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your sun were sentient?”
        “Rrrm, what I was going to say was, I am willing to entertain  the notion of sentient suns.”
        “Well, I hope you aren’t entertaining the notion that we might go  there!”
        “I do not know. But, Li-Jared—” Ik turned his left hand palm-up, his long, bony fingers extended “—if there are whole worlds in danger, and there is something we can do to help—”
        Waving his arms, Li-Jared jumped up and stalked around in a fury. “Moon and stars—why must it be us, always us ? We saved Shipworld! We saved the Neri! Are we the only ones in the galaxy who can do these things? Do we just keep doing it until one day we die?” He wheeled around and glared into the fire, his back to Ik.
        As Ik stirred, Bandicut tried to say something. But his voice caught; it jarred him to see the two argue—and the truth was, he agreed with both of them.
        “Friends, please—” Antares began, and then she too seemed at a loss for words.
        Finally Ik stretched out his long limbs. “I can only guess, hrrm, there are some things only we are in a position to do.”
        Li-Jared’s eyes narrowed visibly. “Yah, maybe we’re just handy and maybe we’re just—” rasp  “—suckers.”
        “Hrah, maybe so. But maybe the need is still there.” Ik turned to Bandicut. “Hrrrm, Bandie, would you join me in having another one of these ales?”
    *
        Antares was beginning to wish she’d never started the conversation. It all felt like too much to think about right now: whether to go, or not go, on a dangerous mission to do something about sentient stars. Or worse, some mysterious agent attacking sentient stars. And wondering whether they were going to have a choice in the matter, any more than they had chosen to plunge into the ocean of the Neri world. Antares was very fond of Li-Jared and Ik; but she suddenly realized that right now, she needed not to be listening to this. The arguments were clamoring in her mind like a thousand voices...
        She rested her head against the sofa back and shifted her gaze to the fire. As she watched its dancing flames, she thought, How strange this little company is. I have known these people such a short time, and they are such a part of me now. To think how much I trust them! And John Bandicut—we’ve had so little time to really get to know each other. I wish we could put everything else aside for a while.
        Though her gaze was turned away from the others, she was aware of John Bandicut’s physical presence beside her. She was almost close enough to detect his feelings, but they were more like an aura, a shadow she couldn’t quite grasp. Time...I just need some time...
    *
        Li-Jared had sat back down, but still looked disgruntled, as Ik returned from the food table with two full mugs of ale. Bandicut accepted one and took a swallow. Ahh.  Sighing, he glanced at Antares. She was turned toward the fire, but her eyelids were half shut. “You okay?”
        “I wish to sleep soon.” She shifted her eyes toward him. “John Bandicut, will you join me?”
        “Of course.” He took another swallow, then paused to eye his nearly full mug. “Do you mean now?”
        She whispered a chuckle. “I can wait.”
        Bandicut took another gulp, then caught her eye again. She means now.  He raised his mug ruefully toward Ik. “Would you mind if we continued this later?”
        Antares leaned toward Ik and Li-Jared. “My friends, would you forgive us?”
        Ik sipped his ale and clacked his mouth shut. “Indeed. Rest well—both of you.”
        Li-Jared tapped his chest with his fingers and snapped, “What is to forgive? Ik and I will continue the—” brr-dang  “—learned discussion. Good night.”
        As Antares rose, Bandicut took a last, long swallow of ale. He joined her in threading past the tables to the back of the room, where Jeaves was waiting. He