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couple of days. If you need me, you know where I am.
    â€œJust keep him warm and try to find something light that he’ll eat. Soup or something like that. No meat for the time being, and the same for you, young lady,” he said, waggling an admonishing finger in her direction as he followed her brother out through the taproom.
    â€œGood-bye Jack, and thanks again,” Carrie said.
    Once they had gone, she ambled over to the stove and began to ladle some soup into a bowl for Kusac. It was a strange name, now she came to think of it. It sounded unfamiliar, yet it did suit him. She carried the bowl back over to him and set it down near his head.
    The cat looked up at her, giving her hand a quick lick before raising himself on his front paws to lap the soup. Carrie smiled. His tongue tickled. There was an almost gentle roughness to it. She knew he wouldn’t harm anyone, it wasn’t in his nature.
    As he ate, she pulled up a chair and watched him. His amber eyes never left hers until he lay down, his hunger satisfied for the first time in five days.
    With a sigh, Kusac pillowed his head against her hands and closed his eyes. Though he could not yet understand the language of these people, he understood Carrie’s thoughts completely. It was to his advantage that they thought he was a forest cat; no one could then betray him, and he would probably learn much more that would be denied to him as an Alien.
    Besides, it had been a surprise for him to find two sentient species on this planet, so how much worse would it be for Carrie’s people who had only known the repression of the Others? The Valtegans, he corrected himself, drifting off into a contented sleep.
    Carrie felt her shoulder being shaken roughly. Looking blearily up at her brother, she pulled her hands carefully from underneath Kusac and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.
    â€œWhat is it, Richard?” she mumbled.
    â€œThe Valtegans are searching all the houses. Dad wants you and the cat upstairs out of the way.”
    â€œAll right,” said Carrie, getting stiffly to her feet. “Have you finished Kusac’s bed?”
    â€œIt’s in your room,” he replied, reaching out to help her as she staggered away from the table. “I don’t know how you’re going to manage to nurse our friend here when you’re nowhere near fit yourself.”
    â€œI’m fine, Richard,” she said, pulling away from him. “I’m tired, that’s all.”
    â€œNo, you’re not, but I’m not going to argue with you about it. Let’s get you and this character settled down before the Valtegans get here.”
    â€œWhat are they looking for this time?” asked Carrie as Richard lifted the sleepy Kusac.
    â€œI’m not exactly sure,” he said, following her upstairs. “But what is even stranger, I don’t think the Valtegans know either.
    â€œFive days ago there was a full-scale panic on. The sky was buzzing with aircars and scouters, all centered over the forest and hills behind us. Not long afterward, I saw something white falling toward the ridge. It could have been anything, a scouter in trouble, even a small spacecraft.”
    He fell silent, waiting for his sister to open the bedroom door. When she did, he went in and carefully laid Kusac down on the pile of rugs he’d arranged in a large wooden box on Elise’s bed.
    Carrie sat down on her own bed. “Well?” she prompted. “What do you think it was?”
    Richard shook his head. “I don’t know, but the Valtegans are doing a head count as well as searching every house. They want to know if we’ve seen any strangers.”
    â€œCould it have been a craft from Earth?” Carrie asked bleakly, staring at her clenched hands without seeing them.
    â€œEarth doesn’t know about our situation, Carrie. We haven’t been able to get a message out to them. Even if we could, it would take years to