Skidoo waited with interest, as did the others, but Atlanta felt that she had said enough at that and simply looked to Niko for rescue. It was Dabry, however, who said, “Ah, Miss Lolola, it is a pleasure to see you again,” as the latest arrival paused to survey the others in the room before entering. Talon and Thorn crowded in on her heels, eager to convey everything they had seen and smelled and heard and otherwise experienced since their arrival. Niko listened patiently to the recitation and pledged to accompany them to see several particularly wonderful areas. They’d be here on the ship for at least a few days, and she thought that she might as well humor the two of them. They had behaved with courage and patience during the trip to the docks, refraining from dashing ahead or behind in order to investigate some challenge, in the way that she had feared when they first set out.

Atlanta looked to Milly, and thought, with envy, Oh, how beautiful. The Nteti had everything that she’d ever envied in other youth at court: grace and strength mingled, and over it all the white feathers like an immaculate cloak.

Milly looked back in turn, considering. “It’s a soft enough life at court, I suppose,” she said with a faint sneer. “We’ll have to toughen you up, get you prepared to meet the big bad universe.”

Atlanta couldn’t help but bristle at that. Milly seemed agreeable enough to have it interpreted with hostility, but Skidoo was already pressing forward, unrolling tentacles and saying, “Maying I be touching? My species is being knowing better so.”

Atlanta nodded. She expected the touch of the tentacle to be sticky or wet as it traveled along her skin, but instead it was soft and dry, like the touch of a kitten’s paw, feeling out the shape of her face.

Talon and Thorn crowded forward, demanding, “Do you know how to play warball?”

“I do not,” she said. “But I suppose that I can learn.”

That seemed to cheer them.

Lassite stood off to one side, watching. He had known when her crate arrived. He had felt the shift of forces, the collision of luck and intent and destiny. He had worried that Niko and Dabry would not manage to bring her along, but here she was, which surely meant that everything was going well, and that the universe was playing out as it should. It had been more than he had let himself hope for. Now the sight of her had struck him like an electric shock, until he was barely able to speak with the wonder of it all. Everything flowed as it should; everything was moving to the next, difficult step.