J~oie, he’s First Prince, he came in. “Friends, will all of you come to Ryee? He will ne rest until he knows all of you are safe!”

We all got up. Deb and Greg, Briahh and Constance, and Roger and Judy promised to visit when we got back to Ye~ and closed their holo. Deb’s parents hesitated. “Should we stay in our room while you visit?”

“Please, come. Ryee worries for all of you!”

Ir kept his arms around me. I wasn’t too steady when I got up. I hope I can still heal people! But, I just healed Greg. Might take a little time before I do group healings.

Suma and Neal went, and Jarfus, and Mike and Mica.

Ray and Asha came, too. Asha was pale.

We went in Ryee and Adia’s room. Their two sets of clones stayed outside to fend off visitors and wish anyone who asked about them well.

On the red-violet bed, Ryee and Adia shared a leiwege, and on Ryee’s other side, he kept an arm around Ry’nao. Laura and Ket sat at the head of the bed behind them, ready to sing healing. Laura’s apprehension made me a bit nervous. She felt like we were too much.

The way Ryee shook, I think we were.

Molly got up there first. “’Ao, how’s it going?”

He chuckled. “I am happy that my brother can take care of things. My wife is waiting—where, Molly?”

“On, Ye~. Your room will be where it always—”

“No. Cev has it now. No, my brother. Which is it?” His eyes teared up but it wasn’t Tessite crystals, just wet tears.

“Don’t worry. Peshana will be waiting.” Molly wiped his face with a white cloth. It steamed.

“Yes. I hope we don’t keep her too much longer. She always smiles and has flowers. All of our favorites.”

“She sent some. Here’s an oisonoos.” Molly pulled a red one with ragged petals from a vase and tucked it in his collar of his red-violet gown.

He sniffed it with a smile. Then, looked at me. “Kia. Because of you, I am alive. Come.” His hand didn’t move.

J~oie lifted me up and I took his hand. So cold! I was careful not to try to touch his mind, but let him touch mine. That was fine. His telepathy strayed.

“Thank you for saving me. My men. You healed so many of my—diplomats. Ryee. Is Ryee all right?”

Ket put Ryee’s limp fingers in his. “He’s smiling.”

“O, I am well enough. Liege.”

“Liege? No. Just, ‘Ao now. I’m retired, as Laura would say.”

“A well-deserved retirement! Rest up, and soon we’ll have to tie the dornas to keep you off!” Laura giggled.

He chuckled.

“Ir, are you all right?”

He smiled, big. “I married Kia! Der and many of my friends stay with me. We will go to Ye~ together. Narai brought VW and Veliatsheeine, and she healed when Kia helped fight Rentappenen! Her healing reached Alb and did miracles!”

“It did?” Seems like I’d remember that!

“Are you all right—Ket!”

“”Ao, I can’t look at her. Pirad has to—”

“I will see her.” He put a hand on my forehead. “She is healthy. I put Ty’nirrhan, Chor and Dosillian in her.”

“Did Gen and Noka move to your colony?”

“Yes! Already they learned to play Oae Pae!”

He laughed. “Oh, I want to see that! Do you play, Ir?”

“I want to learn.”

“Is Doug busy? He worries so much. Is Jen too shy to come see me?”

“’Ao, they are on Ye~ with Ron. We sent them home. They recite poetry on the commons, every day.”

Those red-violet eyes filled. “But, Ket, Doug needs you!”

“Oh, he is all right—”

“After terminals?” He cried.

“Pirad helped him. He had the aches for a few days, but he is reciting his poetry on the commons. Pas can help him, and Ron. There are enough Earthans in the colony that Doug and Ron can visit them all every day, and Doug is writing so much poetry, he can’t recite it all!”

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“Is Jen all right? And—and—Ron’s lady?”

“Jen has her brother and his wife there, and she’s happy. Vonne is Ron’s lady, and she loves the B~ea~! They changed to be softer. I think you might like one.”

“Oh, I would like a pet. I think I want one of—Laura?”

“Mama has horses. You want one? She has babies. Pirad can grow one, whatever breed or color you want.”

Ry’nao smiled.

Then looked at Suma. “Are you all right, my dear? Ni.”

They took his hands. He startled and looked at Neal’s tri-fingered hand.

“Oh, Doug and I are fully Ishah now. We were always half Elshar, but now we are healthier. I think I’ll be Zheien next!”

That got a smile.

He looked at Deb. “Are you and Greg all right? You fought so hard, all of you!”

Greg held his hand. “Oh, I should bow. I don’t know which rhythm—”

“My son, you are different. Don’t worry about rules. I’m retired. I don’t have any. I like Zheien customs. I moved my house to Ye~. Yeff are my favorite people. I couldn’t have a favorite, as Emperor. Now, I can think as I please.”

He still watched Deb. She smiled. “I think we will all enjoy living on Ye~. We found Greg, Briahh and Sika’s parents in Bremen Ye~!”

“Oh, I’m glad! Are they good people?”

Greg smiled, big. “They are kind. I remember them, ‘Ao. Father taught me to—names of flowers. And, Be~a. I wanted one to fly me around, but Father was afraid I’d get hurt. So he put me in a flower and swung on it so it was like flying, to a boy. Once, he lost his grip and off I went! Into the next flower! Father climbed up and cried, because he expected that I was hurt! I laughed and he carried me down. Mother cried until she saw I wasn’t bruised. We will visit, and I must remember not to use shortened words.”

“I am happy for you, Greg. You suffered so, when you couldn’t remember.”

They moved so he could speak to Ray. “I was so surprised when you defeated Satauuver! Did I ask you if you were hurt?”

“I did not get hurt. Asha was worried, and healers saw him. Everyone is happy that Aryllans love to trade flowers! All the worlds of Alb have new foods that are safe, and new flowers and plants! This is for you.” She gave him a shriveled plant in a tiny pot that floated.

Helped him lift his hand to it and a finger stroked it. “Oh, a pin dat shea? Thank you, Ray! I wanted one for years.”

“This one knows you should not share memories yet. She will listen. We gave her lots of love, and Bess picked her out for you. She was on Earth, hidden in a magnolia seed.”

“In a magnolia? I did not know Earth had pin dat shea.”

“I think Pirad did it.”

Pirad laughed and all of him clicked. “No, I did not do that! I am not sure how that happened. Azure said Llsam used what he thought were dead pin dat shea in his terminals and that he died on Earth and somehow they grew. I cannot imagine that.”

Azure’s voice came from the plant. “No, he got hurt, after he made himself Earthan. On Tessa, he fell in a field of them, and almost died, in his Areonian form. But a baby, this baby, helped him live. When he did die on Earth and she could not revive him, she hid in a magnolia seed. There was no one to love her. Until Bess and her family moved to the house.

“Bess sang to all the trees, every plant in the yard. She helped with the family’s import business. Her plants grew better and she said it was because she sang to them. So her family started singing to their plants.

“Now we know this pin dat shea heard her and woke up, and taught her plants to grow big. Plant her in your garden, and all of your plants will also grow big. Bess has others to help her, because there are many on Aryll and Abyll.”

Ry’nao smiled. “Imagine that! I miss Llsam. Maybe this baby stored his memories, Pirad.”

“Wslarc might be able to read them so I can collect them. I want to try to reclone him.”

“Asha—” His eyes closed.

Asha took his hand and stroked it. “O, he is weary. Perhaps we should-” He started to let go.

“Cev! I can’t last!” He looked up and Asha stroked the hand that clinched his. “Oh, sorry. Dreams.”

Cevit Ion ran in and took his other hand, over Ryee. “Are you well, ‘Ao?”

“I’m not well. I mistook Asha’s hand—” He sobbed.

“Should I take you to your chamber?”

“My ship. I want to go home!”

Ket got up. “I’ll give manual calcs—”

“Dear friend, will travel so soon frighten him?”

“No. I think he’ll rest better knowing he’s leaving.”

“We can use a white portal and arrive in an hour.”

Ryee watched them leave with tears in his eyes.

“Wanna go with ‘em?” Molly stroked his dark curls.

“I wish to go home—o, friends. Let us speak first. Ea. Ba, ne let me forget—”

“Ryee, you asked for these friends, but Ry’nao wished to speak first.”

Molly smiled and put my hand in his. I didn’t expect it to be colder than Ry’nao’s! “Here’s Kia and her husband, Ir.”

“Kia! Are you harmed?”

“I’m all right. Pirad saw me. He gave me good protections—”

“Pirad, are we safe?”

“Yes! I was worried, but now it is over. Eriganh is—”

Laura shook her head!

“Ay! Are you well? I can ne—”

“Love, I am beside you. Feel you my hand?”

He pulled, then startled. Felt it. Five fingers. Not the Zheien twin fingers or the deep orange skin I got used to seeing! “O, were you unwell, Love, to wake so?”

She sighed. “I have less pains. Pirad made me Elshar, if you can bear—”

“Love, your hands are well for me. You sound as if is a trial, to hold your gentle hand. She is cool on me.” He held it against his face and closed his eyes. “O, ne sleep. Jo.”

He reached for Ir’s hand. “Here is Irtakdin . He married Kia.”

“You married her? Garat was most upset!”

“I convinced him, and your father did. When—but an Elshar insulted him and he called Andrisch—again. But clever Kia recognized him and when she tried to give his name, Nirpam, Diplomat Of Escet Vu, he saw her and remembered torture from Dirsch. Andrisch found in his favor and this was Dirsch, not one of his clones! It upset Opseh Wenh Cet enough that we saw that he was watching, and—”

Laura shook her head.

Ryee cried. “Nirpam? O, I wept when I knew he was with his healer!”

A blue-skinned healer ran in carrying him. “Here he is. We were about to leave for a mud bath.” Oh, a holo. They are on Escet Vu.

Ir took his hand very gently and put it in Ryee’s but held on. “Dear friend. I think he had terminals from most in Escet Vu.”

“Kia save me. I had—terminals. Lasted.” Nirpam got a huge smile.

“O, I am sorry. Such a trial! Nir, rest long. Is your respite.”

He giggled. “My fae and meae wait, on Escet Vu! We missed. Long, Ryee. Ovid, run! Respite!” A sigh, and he fell asleep.

Ryee stroked his hand. “Ea, is very well you have family.”

Ir put his hand across his middle. “Yes! And, home. Be well, Ovid.”

“I am happy. May your recovery be short, and your rest, long, Friend.” He carried him out. I’m glad he survived that! He was still connected when Opseh attacked, and I killed him through poor Nirpam! I shuddered.