The limo interior came back. I felt in utter shock! So many bad things happened to us in my Diplomatic Service life, and before that, when I got accepted to Sigan Mas, a planet that's a school, in a galaxy of education planets--

I looked up, and I hugged him. "Oh, I shouldn't do this--"

Farley shuddered. "I nae saw this! Wh-what shall I do, if I can nae work? And, my w-work harmed you, my Ella, O, I can nae do this!"

That fella leapt from the passenger side and landed on Farley's other side. Put both his hands on Farley's head. He's purple—a Thordes. His dearest friend, Ley Patfar, who always swore they were secretly brothers because of their names. Their joke. He died on Riyhupur III. Oh, names, faces, how they died, you get used to constant death in Diplomatic Service, 'cause the work's so dangerous. We all went to school together, far away in the 14th Galaxy. Farley posed as a student. I was in the first group chosen for school there on a scholarship program and almost made diplomat. "Farley, you have to be calm. Want some bis tia?"

He cried out loud! "I want healing, for my maiden!"

I put my arms around both of 'em. Thumping in Patfar's neck startled me. "Doctor, see my friend, Ley Patfar, he is Thordes!" A red, faceted ball rose from Ley's pocket and shot a dot on his neck. He was darker purple before Farley got upset!

Doors sprang open and white-robed healers ran for all three of us! "Eja fe ne, what happened to these men?"

"Healer, they got too upset--"

"Healer, save my maiden! Ejis faea naea!" Farley hugged us both against him. I felt his mind too close to mine. No telepathy to block him, as I'd done so many times. I just opened up and let him link. I can hurt both of us if I fight.

But, I enjoyed the gentle touch. Then, felt how his head pounded, how dim his sight was, how his body ached with each triple beat of his heart!

"Young son, release the maiden! I need help, here!"

I held the wrinkled hand. "Healer, it's too late! We're linked! I saw our future, and I'm ready to get married to him right now! I love Farley." Am I brave enough to go to Ronsara with him?

Another man came, and pushed his twin-fingered hands through the tangle of healers. Grabbed Ley's head, first. "Ley Patfar, my son, I release you from diplomatic work. Keep your team near you. I release all of you tonight. Patamir, take him, my son. Let him sleep. This excitement! Tell him I am very pleased with his work." He stroked his blond curls, lighter than Farley's.

"Minister, I will!" His brother carried him to a bed near us, right in the main room of this giant ship. They looked almost like twins, but his brother's a lot younger. Red-violet. Not Molly's—but there's no Rainbow Unwell Colony yet, is there?

Now Cevit Ion moved his huge, twin-fingered hands to Farley's head. He's also yellow-skinned. "Farleikon, my son, look on me. Nae this upset. Take of bis tia." Five tiny green leaves floated near Farley's mouth.

He saw them and inhaled. "Ej-is. Min-ister."

"My son, I bring your fa. Be calm. Nae think to bow. You saw memories from Queen Adia?" His father's still alive!

"El-la."

"Eae. Nae open so to me. This is nae your report, but thank you for showing me this. We shall withdraw trade from Ronsara, now that I know of their council's evil. I will nae lose any more of my brave ones there. You did excellent work.

"My son, your team is released from DS. You shall have Decision again, in your home. Did you know all of Esta Faho is safe on Elshar Zheiea, a new world for our peoples? Mines now orbit on a moon with automation for them. People shall nae have poisons in winds, or in foods. Even now, King Nitomahan's traders, all of them, found markets for all the mineral your people can nae use, but these are valued by many species. His trade bal rises and all are fed. You need nae worry for work now, my son. Fhiah gave many diplomats to Esta Faho, that all of you may rest."

"I nae rest! Must pro-tect m-my El-la."

"We can protect all of you. Ella, please tell my son of your well."

I startled. "I'm all right! Farley, I feel fine, honest."

"Show him your feet, that he believes."

I ran hygiene and waved my socks off. That old healer lifted me so I could put my feet in his hands.

He wept. "O, she is harmed!"

"Farleikon, I am Pas, and I know healing for Earthans. Their feet are ne like ours. Know you an Elshar's foot, or a Thordes'? They are same." He had red-gold eyes, like Konomai's, but orange skin. They won't change shades.

"Are they?" He felt my feet. Kissed them. "They nae pain you, Ella?" He sobbed.

"No, they don't hurt at all. I'm tired, but I walked a lot, and I ran some for exercise. I couldn't run if I had foot problems, could I?" Well, my surgeon warned me not to run because of my knee, but I don't do that much running. I need to lose weight.

"O, Ella, let me die if you have harms!"

"She will nae, my son. Will you recite your Petition to her? Here is your fa to help you."

"Fa died, on--"

"I shall nae send him! Konaris, take your bae. He nae listens--"

"Ejis faea naea! I listen, Minister, a diplomat must--"

"My son, you are very unwell! Rest with your fa. Is nae time for work."

Konaris took him. Another large man, like Farley, but he dripped sweat, and both of them were smaller than Farley's memories. Oh, it scared me! Zheien shouldn't sweat at all!

Pas lifted both of them and put them on that bed by Ley and Patamir, on a leiwege. Bent the mattress to hold him comfortably. "Dear bae, I help you marry your Ella. Be happy. Think only of this--"

"Fa, I failed as diplomat! I let my Ella be harmed, because I offended--"

"Elshar slavers can nae be pleased! I saw all and find nae fault with your treaty plan. Think nae. Ella is well. Pas, see her, that my bae knows you are well, please?" Poor Konaris wept, too. Held Farley's head against his chest so he saw me.

I struggled not to cry. But, Zheien are honest. Tears are honest. I let go.

Pas spread his soft fingercorners across my forehead. Smiled. I had that aandat in my terminal, so I released it. That should help Farley, to know I'm protected that way. I felt the white mass fall on my feet, and I felt stronger! But it slowly crept up my legs, and I just tried not to pay attention to it. Once it gets to my trunk, it'll stop, and I won't feel it.

He moved his fingers back in a line and I thought of all the times I had healing, especially after Ronsera, but I needed it after every mission. Earthans don't last but five years on a DS team, but I lasted six. I think Farley got hurt more because he was protecting me. The difference between how I thought in those memories, and how I think now, scared me. I wasn't as smart!

Even at school, at Sigan Mas, we got hurt often. They only had one Zheien healer, and she wasn't a master healer. They couldn't get help for her. Healers graduated and left. Maybe they thought students were enough and she always had a bevy of 'em. But they all went to study with master healers. I loved Pedsa. She was an orange Zheien. She worried about me, with that mean woman as my advisor.

"Farley worries because he feels pains from you."

I startled. "He feels it? But, it's just old sports injuries. He hurts worse than that, all the times he got knocked out--" But that's in the future--

His healer, Konomai, looked down. I startled.

Pas frowned at him. "My son, times are dire, but you must show me all of his record. Much is missing, ea?"

He waved without looking at him. Rows of neat Zheien script scrolled. Novas! A lot of it.

Farley wept, and so did Fa.

"Ea. I ne fault you, but if I saw this before Cevit Ion released you, I did. Surely you suffered much in this weight of knowledge."

Konomai sobbed aloud! "All of our diplomats, and our lieges are worse! Nae whom I saw from Rahn Estar, Calladia, Esta Faho, Kin Para, Sara Kia, or even K'hasa Zha were better! Our kingdoms fall, and I can do nae!" Esta Faho's that bad? I got upset!

Cevit Ion put him on his lap. "My son, be calm. Now we have help for you. I name all of you Elders today. Pirad, Elder Of Bisillipia can reclone you young, and make clones of you to help all of these colonies heal. Do you know, Healer, that all of our colonies dwell in safety on Elshar Zheiea, a new world with nae poisons? See him!"

He waved and a sunny yellow world with yellow clouds and five moons rotated. Zoomed in. Five cities showed. All five had seven large buildings in six rainbow colors and one was like a flat diamond! Each had a couple hundred people except for one that had thousands, all walking around, or doing crafts, or trading, and kids ran around. It was beautiful. I'll love living there!

Konomai stared at the smallest city. "Esta Faho moved? O, he moved, and my family is safe? O!" Esta Faho's that small? We visited on Farley's respites for a while, and—maybe people were more spread out there. Mines were between each part of the city, and people couldn't bathe in the fountains on windy days. We don't get vitamins from our baths.

The view zoomed in. A dignified Zheien walked with a crowd of children around him.

Konomai jumped off Pas' lap and bowed low.

Farley tensed, and his father wept.

The old man gave a flat-footed leap and sat by them on the bed. "Farley? Kona, is he to die? O, Kono, come!"

Konomai leapt and landed between the king and them. "I can nae calm him, Liege!"

"Let me try. Farley, my son, is time for you to rest. Our people are safe. You gave too much, but now is healing. Rest and healing. Will you remember?"

He looked up and his eyes turned light. "My liege. Ella."

"Eae, Cev showed me all! I am here to witness your marriage. Let all worries go by you. Our people are safe, and she will be safe among us when you bring her. Where is her family?" He looked at me.

I started to back off the bed, to bow, and he held my shoulders. "O, nae think to bow, Maiden, but hold to Farley's hand. You are linked. Dishonor ends with this marriage, and Cev tells me many had to marry today, including Goes, 1st Prince Of MarKu! Even he could nae hold his mind from his maiden in these futures." Goes is still alive? And he couldn't keep his mind outa someone?

"Protocols bend for unwell. When these futures are painful, eae, suffering is great. Take of my strength, my son." He touched Farley between the eyes, and he and his fa stopped sweating! Yellow rushed into his skin. He smiled. Tensed, but the old king held his head. "Nae think to rise! As did all kings of Alb, I agreed to Outer Circle Marriages. We go to our commons in Esta Faho. I declared a festival for us today. Now you and your Ella may share it."