“You are a diplomat, and must unlearn harmful habits! Small problems can become serious when ignored. You should not have pain after I recloned you. I must know all, to heal you.” His jointed face had that frozen expression of dismay.

Farley’s face turned very orange! “I showed you all my healer’s records—”

“I asked you to show me all of your unwells. Did you? I think not.” He planted his hand on Farley’s chest, and Farley grimaced!

“Must you touch me so?”

“I cannot send this healing. Eat, and let me listen to you. Do not hide.”

Farley got teary. “Is difficult, nae to do, because I had to finish much work.” His voice broke. I gave him a sweet pastry and he took a bite.

“You hide many discomforts. Why do your legs hurt?”

He looked at his feet. “I nae walked today, but my toes burn as if I ran!”

“I will bring Math~an from Escet Vu. He knows more of Zheien foot problems than I do. He has time. Eat more.”

We handed Farley pastry after pastry, and a lady Ishah brought a huge platter three times. Farley wasn’t thin any more after this. I giggled.

“Dear wife, I ate more food than is well, for many children hunger!” He wept.

A bunch of kids came over. “Nae weep, Cousin! We ate well today. I ate until I—” She glanced at her chest, then snapped her eyes up. “Healers helped me and I ate as much as you! Now I feel much more well, and look at me, how large I am!” She pushed long, blond curls off her shoulder. She’s thin, but tall. He remembered her a lot shorter. Maybe she’s a bit older than Allison.

He laughed and put her on his lap. “Eae, Tamora, you look well again! And Bisa, Lunumar, and Sie, you all look well! Feel you well?”

Tamora hugged him and wept. “Fa sleeps so! Mea is yet thin after much healing! O, Farley, are you well? You slept far longer than we, and healers tell us go and play. I fear to play! Are slavers far?”

Farley got that faraway stare and his eyes turned so light they nearly went colorless! “All who watch reassure me, nae slavers even came close to Elshar Zheiea! Eae, all of Alb—” He paled, and Siasch grabbed him!

Put a hand on the left side of his face. “My son, you overuse your telepathy—”

“But, we are safe! All of us, safe! Progs ran 20 times in the past hour, and slavers went to Ih Esta from Par Vuan worlds!” His eyes went light again, and so did Tamora’s, happy, light blue.

Happiness tingled on me from Zheien all around us, even sleeping ones!

Siasch chuckled, but kept his hand there. “Oh, it’s happy to know that, isn’t it? But you need more rest, to be well. Lie here and Math~an has time to come. He’s landing.

I barely heard the whoosh, and Zheien cried! “Fear nae, I am a healer! What frightens?”

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“I thought surely, slavers came!” A kid’s voice. Humming.

“I will take him. Nae fear, any of you! Slavers can nae come in portals or ships.”

That healer, built like a football player, came in weeping.

“Brother, nae this guilt! People will accustom—”

“I took a ship, if I knew I would frighten children!”

“They are happy now. We told them you are a master healer, and they are happy. Come, see Farley’s feet. Pirad said they should nae pain him. He is recloned.”

The man sprang from the far wall and landed, sitting! Zheien are amazing! I laughed.

Math~an pulled at a golden curl as he pulled the blanket back. His were a lot more rounded and golden than my husband’s. Farley shivered, and he folded it over his upper body. “I am sorry, my son. Let me see these feet. I am Math~an, a healer.”

“You are the master healer for all Escet Vuans! Is an honor, to meet you!” Farley dipped his upper body.

Math~an laughed. “Ah, what are titles but impairments to comfort? Think of me as an ordinary—” His hands touched Farley’s ankles, and he lost the merry smile. “Nae hide, my son.”

“Nae hide? There are children—” But they had all gone outside. Everyone near us was sleeping, even Konomai.

“Show me, my son. A healer can nae heal until he can see—”

“M-my wife thinks—”

“Show him, Farley! I can handle it. You know what my feet looked like!” I wondered what was wrong with his! Maybe that’s why my injury freaked him out so much!

He watched me with eyes black as his feet gave a little twist. Oh, my! “Go ahead, Love. I’m okay.”

Farley cried as he stopped hiding. His feet were twisted, and brown with bruises! Twisting went all the way up to where his knees would be, if Zheien had them! I hugged him.

“Can you love me—” He sobbed and a lot of people woke up!

“Of course, I can love you, and I love your feet, too! You loved me, after I got hurt, and my legs were horrible!”

He relaxed and let Math~an pull them straight.

Siasch held his head and hummed. “My son, you need nesfa. Math~an, can you work?”

“Give him. I can work. Show me all of his missions. I fear none of his healers noticed this!”

There was one note from Healer Pedsa at Sigan Mas. ‘He has pains I cannot find. This student came to me injured, and even in unawareness he nae lets me put ea fae on his feet. His friends worry that they nae ever saw him put ea fae on his legs, even when I know all Zheien must. This tells me his healer should watch his walk. I wrote a prog to apply it when he is in his dorm or his ship. His friends tell me they will run it if he disables it.’

Normally, a healer won’t touch someone who had nesfa! Siasch kept humming as Farley slept. Math~an waved up a bowl of very strong minty stuff that is dark blue foam. Massaged his legs with lots of it. Sang.

His legs untwisted and all the bruises went away! They turned orange. Farley went a lot limper! I smiled, but I was careful not to move while I held him.

Siasch giggled. “I’m so glad you could heal him!”

He stopped when Math~an didn’t smile. “Siasch, this healing makes him look well, but he is nae. One can nae neglect feet when required to walk in unwell sands and hard surfaces, oft! I looked at the content of Esta Faho’s sand. These people are a miracle, that any of them live, or walk!” I tried not to show it, but I felt really scared! No use upsetting people.

“I can nae compensate for 25 years of this torture. I must see all of his family. Pirad grows many clones of me for here, and they will come in two hours. If they are so, all Zheien of Rahn Estar are so, for different reasons. We learn together, how to heal them all.

“Let me see him thoroughly. I fear other problems that affect feet.”