Debby was finally ready to admit that it had been a mistake. She wanted to go home.

She hadn't been with Anthon in hundreds of days. Booce was afraid of his wife, Jeffer seemed to be married to the CARM, and Clave... the best she could tell, Clave was vastly enjoying his vacation from his wives. She was in a sexual desert.

She had other reasons for being on edge. The Market covered a quarter of the sky. No bigger than a small tree, it was obtrusively a made thing, made by the ancestors of this crew.

They didn't look that powerful. They flew a little closer together than Debby found comfortable. Easy to guess

why: they'd been flying all their lives. Raym Wilby was chattering to Rather. "The bugeyes, they get whistling drunk when the fringe blooms. You just reach out and pop 'em in a bag-" Debby tried to follow it, but she couldn't. The Lockheeds stayed together, off to one side. Maybe they were shy?

Adjeness Swart flew alongside Debby. Cheerfully she called, "How do you like the Market?"

"Impressive."

"Your first visit to civilization?"

"We like to think we've got a civilization too," Debby said. We must be gawking like fools.

Adjeness laughed and waved around her. They had passed the rim of the Market and were crossing the central gap. "If you've got anything like this, the Admiralty would like to know it." And as Debby was throttling the urge to tell this smug Clump dweller about the CARM, Adjeness asked, "How much can you see of the Admiralty from your tree? Why haven't any of you come here before?"

"Some didn't want us to come at all. We didn't know what we'd find. Maybe things we wouldn't like. Excuse me." Debby kicked hard to reach Carlot.

Chattering companions surrounded Carlot. Debby tried to ease inconspicuously among them, just to listen . . . but she hadn't counted on Admiralty manners. The locals drifted away from Debby and Carlot and left them to talk.

Carlot looked at her questioningly. Debby said, "I'm afraid I'll say too much."

"Adjeness?"

"Yeah. It isn't just the questions, it's her treefeeding superior attitude. Carlot, I feel so small."

"Can't help you there, but ... go fly next to Raym. He won't let you talk at all." Carlot held her voice low. "Raym Wilby is an old Dark diver. It's gotten to his brain."

"What's he doing with us?"

"He's an old friend of Mother's. I'd hate to have her see him now! I could get rid of him, but it's more trouble than it's worth. Either I'd hurt his feelings or it'd take forever."

"Stet. What's a Dark diver?"

"Ask him. Or just listen."