Amusement vanished when I saw a ship. A young Elshar was angry and took it on a course around Elshar Mashai’s sun.

I shuddered. Stop! You will see slavers!

He jerked his hand, and the ship reversed course. The slaver dared not follow. Esta ay! Thank you. I am D’gmiash of Elshar Mashai.

You are on your way to B’ansah to study with your bahie? Both of you need to go to Ye~.

He gasped. How do you know where I go? Who are you?

Adia Rayaline, Scientist of Areon. Ryonne~ will give you a position on Ye~. He will?

Ryee spoke with him and eagerly promised them a safe place to live, and education at Sigan Mas if they wished. O, you saved many of my diplomats! You, and your bahie!

He wept. Most died before I could put them on a trader’s ship! His shock came to me that an Elshar would cry in front of him. If an Elshar trader cries, no one will trade with him. Ryee mentally hugged him, and he returned it.

That, too, was surprising. When on a mission with Berto, he took his arm to steady him, after foods poisoned them. He jerked his arm away and staggered! But this man clung to him.

Did you know my healers revived some of them? Ryee smiled as he thought of men who worked as servants in people’s homes. But after Pas’ yllis, many sat with tutors learning new occupations. All of Ye~ and Elshar Zheiea are grateful to you!

They are? Father calls me a failure in trading—

He is not your father. Etkar does not understand you, but De’sai misses you.

I miss him terribly! How do you know of us?

Bahie, what is wrong?

Ni’olmai, port to your bahie’s ship now! Convince your fahie to come to Ye~.

His shock battered me. To Ye~? Who wishes to see me?

I invite you to emigrate to our colony. I am Ryonne~.

Oh, such an honor!

And I wish your fahie to come also.

Fahie? Is there good trading on Ye~?

Very well trading. I have a diplomat on Elshar Heizgha, in Sendi Prov, who is on his ship. I send him to De’sai with my offer. Please, come now! I fear that slavers seek your family.

I trembled. Ryee, do you have anyone on Gowa?

Ea, one is overdue for respite.

He must bring Ronmai—

Ronmai, of the Gowan Council? Ryee paled!

No, his son, also named Ronmai. Ih Esta has him. If you hurry—

I have ne power with Ih Esta—

Parsopah trades with him and knows their charges are not true! I shuddered.

Parsopah trembled as he left his ship. But he did not tremble as his feet touched the brown sand. Yellow sun dipped near the horizon and gleamed on the beautiful metal buildings. He startled as he saw two blackrobed men dragging a yellow man. Gowans are brown.

He giggled. “Friends, we—oh, Parsopah! I have trading.” His head sank.

“May I discuss? Where do you take him? Is this Ronmai?”

“Pah, he is drunken—”

“Three witnesses saw this trader splash fostok in his face. Ne, this is fustmik.” An analysis popped up from his terminal so they saw. A much stronger intoxicant than fostok. He shuddered!

Both of them dropped him in the dust. “Pah! Enjoy him, Zheien.” They left to chase another drunken one.

Quickly, Parsopah ran hygiene on him and shook white powder in his face.

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Both hands went to his head, but Parsopah carried him into his medium blue ship of eaezhfee. Laid him on a mattress he waved up. Ronmai shivered, and he waved a blanket over him. “Lie still, my friend. We see healers on Ye~.”

“Ye~? Father will send slavers for me!” He cried.

“Here is rongahi for you. I must lift us.”

Crying stopped. He used a large amount and laid down. His shoulders shook as he turned away.

Parsopah spoke with many officials in succession. His body shuddered as he gave manual calcs. Ryee helped him, and several of his best pilots! The ship landed on Elshar Mashai. Then, they helped D’gmiash to land. Permissions took him longer.

Pas laid his hands on Ronmai first, through Parsopah. O, my son, be calm—

“Why did you take me? Slavers will come here! My father is a powerful slaver! All of your innocent—” He got physically ill, but Pas stopped it. Crushed colorful leaves in his face and he froze. His anguished expression made the healers cry.

“O, fear ne. Vek ea helps him, then I give yllis. Bring his friend!”

D’gmiash rushed in. “Ron? Habis maif—” His eyes were black, like black marbles in the white.

Pas helped him hold his stiff friend. “He is not in stasis. I gave vek ea, a rare herb, to wake him.”

“His father gives him slaver herbs! Will his mind survive it? Many of Ronmai’s victims go to tents in Prov One!” He sobbed. “Look at these bruises on him! Ih Esta beats them, then a slaver healer keeps them alive for more beatings!”

As he pointed to each cut and bruise, Pas healed it.

Ronmai startled and looked up. “D’gmiash! Habis ha!”

“Don’t be scared. These are Zheien. We’re safe from slavers here. I’ll hold you while this healer works. Is the ache awful?”

“I have relief for him.” Pas held out three leaves of yllis and explained it.

But Ronmai pushed his hands away. “You should use this on someone important. I can’t think any more. Father beat me too many times. He says I would not even bring a quartertrade from Ilhanhsa!” He wailed.

“My friend, I don’t care if you’re headhurt. I’ll trade very hard to keep you. Please, take the herb. I’ll hold you.” He took the leaves and put them in Ronmai’s mouth, then hummed to make them absorb. Blue eyes turned so light, they had no color! His body shook. “Habis ha, he has shakings!”

“My son, yllis brings a painless regen. This is ne shakings. I must see him after his sleep. You must have this treatment also.”

“Me? You need it for others—”

“We grow it and have plenty for those who come to trade. Ah, De’sai is here!”

D’gmiash paled. “Oh, he shall anger with me! Etkar complains that my tutors find fault—”

“Why should you be a trader when you are a great poet?” I mentally hugged him. “Your father does not care about your trading. He misses you and worries about your headaches! You will marry Jen and your brother will marry Suma. If you come with us to Earth, I will introduce you to them.” I will?

“My bahie will marry? Oh, tell me about her!” The short De’sai fell on D’gmiash’s neck and wept. “Habis maif, I missed you so much, dear bahie! Oh, you are grown!”

Pas ran a prog to vaporize their tears and De’sai’s eyes turned black. “What is this? Are we too much for you?”

“I apologize, Trader, but water harms us. We are ne like the Elshar Zheien. Our bodies are altered to live in very dry environs.”

He startled and pulled D’gmiash’s hand away. “Oh, I am thoughtless! I am De’sai, Trader of Elshar Heizgha, Sendi Prov.” One hand kept D’gmiash’s head on his thin shoulder. The other trembled as rubbed it on his cobalt blue trader’s robes and held knuckles up.

“I am Parsopah, Diplomat Of Ye~, pleased to meet!” He covered it. “Do you mind if we run these progs?”

The old trader laughed. “Oh, run any progs you want! I have my bahie!” Tears streamed down his wrinkled cheeks. Then, he saw Ronmai and his light eyes went black. “Is Ron dying? Habis ha!”

“He will be very well when he wakes. I gave him yllis—”

De’sai stood and pulled D’gmiash up with him. Parsopah took Ronmai. “Bahie, we must trade! Let us use my—”

“There is ne need for you to trade for this healing! Is a gift from my king. I traded with Mirado for much yllis and vek ea, including live plants for our friends in Fhiah.” Parsopah hugged them both and made D’gmiash lie in a bendable pillow.

“A gift? Who is your king, that I may thank him?” He trembled.

Behind him, an older man ported into the ship. His face changed. “De’sai, I am Eanne~, Elder King of Ye~. I welcome you, and my people welcome you. Do you know of the acts of your bae? Both saved many of our diplomats, and many tell me you also saved them. We wish all of you to live with us, in safety here.”

“May Ron live here also? His father is a slopfah, but he is kind and helped us rescue men.”

“O, I know of young Ronmai and we worry for him! Ea, he is welcome to stay also. I can provide a house of your choosing, and we can import foods of Elshar Heizgha to comfort you.” With a broad smile, he embraced the men. “If you know of others, they are also welcome to come here.”

D’gmiash still cried, and his father held his arm. Most of his large frame had shaking Ronmai over his legs. “Bahie, what is wrong?”

“I am a failure at trading!”

Then, I appoint you Poet of Ye~. We ne had one in our history, but Ye~ Prov of Zhea~ did.

Ryee’s father startled, then smiled. "My bae is wise beyond his years. Ea, D’gmiash, you shall be our Poet, if you wish it.“

“A poet? But I cannot write in Zheien—”

“Write your poetry in Elshar. Many of us enjoy Asha Lir’s poetry—”

“My uncle writes poetry?” I startled.

Ryee chuckled. “He is named for a great poet of Elshar, the Fatherworld. He lived in Asche Prov centuries past, before slavers took Elshar.” His sadness rumbled on me.