Rain smeared her view. Clouds came rushing up at her. Sunlight broke through in slanting shafts that moisture diffused into halos. Cottony clouds glittered like mountains of spun sugar. The buffeting jerked her around and she felt dizzy with the speed. Will this never end? Where is Fraq? She plunged through laces of incandescence. The moisture gave rays of light a cool shimmering beauty, and she felt it sweep away her mounting fear.

Then she shot through the brilliance. She turned to look down. The huge tunnel that was the cloud interior now ended in a rippled wall of dirty gray. Those must be rain-saturated clouds, she realized just as she plunged through it—

—into ordinary pattering rain.

Sheets of droplets wrapped around her. Thump—and a giant hand jerked her upward. The drogue popped out; she rose, hovered—fell—and the main landing chute twirled above her.

Smack. Her helmet visor starred. Something hard had hit it. What?

But she could see nothing.

Now she was the bob on a shorter pendulum, swinging widely as gusts caressed her. Ordinary hot-white lightning flashed around her. Hollow thunder boomed and she could hear it, a big door slamming somewhere. A muddy brown smear told her there was land below. She came down toward a pine forest, looking for a clear spot. There—a bare stretch of rock. She recalled her drop training. Feet together, body bent at the waist, hands and elbows tight—

The rocky slope came at her fast. She hit, rolled. Her helmet cracked down.

Lie still, she thought. Do nothing. It felt very good.

Her body ached at a thousand spots. Joints wailed. Rain pattered against her, a good-bye tapping.

She sat up. Felt arms, legs, body, neck…

Nothing seemed to be broken, but a lot of her wanted to complain. The parachute tugged at her, and she groped for the release. Tug, pull, pull, grunt—it popped free.

Ah! So good to be alive. Even though she could feel a hundred aches and bruises.

She looked around. Trees, wind thrashing them. Something above—she turned to see Fraq swinging down. He landed effortlessly, remained erect.

Fraq abruptly broke into an odd dance, spinning and barking out sharp sounds like clashing gears. Barking birdcalls, deep and resonant. He thumped his chest.

She staggered over. Fraq held out a hand, as if inviting her to dance with it. She did. He spun her around, tapped large feet on the rock like a drumbeat. More ritual?

Her body sagged, hurt, wanted to go home please. She felt like punching him in the chest. No, be the diplomat. Never mind that there are clear signs down below that you wet yourself.

Instead, she stabbed a finger at the audio recording the translator had made for her. Her prepared salute. To her ears it was like gravel churning in a blender, with occasional trills. It meant Thus do I introduce you to my world. Now let us begin.

Fraq spread arms and did a complicated two-step. By now she knew this meant Agreed. Begin.