Zimmer grinned at him. “That’s just it: there’s no contradiction here. It all fits together, both biblically and from the standpoint of secular history. As related by the mechanicals, the aliens who spirited away the two tribes came from a place—a world—called Dahf'fiotica. The Jerusalem Talmud Sanhedrin, 10.5 records this by describing the fate of the members of the two missing tribes by declaring, ‘These are those who were exiled to—Daphne of Antiochia.’” He paused. “Daphne of Antiochia is plainly as close as the people of the time could come to making sense of the alien name and transliterating to something with which he would have been familiar.”

The hush in the cabin was broken only by a methodical crunching sound as Zimmer resumed munching crackers. Fluid counterpoint was eventually added by the sound of Dev swallowing from the tumbler of tea he had brought with him. The silence was understandable. Katou-Zimmer had nothing to add to what her husband had averred while both Dev and Reed were actively trying to digest what they had just heard. In its detail it was fantastical. In its implications it was profound. It was Dev who finally voiced the obvious next question.

“Assuming—and it’s one Naraka of an assumption—that everything the machines told you is true, what eventually happened to the two tribes that were abducted from Earth? Or rescued, depending on your point of view.”

“Oh, they were definitely rescued.” Swinging his legs off the far side of the bed, Zimmer walked over to a waiting open pod and deposited his empty cracker bowl in the dark gap. It vanished as soon as his hand was safely clear, on its way to be reprocessed by the ship’s extraordinarily efficient recycling system. “Judging by any historic account, the Assyrian exile was a period of considerable hardship and despair for the ten tribes. The Assyrians were not what one would call benign conquerors.

“In contrast, the tribesfolk who were taken offworld were studied by the Dahf’fioticans in order to add to that benevolent species’ vast store of knowledge. In return for allowing themselves to be studied, the Reubenites and Gadians were helped to survive and prosper. They learned the aliens’ language and adopted what they could of their culture. Most importantly, when the time was right, they were given access to the aliens’ technology and expertise. With the galaxy containing a surplus of habitable worlds, something we ourselves have suspected and only begun to realize, the progeny of the two tribes were given a world of their own on which to expand and develop. Like all humans, when provided with proper medical care and a modicum of prosperity, our kind is not averse to having large families.” Zimmer sat back down on the bed.