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amiability. “Please don’t criticize either me or Glay. Shira allowed them upon the property, and they have done no harm.”
    “Possibly not, but the year is young. You know our last experience with Trevanyi. They stole the kitchen cutlery.”
    “The Drossets are not that sort,” said Marucha. “For Trevanyi, they seem quite responsible. No doubt they’re as honest as they find necessary.”
    Glinnes threw up his hands. “It’s pointless to wrangle. But one last word about Ambal. Certainly Shira would never have wanted the Isle sold. If he’s alive, you acted without his authorization. If he’s dead, you acted without mine, and I insist that the contract be voided.”
    Marucha gave a cold shrug of her slender white shoulders. “This is a matter you must take up with Glay. I am really quite bored with the subject.”
    “Who bought Ambal Isle? “A person named Lute Casagave, very quiet and distinguished. I believe that he’s an offworlder; he’s much too genteel to be a Trill.”
    Glinnes finished his meal, then went to his baggage. “I’ve brought a few oddments back with me.” He gave his mother a parcel, which she took without comment. “Open it,” said Glinnes. “It’s for you.”
    She pulled the tab and drew forth a length of purple fabric embroidered with fantastic birds in thread of green, silver and gold. “How utterly wonderful!” She gasped. “Why Glinnes-what a delightful gift!”
    “That’s not all,” said Glinnes. He brought forth other parcels, which Marucha opened in a rapture. Unlike the ordinary Trill, she delighted in precious possessions. “These are star-crystals,” said Glinnes. “They haven’t any other name, but they’re found just like this, facets and all, in the dust of dead stars. Nothing can scratch them, not even diamond, and they have very peculiar optical properties.”
    “My, how heavy they are!”
    “This is an antique vase, no one knows how old. The writing on the bottom is said to be Erdish.”
    “It’s charming!”
    “Now this isn’t very distinguished, just something that caught my fancy-a nut-cracker in the shape of an Urtland crotchet. I picked it up in a junkshop, if the truth be known.”
    “But how cunning. It’s for cracking nuts, you say?”
    “Yes. You put the nuts between these mandibles and press down the tail … These were for Glay and Shira — knives forged from proteum. The cutting edges are single chains of interlocked molecules — absolutely indestructible. You can strike them into steel and they never dull.”
    “Glay will be delighted,” said Marucha in a voice somewhat stiffer than before. “And Shira will also be pleased.”
    Glinnes gave a skeptical snort, which Marucha took pains to ignore. “Thank you very much for the gifts. I think they’re all wonderful.” She looked out the door down across the verandah to the dock. “Here is Glay now.” Glinnes went out to stand on the verandah. Glay, coming up the path from the dock, halted, though he showed no surprise. Then he came forward slowly. Glinnes descended the steps and the brothers clapped each other’s shoulders Glay was wearing, Glinnes noted, not the usual Trill paray, but gray trousers and dark jacket.
    “Welcome home,” said Glay. “I met Young Harrad; he told me you were here.”
    “I’m glad to be home,” said Glinnes. “With just you and Marucha, it must have been gloomy. But now that I’m here I hope we can make the house the place it used to be.”
    Glay gave a noncommittal nod. “Yes. Life has been somewhat quiet And things change, certainly, I hope for the better.”
    Glinnes was not sure he knew what Glay was talking about. “There’s a great deal to discuss. But first, I’m glad to see you. You’re looking remarkably wise and mature, and-what would be the word?- self-possessed.”
    Glay laughed. “When I look back, I see that I always pondered too much and tried to resolve too many paradoxes. I’ve given all that up. I’ve cut the