“Some low-ranked, too. But…” She paused, trying to express an intuition gained from many hours with Fraq. “I am gathering in some ways of thinking about this alien culture. It’s so easy to admire the freedom of the skies they enjoy.”

The Prefect leaned forward, his posture eager, but he kept the blank mask. “He told you some of their history?”

“They’re communal. Live in close quarters, apparently because their world is pretty hostile. Plus, carnivores have to be quick, aggressive. So they’re very formal with each other, the way crowded cultures are on Earth.”

“He told you this expressly?”

“I inferred from nuances in his speech. This is going to take time. Fraq doesn’t think the way we do, and he has a species history that began when we were small mammals staying out from underfoot.”

The Prefect’s tone turned sour. “So he gives us more ceremony, not substance.”

Come on, Freezeface. But she said mildly, “It’s a first step.” She was beginning to get the feel of this profession. Humanity was coming to an ancient interstellar conversation, written before hominids had even been around.

Apparently many intelligent species had a brief technological phase, then relapsed. Most listened in or sent SETI messages for a century or two, then fell silent. So humanity was just beginning its trial period. They should not expect the Elders to take much notice of them, or lend much help.

Thanks to millennia of SETI exchanges, the Elders had grown far more complex than the sum of all human societies. This Byzantium among the stars was much stranger than anything humans had ever known.

Rachel said carefully, “Fraq has made it very clear they are helping us out because we’re rubes. Less prosperous, wet behind the ears, younger, ignorant. And he’s right.”

The Prefect seldom reacted immediately to new information. Some computer behind his forehead had to grind away first.

A glaze came over his face as he thought, and a sudden image flashed into Rachel’s mind: herself as Superwoman, bounding over vast obstacles, shrugging off pesky hindrances. Her trusty companion, Fraq, leading her into ever more dazzling feats. This connection to Fraq could be a career maker, played right.

But then a chill came into her, a foreboding. There’s something afoot here I don’t like. Librarian Rachel isn’t Superwoman. And shouldn’t be.

“We should remain open to possible other motives.” The Prefect picked up a datasheet and punched up a message. “Fraq sent me a request, posed in formal language. He seems to want a companion while he ‘kens’ Earth.”

Rachel had not heard of this. She stayed silent.

The Prefect made a thin attempt at sounding upbeat. “This time Fraq points out that there is a way to ‘ascend’ as well. Apparently that would involve some rocket-assisted means to soar to the top of Mount Everest.” He stopped and peered at her. “I assume you can exercise your same skills as before and—”

“Don’t finish that sentence.” She got up and stalked out. Which took a kind of courage Superwoman Rachel didn’t know.