,
gasping breath as he collapsed to the dais. The inviting dark beckoned
more seductively, its promise of an end to pain harder and harder to
fight . . . No! He had to resist that pull! But his eyes were
closing, his breath taking more effort . . .

At least his mouth and throat were empty--no more foam--and the pain
was subsiding to a more normal intensity. Yeah, sure, he thought in
English, but the rest of the thought was in Language: the drug must be
wearing off. He felt light, almost floating, as if he were in a
low-grav field.

Channath's sharp "Now!" as she and the human doctor moved toward the
Ranger freed Hovan to kneel beside Steve and raise the man's head.

"You made it, Cor'naya," he said quietly, with pride. "You succeeded,
as I was sure you would."

Tarlac forced unwilling eyes open, looking up into the familiar gray
face he'd learned to respect, then to love. "I really made it?" he
asked in a whisper.

"You really made it," Hovan assured him. "Rest easy now. As soon as
Channath and Dr. Jason stop the bleeding, they will give you something
for your pain. And when you recover, what a party the clan will have!"

"Clan party . . ." Tarlac managed a faint smile, his thoughts starting
to drift. "Tha'd be nice . . ."

"Later, Steve." Hovan smiled too, pushing sweat-damp hair away from
the man's face. "Rest now, I said. It is over."

"Yeah . . . guess so. Worth it, though . . . worth it all. 'M tired
. . . so tired . . . gotta sleep . . ." Tarlac's eyes closed and he
sighed, going utterly limp.

"Steve?"

There was no answer; Hovan had known there wouldn't be. He had seen
too many people die to hold false hopes, and only concern for his
ruhar's honor kept him from voicing his outrage to the Lords, his brief
but bitter anger at the injustice of their letting Steve complete the
Ordeal only to die in his arms.

The human doctor had no such qualms. He turned on Hovan, furious.
"Satisfied, you damn Shark? In a hospital I could maybe still save
him--not here! No human could survive that kind of pain, system shock,
bleeding--not without help! He's dead, and you killed him!"

"Steve wished to bring peace," Hovan interrupted, in English suddenly
as fluent as his Language. He noticed it, briefly, but in his anger
and sorrow it didn't seem to matter. "The Ordeal was his only chance,
and he took that chance knowing this was possible--thinking it was
inevitable. Do not dishonor his m