hwork of
reds and browns. At the far end of the room, someone in blue fatigues
like his own was bent over a stand of some sort. The figure straightened
at the same time a tinkle of music filled the room. He recognized the
red-gold hair of the young woman he had seen beside the pool. She was
wielding two mallets to play a stringed instrument that lay on its side
supported by a carved-wood stand.

He moved up behind her, his footsteps muffled by the carpeting. The
music had a curious rhythm that suggested figures dancing wildly around
firelight. She struck a final chord, muted the strings.

"That makes me homesick," said Orne.

"Oh!" She whirled, gasped, then smiled. "You startled me. I thought I
was alone."

"Sorry. I was enjoying the music."

"I'm Diana Bullone," she said. "You're Mr. Orne."

"Lew to all of the Bullone family, I hope," he said.

"Of course ... Lew." She gestured at the musical instrument. "This is
very old. Most find its music ... well, rather weird. It's been handed
down for generations in mother's family."

"The kaithra," said Orne. "My sisters play it. Been a long time since
I've heard one."

"Oh, of course," she said. "Your mother's--" She stopped, looked
confused. "I've got to get used to the fact that you're.... I mean that
we have a strange man around the house who isn't _exactly_ strange."

Orne grinned. In spite of the blue I-A fatigues and a rather severe
pulled-back hairdo, this was a handsome woman. He found himself liking
her, and this caused him a feeling near self-loathing. She was a
suspect. He couldn't afford to like her. But the Bullones were being so
decent, taking him in like this. And how was their hospitality being
repaid? By spying and prying. Yet, his first loyalty belonged to the
I-A, to the peace it represented.

He said rather lamely: "I hope you get over the feeling that I'm
strange."

"I'm over it already," she said. She linked arms with him, said: "If you
feel up to it, I'll take you on the deluxe guided tour."

By nightfall, Orne was in a state of confusion. He had found Diana
fascinating, and yet the most comfortable woman to be around that he had
ever met. She liked swimming, _paloika_ hunting, _ditar_ apples-- She
had a "poo-poo" attitude toward the older generation that she said she'd
never before revealed to anyone. They had laughed like fools over utter
nonsense.

Orne went back to his room to change for dinner, stopped before the
polawindow. The q