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Department.
     
     
    #B0089S001
        ShipTwo arrives in Anlan orbit and is seized.

3 ~ Beauty
     
    Burlim had sent his most trusted people to attend the checkout of the new arrivals from ShipTwo, almost all suffering from electro-shock trauma. He doubted the priests would allow them more than a cursory examination. Even though they were becoming quite addicted to the technological marvels his people could give them, the priests still showed them little in the way of real trust. He felt the most important thing they'd done, at least as far as the priests were concerned, was making the transfer pods capable of re-docking in spite of any attempt to lock them out. Once the re-docking had been accomplished, the short-range stunners they'd made had been the key to taking ShipTwo.
        He continued to wonder about the captain of ShipOne, Rednaxela—the man who had chosen a crew that fought so well to save their ship—the man whose daughter he was about to meet.
        Rednaxela was reported to be in the Unholy Lands with the supposed Savior of the Narians. Burlim's people had come up with a way to filter their operatives into the region of the Disciples of Faith but this religious group, even though light-years more rational than the Lord's Army, was still too cautious to aid the Angan counter movement in its attempts to penetrate the Unholy Lands.
        The method they were using to get their people into Suva, the main territory of the Disciples was gruesome but effective. The Anlan priests were totally blind to the individuality of their followers. Except for the sexual differences, they seemed to literally see them as interchangeable. This most propitious mental flaw made it easy to substitute the more pliant followers of the priests for the Chosen Ones among his own people. His mind was intrigued by how the Anlans and Angans had evolved to look essentially alike—so similar that the priests would accept one of their own as a sacrifice when they'd intended to kill one of his people and make of them a fitting Gift to their God for His Grace and Mercy in sending so many new people to their failing population. And, since they took little notice of how many followers they actually had, the substitutions enabled his people to make their way, ever so covertly, toward Suva. If this girl, Velu, was as remarkable as his people had said, she could be the key that unlocked the path to the territory of Vaei and then to the Unholy Lands—the ultimate staging ground for what Burlim planned as his people's new home. Even though those in the Unholy Lands were the avowed enemies of the Lord's Army and the Faith of Eternity, the priests never considered going there to deal with their most feared enemies. Their superstitions would be his people's protection.
        Burlim wished he had time to fathom the incredibly fogged and twisted consciousness of these Anlan priests, let alone the unnatural submissiveness of their followers. All he could do now was hope he lived long enough to earn that time. And, if he did earn it, he was sure he would spend no more time thinking about such strange people.
        He nodded to Sousna, who was pointing out Velu and Jalur to him, and told her: "Make sure of things. Auren is preparing the escape route."
        As he approached father and daughter he was struck with a wonder that he found disturbing—Velu was completely calm to the outer eye yet clearly communicated immense power to him. This should be impossible in the convoluted layers of plasma his people had created in this area. Still, there was no doubt it was happening. Velu spoke.
        "We must begin our journey."
        "How do you know I'm the person to say that to?"
        "You have the right clothes on and others who have spoken to us about our plans defer to you."
        "Jalur, this is not your natural daughter?"
        "Natural? No, not biologically, but, naturally, she is my daughter because she wants to be. She