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that will beours." Lizina's brow furrowed and her head moved from side
to side on the
pillow. "Things have happened to me. Things I think you should
knowabout." Dorjan answered with a nod. She told him everything,
beginning withGanesa's raid on the asteroid colony and concluding with
her sendingForerunner into the Maelstrom. She told him of the men who
had used
her-bought, or rather rented, her body-and the young man who had loved
her.
Chane, to whom she had given herself. 218 Dorjan listened in silence.
When shewas through, he nodded again. "Well?" She stared, perplexed by
his lack ofreaction. ''I've already said it, Lizina. What we have now
and what awaits usin the future is all that matters." He eased her to
him again. "Now, are youready to try for five?" She replied by sliding
beneath him. Yemahl Huhleem'sunspoken fantasies concerning Lizina were
shattered the moment she walked intohis office with Captain Nibaw. He
had felt that the young man, Chane, was buta passing fancy for Lizina.
But this one, this Nibaw, made her eyes like fieryjewels. Yemahl knew he
was seeing the inner light of a woman in love. Were Ibut forty years
younger! Then perhaps I could give this Nibaw some solidcompetition.
Yemahl's wife of those forty years never entered his fantasies.
In reality he would never have left her. Still, a shattered fantasy-
especiallyone as enticing as Lizina- was a disheartening experience. So
much so that theattorney never questioned Lizina's liquidation of
several small, butprofitable assets. Nor did he question her decision to
place the remainder ofher estate into a trust. He did grin widely when
she named Yemahl Huhleem astrustee of the estate. Shattered fantasies
proved easily forgotten. "We'llneed another ship to get this cargo to
HOME," Dorjan said while he ran aninventory check on the latest shipment
of crates that had been uplifted toPanishport. "We have two!" Lizina's
gaze ran over the crates filling the spacestation's tunnel. Medical
equipment, seed, a backup spaceship drive, crateatop crate of edutapes-
all HOMEward bound. 219 She liked to believe thatGarold Harith would
have approved of the way she had invested a small portionof his wealth.
Garold had possessed a certain knack for backing new ventures.
The Kuzih planets were definitely that. "I was talking about three
ships-maybefour!" Dorjan grinned at her. "We'll have to store most of
this at Barbro andmake several runs to get it all to HOME." "Sounds all
right with me." Shekissed him, loudly and wetly. "As long as I'm along
on those runs." Lizinastared at Chane, shocked by his announcement. "Are
you sure?" He nodded. "ThisHOME just isn't what I want. It's obviously
right for you, as is this CaptainNibaw. I've never seen you happier,
Lizina. But it's not what I want." "NorI." This from Hoku, looking very
comfortable and right at Chane's side. Lizinatook a deep breath and
nodded. She had always envisioned Windrammer's wholecrew onboard HOME.
"I signed on to help you, Lizina. You've no need of thathelp anymore. To
be honest, I'm ready to get back to living my own life."
Chane appeared embarrassed by his last admission. Still, his eyes
remainedclear and his head up. "I understand." Lizina nodded. "Have any
idea what thatlife is going to entail?" Chane shrugged. "Hoku and I have
talked about it.
Nothing certain yet. But don't worry. I've banked the generous salary
you'vepaid me. There's enough tucked away to give us time to make up
ourminds." "Ever thought about a ship of your own?" Lizina grinned
widely as anerrant thought wiggled into her conscious. Chane laughed.
"Pos. But spacerscost!" 220 "This one will cost you three hops to the
Barbro Transfer Stationwith holds filled with cargo," Lizina said. The
more she thought about it, themore she liked the idea. ' 'What?'' Chane
stared at her as though she had losther mind. "Listen a few minutes.
