Pirad ported to us. His orange pupils flew apart in their 3 pairs! He folded his arms across his head! “You have a child!”

Daka jumped into his arms and put his little forearm across his forehead. “I’m sorry, but I’m very happy to be here with my parents. Did you come from Bisillipia?”

“No, I have a lab here below Burial Chambers.”

“Can I see it? I would like very much to have a cloned brother. Many Yeff have brothers.”

Pirad clicked his face into an unhappy expression. “Your parents have a dangerous mission. I cannot do this now. Stop reading my mind. It is rude!”

“I don’t want to, but I don’t know how to stop. Can you teach me?”

Pirad got the exasperated expression.

Ten put a forearm across his forehead. “This boy has abilities he cannot control, and none of us can teach him. But, we can try.”

“Am I bad, Tenadu? I don’t want to be bad!”

I took him. “Daka, you’re not bad! You’re still learning, that’s all.” I hugged him.

“He needs to learn fast. I have much work!”

I showed him all that happened, and he looked even more dismayed. “I must speak with my host!” He ported away.

An army of Pirads ported to our colony.

Daka put both his arms up in a Y. “Uncles!”

Most of them clicked their faces into unhappy expressions, but one got smug face. “I am for you, and will be your uncle. Pirad gave me all of Kirnonos’ minds for you.”

“Oh, boy! I’m happy!” I let this Pirad take him to the festival in our colony.

One Pirad stayed with us. The others spread out all over Ye~ wherever groups enjoyed festival activities. “We are here to increase security. Tell me if you detect anything unusual, and I will alert others.”

It was easy to pretend everything was normal. My body didn’t feel different, but that’s normal for a Biehshah birth. Camila introduced me to 20 new Hispanic colonists from Mexico City and we helped them get a lot of relatives ready to board a ship. Adia’s Ship now had a daily ship to Alb in the evening, and plenty of people had memories of living here on Ye~, so besides MarKu, we had the second fastest growing Earthan Colony in Alb. Ir told me another group of Biehshah diplomats were on Alb dealing with Garat. His girl waited in Leheren for him to finish several trade treaties. His total lack of willingness to learn Earthan customs hampered his work. When Earthan businessmen laughed at him, he got insulted and it took all day for his diplomats to explain things and try to get another meeting.

I missed my son as we gathered by the musicians, but Uncle Pirad soon brought him to sing with us. While we sang, he waved up a design screen for musical instruments for Biehshah and Bisillip babies. Soon, people brought their kids to try them and he taught them how to design others. Musicians soon heard about this and came from other colonies. Apparently they decided travel was safe enough in Alb with The Pirads.

“Kia, are you tired?” Ir held my hand. His was cold.

Daka stopped in the middle of a design and hopped into my arms. “I’m tired, too. Let’s go take a nap.” His blue eyes watched us.

“I can’t sleep until Sara gets here—”

“I’m here!” Sara didn’t look rested. Her deep blue eyes had the droopy look.

“You can sleep longer—”

“Who can sleep? I got enough to keep me going.” She smiled at Cevit Ion, who kept dark eyes. Yellow Zheien have blue eyes that go dark when they’re unhappy. But, I am tired.

“Let’s go home.” I smiled at Ir. At least we can enjoy the time we have left. We might not make it through this—but we have to!

Mama and Daddy walked with us. Will Mama still be here when it’s all over? I hugged her. “I love you, Mama! It’s so good to have you back!”

“I feel the same way, Honey! Life is good here. I never thought fer one minute I’d enjoy goin’ in space, but Ye is paradise!”

Daddy laughed. “Hun, it’s Yuh-ee! You need to learn how to pronounce—”

“They know what I mean! I’ll pronounce it like I want, thank you.” Mama laughed.

So did Daddy. He likes to tease her and they both enjoy it. So good to hear them at it again. I missed Daddy’s sense of humor all those years.

We passed Uncle Chase and Camila dancing a Latin dance.

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Daddy grabbed Mama and they danced with us, but a waltz played. He skillfully danced her around trees as we entered the garden walk between Oshfah and our colony. Couples danced Biehshah dances along the walk, more like walking to music that played. It had three-part rhythms so waltzing worked. They giggled until Mama got too breathless, then they just walked us to that bakery.

The baker offered us a tray of drinks that we enjoyed. His lady had a tray with my parents’ favorite fruits and pastries, so we had a few. “I hope my tesstasserats give you pleasant dreams, Ir, Kia.” He had sunny orange skin, a kind of unusual color for a Biehshah. It made his yellow eyes almost glow in the setting suns.

“Fahn, I am very happy you came to our colony! I love your creations, and Zheien who visit always mention things they ate and enjoyed here.”

“I’ll sure be dreaming about the flavor! I’ll ask for that again!” But everything Biehshah I tasted was very pleasant, unlike my husband’s memories of having to down nasty-tasting stuff at intervals every day. Especially what we have to drink the most, sassmilk. The stuff used to look like two-stroke motor oil and tasted like it smells, too!

My thoughts of our old future amused our baker and his family, who all worked with him.

Sassenfae. Vapors of a summer day when the ocean turns dark with sassen flower oil. I swim in healing vapors which nourish my dry skin and fill my head with sassen flower dreams.

I joked about the deep greenish-blue stuff, and Ir laughed so hard he nearly choked on it. “Is your head filled with sassen flower dreams yet?”

A giggle. “No. My mouth is full of heaviness.”

“Then, drink some more. Think of the ocean.” I made fake ocean sounds.

“You sound like gessen when they move from swamps! Their feet mire in the mud!” He pictured a furry animal shaped like fur boots that jump out of the mud and plop around. Thousands of the tiny critters, all at once.

“Are you swimming in sassenfae vapors yet?” I walked around doing the Swim and humming Beach Boys music from the 60’s.

Ir got up and tried to copy me while drinking the last thick bit of sassenfae. Gargled with it. Swallowed. “More like drowning!” He pretended to be struggling to the surface, and I caught him when he stumbled.

We fell on the soft floor, giggling like kids. “Ah, Cesarae, let me die in your arms!”

“Aw, ya can’t die before the Courtship, Cesarae! Play fair, now!”

All of them laughed, and Mama and Daddy!

Ir kissed my forehead. “Because I remembered how Ten made sassenmilk, he created many delightful things with Earthan milkshakes! But you gave him the idea, Kia, because you drank them.”

I giggled. “Now I still can!” I waved up a serving of one Ten insisted I needed, since we were going to bed anyway. Ir did, too.

“Oh, I think I had some better ideas, and after your memories, I have more!” He ruffled his blond curls, and I laughed. That gesture is a sign for mad scientist level of inventions!

He laughed, too.

Mama and Daddy walked us home and Daka ruffled his silver hair. “While you sleep, I’ll go with Uncle Pirad and dream up more inventions!”

Ir laughed and made him lie down between us. “First, sleep, then you can invent all you like!”

“Okay, Daddy. G’night!”

It felt so good to lie down with my family. Pirad laid on Ir’s other side and Mama and Daddy laid on our bed, too. It expanded as more people came.

“The more, the merrier!” I laughed as more Biehshah came to lie beside us.

VW looked worried. “You need our strength, with a new son and all—”

Veliatsheeine shoved her arm against his lips. “She knows, she knows! Go to sleep now before Pirad starts!”

Pirad laughed, and it clicked. “I am too busy teaching this young one to bother. At least we do not have Garat to cause trouble! My brother on Adia’s Ship is at the end of his patience! Leader Suan’s diplomats have great ideas for trade and Garat embarrasses us all! He takes offense that Earthans do not want to learn his gestures and find them amusing, but he does not learn anything about how to please them!”

Garat met with a roomful of Atlanta businessmen who deal in plants. “Today I wish to show you many plants of Biehshah that will grow well on Earth!” He stood with his legs apart and gracefully indicated a holo of many beautiful flowers, flowering bushes that later produced sweet fruits, and trees with flowers and later, fruits. But with all the holos, he recited long, dramatic descriptions that had them howling with laughter.

“Why are you laughing at me? Stop that, right now! I will Exclude all of you!” He perched his right hand on his head with all five fingers down, and they roared!

The diplomat with him, a Zheien diplomat named Beren, tried to explain things, but Garat wasn’t listening. His upset made the orange Zheien pale to yellow.

One of the businessmen stood up. “I think we need to pay attention. Go ahead, Garat. I’m sorry I laughed.”

“As you should be! Did your mother teach you any manners?” Garat balanced on one foot with his arms out and his leg out.

Men and women tried not to laugh, but one man did and set off the entire room! Watching them try to can it was even funnier!

Garat kept doing acrobatic gestures to insult them, and they just laughed harder!

Finally, he got disgusted and ported away. The Zheien just continued where Garat left off. They got agreements with that group but they didn’t want Garat to come back to sign. That offended Garat even more. Finally, Goes convinced Garat to let him do the negotiations. This was one of his clones.

Pirad got his smug face. “My brother convinced Garat to make an Elshar clone of himself and gave him Earthan customs and diplomatic skills. That is when Garat decided to go back to Biehshah. Shortly after he opened courtship with his lady, his healer told him he needed to leave his position as minister, for his health. But Pirad on Biehshah tried a new method and woke his wife, Tianforas, and his three sons, Fora, Tian, and Astinoras, and he decided to make Uiano Minister Of Leheren. Poor Siafar was sad until he cloned himself and one chose her. Now many in Leheren are happy!”

I hoped Garat wouldn’t choose to move here, but his family’s probably happy to stay there, and his clone and Siafar. Maybe.

As I went to sleep, I worried. What if Rentappenen’s people get through Sara and I? We’re just two people.

Ir told me Becky, First Princess Of Esta Faho can see ‘em, too. Three against gazillions. Yep. Much better odds! Not.