Jeffer said, " Kendy's back. He pointed out the Wart for us. He talked to me the day we rescued the Serjents. We've talked since. I gather it costs him something, maybe shortens his life, and he still can't reach us more than once every two days."

Rather said, "The tales Mark and Gavving tell, Kendy would have killed you all if he'd known you stole the CARM."

"I don't think he could have done that," Jeffer said, "but he might have wanted to. We stole the CARM to get away from London Tree. We had Lawri tied to her seat, and Mark the Silver Man too. Kendy might have called it mutiny. You know some of this."

Rather said, "You were copsiks. They owned you. I never understood how you could live with Lawri and Mark after that."

Clave said, "What were we supposed to do, throw them into the sky? They earned their citizenship. Rather. When the air was leaking out of the CARM, Lawri found the way to plug the leak. When Kendy was asking questions, Mark covered for us. We could have told Kendy we were escaped copsiks, but I'm not sure how he would have felt about that. Maybe Kendy's people kept copsiks."

"Kendy."

"Yeah. He-Scientist, you understand this better than I do."

Jeffer said, "Give me a minute." He was moving the hoses. "Need to refuel the legs one at a time . . ."

"Stet. Now, Sharls Davis Kendy claims to be the recording of a man. I don't understand that. Neither does Lawri. We don't even know how cassettes work, really. I wondered if he was just some madman who reached the old starship, like we almost did, and was living aboard. But it's been fourteen years, and he doesn't sound any older. He wanted to know all about us. Whether we were mutineers. Well, treefodder, we did steal the CARM, we were mutineers, much as I hate the word."

"That's all in the past," Clave said.

"Yeah. Now he wants to see the Clump. Clave, remember how he talked fourteen years ago? I think he still wants everyone in the Smoke Ring to be one big happy tribe taking orders from Sharls Davis Kendy."

The dark pond blazed at its eastern edge. Rather wondered if there would be time for a swim. He was not comfortable in this maze of secrets. "Kendy isn't the Chairman. We don't have to do what he says."

"No."

"Well, we want to see the Clump too. And if he can't touch us- Why not tell the Serjents?"

"Boy's got a point," Clave said.

"You didn't tell them either."

"Maybe that was just reflex."

"Just talk to Kendy, Chairman, and then I'll point out something."

Clave merely nodded. To Rather, he said, "One more thing. Kendy hears everything anyone says aboard the CARM."

Rather laughed.

Jeffer asked, "Anything else to discuss? I think I'm finished here. Now let's refuel the CARM. Go back in and strap down."