confession. However, others of the anti-Fed party who had been rounded up by Morivenn's followers had been less iron-hard in their resolve. These included the two boys, Mica and Durin, who had confessed to their part in the plan to disable Vinson, and one of the men who had helped in the actual beating there in the Nightbirds’ quarter. “There won't,” said Horne, “be any trouble at all they tell me.'
'Well,” said Wasek, “that's fine. Be glad to have you serve with me again, Horne. Any time.'
He started to put his hand out and then hesitated, not knowing whether it would be taken, and stood there looking so uncomfortable that Horne held out his own hand.
'I ought to slug you again, instead,” he said.
'Hell of a way for a Pilot to talk to a Captain,” said Wasek, but there was no conviction in his voice.
When he had gone, Yso looked at Horne. “How long before you go back to space?'
'Not too long,” he said. “The Federation's investigation commission will soon have all my testimony, and the testimony of the anti-Feds who arranged to put Ardric in Vinson's place. My clearance should come through pretty quickly afterwards.” He looked at her and added, in quite a different tone, “But I'm coming back to Skereth, Yso.'
'If you didn't, I would come after you,” she said.
He took her hand and they went on. Behind them, after a time, the rumbling roar of a great starship cleaving the atmosphere and setting the echoes flying as it took off, bound out for distant suns. Again and again the sound rocked across Skambar and the dark sea and in distant Rillah the ears of Skereth heard it and knew that the children of the Fringe were going home.
