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caught the edge of her frustration again and leaned forward. "Have I ever felt that distant? If you remember an approximate time, we can check the log on the Passage—"

    But Anthora was shaking her head. "None of us has ever been that far—no. When Father—when Father was dying, at the very end—the day before he—he was that distant then . . .Oh, no!" Nova's pain broke over them, and Anthora flew forward to hug her and shake her. "He's alive, sister! Physical distance, not spiritual! I can't tell you how I know the difference—but there is one! And another difference—" She paused, looking to Shan, who nodded.

    "There's a—an—echo—around Val Con. It's like—it's like how I sense Priscilla—not directly, you see—but through Shan . . ."

    "His lifemate," Nova murmured, and suddenly spun. "Lifemate! Did you know of a lifemate? Who is she?"

    Shan sipped wine. "I'd say she's a person with a sense of humor: 'Miri Robertson Mercenary Soldier, Retired, Personal Bodyguard, Retired, Have Weapon Will Travel'? Also a person to treat with a bit of respect. As for who else she is, as soon as the Passage gets through to Terran Census—aha! Right on cue!"

    He touched the glowing purple stud and the screen filled with amber letters once more, this time forming Terran words.

    "Well, let's see: Planet of origin: Surebleak . . .Date of Birth: Day 28, Standard Year 1365; Tag: mutated within acceptable limits. Parents: Katalina Tayzin; Chock Robertson. Job Fee paid: Half-bit; Day 116, Standard 1375, poor child . . .Outmigrated Day 4, Standard 1379 . . .Reason for Migration: Job opportunity. And the job? Ah, here we are . . ." He hit ADVANCE and shook his head. "Apprentice soldier, Lizardi's Lunatics, Fendor. Angela Lizardi, Senior Commander. Poor, poor child."

    "Mutated . . ." Nova was hanging over his shoulder, frowning at the screen.

    "Within acceptable limits," Shan completed. "Now, on a backward, low-tech world like, shall we say, Surebleak, the phrase 'mutated within acceptable limits' can mean several things. But mostly it means 'half or full Liaden.'" He tapped the screen. "My guess is that Katalina Tayzin has gotten her name mangled into something more or less Terran-sounding. Chock Robertson seems rather definite."

    "But who is she?" Nova demanded, running the advance down to blank screen.

    "She's a soldier, sister!" Shan snapped. "Where have your wits gone begging? We'll run an employment check on her through the Passage if you like, to find where she went after being apprenticed to Lizardi's Lunatics—but you already know the most important thing about her."

    Nova drew herself up and glared down at him. "Which is?"

    "She's Korval's Own Lifemate," Shan said, and drank his wine.

ORBIT: Interdicted World I-2796-893-44

    Flesh against flesh was warm, promoting drowsy comfort, though her exposed right flank was getting damn cold.

    Unwilling yet to let go of the drowse, Miri nestled closer to Val Con's warmth, too comfortable even to care that a long lock of her hair was trapped under their combined weight and pulled at her temple. She smiled a little to herself.

    Things had gotten pretty intense there, for a bit. It had started with her reaching to touch his right cheek—the one the Juntavas had cut—by way of saying "good night."

    His eyes had opened wide; his fingers had lifted and traced the line of the scar. "It does not repel you?"

    "Huh?" She blinked, then shook her head against his shoulder. "People get hurt in fights sometimes. Better a scar or two than something more fatal."

    "Ah." Once more his fingers passed lightly across his own cheek; then they were at the lacings of her shirt, baring her breast and touching the faint white pucker where she had caught a near-spent pellet, way back on Contrast. Rolling with her so that he was half on top, he bent his head to kiss the scar.

    Miri had had her share of scrapes—maybe more than her share of scars, what with her