A moment later, so did Clave's fingers. "Keep talking, you copsik. I've had it up to here with you telling half a secret!"

Thickly the Grad said, "Mister Chairman, you may call me the Scientist."

The hand relaxed in shock.

"Quinn Tribe is dead. We are Quinn Tribe."

Alfin broke the long silence that followed that terrible declaration. "Are you happy, Grad? You were right. The tree was dying."

"Shut up," said Clave. He released the Grad's neck. Maybe that had been a mistake, maybe not; he'd have to apologize presently. For now, he clambered around to the edge of the fan. Jayan and Jinny were coming near, watching his approach alternately as they spun.

He'd never felt like this, so helpless, so fearful of making decisions. It bothered him that Alfin and the Grad bad seen him like that. He tried his voice and found it normal:

"They're almost here. Good work, Alfin. Go for Merril next. I don't see Glory."

The Grad said, "I haven't seen her since . . . since." He rubbed his throat.

"She may not have jumped. Seven of us. Seven." He flung a line. Jinny snagged it in her toes, and Clave pulled them both in together. He said, "Welcome to what's left of Quinn Tribe."

They clung to Clave more in desperation than affection. Jinny pulled

back to look into his face. "They're dead? All the rest?" As if she'd already guessed.

Alfin demanded, "Why didn't the Scientist see that coming?"

"He did," said the Grad.

"Treefodder. Why did he stay, then?"

"He was an old man. He couldn't climb fifty klomters of tree."

Alfin gaped. "But . . . but that's the same as murdering everyone who could climb!"

There wasn't time for this. Clave said, "AIim, pay attention to what you're doing."

Alfin set off two jet pods, then another. The fan drifted toward Mernil, who waited in what might have been stoic calm. He murmured, "The children!"

Somewhere off to the side, there was motion.

What Clave had taken for a purple-clad corpse was floundering in air. dave pointed. "One killer left."

They watched. She wasn't floundering now. She'd tied a line to her long knife, and now she cast it out. She snagged a dead companion and reeled it in. She searched the corpse, then pushed off from it in the direction of the next.

She hadn't found much, but it must have been what she wanted. Now she fired two jet pods in turn. The thrust carried herintoward Voy. Alfin said, "She's not coming here. Or going home. What does she think she's doing?"

"Not our problem."

Mcml caught a line thrown by Alfin and pulled herself close. By now there was no room to clutch the fan itself~ Clave asked her, "Did you see any sign of Glory?"

"Hanging on to the bark for dear life, last I saw her. She was in the out section. Gavving's a good distance in."

"We'll go after him. I hope we get there in time."