Pas lifted me and we ported to a bed. “Such a shock! Their healer sedated them. He is Ishah, and will stay by them. Many Ishah healers went to Earth, and they will look for those like your sister. There are a million missing people in the United States! Already, police seek them. If they have relatives here in Alb, we bring them. Their social worker listed them as mentally incompetent.

“Here we can run progs to help them, with herbs and protections to keep them safe. Your parents and relatives are on their ship, but will nae see her. Her heart is weak, for she was starved, and her young ones. Healers will heal them so they have weight. Pirad’s healing for hearts is gradual, so herbs keep them from upsets. Nae fear, there is much we can do to secure their happiness, as much as they can have.”

Two hours. Two hours, and I’ll have my family! My poor sister! And, her dear little kids! I’ll be very happy to have ‘em all!

We looked at their records. They just found ‘em January 19, the day we left. And I slept through it? That was Wednesday. This is Friday. Their healer scared ‘em, so they just put them in that apartment and let ‘em order all the takeout they wanted. I was surprised that she recognized me! I wouldn’t have known her if I saw her on the street! It shocked me, that I wouldn’t just know my own sister. We struggled with our weight. I couldn’t imagine her being thin like that. She’s 16, just 2 years younger than me.

But, her record shows, if a person has green eyes, she talks to ‘em and says the same thing to ‘em. Her social worker is white, but had brown eyes. They were going to send one with green eyes today, but now they’re on their way here. Their healer was Elshar. I shuddered.

As I was pondering what to say to my sister, that fella who didn’t want me to marry Tom came to the bed. Same uniform, sky blue with a medium blue sash full of pins, like Oparnen wore! I looked down.

He knelt by the bed. “Lady Becky, First Princess Of Esta Faho, I am Micansen, of Nitomahan’s Council. I am his, I am Antomias’, and I am yours, to command. I apologize, that I questioned your marriage. We are blessed that Queen Adia saw your future, and I will never say a word against your marriage or your title!”

His eyes were black in the white and he shook all over. But, his hands were twin-fingered, and dripped yellow sparkles. One hit the sky blue blanket, and he waved for white light to vaporize it, on him, too. “Oh, that’s messy! I apolo—”

Another healer, an Ishah, gasped and picked him up. “My son, you must na run Elshar hygiene on yourself! Did a slaver have you, who taught you this?”

He laughed. “Put me down, my son, I am Micansen, and Pirad made me Zheien! I run Elshar hygiene because I was Elshar!”

“Ejae feia naia! Did you choose to be—”

Galarpah got off a bed, and he didn’t look well. “O, my friend! Put him here, Kanier—”

“I have urgent business with Tom and his new princess! Let me down—”

“Put him on their bed, and I will go with him!” Galarpah got up and his healer snatched him up and carried him after the bewildered Kanier!

He put him in a leiwege. “Ejae! You na have a leiwege, made for you?”

Micansen laughed. “What is the difference? This is a lot more comfortable than my hard bed! Thank you, Kanier. Zheien worry so much!”

“You na know the difference in an Ishah from a Zheien? I wish—”

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Galarpah took his place. “I will teach him. I am his healer and will nae let him exert. Kanier, go to Elanapah. I am able to help him, and when I must rest, Lanapah will help me, will you, Lanapah?”

“If you will nae exert! What evil experiment is this, that Pirad made Micansen Zheien?” His upset rumbled on us!

Micansen just laughed! “I chose to be Zheien, so do not worry. I will represent Zheien traders and Elshar traders, and I can touch all of their minds at once, with Zheien telepathy!”

“My son, you overuse it! I bring—are all of our diplomats unwell?

A blue-skinned one came running. “I am V~as Das, and King Timm Das sent me to see if I could help you in Esta Faho! After what happened with Oparnen—”

“Oparnen?” Micansen turned gray! “Show me! I was with Pirad, being recloned!”

“Who are you?” He looked confused.

Tom got his attention. “This is Micansen, who thinks to be Zheien so he can touch 125 minds at once! Is he well for it?”

V~as Das gasped! “When we dwelled in Rainbow, Pirad tried to make several people Zheien, and had to reclone them again, to remove it!” He got on the bed and sat by Micansen. “I feel unwell to teach an unwell how to be Zheien, when I nae ever helped with this! I was very unwell in Rainbow and unable to work.” He shuddered, and now he had yellow sparkles on him!

Galarpah gasped! “Perhaps I ask of this Pirad, to make him Elshar again! If you are unwell, perhaps there is nae—”

“I like my new body, and strength he gives me! I do not want to be Elshar. I—”

“What did you do? I hear Micansen, but see a Zheien!” A woman stood in the arch leading to outside. She wore a long dress of medium blue that fluttered in the slight breeze. Her eyes were black.

Micansen jumped off the bed, but landed awkwardly in front of her. He did a little dance and bowed low at the waist, keeping his eyes on her. “Falarnen, I expected you to be old, not a beautiful maiden with the very stars in her light hair!”

She laughed. “And, I did not expect to see you, trying to learn to be Zheien! You do not want to be Elshar? Then, I will speak with those who do.” She turned around and started to leave.

He jumped up and ran in front of her to bow even lower. “Our people endured Mashai cruelty for a century and most of another. I wish not to remind them of unhappy times.”

“Our people also endured great cruelty from them, and I wish you would remember your heritage! Surely you forgot it, to group all of Elshar with the Mashai, a tiny prov whose rudeness gave them not enough trade to feed themselves! I watched Heden as he poisoned minds. Perhaps, he poisoned yours as well. I came to teach artisans and traders of Lidara, how we work together for all Elshars to prosper, and to help all species harmed by Mashai, including our Zheien brothers and sisters, who gave us delightful descriptive words for the Mashai speech they forced us to use!

“I say to you, Micansen, I am here to remind all of you who are Elshar of the good things about being Elshar. Zheien are noble, and kind, and fair in their trading. So are we of Lidara, and Asch, and many other provs I think all of the Alliance has forgotten!

“You gave up on us, knowing I was to come to you. There is another Council member, where is he? I will speak with him!”

That thin Elshar ran over there and gave a graceful dance. Bowed lower than Micansen did. “I am Keris Pon, and I represent our Artisan Council, both Elshar and Zheien.” He recited a long poem in Elshar. Not the harsh, guttural speech that I learned to recognize, though I didn’t know a word in it. This was soft, with trills, kind of musical.

She laughed and put her hand on the arm he offered. Then, toned down her smile. “Oh, you are married. Forgive me.” She touched the intertwined symbols on his bracelet, on his left hand. Took her hand away. “Surely you have an aynau wife, who enjoys your poetry much.”

Keris Pon smiled and his eyes turned light. “Oh, my wife finds other things to enjoy about me and that is very fortunate! My friend Micansen wrote that poem this morning for your arrival. He taught me many dances, customs and poems, as he has all of our people who wish to learn, whatever their birthplaces.”

With an expression I couldn’t quite read, she looked back at Micansen, still in his bow. Her eyes went lighter. Then, she put her hand on Keris Pon’s arm. “Show me your people. I am needed on Escet Vu soon.”

They walked away. As soon as they weren’t visible from the portal, trembling Galarpah waved to Lanapah, a Zheien, to carry poor Micansen over here. Galarpah held onto Lanapah’s arm as he carried Micansen.