Another Tarkan appeared at the door. “The director,” said Shalon. “She would have been extremely unhappy with me if I hadn’t brought you here to say hello.” She came in and exchanged comments with him that Tasha didn’t pick up. Then she turned to Derek while trying to hide her astonishment. “Greetings, friend Derek. My name is Zyra Vilani.”

“Hello, Director Vilani.”

Hutch could see little physical difference between her and Shalon.

“Shalon,” Vilani said, “I’m surprised you asked if I’d be interested in meeting our visitor. He just arrived this afternoon?”

“Yes, Zyra.” She extended a hand to Derek. “If you had left without my getting to see you, I would never have spoken to Shalon again. Where are you from, friend Derek?”

“Another world. Earth. It’s much like this one. I suspect you would enjoy it.”

“Perhaps you would be willing to show it to me?”

“I would.”

Hutch was laughing as she pictured President Proctor’s reaction to Zyra and Shalon’s emerging from a lander near the Washington Monument.

Zyra walked to her desk, but instead of seating herself behind it, she eased back and sat on the desk itself. “I’d like to provide refreshments, but I’m not sure whether our delicacies would work for you.” Her smile was unsettling. “We can experiment if you like, or we can simply bring in some cold water. Whatever your preference.”

He went for the water. Wally spoke again to Hutch: “How did the food taste on the ocean world?”

“It was okay.”

“So,” said Zyra, “I assume this is your first visit to Tarka?”

“Yes. We’ve come a very long distance.”

“And did you know we were here? Did you come specifically to see us?”

“We came across a world that had been destroyed, Director Vilani. Thousands of years ago. Its people were rescued and taken elsewhere. We’ve been looking for them. We wanted to find out if the evacuation had succeeded.”

“Please call me Zyra.” She looked at Shalon but her mind seemed to be elsewhere. “That is an incredible story. So, why did you come here?”

“We thought they might have been brought here. Statuary on that lost world resembles you.”

“Really? That seems odd. You think we are the ones who were evacuated?”

“I would be surprised if you are not the same species.”

“Interesting.” She turned to Shalon. “What do you make of this?”

“I think it would make an extraordinary piece of fiction.”

“Zyra, if I may ask, what do you know of the gods who were believed for a time to have brought your people from the sinking island?”

“Are you referring to Adjuban?”

“Yes.”

She smiled. “What can we possibly know of supernatural beings?”

A robot arrived with a pitcher of ice water. It filled cups for everyone, inquired if they needed anything else, and left. Zyra looked at Derek. “Is it possible,” she asked, “that your people were among them?”