“I haven’t time to explain,” he told her. “You must help me get these children out of the Nursery and up to the surface. Everything depends on speed now.”

She took a step away from him. “I don’t understand you. You told me you were involved in some kind of government project Then that same agency told us you’d turned criminal.” She made a gesture of considerable confusion and uncertainty. “I don’t know who or what to believe anymore.”

“Everything you were told is true, in its fashion,” he said, unfailingly honest. “To a point. I was working on a government project and I am now something of a lawbreaker. Probably worse than that, according to some. In the opinion of others, I am doubtless regarded as a grand hero. Actually, I’m neither. I’m just me, doing what I think accessary. You can make your own decision, Fal. But I don’t have time to explain things. Not now.”

He touched a control and the line of saddles moved toward the emergency corridor. She hurried around to block the lead saddle.

“I don’t know where you’ve been, Ryo, or why you haven’t been in touch with me or what you’ve been doing. I don’t much care. I do care to see you again. It’s good, I think, in spite of what you did. We have many things to talk about. In the meantime and for whatever personal reasons of yours, these larvae are going nowhere. This is the Nursery. This is where they belong and this is where they remain. Unless you can explain what you’re doing, which I sincerely doubt.”

“I doubt it myself,” he told her, stepping close. “It’s more complicated than you can imagine. I love you, Fal. You are a wonderful, intelligent, insightful, enjoyable female and my opinion of you will never change regardless of what you come to think of me and I hope you will excuse this,” and he brought down two fists with what he fervently hoped was carefully gauged strength between her antennae.

She did not even have time to gasp. Her arms went out in a gesture of shock and she collapsed to the floor. He bent quickly over her. A glance up the aisle showed a still empty Nursery. His luck continued.

Her thorax pulsed slowly but steadily as he lifted her onto an empty saddle and linked it to the other six. She would be unconscious for a long time while her body healed the cerebral bruise.