There was only hatred and revulsion in her expression. It was the most terrible thought in the world for her. That this war they all devoted their lives to was already lost.

Kerk took her by the shoulders and sat her in his chair, before anything worse happened. It took some time before she could calm down enough to listen to Jason’s words. It is not easy to have destroyed the carefully built up rationalizations of a lifetime.

Only the fact that she had seen something of other worlds enabled her to listen at all.

The light of unreason was still in her eyes when he had finished, telling her the things he and Kerk had discussed. She sat tensely, pushed forward against Kerk’s hands, as if they were the only things that stopped her from leaping at Jason.

“Maybe that is too much to assimilate at one sitting,” Jason said. “So let’s put it in simpler terms. I believe we can find a reason for this unrelenting hatred of humans. Perhaps we don’t smell right. Maybe I’ll find an essence of crushed Pyrran bugs that will render us immune when we rub it in. I don’t know yet. But whatever the results, we must make the investigation. Kerk agrees with me on that.”

Mete looked at Kerk and he nodded agreement. Her shoulders slumped in sudden defeat. She whispered the words.

“I-can’t say I agree, or even understand all that you said. But I’ll help you. If Kerk thinks that it is the right thing.”

“I do,” he said. “Now, do you want the clip back for your gun? Not planning to take any more shots at Jason?”

“That was foolish of me,” she said coldly while she reloaded the gun. “I don’t need a gun. If I had to kill him, I could do it with my bare hands.”

“I love you too,” Jason smiled at her. “Are you ready to go now?”

“Of course.” She brushed a fluffy curl of hair into place. “First we’ll find a place where you can stay. I’ll take care of that. After that, the work of the new department is up to you.”

10

10

They walked downstairs in a frigid silence. In the street, Mete blasted a stingbird that couldn’t possibly have attacked them.

There was an angry pleasure in the act. Jason decided not to chide her about wasting ammo. Better the bird than him.

There were empty rooms in one of the computer buildings. These were completely sealed to keep stray animal life out of the delicate machinery. While Mete checked a bedroll out of stores, Jason painfully dragged a desk, table and chairs in from a nearby empty office. When she returned with a pneumatic bed, he instantly dropped on it with a grateful sigh. Her lip curled a bit at his obvious weakness.