”

  “Why? Senta's in Floran City.”

  “Senta is opening another set of labs, here in Sudal. As my wife, she has rights to this house, too.”

  “So, when Senta said you wouldn't get away with it...”

  “I had thought I could convince her. It appears I was mistaken. One thing is for sure.”

  “What's that?”

  “I know now beyond doubt Senta doesn't love me nor ever did. If she had, she would've done as Andra did.” Nyk rubbed his eyes. “I must be getting old -- I can't sit in front of this thing day and night like I used to. Let's see if Andra would join us in a walk along the beach before dinner.”

  * * *

  Nyk walked barefoot on the black sand, holding hands with Suki and Andra. He sat, cross-legged on the sand and gazed at the sea. “How I loved this spot as a boy.”

  He glanced toward the women and saw Andra stroking Suki's leg. “Your skin,” she said, “so smooth.”

  “It's from shaving my legs.”

  Andra looked toward Nyk. “Ka?”

  “Lita litu gamben deraz't,” Nyk explained.

  “Why?” Andra asked.

  “My hair...” Suki pointed to her head.

  “Hara, ji,” Andra replied.

  “... is so dark ... malume. It would be unattractive, otherwise.”

  Andra looked at Nyk. “Un...”

  “Malbele,” he translated. Andra nodded in comprehension.

  “You don't shave ... deraz ... your legs?” Suki asked.

  Andra shook her head. “Ne ... no ... no need. See...” She swung her legs around.

  Suki stroked Andra's shin. “So light and fine -- like baby hair!”

  “All Florans like that are,” Andra replied. “Viren ... men...” She stroked her cheek with the backs of her fingers. “Fronten...”

  “Faces,” Suki prompted.

  “Ji-ji. Men faces deraz. Women ... ne.”

  “Not at all?” Suki asked. Andra shook her head. The two compared their arms and legs and stroked each other's skin. “I see why... I knew Nykkyo had light body hair. It must be a racial characteristic...”

  “I can't believe it!” Nyk exclaimed. “We come two hundred lightyears and all you can discuss is ... body hair?”

  Suki and Andra joined hands. “It's interesting!” they said together.

  Nyk shook his head, stood and walked toward the sea. Suki and Andra followed him. He stopped at the edge of the surf and felt the water wash up to his ankles. “Let's wade,” Andra said. She stripped off her tunic, walked into the water to the depth of her knees and turned to face them. “Come!”

  “Care to wade?” he asked Suki.

  “I ... I guess.”

  Nyk lifted her tunic from her, and then stripped off his own. “Florans are casual about nudity -- at least among friends.” He held her hand and led her into the water.

  “Look,” Andra said and stooped to pick up something. She held a crustacean-like creature. “Filter-feeder.” She returned the animal to the water.

  Andra walked further into the sea and lowered herself into the water to her armpits. Suki pulled her hair into a ponytail, coiled it up and held it with one hand as she lowered herself into the sea.

  “This is delightful,” Suki said, “once you get past the smell. If I had a way to tie up my hair, I'd do some swimming.”

  “Smell I ... no mind.” Andra replied. “I ... accustomed am.”

  The orange sun made a ruby disk in the western sky as it set.

  “This is a lovely world,” Suki said.

  “We should go back and have some dinner,” Nyk replied. “I should be returning to Koichi's journal.”

  * * *

  Nyk stretched out on his childhood bed. Suki cuddled beside him. She nuzzled his neck. “I like Andra and I love you, Nykkyo. I enjoyed myself today.”

  A knock came at the door. “Yes?” Nyk said.

  “Sukiko ky zi dorm-mi niva?”

  “Andra wants to sleep with us?” Suki asked in a whisper.

  “Yes -- she wants to share our company.”

  “Is this a Floran ... thing?”

  “Oh, yes. Florans hate sleeping alone. We love the companionship of having friends in bed with us.”

  “All right, tell her she may.”

  “Ji. Zi dev en ziven, Andra.”

  Andra entered the bedroom, slipped off her tunic and placed it on a bench. She lay beside Nyk.

  Suki jumped. “Oooh! He just kicked me.”

  “Can I feel?” Andra asked. Suki guided her hand.

  “Do you feel him?”

  Andra nodded. “You beautiful woman,” Andra said. “She beautiful, Nyk.”

  “Very.”

  “Even pregnant?” Suki asked.

  “You're very beautiful and sexy pregnant. I love it. Pregnancy's the most...”

  “Don't tell me pregnancy is the most important thing a woman can do.”

  “Oh, no -- it's not the most important. It is one of the most beautiful.”

  Andra reached across him and held onto Suki. “Bon'noka, Nykkyo. Bon'noka, Sukiko.”

  * * *

  Light from Floran's golden dawn flooded into his walless bedroom and waked Nyk. Suki was asleep to his left and Andra drowsed to his right. He sat, eased himself to the foot of the bed, stood and headed for the shower. A touch on a panel caused the door to swing open. Jets of water sprayed onto his body and he scrubbed himself with a vegetable soap. The shower switched off and a blast of warm air dried his skin.

  Nyk walked to the kitchen and brewed some green tea. He carried a cup, a cold breakfast and a pack of snack wafers to his vidisplay and began scanning Koichi's journal.

  He felt a hand on his shoulder and saw Suki. “Oh, you're up,” he said. “The difference in the lengths of the days can take some adjustment. There's tea in the kitchen.”

  Suki turned and headed for the kitchen. Nyk heard Andra activate the shower. He picked up the pack of snack wafers, carried them to the kitchen and sat with Suki.

  “Would you like a snack wafer?” She avoided eye contact. “Korlyta, is something wrong?” A tear formed and rolled down her cheek. “Suki, what's wrong?”

  “Oh, Nykkyo -- I'm
so sorry! I had no idea Andra was gay! I can usually tell.” She looked away from him.

  “Suki, did you and Andra make love?” She pressed her fist to her lips. “Did you?” She nodded. “Do you know what this means?”

  “I don't know what got into me. Andra is such a beautiful woman. I opened my eyes and she was awake, looking at me. We talked and touched each other's faces and one thing led to another. I didn't mean to be unfaithful, Nykkyo. I have no self-control. Please forgive me.”

  “You want me to forgive you? For making love with Andra?”

  Tears flowed down her face. “Please -- if you can find it in your heart. I know after the Alice incident that I promised you it would never happen again. I feel terrible. I cherish our love, Nykkyo. I don't want to lose you because of a weak moment.”

  “I can't forgive you.” She buried her face in her hands. “You've done nothing wrong. You and Andra were bonding in a Floran way.”

  “You're not angry?”

  “Of course not -- I'm delighted. Andra's quite selective with whom she shares the gift -- that she would with you means she values you as a special friend.”

  “A special friend?”

  “Yes -- consider it a compliment of the highest order. But, you're wrong about one thing -- she's no lesbian. You see, korlyta -- gay and straight are Earth notions. The terms are without meaning here.”

  “You mean everyone...”

  “On this world, two people who wish to share the gift of intimacy -- may do so. We don't love each other as men and women. We love each other's personas. It doesn't matter if the other's persona happens to live in a man's or a woman's body. We've talked about this.”

  “It's one thing to talk about it, but another to live it... Are you sure you're not upset with me?”

  “You'll learn Florans have a well-developed touch language. We have no hard rules as to what sorts of touching are appropriate. It's up to the participants to agree on that. Social situations exist in which shaking hands would be considered inappropriate. You and Andra were communicating. Who am I to judge how?”

  She threw her arms around him. “Oh, Nykkyo -- I'm so relieved. I felt so guilty -- I was sure you'd be angry with me.”

  “You might be an Earth woman, but I'm a Floran -- and I hold our relationship to Floran standards. Andra is the second most important person in the universe to me -- after you. You and she bonding couldn't make me happier. It pleases me beyond expression.”

  Andra stepped, nude, from the shower pulling her fingers through her hair. She approached Suki, held and kissed her. “All right -- are you?”

  “I'm fine,” Suki said and kissed Andra's cheek. “I'll take my shower, now.” Nyk watched her as she walked away.

  “I'm delighted you and Suki are getting along,” Nyk said to Andra in his native tongue. “You two communicate well.”

  “Given my grasp of Anglixa and hers of Lingwa -- yes.” She poured a cup of tea. “I feared I made a mistake with her. I sensed she desired intimacy. Afterward, she seemed to feel regret.”

  “She's learning our ways. You made no mistake. I'm pleased you feel so fond of her.”

  “I'm in awe of her, Nyk. She's just a woman, but in her womb is the key to our people's existence. I'm beginning to understand.”

  “Can you love her?” Nyk asked.

  “I do already. You and I are bonded as friends-for-life. A love of yours IS a love of mine.” Andra sipped her tea. “She's a troubled woman, isn't she?”

  “What makes you think that?”

  “One of the skills we were taught at the academy was how to evaluate another. It's a useful political skill, and we were being trained for political assignments. I'm amazed I can read an Earth woman so easily -- there are really few differences between our peoples. She is troubled, Nyk.”

  Nyk nodded. “I never expected the mother of the man who founded my family to be so ... so needy, emotionally.”

  “Yet, you love her despite her faults.”

  “I love her because of her virtues and her shortcomings. They're what make her, her.”

  “Why are you so sure she's your purpose?”

  “Destiny traces a path for us. Suki's path is to bear the child who's the root of the Kyhana family tree.”

  “You can't mean you believe Destiny intended your paths to cross.”

  “Absolutely not. I believe it's possible for some outside event to interfere with one's destiny. I believe I have so interfered with hers. Destiny intended her to bear the child, no doubt. But Destiny also intended her to have a man in her life. I'm the one guilty of temporal interference -- my friendship with her disrupted Destiny's plan. Now, I must put it right and replace the man who was to be in her life. Her child needs a father.”

  “And you must never reveal your true nature to that child.” Andra shook her head. “It's almost too much to fathom. I think I believe you. Such a load you two are bearing.”

  “We support each other -- it's why Destiny gave us our love and thrust us together.”

  “Yes -- I do feel the truth in it. I admire your courage, Nyk. You won't have an easy time.” Andra stood. “I'll dress now. I should go to the research center.” She headed up the stairs to the third floor.

  Nyk turned to his vidisplay and scanned through Koichi's journal. The vidisplay began flashing an incoming call. “Andra,” he yelled. “Vidphone call for you.”

  The call indicator went dark and Nyk scrolled through more of Koichi's writing. “Nyk,” Andra shouted. “It was Senta. She's coming to Sudal!”

  He stood. “When?”

  “She's leaving on the next train. She'll be here mid-afternoon.”

  “Suki and I must find another place to hide while she's here. Did she say how long her visit will be?”

  “Two days -- she's here to review the progress of the new sequencing labs. Nyk, I know where you can stay -- somewhere Senta can't find you. You and Sukiko must come to the research center with me.”

  “It might be a good place to hide the shuttlecar.”

  * * *

  Nyk pulled the shuttlecar into a shed outside the Sudal University sea research center -- a makeshift building on the coast south of the city. He opened the passenger door and helped Suki out. Andra popped open the cowl on her grouncdar.

  “We hide out here?” Nyk asked.

  “No -- I'll take you to the research platform. It's about a half-segment skimmer flight from here. Sudal University is on mid-term hiatus so the place will be deserted. There are sleeping quarters on there -- you'll be safe.”

  “You're a skimmer pilot, Andra? Don't tell me that's something else you learned at the academy.”

  “No, I learned it here.” She directed Nyk and Suki to a skimmer parked near the research center. Nyk grasped the handle and swung the door up and open.

  Andra climbed behind the controls and activated the craft. It lifted off the ground. She manipulated a navigational display and pointed to it. “There's the platform.” With a push on the stick she piloted the skimmer toward the open sea. The craft headed out over breakers turning into swells as the coastline fell behind. “The platform's about a hundred kilometres from Sudal,” she said.

  Sudal's tallest buildings fell below the horizon. “This is what most of Floran looks like,” Nyk said. “A larger percentage of the surface is covered with water than is Earth. We know little of the life in our sea. The majority of the population here cares not for the ecology and geology of the planet that's hosted us for five millennia, and I think it's a shame.”

  “It's good work you're doing, Andra,” Suki said in Floran.

  “Denke -- thanks. You well with Lingwa do.”

  “It's an easy language to learn. I just need some practice.”

  Andra pulled back on the control and switched the navigational display to short- range. Nyk could see the platform -- a house-sized structure floating on the surface of the sea. The skimmer hovered over it and set down on the deck.

  Andra shifted into her native tong
ue. “I'll show you around. The platform has its own power plant and inertial sink. Even in rough seas, the platform's stable.” She opened a hatch and led Nyk and Suki inside. “Here's the galley, and here are the cabins. There's no one out here right now, so you'll have the place to yourselves.” Andra opened a hatch. “This is our lab.” On benches were tanks of seawater. “Watch this...” She passed her hand over a proximity pad and the lights extinguished. A purple glow came from the tanks.

  “Bioluminescence,” Nyk said.

  “From creatures living near the bottom.”

  “I've seen patches of them at night -- they come to the surface.”

  Andra led the way to another room appointed with upholstered benches. “This is the lounge. Over here is the escape capsule. It has its own power cell and inertial sink. Once activated, it heads for the Sudal coast.”

  Nyk followed Andra to the platform deck. He looked toward the east and saw a line of grey clouds hugging the horizon. “It looks like a storm's brewing. I thought the surf looked rougher than normal.”

  “You'll be safe here,” Andra replied. “We had researchers out here during that category-four storm earlier this year. It didn't even disrupt their research. No one will bother you. I'll be back for you after Senta returns to Floran City.” She hugged and kissed Nyk, embraced Suki and climbed into the skimmer. Nyk watched it speed toward the west until it disappeared against the horizon.

  4 -- How Far to Sudal?

  Nyk climbed down from the deck and secured the hatch. “You're about to experience another of this planet's phenomena -- the tropical storm. From the looks of it, it's only category one or two -- it should blow over in a day or so.”

  “I remember being in a hurricane once.”

  “We should be safe here -- if what Andra says is true. Some researchers rode out a category-four storm without even feeling it.” A flash of light came through the viewports, followed by a loud boom. “The storm's here now. In a couple hours it'll hit Sudal.” He stood by the viewport. “Come look.”