Dura slowly realized that she had lost the indenture which should have paid for Adda's Hospital treatment. Overwhelmed and shocked, she resolved to return to her people, the Human Beings. Later, perhaps, when things had settled down, she would return to Parz and address the problems of Farr, of Adda's debts.

Now, studying Philas's dull, silent face, she wondered what she'd been expecting to find, here among the Human Beings. Perhaps a hidden, childlike part of her had hoped to find everything restored to what it had been when she'd been a small girl... when Logue was strong, protecting her, and the world was — by comparison — a stable and safe place.

Of course, that was an illusion. There was nowhere for her to hide, no one who could look after her.

She raised her hands to her face. In fact, she thought with a stab of shameful selfishness, by returning here she'd only placed herself in danger of starvation, and had taken on responsibility for the Human Beings once more.

If only I'd gone straight back to Parz. I could have found Farr, and found a way to live. Perhaps I could have forgotten that the Human Beings ever lived...

She straightened up. Philas was waiting for her, her face grave and beautiful. "Philas, we can't stay here," Dura said. "We can't live like this. It's not viable."

Philas nodded gravely. "But we have no choice."

Dura sighed. "We do. I've told you about Parz City... Philas, we must go there. It's an immense distance, and I don't know how we'll manage the journey. But there is food there. It's our only hope."

"What will we do, in Parz City? How will we get food?"

Dura felt like laughing. We'll beg, she thought. We'll be hungry freaks; if we're lucky they will feed us rather than Wheel-Break us. And...

"Dura!"

Mur came crashing through the forest toward them; his eyes were wide with shock.

Dura felt her hands slip to the knife tucked into the rope at her waist. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"There's something outside the trees... A box of wood. Drawn by Air-pigs! Just as you've described it, Philas..."

Dura turned, peering out through the thin foliage. There, easily visible beyond the stripped twigs of the forest fringe, was an Air-car, huge and sleek. It was calling, in a thin, amplified voice.

"...Dura... upfluxer Dura... If you can hear me, show yourself. Dura..."

—

"Tell me about the Xeelee," said Hork V.

The Palace anteroom was a hollow sphere about five mansheights across, anchored loosely in the Garden. Fine ropes had been threaded across the interior, and light, comfortable net cocoons were suspended here and there. Smaller nets contained drinks and sweetmeats.

Adda, Muub and Hork occupied three of the cocoons. The three of them faced each other close to the center of the room. Adda felt as if he were trapped in the web of a Crust-spider.