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 No, this record is contained in the data banks of the starship itself.
 Do you think we can reach the ship? Etaoine tightened her hands into fists,
hardly daring to hope.
Rith s eyes measured her.  I know the way, as you realized when you probed my
mind. I must warn you. Even with my knowledge, the journey will be difficult.
We must brave the tunnels, and dive down into the ocean, for our ancestors hid
their starship in the depths of the sea. But I will guide you for a price.
 A price? Teilar s lips drew back in anger.
 I want to come with you. Rith s voice rang with command that would brook no
refusal.
Teilar ignored the clear warning. He sprang to his feet.  No! We don t need
your help.
 Calm down, Teilar. With a sigh of dismay, Norrath clapped a hand on Rith s
shoulder.  The man has seen a vision.
 A powerful vision. Rith closed his eyes for an instant, a shudder of
pleasure passing over his muscled torso. When he peered at them again, his
polished silver gaze was even brighter with longing.  It is my duty as Adoru s
servant to help bring her will into the physical realm.
Teilar s lips curled.  We shouldn t trust him. He s trying to trick us, to get
evidence against us 
Etaoine caught her bonded sexmate s arm and gave it a gentle squeeze.  I was
deep in Rith s mind. I
know he is an honorable man& and we need his help.
She looked to Quintannah and Norrath. Both nodded in agreement. Teilar groaned
and turned away, his shoulders slumping. Love seemed to be turning him inside
out. Etaoine sighed and sent a silent prayer to Adoru, begging her to help
Teilar come to his senses.
Norrath gave the high priest a final, measuring look.  I trust Etaoine. If she
says you re trustworthy, you re welcome to join us. Etaoine and Teilar have
become bonded sexmates, and I ve agreed to bond with Quintannah. If you wish
to make such a long journey, you ll need a sexmate of your own.
The high priest grinned and looked from Etaoine to Teilar. Understanding
dawned in his eyes.  I
know a woman who will come with me and keep her silence until we leave. When
do you want to depart?
 As soon as possible. Etaoine smiled as Teilar s head came up again in eager
anticipation.  What do you know about the starship?
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 It was the greatest technological achievement of our people in their long
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history, Rith answered.
 It s fully automated, according to the ancient records.
Norrath let out a relieved sigh.  I d prayed as much.
Rith laughed.  Don t fancy yourself as a star pilot? Not necessary. All we
need to do is awaken the computer that controls the ship.
 If it will fly after all these millennia. Teilar frowned.
 The ancients knew how to build machines that would last forever. Look around
you at the machines that built this city. They still function if called upon.
The starship will be the same. The high priest spoke with confidence.
 We ll need food then?
Rith shook his head.  The ship creates food for us from energy, the same as
the city does.
 A miniature paradise. Norrath looked pleased.
With desire flaring in his eyes, Rith eyed the two women.  It should be an
enjoyable trip.
Etaoine licked her lips. Did Rith intend to try and seduce her on the long
voyage? There was no reason they shouldn t be lovers. Yet even as the thought
passed through her mind, she felt Teilar s arm go around her shoulders. No
reason except that Rith and Teilar might kill each other over her.
 I ll see to my bonded sexmate s pleasure on the voyage, Teilar growled.
 As you wish. Rith inclined his head in Teilar s direction, but the look he
gave Etaoine promised something else.
Chapter Seven
When they reached the end of the tunnel to the ocean, they found a deserted
dock, crowded with ancient boats. After some discussion, they picked one and
headed out to sea.
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The wide-open space above their heads made Etaoine dizzy after a lifetime
spent inside the caverns.
The cloudy gray sky seemed like a high dome to her. It was still hard to
believe that stars shone above those clouds and that within a few niads she
might be flying among them.
They headed north, seeking the coordinates of the sunken city, knowledge long
guarded by the high priests of Reverlore. Arriving at the spot at last,
Etaoine shut off the engines of the boat and scanned the horizon, keeping her
ice-cold fingers tucked into the pockets of her thermal suit. Nothing but
water was visible wherever she looked. She consulted the coordinates on her
location device one last time and dropped anchor. This was the place. The
ancient domed city, now dead, lay beneath the waters of this frigid sea.
The journey had been long and cold, but Etaoine was too excited to feel
weariness. The age-old spaceship lay beneath these waves.
 We re here. She flashed a smile at Teilar. Her sexmate looked unhappy in his
bulky thermal suit. All of them were sickened by the constant rocking of the
boat.
Now she gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze.  We ll be quite safe. The six
of us will shapeshift into a school of rocondars and swim straight down to
Errock. If the ship s there, we ll claim it.
His eyes met hers, bright with worry.  Overconfidence can be dangerous. The
sea is tricky, and our people have spent the last millennia living under
domes. We don t know what to expect.
 I talked for niads with the city s computer about marine biology. We all
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changed into the rocondar twice, using the ancient recordings as models. You
should know. We were kept busy performing the
B rath.
Even the memory of two nights of lovemaking was not enough to bring a smile to
his face. Instead, he frowned.  What does a computer know of reality? This
ocean may swarm with dangers we know nothing about.
Etaoine braced her legs against the pitching of the deck and pointed a finger
at Teilar s chest.  Listen!
Do you want to stay on this world forever, or do you want to make a voyage to
the stars?
His face relaxed a little.  You know the answer to that.
 Then we must do what we planned.
The other four joined them. Rith s tall body dominated the group. Beside him,
his sexmate appeared petite, although she was of average height for a woman.
She was slim, and her aura radiated a calm blue light. Her name was Chakar je
Motet. Etaoine liked her.
 Ready? Etaoine looked into their determined faces. Each seemed prepared to
risk their lives to find a way off Reatar.
She leaned over to give Teilar a final kiss. Working quickly, she stripped off
her thermal suit. It was easier to be naked for shapeshifting. Behind her, she
could hear the others groaning and tugging at their clothes as the raw cold
lashed at them. Hugging her chest, Etaoine gazed at the raised bumps on her
golden flesh. Never before had she felt so cold or so frightened.
Shivering, she climbed up on the railing of the boat and balanced herself on
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