"She might be getting involved anyway. I can't tell for sure with the Urth ship interfering with far-talkers. But I know what you mean. I'll leave it up to my mother and father when they get back."

"I can't ask for better than that," Kira said. "Gari…have you ever heard people talking about me? About me…" The idea was so absurd that Kira had trouble forcing the words out. "Inheriting my mother's responsibilities?"

He paused long enough before answering to make the reply obvious even before he spoke. "Sometimes."

"Sometimes?"

"Yeah, I mean, it's something that people talk about. Sometimes."

She gave him a disbelieving look. "Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't any of my friends tell me?"

"Kira, we thought you'd freak out if you heard it."

"That was really perceptive of you guys. Because I am freaking out!"

"Kira—"

"You know me! How could you possibly think I'd be able to equal her?"

"Not yet, maybe, but—"

"Stars above, am I the only sane person in the world? And everybody I know seems to think I'm crazy!" She gestured toward the freight cars. "This is heading west, right?"

"Yeah. Slow freight to Julesport. Due to leave in about half an hour. I'm supposed to be checking the locks on each car," Gari added.

"You already checked this one and it's fine," Kira told him.

He hesitated again. "All right."

"Thanks," Jason said.

Gari gave Jason a hard look. "Kira really is like a sister to me. I'd be really unhappy if she got hurt."

"So would I," Jason said. "I tried to talk her out of it. I…I promise that I will do anything necessary to protect her."

Kira split her displeasure between both boys. "I don't need to be protected."

"Yes, you do," Gari said. "That's why when you were here last year there were bodyguards watching you. And I know how you hated that, but there are people who'd do terrible things if they got at you, Kira."

She shuddered, remembering the words of the rider north of the Glenca. "I know. Thanks, big brother." Kira walked closer and gave him a hug, feeling the tension in Gari's body. "Trust me."

He hugged her back. "I do. Get the blazes out of here before I have an attack of common sense."

* * *

About an hour later, the morning sun having risen to near noon, Kira stood in the partially opened door of the freight car, fields of crops going past as the train left behind the outlying buildings of Danalee. "We have to jump now."

"Jump?" Jason shook his head, holding back. "You didn't say anything about jumping again."

"Because I didn't have time to convince you that we'd need to do this!"

"There's no river to jump into!"