"An off-worlder, a neutral in our wars, lies at Post 216 in serious need of medical attention.  For the sake of Mirl'da's reputation with other planets, send him help."

"Milord," the squadleader replied respectfully, "you have already broadcast that need.  Chairman Wessely ordered the team out as soon as you began broadcasting, but the pad was socked in until early this morning.  Are they too late?"

Anen shook his head.  "Congress heard me but no one answered.  Why?"

The squadleader shook his head, puzzled. "Every call was answered, lord.  The com-techs didn't understand how you could be in such distress and not respond.  The receiver has to be out.  Had a lot of trouble with receivers these past two winters."  The squadleader then motioned towards the transport.  "Get in, lord.  We're ordered to take you to Congressional ground before we start dropping off patrols."

"But my friend..."

The squadleader waved towards the transport impatiently.  "We'll contact the med team from the air.  We must deliver you and get to our posts.  The Runners are bold this year.  Several have been seen out of the Desert on Holdings already this year.  Please board the transport, lord."

Anen stood fast.  "Why arrest me?  It's Moaekod who's broken the law."

The squadleader shrugged.  "I don't know, lord.  I just follow orders. My millen didn't explain them.  I do know the siege of Castle Buruq will be lifted the moment you're in Congressional custody; in other words, the moment you're in the transport and I com the chairman.'  The squadleader turned Anen's body, ever so politely, to face the ramp and gently removed his stunner and knife.  "Better climb aboard, lord.  Word is that food's getting scarce in the castle and medicals low.  You lift the siege by coming peaceably to Congressional ground."

Anen's shoulders sagged.  He began walking up the ramp, although his feet felt as if they wore lead boots.  He heard the squadleader grumbling to another soldier.  "Wessely could have ordered a millen and a smaller ship to pick Moaekod up.  A millen's more proper.  Besides, if these two can travel through the pass, so can Runners."

Anen knew that though a millen would be proper, Congress usually sent either the liege lord of the czar-of-House or a highborn vassal.  But then I'm not really the czar of my House, Anen thought bitterly, and won't be for forty more days.  And I don't have a liege.

He ducked through the transport's door.  The Wessely and Zentov soldiers serving as border patrol for this sector this season sat on rows of benches in the belly of the transport.  The squadleader respectfully showed Anen and Ota to a bench near the front of the transport.  Anen looked up at the smooth, gray plastisteel ceiling. Looks like my future, he thought, what's left of it, anyway.

The squadleader slid into the seat beside the pilot, spoke to him quietly and hurriedly, then turned to Anen.  "We should receive a reply from the med team in a moment, lord."  He paused, as if considering something.  He met Anen's eyes directly.  "The Gild report is complete.  Congress is meeting early tomorrow, to decide what to do with it."

A spatter of static came over the com, then a coded sequence of number and letters.  The pilot asked to have the series repeated, then turned to Anen.

"The med team is in the air and expects to be at Post 216 within a few minutes of the time you land at Congress, milord."

Anen's voice obeyed him unwillingly and cracked a little on the words.  "Thank you."

Anen later remembered nothing of that flight beyond the smooth, gray ceiling and the hardness of the bench.  At the Congress building, the transport's pilot led Anen and Ota through an entrance Anen hadn't known of and down a flight of stairs to a hall lined with doors.  The pilot unlocked a door a few paces from the stairs and motioned Anen in.

"Make yourself at home, milord.  Chairman Baranovsky and other members of the Houses-in-Congress are on the way from their Holdings.  They plan to talk with you before Congress meets.  Your man here will stay with Congress's enlisteds.  He'll be well cared for."  The man gave Anen a look he interpreted as sympathy and exited, shutting the door and locking it.

Anen was alone.  He felt a sudden, powerful and unreasonable surge of panic.  He had no one, and he was at the mercy of the chairman.

The room had been tastefully decorated with soft-napped wall hangings, a fur rug, a wide bed, and a stuffed bag-chair, wall lights, and a large hide chest for the occupant's belongings.  "Luxurious, for a prison," Anen muttered, the wall hangings muting his voice even further.  He tried the door to be sure.  Locked.  "But it is a prison."

He slumped onto the bed and gave himself up to despair.  He ran over and over his actions since his return home and each, still, looked like the best answer to its situation.  But he hadn't been attuned to Puredorv ways of thinking and behaving and that led to his downfall.  His thoughts raced round and round, like rats in a trap, increasing his grief and despair.  Everyone, everyone falls with me, he cried silently.

When he at last found his way back out of the brain fog, two trays of food lay on the floor inside a wide slot in the bottom of the door---nightmeal and fast-breaking.  With the fast-breaking tray was a note:  "Anen, you didn't answer, and the guard refused me access to you.  Buck up.  The siege is lifted and the Dlinnyy Anya is here with me at Congress.  Kosh."

Anen crumpled the note into a ball and threw it at the wall.  Months of work and rigid self-control and careful thought and he was a prisoner, not even allowed to see family or allies.  Anen stalked to the door and pounded on it imperiously.  "I know there's a guard out there.  Open this door!"

Nobody responded and that only increased Anen's helpless anger.  He sat on the edge of the bed in fury and started counting hairs in the fur rug just to keep the rage in check.  He didn't know how long he'd been at this fruitless endeavor before he heard the door open.  He didn't turn around.

"Anen?"

Anen looked up.  "Lady Mother," he answered listlessly.

The Dlinnyy stood in the doorway, a Congressional millen and perhaps a squad of Congressional troops behind her.  Anen stood slowly.  He couldn't greet her with joy that she, at least, was free.  He couldn't even feel joy, not when his ignorance of Puredorv politics and his misjudgments of Puredorv ways were bringing down his entire House.  The Dlinnyy swept across the room and gripped his upper arms with surprisingly strong fingers.  She looked up at him with deep lines between her brows. 

"What's wrong with you?  You looked drained---beaten.  We have our chance to lay what's happened before the Planetary Congress."

Anen looked down at her in disbelief.  "Don't you know?  I'm not here by invitation or choice.  I've been arrested, Lady Mother."

The Dlinnyy whirled, every line of her taut with outrage.  "You!" she stormed, stabbing her finger towards the portly Congressional millen.  "Didn't you make clear to his lordship that this was a protective arrest?  Didn't you tell him I requested it of Chairman Wessely before he left office?  Didn't you tell him it was to protect his life?"

The millen cringed and backed a step away from the tiny, furious woman.  "I---I haven't seen his lordship till just now.  Chairman Baranovsky said nothing to me about his lordship, milady.  I was only under orders to have him arrested by the nearest Ghorr patrol.  I didn't know---I had no idea...."

"Some commander you are!  You let the Kererr Kurharay be brought in on a common transport, filled with soldiers of the line.  No officers, no member of a Family, not even a millen among his guard!  You neglected everything due his rank and blood!'

The millen blanched and backed up another stop.  The Dlinnyy whirled on him to face Anen again.  She laid a light hand on his arm.  "Has no one visited you?  None of our vassals?  Nobody?"

She needed no answer but the look on Anen's face.  She dropped her hand and shook her head.  "I can't understand it.  Common courtesy between vassal and lord..." Her voice died away, unbelieving.

"Excuse me, milady."  The millen's voice was ingratiating.  "Chairman Baranovsky ordered no visitors.  You yourself, lady, were allowed only to visit only by intervention of Panshin, Bubov, and Rasnar Barugov of Kuzgruniak., a leader of the Freemen, lady."

The Dlinnyy flushed with her anger, but she didn't speak it.  She lifted her chrono, checked the time, then let it drop again.  It slid with a quiet clinkle of gold links to the end of its chain. "Baranovsky is settling a score with Zog by these petty cruelties," she said under her breath.  "I know it.  I just know it!"  She glanced at Anen to be sure he had heard her, then settled a formal smile on her face.  "We'll have to see about that in Congress, won't we, Millen.  Anen, the session will begin soon.  The men here will see you arrive at the chamber alive."

Anen allowed himself to be shown out and led down two more levels to the tiled hallway that surrounded the Congressional chamber.  He had little hope of being free again, let alone of saving his House.  Too many powerful Houses stood against him now----Baranovsky, Moaekod, Masxad, Khikak----all the most powerful of the Families except Panshin.  House Zentov's reliability was questionable.  Could they be counted on for support.  Right now, it looked like Zentov would not oppose, but it wouldn't support, either.  As for his other vassals, there was the matter of his treatment of Nikitina, Korol and Ilin.  Anen shook off the thought.  It was past time for worrying about what his vassals would do.

A pair of Moaekod soldiers pushed away from the wall when they saw Anen, who stiffened and reached for his appropriated zapper.  The Moaekod men turned abruptly and walked away when they saw the soldiers in Congressional uniform immediately behind Anen. Thank you for the guard, Lady Mother, Anen thought, sure that without them, he would now be dead.

Only a few other people stood outside the chamber and most of these belonged to House Masxad and House Khikak.  Just inside the door of the chamber, a cluster of minor-House lords and Freemen blocked entrance.

"Make way.  Make way, please," the Congress guards ordered.

The group spread apart, and the soldiers guided Anen through, encircling him so tightly he had trouble walking.  He was led to the section reserved for his House, but instead of being seated behind the prep table, as was his right, the soldiers pushed him toward the door of an open-topped plastisteel box. Anen stiffened and stopped.

"No. I've been locked up long enough!"

The millen coughed in embarrassment, glanced at the Dlinnyy for help, which she didn't offer, looked towards the chairman's chair, which was vacant, then at Anen.  He wouldn't meet Anen's gaze.  "It's for your own good.  The Freemen insist on it, milord.  You and Lord Gaito may kill each other if you wish, but not while Congress is in session."

"Then put Gaito in it," Anen snapped.

The millen cleared his throat.  "Ah, Lord Gaito, ah, he has a powerful friend in the chairman, milord.  You'll either sit in the box or you'll be taken back to your room upstairs.  It's up to you."

Anen looked around the chamber.  The section for the Ten looked full and the upper gallery as well.  There were many gaps in the benches of the Freemen and minor Houses, but many of those places belonged to the men at the door.  Anen entered the box, burning with indignation and anger, and sat in the chair provided.  The millen shut the door, pointed his stungun directly at the box, dialed it to "kill," and fired direction at Anen.  The wall of the box flushed lightly pink, but Anen felt nothing.  He smiled, thinly, at the millen, who smiled back, waved goodbye, and marched out with all but two of his men.  The two remaining behind blocked the door from the box.  Anen could hear the rattle of their equipment as well as if he were outside with them.

That was kind of him, Anen admitted to himself, reluctant to give any credit to the man immediately responsible for his capture and imprisonment.  He then looked at his chrono.  The time of meeting had come but the chairman had not, and several of the benches behind the prep tables of the Ten lacked important occupants.  The murmuring in the chamber had a questioning quality to it, as if everyone were asking about his neighbor., "What's wrong?  Congress always starts on time."  Anen put himself briefly into the mode-that-gives-distance-from-pain to silence his inner tension.  Calm after that, he watched the shifting colors and alliances in the chamber without feeling them.

Half an hour passed, and the calm Anen had reached after the millen's kindness began to evaporate.  He heard an excited stirring behind him and turned around.  Anen saw the wave of heads turning, like wind through long grass, as astonished Family members watched Gaito Moaekod stride down the aisle toward the Kurharay prep table.  Anen sprang to his feet and was at the door in a moment.  The two Congress guards moved closer in front of the door, facing Gaito, blocking the exit from the box.

The Moaekod Duke-designate stopped beside the Dlinnyy's chair, went down on one knee, and lifted the Dlinnyy's hand to his forehead in the ritual gesture of deep respect.  The Dlinnyy jerked her hand away.  Gaito laughed and stood.  "Don't be mad, milady.  When today's meeting is concluded and its issues settled, our Houses will no longer be at war with each other.  The feud will be ended.  I hope this pleases you and the Lady Cimmaron.  Please express my admiration to her and tell her I hope to tell her myself in person soon.

The Dlinnyy paled at the implication of Gaito's words.  Anen's hand clenched and he raged at his inability to break out of his prison and clench those hands around Gaito's handsome neck.  He saw Kosh, across the room, standing flushed and rigid, the Baron's hand restraining him.  Gaito laughed at the effect of his performance, bowed to the Dlinnyy with practiced grace, tossed a triumphant look at Anen, cast a speculative glance at Kosh, and walked across the center space to the Moaekod table.  The Dlinnyy Anya spun towards Anen, her hands fluttering, her face still pale, her lips caught between her teeth to hold back tears.

"Never," she whispered.  "I'll never let him have Cimmaron."

"Don't let him see how effective he was, Lady Mother," Anen said very quietly.  "We've given the bastard too much credit as it is."

Just then, with a blare of ceremonial trumpets, quite out of place in Congress, the Marquis of Baranovsky entered with an honor guard of Congressional soldiers, one of the few customary parts of the brief ceremony of Installation.  The soldiers marched with him to the chairman's table, handed him the chairman's gavel, and marched up the Freemen's aisle to posts by the side doors.  The new chairman had just been installed.  He rapped for attention.

"Peace be on your Houses."

"And on yours, grace and peace."

"The Congress of Mirl'da V is now in session.  I apologize for the late start, but there's been some unexplained delay in getting the Gild report.  The Gild insisted it be delivered to Congress in person by official Gild representatives, an idea quite out of the customary order of things."  Baranovsky cleared his throat, took one sip of water from a glass on the table, and went on.  "We've got several other matters of urgent business to consider this day.  The first matter we will take up is that of the Moaekod trusteeship.  By order of the last Congress, the trusteeship was to last until the Gild made its report on the Zhernak case, or until the Thawtime Congress, at your convenience, lords and Freemen.

"Rasnar Barugov,  freecity of Kuzgruniak.  We Freemen believe that the Gild report is vital to a just decision.  Therefore we, as a group, vote to continue the Moaekod Holding in trust as it is until we hear from the Gild."

"Are there 'nyets' among the Freemen?   Then record each Freeman as voting to continue Khikak as trustee.  Does anyone else wish to speak on this matter?"

The young Paladin of House Mirsk stood. "Arlin, Paladin of Mirsk.  Since the difference in time is not likely to be more than one hour or two, I vote my House in favor of waiting.

A murmur of approval followed his speech. Anen felt a little relieved.  At least his House and House Bubov were not completely alone.  The Duke of Zento stood for recognition.  My one vassal from the Ten, Anen thought, and a man I thought most unlikely to take sides today.  The chairman nodded to Zentov.

"Ivan IV Zentov, here.  My lords, I fail to see what the Gild has to do with this matter.  This is a matter of sovereignty.   Mirl'da V belongs to no over-government, such as the Federation.  The Gild's conclusions should have no bearing on our decisions because the Gild is an intergalactic merchant monopoly and neither a legal nor a political organization, yet if we judge one of our Families by the conclusions of this merchant group, we've yielded some of our sovereignty to it, sovereignty which we've protected carefully against all outsiders for 61 generations, into the hands of traders and...."

"Sit down! Sit down!" came from the Panshin back benches.  The Duke of Panshin glared at the young men, then turned around to face the middle of the chamber again.

"You speak against waiting, milord?" The chairman waited courteously for a reply.

The Duke of Zentov couldn't answer, he was so angry.  He sopped his grayish, wrinkled face with a large handkerchief, nodded, shook his head, and sat down.

"With Zentov to speak so, we don't need enemies," the Dlinnyy said savagely.

"SHHHHHHHHHH!" said the Dlinnyy's neighbors.

The Dlinnyy rose with dignity.  "Anya Kurharay, regent in Kurharay.  The trusteeship decision must also include siege laid three days early by Moaekod and his trustees."

Her statement brought a gasp of surprise from those who didn't know what had happened.  The chairman rapped his gavel on his desk.

"Women do not speak here, milady.  Gaito Moaekod was already standing."

Gaito may not speak for Moaekod now, but I am the regent for my House," the Dlinnyy protested.

"How very unfortunate for your House, milady, because that means your House has no official voice that here.  I recognize Moaekod."

Anen sprang to his feet.  "I am Kererr in Kurharay!  If the Dlinnyy is forbidden to speak, it is my right!"

Members of Congress began murmuring angrily.  Baranovsky ignored them and Gaito Moaekod began speaking, long before the murmuring died down enough that Anen could hear him.

"....Houses consider my position, there are a number of matters they should consider.  The most vital of these is the continuing humiliation of being governed for, as if I were a minor."  Gaito paused long enough to look pointedly at Anen.  "And it embarrasses my House to be punished for even so long a time as one winter for such a small offense....."

"Small offense!" the lord of House Chai roared, bounding to his feet.  "You laid siege early.  You laid siege without notice.  The 40-day law is all that keeps the wolves among the Ten from eating up small Houses like mine!"

"I have the floor, Viktor," Gaito cut in smoothly.  "You'll get your turn to speak."  Gaito turned again towards the chairman.  "As I was saying, such a sentence humiliated my House and that lessens my credibility with my vassals.  To this shameful sentence, the Congress had added the disgrace of compelling my trustee to withdraw my forces from the site of a lawful siege."

"The lawfulness of that siege had been questioned, Lord Gaito," Baranovsky put in.

Gaito bowed to indicate he'd heard the chairman's remark.  "I gave the required public notice."  He turned towards the center of the half-circle of Families.  "I also wish the Noble Houses to consider, in making their decision, that the charges laid against my House at the last Congress by the minor, Anen Kurharay, and his regent, caused the paralysis, eventual insanity, and death of the noble Duke Astin of Moaekod, my sire.  My House has suffered enough, lords and Freemen, at the hands of this alien-bred, alien-trained idiot.  Give me the reins, let me rule my House as it was my sire's wish that I do.  Again, he looked significantly at Anen, who clenched his teeth and didn't retort.

I have long lived with knowing my sire didn't wish for me to rule, Gaito Moaekod, Anen told the young Duke silently.  You misjudge me if you expect to taunt me with such remarks.

A new voice entered the discussion.  "My Lord Chairman.  Anil Bubov here.  Please remind the young Duke-designate that the Ten refrain from insulting other heads of Families, however subtly, on the floor of this chamber."

The phrase "Duke-designate" stung Anen.  His face reddened and his lips tightened.

"Consider him reminded, Baron." Baranovsky looked at the papers on his desk, not at Bubov.

The baron remained on his feet, but the chairman continued to refuse to look in his direction.  The baron had been insulted, before the whole Congress, apparently intentionally, for the request of a czar-of-House had always been honored, to the letter, on the floor of Congress.  Yet Baranovsky had refused to do so.

"Are we ready to vote?" Baranovsky glanced around the chamber.

"My lord Chairman, you have yet to honor my request."  Baron Bubov was holding his temper with considerable difficulty.

"I said to consider him reminded, milord.  If there are no other objections, let us now commence the vote on the trusteeship of House Moaekod."

"My lord Chairman!" shouted a voice from the Freemen's section.  "I object to this rushing.  The Gild will soon bring us...."

"Frem Strogov, you forgot to identify yourself as required.  Bailiffs, bring down the ballots."

Angry whispers, overloud rustling of papers, and much coughing and shifting in seats followed the chairman's order.  He looked disconcerted and glanced toward Garak, new Kererr in House Masxad, who shrugged.  Before Baranovsky could order the ballots distributed, the chamber boomed with furious pounding on the main doors.  Men from the back benches of Bubov and Wessely forced their way through the throng of spectators that clogged the circular aisle at the back and shoved the doors unceremoniously open.  Everyone who turned to look saw the odd sight of soldiers in Congressional gray pushing a delegation of Gild 1st Merchants away from the chamber.

"My lord of Baranovsky, what does this mean?" the Paladin of Panshin roared.

"Da, tell us!" The angry chorus shook the gallery floor until it rattled.

Baron Bubov rose, his usually florid face almost purple with anger.  Other czars-of-House rose, many of them clamoring for attention.  Baranovsky's eyes flicked from side to side.  He wet his lips with a dart of his tongue.  "Why, my lords, why, I---I have no idea what's happening.  Bring those men in, Lord Anil."

Bubov and Wessely escorted the ruffled Gild officers to the middle of the chamber.  The lords stepped back to their tables.  The 1st Merchants brushed their rumpled uniforms into order with quick, short strokes.  The room had become so quiet that everyone could hear the rough sound of hands against stiff fabric.  A gray-haired Terran at the center of the group faced the semicircle of the Ten.

"Lords of the Nine Families, I, Vadim Haski, of Gild Central, say to you that I have nowhere been treated so badly in my entire career, and I have dealt with the barbarians of Helnilles and the cannibals of Ca'viri!  If the matter before you were not of great urgency, I would take my delegation back to Gildport and recommend that Mirl'da V be put off-limits to Gildships indefinitely!"

Lords and Freemen alike gasped at the idea of such a disaster.  Haski continued, his voice still quaking with anger. Haski continued, his voice still quivering with anger.  "The Gild has spent months and untold decadalers to investigate the murders and attempted murders aboard the Zhernak.  We have held, against their wishes and at great expense to the Gild's goodwill on their home planets, the three sentient beings still living, other than the crew, who were present at the time of the attacks.  We held them because we had to have their testimony both during the investigation and during the trial.  The trial is now completed.  I will come to the verdict in a moment, after I've read the conclusions of the investigation."

Baranovsky's obvious alliance with Moaekod, his avoidance or obstruction of the normal rules of Congress, his clear dislike of Kurharay---Anen suddenly didn't believe Baranovsky would help Stanis, because Stanis was Kurharay's friend.   Perhaps Stanis was already hostage somewhere, waiting his usefulness as a bargaining chip.  Anen shoved open the door of the plastic box, pushed aside the Congressional soldiers and several Kurharay cousins who leaped up to stoop him, and strode to Vadim Haski's side.  He grasped the man's arm urgently.   The Gild was the only agency that could save Stanis now.

"Gentlecomrade, I interrupt you for the sake of a man's life.  He needs off-planet medical aid at once.  He's...."

The Gildsman looked Anen up and down coldly.  "And who be you?"

"Anen Kurharay, gentlecomrade.  Please, send men for Stanis Kharzov before you continue your report.  Your ship's med-officer may be able to save his life."

"Kharzov claims to be Kurharay's brother," Abdul Masxad sneered, loudly enough that the Gildsmen couldn't miss what he said.

Thoughts flitted like shadows across the Gildsman's face.  "If he's your brother, there's nothing I can do for him. The Families were told months ago that the Gild carries no more passengers from Mirl'da V anywhere."

Anen stiffened.  "My enemies would hurt me through my friend, gentlecomrade."  He kept his voice quiet and reasonable, though he was shaking with rage at Masxad inside.  "That's why I interrupted you to start with.  Stanis is a citizen of Raaros.  HIs father is freemerchant Boris Kharzov, who...."

Haski's face lit up with recognition.  He turned quickly to one of his companions and spoke to him in a language Anen didn't understand.  The companion left the chamber running and Haski turned to Anen.

"1st Merchant Moskva goes to ready our shuttle.  Your friend will be taken to our ship the moment your Congress turns him over to us."

Anen bowed deeply.  "I'll always be grateful to you, gentlecomrade.  Stanis Kharzov is closer than kin to me."

"How will we know the chairman has given us the right man, young sir?"

Anen felt glad for the first time in weeks.  He grinned at Haski.  "He's the image of his father, gentlecomrade."

Haski grinned back, then sobered and turned to Chairman Baranovsky. "You will release this young man to us right away on pain of Gild embargo."

Baranovsky licked his lips and looked at Masxad and Moaekod.  Rik Masxad doodled with his stylus on the tabletop.  Moaekod looked at the ceiling.  

"We of the Puredorv always deal honorably with the Gild, 1st Merchant."

Haski looked down his nose at the Marquis, his disbelief plain, and pointedly turned away.  Baranovsky flushed and licked his lips again.  Haski spoke, more to the Congress than to the chairman.  "You'll regret for years anything but the immediate release of this young man, Congress of Mirl'da V.  He comes from a great merchant family and a powerful ally of the Gild."

Baranovsky cleared his throat and fumbled through the papers on his desk, sent for a Congressional medical officer, conferred, fumbled through his papers again.  "A med team was sent to care for him this morning, but---we don't----we don't have the young man, 1st Merchant."

Anen went rigid.  Haski turned slowly, his eyes and face hardening.  "Then who does?" he asked ominously. 

Baranovsky shuffled through the papers as if the answer were somewhere among them.  "The---ah---the rescue party found the guard hut ransacked and empty, 1st Merchant.  There was no food, no medical supplies, no clothing or blankets, and no Stanis Kharzov.  The Runners seem to have taken him, 1st Merchant."

No Stanis!  Shock and then a wild grief tore at Anen. Stanis! All my brothers and now Stanis!  Anen took deep, gulping breaths to control the wildness.  He summoned all the training the Academy had given him, focused on it, and put his grief to one side with great difficulty.  If he were to come out of this at all, he must think as he had never thought before.  He would have to mourn Stanis later.  Nobody came back from the hands of Runners. As if from light-years away, he heard Haski speaking.

".....the evidence the Gild collected over this long period of time, and with help from the laboratories of the Patrol, the Gild and Patrol have reached three conclusions:

"1.  That the various shooting, exploding, gassing, and poisoning incidents aboard Raaros's Orbital port and aboard the Zhernak were, in fact, attempts against the life of Anen Kurharay, here present."

"2.  That these murderous acts were committed from a plan and for a reason, not out of insanity."

"3.  That the only personal benefit from said Anen Kurharay's death would be to someone on the intended victim's home planet.  Therefore, no one among passengers or crew had a personal motive.

"4. None of the passengers could have been involved in the attempts, for various reasons I won't go into here."

Haski stepped to the chairman's table and took a drink from the glass of water there.  Some of the younger members of Congress tittered.  Haski resumed his place and his sober mien.

"There are more conclusions, gentlecomrades."

"5. That although none of the crew had a personal motive, someone might have a profit motive for killing or helping to kill Kurharay.  A check of financial records helped betray this person, Captain Eugene Ruzuqkdae.

"6. The Gild has proof that Ruzuqkdae acted in the payment of and on behalf of one Astin Moaekod, now deceased.  As a result of this investigation, Captain Ruzuqkdae has been sentenced to ten years' hard labor in the mines of Lepos Solarski and been barred from interplanetary command for the rest of his life.

"Lastly, I leave with Frem Barugov of the freecity of Kuzgruniak photos of Gild drafts from Astin Moaekod to Eugene Ruzuqkdae, ostensibly for cargo.  Such cargo was never manifested on Gildships and was never received through customs at the ports listed on the drafts.  Do with these as you wish."  Haski walked to Frem Barugov's desk and put some papers in his hand.  He folded his own papers over with a snap.  He looked at the Freemen and minor Houses.  "Lords and Freemen of the Puredorv, the Gild has acted to the limit of its codes and charters.  However, I also leave with Frem Barugov, as information only, not only as an interference in Puredorv politics, Gild satellites pix of House Moaekod flitters in Ghorr, pix taken 20 and 21 Gorny."

A roar of outrage and anger swept through the chamber like a meteor shower.  Haski and his delegation filed quietly out before the noise had died down.  Anen strode to the center of the open space ahead of the chairman's tale.  He raised his arms for silence.  The uproar continued.  "Lords and Freemen!  Lords and Freemen!" he cried.

Slowly, starting with House Moaekod and spreading to its allies and the minor Houses, the noise abated.  Anen didn't face the chairman, as custom required, but spoke to the semicircle of Families and minor Houses directly.

"My lords, the Gild has presented evidence.  The physical evidence is aboard the Zhernak  if anyone wants to check it, but the Gild has always been scrupulously honest.  Does anyone here doubt the word and the honor of the Gild?"

Nobody said anything.  Nobody dared.  The Gild was Mirl'da V's only commercial link with the rest of the universe.

Anen waited long enough for his point to sink in, then went on.  "I say, accept the Gild's report and the Patrol's conviction of Captain  Ruzuqkdae as sufficient evidence to continue the Moaekod trusteeship indefinitely.  If the Gild report is not enough, there," he pointed to Barugov's desk, "are the photos that support my claim to have been attacked by Moaekod assassins in Ghorr."

Gaito Moaekod slammed the Moaekod table with his open hand, making a cracking sound that startled everyone.  He sprang to his feet. "The attack in Ghorr was my sire's act.  What do my sire's acts have to do with me?  Nothing!  Nothing whatsoever!  I won't listen to an enemy of my clan plot my destruction!"

Anen pointed a trembling finger at Moaekod.  "You set this last siege too early!"

Gaito looked at Anen coldly. "I gave the notice required by law."

Anen laughed, a grim, frozen sound.  "Yes, you did that.  The whole planet heard you.  Only my House heard your transports landing three days early."

"You lie!" Gaito Moaekod was leaning over his prep table now, his face reddening with anger.

"I speak the truth!" Anen spun away from Moaekod and fixed each of the lords of the remaining Ten with his eyes.  "I have Gild pix to support what I say.  Maybe Congress will now believe what I said at the Frosttime session:  Moaekod set illegal siege on my House, then attacked me and my escort in Ghorr; Gaito of Moaekod himself was there.  House Moaekod thinks itself above our laws.  Vote now to continue the trusteeship!"

Baranovsky rapped his gavel.  "I am in charge here!  I say when we vote!"

"Vote!  Vote! Vote!" cried many voices from the minor Houses.

"I gave the notice required by law.  Give me my rightful heritage!" Gaito shouted above the din.

"You didn't give honest time for neutrals to escape from the fighting!" someone from House Wessely shouted back.

"You broke the law.  You set siege early."  This came, violently, unexpectedly, from many voices in the Freemen's section.

 Rasnar Barugov stood before the Freemen's speaking station, waving the Gild pix.  "The laying of siege, the breaking of Council law is Freemen's business.  It's the planet's business."

"Order!  Order!" Baranovsky shouted in vain.

Anen vaulted onto the Moaekod prep table.  "The Ten have their laws."  His voice carried above the others.  "Our laws are harsh, but we've always obeyed them.  Now one of the Ten wants exemption."

"Da." The word came as a low growl of agreement from many parts of the chamber.

Anen felt victory at hand.  The Congress was leaning his way at last.  Then Abdul Masxad and looked up at Anen.472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkl0Figgy0b
472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqMD9uemDOL
"Lords and Freemen, Anen Kurharay is not of age and has no right to speak to Congress.  Lord Chairman, I request he be barred from the room."

"Kurharay stays to vote," the Paladin of Panshin said.  "He is but eighteen days short of his majority, and he has spoken well."

Another roar erupted in the chamber.  Baranovsky pounded again for order.  "We'll vote on the right of Anen Kurharay to...."

A roar of anger and disbelief cut off the end of Baranovsky's sentence.  Four men of minor Houses stood for recognition.  The Freemen gathered in bristling clusters in their section of the chamber, waving fists and papers.

The Dlinnyy Anya's high, clear voice cut through the noise.  "We have an issue on the floor, Lord Chairman, the issue of the Moaekod trusteeship."  The novelty of a woman's higher voice speaking out in Congress silenced the room.

Anen sprang from the table and strode to the chairman's desk.  He spoke loud enough for everyone to hear.  "I have the floor, milord, and I demand to be heard.  House Moaekod has broken the laws of feud by attacking me off-planet, by attempting gang assassination, by laying illegal siege, by laying siege early.  If Congress grants Moaekod exemption from our laws by lifting the trusteeship, nobody will be safe."

"Exemption!" Moaekod snarled.  "I'll 'exempt' you, Kurharay!"

He whipped out a knife.  Anen watched, shocked, as the knife left Moaekod's hand and flew towards him.  He stood frozen, as if he and the knife in the room were in a nightmare.  Death.  In the Congress chamber.  From an illegal weapon.  He wanted to move but seemed to have lost the power. Someone rammed into him from behind, the knife skimmed past his shoulder, he dodged at last and heard the knife thud into something soft.  A little drawn-out sigh followed the thud.  The hand that had pushed him slipped down his back and right arm, caught a moment in the sling, and fell away.  Anen spun in time to see the Dlinnyy falling to the floor, the knife protruding from her side.  He knelt quickly.  She wasn't breathing.  Congressional soldiers swarmed around him.  A Congressional medical officer ran down the aisle, felt the Dlinnyy's pulse, carefully pulled out the knife, massaged her heart.  He looked over at Anen.  "She's dead, milord," he said softly, apologetically.  "There's nothing I can do."

Anen saw the chamber through a red haze.  He saw Gaito wrestling silently against three men of his Family who were trying to get an illegal stungun out of his hand, the battle made more ferocious by its silence.  Toben gone, and Ivan and Din and Linar, and now, the Dlinnyy, all thanks to Moaekod.  Anen stood, ripped off the sling, rammed through the Congressional soldiers who surrounded him, and grabbed Gaito Moaekod by the throat.  Hands tore at his, arms wrapped around his arms and body, trying to pry him loose.  He felt his own hands squeezing tighter and tighter, trembling with the power in them.  He shook Gaito, watched with fascination the head, with its bulging eyes and gaping mouth, flop to and fro.  Kurharay men finally tore him away and bound his arms, but still he struggled.  Even when they hauled him back across the room and pushed him down on the bench, it took four men to keep him there.

"He killed her!  He killed her!"  Anen's only thought was that Gaito be punished for all the deaths, punished for them immediately!

His rage and pain echoed in the cries of Congress members.  "Arrest the killer!" "Da, arrest Moaekod!"

The Marquis of Baranovsky beckoned a squad of Masxad soldiers to the chairman's table.  The uproar in the chamber increased at this clear violation of Congressional ground by Family soldiers.  Baranovsky spoke to the men and the uproar died in order to hear.

"Say it again, Lord Marquis!  We of House Panshin didn't hear you!"  A young man at the prep table shouted.

Someone from House Renko took up the cry.  "Da.  We all want to hear what yuo tell a private army!"

"Repeat it!" the Duke Wessely demanded.

Baranovsky spoke with exaggerated care.  "I said, 'Take Kurharay out and hold him in protective custody until the session concludes.'"

 His reply was met by jeers and shouts of outrage.

"I'll just bet you did!"

"Not Masxad men, milord.  Congressmen or none."

"Masxad hates Kurharay.  Congressmen."

"Congressmen!  Congressmen!"

"Remove him!" Baranovsky roared.

The Masxad soldiers marched to the Kurharay table, but the men of Panshin and Kurharay rushed between them and the young Kererr.

"Kurharay stays," the Duke of Panshin said firmly.

"Vote with Kurharay or none of us are safe," shouted someone from the back benches of Zentov.

Some Congress members roared approval of this, others reached for the knives and other weapons they didn't have, had left with the guards outside the building.  Baranovsky pounded his gavel for quiet, called for more soldiers, ordered Anen's protectors to stop resisting.  Three squads of soldiers in Congressional gray marched down the side aisle with Rasnar Barugov at their head.  One squad split off and surrounded the Masxad men near Anen.  Barugov ripped the gavel out of Baranovsky's hand and unceremoniously dumped the marquis out of the chairman's chair.  The chamber quieted in shock.  Barugov rapped the gavel once, sharply.

"The Ten Families will never again control this Congress.  While you have mocked law and order for your own clan's ends, we of the Freemen and minor Houses have voted and have revoked the right of the Ten to the chairmanship."

"That's treason!" shouted someone from Pymazhenko.

"Nyet, lord!" Barugov shook his head emphatically.  "Justice for the majority on this planet isn't treason.  You of the Ten have seen murder done and tried to remove the intended victim instead of the murderer.  Some of you have twisted procedure through action that would place a criminal, whose House has violated many laws, in control of vast political and financial power.  The young Kererr Kurharay spoke the truth today, as it did at Frosttime. You---none of you----helped him defend our planet from these predators.  Some of you jeered.   Some of you tried to silence him."  Barugov threw long sheets of ballots on the floor in front of the chairman's table.  "These are the unanimous ballots recording our vote.  We of the freecities and the minor Houses are two-thirds of Council, my fine lords, and we vote with the young lord.  The trusteeship continues."  Barugov looked around the chamber.  "But there's more, my fine lords.  We tell you now that from this moment, the Ten and their Houses-in Council will have power only over the Ten Families and their affairs, short of treason and murder.  We, the Freemen, have taken permanent chairmanship of this, the Planetary Council.  Look you and see what you've caused!"

There was a rustling and whispering among the Freemen. "Mole Isrtrev, freecity of Adarkim.  Gaito Moaekod committed murder.  We all saw."

Barugov turned to Gaito. "Gaito, son of House Moaekod, the sentence in the law for murder is 9 years.  Because you are czar-of-House, you will not serve the sentence of the law in Ghorr:  You will spend 10 years in solitary confinement at the Retreat House at Ozudil.  Control of affairs of House Moaekod are, from this time until your release, in the hands of loyal vassals.  This sentence, too, will pass by at least two-thirds."  Barugov looked at the prep tables with ill-hidden scorn.  "Will you test it, Noble Ten?"

Baron Bubov spoke out of the stunned silence.  "I, Anil Bubov, say we will not test it.  Those who agree, speak."

There were six "das."

Barugov nodded.  "Let it be known.  Soldiers of congress, arrest Moaekod and take him to Ozudil."

The moment Congressional soldiers touched Gaito, his face contorted with rage, and he flung out his arms and legs, punching and kicking.  Anen turned away from a display so embarrassingly outside Family codes.  "Loose me now," he told the men who still held his arms and shoulders.  "I won't do anything foolish."

When they loosed him, Anen stood and faced the chairman.  "Frem Barugov---" Anen paused to swallow the lump that threatened to choke his voice and expose his grief for all to see.  "Frem Barugov, I ask to be named, as of now, czar-of-House.  Without either regent or lord, much evil could happen to Kurharay between this Congress and the next one.  A House must have a lord, Freeman."  Anen held the new chairman's eyes.

Barugov nodded.  "Well said, young man."  Barugov looked around the chamber.  "Congress, what is your pleasure?"

"He's not yet of age for naming," Khikak argued.

"Near enough," the lord of the House of Bashki retorted.

Many other voices murmured or shouted agreement.

Barugov pounded the gavel.  "Order!" he commanded. 

Abdul Masxad looked at the chairman and then turned deliberately away to face the Ten.  He laughed slightingly.  "Lords of the Ten, what can happen between now and midsummer?"

A Freeman stood, glancing at Masxad with an expression nearing contempt before turning to the benches of the Freemen.  "Rorril, freecity of Yiptangrad.  The Ten no longer control Congress and Freemen do not bend, as do the Ten, to the slights of a man's courage.  Kurharay should be named now.  His regent is dead and he has proven himself today.  His physical attack on Moaekod, being entirely understandable, may be excused.  I move Congress approve Anen Kurharay's request to be named head of his House now."

There were some angry mutterings from the more conservative of the Houses, but the motion was adopted overwhelmingly.

Anen bowed his head a moment to silently thank the Father-Creator, then knelt by the Dlinnyy's body.  Somewhere in the back of his mind he heard Moaekod cursing and thrashing as he was dragged from the chamber, but that wasn't as important now as his mother's cold, stiffening face and staring eyes.  Gently he pressed her eyes closed and crossed her hands on her breasts as tradition demanded.

"I will rule, Lady Mother," he told her.  "I'll bring our House to its proper place and power.  We have help now, and, by your sacrifice, we have time."

He stood and stepped back, aware suddenly of bone-deep weariness and of warm blood trickling down his right arm.  He motioned two cousins to him.  "Take her to her flitter.  Our House is done here now."472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMFtx71rXOT
472Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMLdGItk4dG
THE END