The pondlet struck. Rather sagged in his straps. Clave grunted. He asked, "Do you honestly know what you're doing?"

"I honestly do."

Through the great window the interior of the pondlet was open to view. A flock of tiny silver torpedoes sped away through the murk and disappeared through the shivering silver surface.

"The CARM's hundreds of years old and nothing's hurt it yet. Now I reduce the interior pressure." Jeffer's fingers moved; the air system hissed; water entered the airlock in an expanding silver bubble.

The doors closed. Water remained inside, flowing over the aft walls, the curve of it becoming more and more concave. Waves curled and sloshed as Jeffer turned the CARM away from the pond.

He grinned at them. "Now I set the pressure back to normal and turn down the humidity. That tells the CARM to make the air dry by taking water out of it. The water goes to the tank. See? We can't run out of fuel now. It's something Lawri never thought of."

"It's treefeeding wet in here, Scientist!"

"But you don't have to pump. Next on the agenda is Kendy. Checker, when you hear this, please introduce yourself."

Clave asked, "What if he's not there?"

"He'll hear it when he runs the record-"

There was a face in the bow window.

Kendy was a dwarf. Rather had expected that, but he was still taken aback. Deepset eyes examined him, judged him, within a face like carved rock. A giant's gravelly voice said, "Kendy for the State. Hello, Chairman Clave. Hello, Rather the Silver Man. Scientist, your manner of refueling the CARM is likely to destroy it. If the impact had torn away the solar cell arrays, how would you break up water? A CARM doesn't fly on water."

Jeffer looked nettled. Clave said, "Welcome back, Kendy."

"Thank you, Chairman."

"Why did you hide from me?"

"I felt that Jeffer was better equipped to judge his political situation than I."

Clave bridled. "And I'm not?"

"If Jeffer had told you, he would surely have had to tell his wife. Do you trust Lawri's judgment?"

"I give up. Between you, you . . . stet."

"I watched your nonmutiny with some interest. You're a natural leader, Clave. You should be ruling many more than your thirteen citizens."

"Thank you, Checker. Where do you propose I find another thousand citizens, all of whom are inclined to trust a tree-living outsider?"

The language was cold and stiff. Jeffer and Clave did not trust Kendy, and Kendy clearly knew it. He said, "You need not turn a compliment into a policy statement, Clave. I can't force you to obey my orders. You can't stop me from observing through the CARM's instruments. You know that I know things you do not. Can't we work together?"

"Maybe. Thanks for showing us the Wart."

"You're welcome. Has Booce found a way to confine the pipefire?"

"Not yet."

"Even with sikenwire, the pipefire is dangerous. You do have a source of metal. You can make a firebox from the Wart."