'She told me.'
'But—' Paul drew a steadying breath. 'If she's Tal Tahir, then Lord Tern—'
'That's a problem.' Dorland didn't seem too concerned. He looked down at his hand, and Paul realized he held the Godstone. The silver disk had been the key after all. // 's like a public commset: you put in your udit card and make your call.
'We'll have to ask her about Lord Tern,' Dorland went on. 'I'm sure she can help us find a way to stop High Elder Brill and Lord Tern.'
'She's gone,' Paul pointed out.
'We can bring her back with the Godstone,' Dorland said. He held up the disk in his hand. 'Her Godstone.'
Paul stared at him. 'How can you be so sure she can help us after a ten-minute chat?'
'It's just a ... feeling I got.' Dorland turned back to the chauka. 'She isn't dangerous. She doesn't want to hurt anybody. Surely you could feel that.'
The creature hadn't looked dangerous, Paul had to admit. While Lord Tern's appearance suggested that he was built for speed and strength, this creature looked almost planted in place. Those thin, dangling upper limbs and the cone-shaped body made it look anything but aggressive. And this creature had . . . felt different inside. The alien sensation that had crawled through Paul from Lord Tern had been icy cold. This time the feeling had not been exactly comfortable, but neither had it been terribly unpleasant.
'You really think she can help us?' Karyn asked.
'I'm sure of it.'
Karyn's eyes went again to the chauka. 'Then I think we should call her back if we can.'
'Me, too,' Selmer agreed.
Paul knew it would be pointless to argue. 'We'll let Dorland do it alone this time. It doesn't bother him. The rest of us can wait outside.'
'I think you should stay,' Dorland said. 'She wants to speak to you, too.'
'After what happened? I don't—'
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'She understands now that you're vulnerable. She'll be more careful.'
Paul laughed harshly. 'I suppose she told you that, too.'
'Yes.'
Paul gave up. He braced himself against the wall and said, 'Go ahead.'
Dorland eagerly turned back to the chauka and touched the disk to the rod. The snap came again, and the haze formed above the dish. Shadows twisted. Then the creature began to take shape, and a moment later stood facing them. Paul realized that the conelike body had depressions and bulges all over it, and cavities he didn't want to look at too closely. There was no clothing that he could discern, nor ornamentation of any kind. He winced as he felt a tentative tingle in his mind, then a drawing away.
She's being careful this time, he thought.
A flap near the top of the cone drew open.
Something came out of it on two flexible tendons and wavered toward Paul.
'She wants you to step closer,' Dorland said quietly.
