Dura welcomed her own aching muscles and stiff back. It was evidence of the hard work that comprised her own small part of the Mantle-wide rebuilding effort. She felt a surge of optimism, of energy; she suspected that the days to come would comprise some of the happiest of her life.

In a clear space a few mansheights from the car, the Human Being Mur had been showing Lea — a pretty girl who had once been a Surfer — how to construct nets from the plaited bark of Crust trees. The two of them were surrounded by a cloud of half-coiled ropes and abandoned sections of net. Little Jai — reunited with his father — wriggled through the Air around them, nude and slick, grasping at bits of rope and gurgling with laughter. Lea was brandishing a length of rope in Mur's face. "Yes, but I don't see why I have to do it over."

Mur's voice was cracking with anger, making him sound very young. Compared to the City girl, Mur still looked painfully thin, Dura thought. "Because it's wrong," he said. "You've done it wrong. Again! And I—"

"And I don't see why I should put up with that kind of talk from the likes of you, upfluxer."

Toba placed his hands on the girl's shoulders. "Lea, Lea. You shouldn't speak to our friends like that."

"Friends?" The girl launched into an impressive round of cursing. Toba looked pale and pulled away from her, dismayed.

Dura took the rope which Lea was rejecting. "Perhaps Mur didn't explain," she said smoothly. "You have to double plait the rope to give it extra strength." She hauled at sections of it, demonstrating its toughness.

"But the way he speaks to me—"

"This plaiting is finely done." She looked at Lea. "Did you do this?"

"Yes, but—"

Dura smiled. "It takes most Human Beings years of practice to learn such a skill, and you've almost mastered it already."

Lea, distracted by the praise, was visibly struggling to stay angry; she pushed elaborately dyed hair from her forehead.

Dura passed the rope to her. "With a bit more help from Mur, I'll be coming to you for instruction. Come on, Toba, let's take a break; I'd like to see how Adda is getting on."

As they moved away Dura was careful not to make a show of looking around, but she could see that Mur and Lea were moving back toward each other, warily, and picking up sections of rope once more.