Most of us slept. Molly got me, Suma, Ni’olmai, Deb, Kia, Sara, the three Elshars, and a Dosilian with his Earthan wife.

  Kia looked at her. “I don’t believe I know you! I’m Kia.”

  “Hi, I’m Cattie, Elder Of Gosa. Oh.” This girl looked Molly’s age before I made her 18! She still looks like a kid. Kids are here? She looked at the couple.

  Another girl came close. “I’m Kesi, and I’m 15. You go to Midtown, too, don’t you?”

  “Yeah, but I’m 12. I’m here because I know war plans. I’m scared my husband’ll die! He’s Zheien!” She sobbed.

  Kesi hugged her. “My husband’s Zheien, too. We married in another time when we were older. Our minds remembered our mindlink, like all those other people who remembered a future. I’m scared Charlie’ll die!”

  The Elshar wept. I stared at him. Isn’t he scared those other 3 Elshars will laugh at him? Elshars are really mean sometimes! I glanced at them and they had tears in their eyes, too.

  His lady hugged him. “I feel the same way! I don’t want any Zheien to die! We worked so hard to save everybody on Lidara! At least Molly can use our Elshar herbs—” Then she noticed Molly. “Wait. If you’re here, who’ll run Rainbow?”

  “I have an army of clones. Why are you here?”

  He sobbed. “Because I am Tirashanian, Elder Of Chor! I think the Padrisa wishes to recall me!” Chor! I directed people on his planet! Why just him and not his people?

  Yamotenanten shook his head. “You used higher level herbs to fight Rentappenen, and she did also! You woke forbidden Hubs! That is why you are subject to the Judgment.”

  “She saved our world, and 9 others I couldn’t revive!” Pinda put his arms around them. “Don’t cry, Flora. I’ll speak for both of you. My people couldn’t live without your work!”

  “Humph, you are one to talk, when you gave your people’s Gifts to Earthans! Our people will work centuries to repair the damage you did with that!”

  “Would you rather have Rentappenen destroying all your galaxies?”

  “Rules are not to be broken!”

  “Rentappenen broke them all and your people couldn’t stop him, could you? We cleaned up your mess!” His prick ears went back like a cat’s, and he hissed like one! His teeth were like one.

  Yamotenanten stepped back. “I warn you, if you attack me—”

  “That wasn’t an attack. Laruu don’t attack people.” He licked a black paw and smoothed an ear. His yellow eyes—wait, weren’t they brown a minute ago? They opened wide with huge pupils, like an upset cat’s.

  “You fought Rentappenen.”

  “We healed people and brought dead ones back.”

  “And you taught Pirad how to do that, and all of you broke our rules!” He pointed at all of us as a group, all the way around the ship, and rumbles shook us. “There are consequences. All who know you may have them also. We must investigate all contamination.”

  Sara looked up from the floor. “I got all the rainbow Tessite from the Wesa Fen. There isn’t any contamination left. I should know! I can see the mind of every slaver in the Thirteen!” She pulled at her blond curls.

  “Do not do that! None of you! Do not use your Gifts!”

  She got up and jerked his hand onto her forehead. Cevit Ion gasped, and his blue eyes turned black! “Then, take a look for yourself!”

  “Nae, Sara! Contact with his mind shall destroy you!”

  “I don’t think so. He kept those wasps from trying to sting us, even though they scared Azure. I don’t think he’ll hurt me.” Her blue eyes looked into his, that kept changing color with his faces.

  He swept her hand off. “I can see what you see. Yes, I can agree with you, there is no contamination left. But you must bear responsibility for what you did. You knew the consequences.” He looked at me.

  I stood up. “Yes, I knew. But some of these people didn’t know. They just joined the fight because we had to defeat Rentappenen. Those of us who did know, we fought willingly, and yes, we will take the punishment for the Thirteen.”

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  “You are foolish to think your Judgment is only for the Thirteen! Many of you reached far into the Padrisa for resources.”

  Kawspas, Kerponie and Bponas came and bowed to him. “We did, and so did Dromie and Andy’s people. I will face Judgment from the 15th for my part in this, because Dromie made us live again. But I will plead their case. It is not for the Padrisa to Judge us.”

  He glared at them. “And why should the Padrisa not have the right? We were destroyed, every one of our worlds!”

  “And, we brought every one back. They are still back, the ones who did not destroy themselves fighting for Rentappenen!” Dromie stomped a bare green foot.

  “I said, do not use Gifts!” Yamotenanten frowned and the floor rumbled.

  A Bisillip appeared near them. Startled. “You interrupted my work!”

  “You hid from me, Llsam! I am taking you for the Judgment!” Yamotenanten slashed across his front.

  “Oh, don’t threaten me! I’m here, and I won’t fight you. Can I at least bring my wife?”

  “No, unless you want her to share your fate!”

  “She wanted to die, on Earth. Because she remembered me, she is alive. I want her to stay that way! A person can suffer a lot without dying. You have never suffered, have you?” He stared at him and I heard memories of millions of slaves that died in mines. Llsam collected them until he realized what suffering was, then he freed so many I can’t count that high! He liberated Snafanas’ mines until he got hurt too many times. Conditions in those mines were the worst in the Thirteen. Satauuver did that.

  Yamotenanten stepped back. “Stop! You can bring her. I cannot tell you what our Council will think of it!”

  He held out his arms and she appeared on one. “Oh! Llsam! Where’s this?”

  “We are going to the Padrisa for the Judgment. I can send you back—”

  She hugged him tight! Her arms reached all the way around because Bisillips are half as wide as we are. “I want to stay! I’ll die with you!”

  “I don’t think they will kill us. We will go to the 15th with these people.” He swept out an arm towards Andy, Dromie, Kawspas, Kerponie and Bponas.

  She reached a hand out to Bponas. “We can go with goblins and a unicorn! I won’t mind that!” Llsam’s green, five-fingered hand petted her long, blond hair.

  Bponas giggled when she touched her nose. “You can pet me, but I belong to Azure.”

  “Who’s Azure?”

  I raised a hand.

  “Do you mind if I pet her? Him?”

  “Her, but you better ask her! I don’t own her, I’m just her friend.” I smiled.

  All of them hugged her neck, and they weren’t as upset. It bothered me that we had kids on this ship. They may have grownup memories, but they’re still young. Like me. None of this is fair. Don’t they think Rentappenen’s death was good?

  So many crying faces. Llsam still glared at Yamotenanten, but he’s just doing his job. I wonder what the Council will be like, when we get there? And, how long will it take? “Those with Zheien husbands will die when their husbands do. Telepathy is not limited by distance.”

  “They have stasis.”

  “Stasis is cruel! They will both suffer, despite it.”

  Yamotenanten looked at Pirad. “You gave them herbs. Your clones are still there.”

  “My clones nearly all died. My pastself is too ill to make more or do healing.” He moaned, a screechy sound like fingernails on a blackboard.

  “They have healers.”

  “People will die without his skills. Your people know the consequences of removing higher tech.” Llsam clicked his face into a very exaggerated frozen scowl.

  “Pirad should have thought about that before he broke the rules.”

  Pirad laid against the blue cube and drew up into a fetal position. “I did.”

  “All of us had eons to think. I don’t agree with the Test Of Levels. There are too many flaws in it. The 15th never had a Test Of Levels. Theirs is an orderly progression of Levels. As all the other Levels do.”

  Yamotenanten stared at him. “What level are you from? How do you know of Levels and their structures?”

  “I left the 77th. I saw the foolishness of every Council, every Level. I want no part of your government. I left to create my own. But, Rentappenen was very unpredictable. He killed me. Fortunately, he did not find any of my research. Destroyed, every item of my Lab. I began again when I came to the 3rd. Kirnonos and I kept a few things that were not of any consequence. He was of my people who decided not to Rise and leave their trade networks to suffer. We helped others to Rise. Then we were left alone until others did. I watched him and decided to help him. He learned that slavery seemed profitable, but was not.

  “Until I met Kirnonos, I thought like my brothers, that slavery was an inevitable product of greed, which these levels did not defeat, and even the 77th is tainted with it. But, I studied slaves of all species. I collected minds. When I saw so many, I realized the cost of greed and decided I wanted no part of slavery. I healed my slaves and sent them home.

  “But, I found many other ways to prosper. Shared ideas with Kirnonos. I told him secrets of upper levels that would have no impact on these we lived in. We learned how to heal conditions that saved lives. This work was far more satisfying than any I did.

  “I plan to tell the 5th exactly what they are doing wrong and how to remedy it.”

  I expected a fight, but Yamotenanten sighed and went quiet. Pirad looked shocked, and so did Kirnonos and Taredias, and all the Biehshah!

  Llsam laid down in front of Pirad and shoved his back against his front.

  Pirad moved back!

  Llsam laughed. “You fear rogues? Don’t. Kawspas’ people cleaned me. I am not the only one to come from a higher level, who didn’t like it.”

  Kawspas, Kerponie and Bponas sat near him. So did all of Andy and Dromie’s people.

  The girls huddled against Bponas, who giggled.

  Pirad didn’t look happy.

  Pinda, Wally and Jarfus also came near and let everyone lean against Wally’s huge walrus form. “Gather around! My blubber’s good for something, isn’t it?”

  Yamotenanten glared at him. “Enjoy it while you can. These people fought Rentappenen. You and these weapons sided with him! I will enjoy seeing your punishment!”

  I got between Wally, Jarfus, Bponas and Pinda and put a hand on Ry’nao’s foot. Shivered. Why? Just, why?

  Mama always taught me to pray. Here, for the first time in my life, surrounded by these people I didn’t want to die, I did.