Thurfrit’s outburst brought silence to the room. He continued on.

“I am willing to listen to new and challenging ideas, but not that one! There will never be a rule saying that members of this Tribe cannot befriend or marry those from outside it. I wouldn’t be here, and neither would you, Othello! You want me to list them? I know – I’m Chronicler, gorram it! Falus the Gatherer, Stubbrar, Zlia, Gili the Free, Neuste Freewoman, and Degu Rockfist – all your ancestors! All welcomed to the Tribe! All of them freed pets! You know, your great-great-great-great-grandfather, Sassenon the Tinker, objected to Falus the Gatherer, a former pet, marrying your great-great-great-great-grandmother Neri? Quendra the Great and I helped persuade him that he should, and thank the Great Spirit, because Falus was not just a good worker in his own right, his descendants have been fine members of the Tribe, like the Healers Loroki, Brinn, and Bianca, or Leader Halbir, or you, Othello. If you want to bar people from joining the Tribe, you bar yourself first.”

Thurfrit took a deep breath. He was not generally given to angry outbursts, and he thought about apologizing, but years of working with Yamanu Neutha had taught him that when the room is shocked into silence, that’s a good time to push your advantage.

“So as I was saying, there will be relationships formed, no matter how hard you try to segregate the workers from the Tribe. And so what happens then? We life-extend only some of the workers, the lucky ones who win the hearts of members of the Tribe? What kind of system is that?”

“And where is the fairness in you having life extension?” Othello finally sputtered.

“You think I enjoyed watching Luke and Quendra and Degu die of old age, while I was still hale and hearty? You think it’s fun watching the Tribe race ahead while I plod along? Do you know how many friends of mine are buried under the Great Tree, not because of illness or violence, but simply because they lived as long as they could? I have paid a great price, Othello, for my long life, and I would not wish it on another. Or at least, I would not wish for you to age out of sync with those you love and care for. It would be unfair to the workers that the Tribe would be life-extended and they would not be. It would be unfair to the Tribe, as well.”

“Exactly,” Nela said. “Which is why if we bring in workers, they should be members of the Tribe.”

“Yes and no,” Thurfrit said. “I do agree with Othello, at least to a point. We cannot keep subdividing shares in the business. It will reach a point at which it cannot sustain us all. We will have to study the matter, but I believe we need to look at making the business something separate from the Tribe itself. Don’t get me wrong – the profits from Tribe Maris Farms need to support the Tribe. But so does a share of my income, and a share of Aezhay’s, and a share of the Megalos family – all those who wish to be a part of the Tribe should share part of our income, and receive part of our profits. Those that do not…it should be permissible for our descendants to opt out of sharing, should they choose to leave. But those who live here must be expected to, and those who want a stake in the Tribe’s decisions must expect to. Of course…those who work in the business, but are not a part of the Tribe…they would need to profit by the business as well.”

“It will be complicated,” Halbir said. “Separating the Tribe from the business…we have been one for decades. How can that change?”

“It’s possible. The Tribe could be the majority shareholder,” Othello said. “I studied this in school…it could be a privately held company. Like the Tarsuss Corporation, only much smaller, of course. The Tribe can be organized the same way. We can create shares in the company, and shares in the Tribe, and…well, it would be complex, but there are attorneys out there who could make it work, structure it fairly. But still…if all the workers who come here want to join….”

“We can set rules for membership,” Halbir said. “Can’t we?”

“Yes, Leader,” Thurfrit said. “Require the workers to prove themselves hard workers, and to pledge a share of their income before they can join in our profits. But to require them to observe our ways before that….”

He paused. What he was about to propose…it would bring a great many things to an end. But he had been around the Empire, he had been to Earth.

Times changed, and people either changed with them, or they were left behind.

“We will be growing the number of people here dramatically, some who will not be members of the Tribe or want to be…but they will still be living here. They will require access to the clinic, access to the school. It is unfair for us to simply dictate the terms by which they can do so – if they have no say, if they must work at our whim, live to our rules…no. We cannot simply become smaller Titans. If we do this, we will also need to create a town, with its own government, separate from the Tribe, to administer the area fairly and equitably.”

There was a long silence.

“The Tribe will no longer run the business, and no longer run the land,” Nela finally said. “What will be left of the Tribe when this is done?”

Aisell the Wise finished a note. “What will be left,” she said, “is the people. All of us. Being a member of the Tribe…that isn’t what makes us one people. It’s being willing to work together. I don’t know if the Tribe will survive this, not as such….”

“A tribe,” Halbir said, “is a small group. A few dozen, maybe a few hundred people, banding together against the world. We all studied in school – when a tribe grows so large that it is thousands, tens of thousands – it is not a tribe anymore. It is a city, or a nation, or a civilization. We grew beyond a tribe long ago, thanks to the wisdom of our ancestors and the help of our friends the Guardians. We have held on to the name and our ways because we venerate their work. But just as Drugar the United agreed to work with the Maris family, knowing everything would change after that…we cannot be afraid to let everything change again. We must do it soberly and with careful consideration, this is not a decision me should make today…but if it is the right thing to do for our future, then it must be done.”

“We can still preserve the Tribe as an entity, as an idea, as an ideal,” Aisell said. “As a part of our history, and as a guide for our future. But Thurfrit is right. Imagine that we create the system Othello brought us, with long-lived Tribe members presiding over the lives of short-lived workers, telling them what to do, where to live, how to live? Thurfrit is right, that’s just world the Tribe fought so hard to change, with us in charge. That is not better. And we are dishonorable in the extreme if we choose to become the oppressor, knowing what it was like to have been oppressed.”

“So no life-extension,” Othello said.

“Yes, life extension,” Halbir said. “For all who want it. Including those workers who move here and work…well, we can determine the timeline, set a probationary period, like they do on Avalon. But if they commit to the company, we commit to them – so if you hire somebody…make sure you want to work with them for a very long time. As for the rest of your proposal – I suggest we authorize the purchase of Prenn land, the expansion plans, and the construction of apartments – apartments are nicer than dormitories, yes?”

“Yes, they are,” Othello said. “But more expensive.”

“So we don’t literally turn a profit on the people coming. Which reminds me – we are going to pay them more than minimum wage, Othello. This is a very profitable enterprise. You have run it well thus far, but if you intend to keep running it, you will do so in keeping with the spirt of our ancestors, who believed in supporting those who worked hard for the common good. If we are to recoup their money, let it be through their decisions to work hard, and support us.”

Othello nodded. “I can…we can make that work,” he said. “We’ll move to two credits an hour over minimum wage to start. That’s less than a Titan makes at a similar factory, but not when you consider that it costs less for a human to stay alive – factor how much less we eat, smaller spaces – they’ll actually be money ahead.”

“Excellent. As for the rest…we will need to think carefully on it. Wise Aisell, you have friends on Avalon who understand these things. Will you speak with them, and begin drawing up possible plans?”

“I will, Leader Halbir.”

“Are we in agreement? Venerated Nela?”

Nela nodded. “As long as we do not leap blindly. And as long as we never forget those who built this Tribe.”

“Not so long as any of us is alive,” Halbir said. “And so we are agreed. Thank you all for coming, we are concluded,” Halbir said.

“Thurfrit, can you stay and help with this?” Aisell asked, as the meeting broke up.

“I wish I could, but this is just a quick visit. I don’t know if you’ve been following what’s going on in Federation Province, but there were riots…they aren’t giving humans basic rights. The Foundation has decided to travel there and amplify our demands.”

“Won’t that be dangerous?” Nela asked.

“Probably,” Thurfrit said. “But you both know Yamanu, he’s not one to back down.”

“And neither are you, thank the Great Spirit,” Nela said. “Good luck.”

“Thanks,” Thurfrit said. “I hope I didn’t make too big a mess here.”

“No, no, it needs to be done,” Aisell said. “Halbir’s right, we haven’t been a Tribe in a very long time. We’re…I don’t even know what we are anymore. But my great-grandmother always said we had survived because we knew how to adapt. We will adapt to this.”

As Thurfrit left the conference room, he was surprised to see Othello waiting for him. “Elder Businessman Othello, I hope we didn’t break your plans too badly.”

“You didn’t, Elder Chronicler. You were tough, but you were fair, I think. I hope you understand that I just want what’s best for the business.”

“I do,” Thurfrit said. “And you’re good at that. But there’s more to life than business, and it’s important you remember that, too. But you will. I know the people who came before you, and they were good and decent folks. You are, too. If you weren’t, you wouldn’t take defeat so magnanimously.”

“To be honest with you, Elder Chronicler…I am not happy,” Othello said with a smile. “But I respect you, and Halbir, and Nela and Aisell…and if all of you agree, then it’s quite possible I’m wrong.”

Thurfrit laughed at that. “Luke used to say that only a fool doesn’t know he can be wrong. Good to see you aren’t a fool, Elder Businessman.”

Thurfrit headed out of the Great Tree, and walked along the path toward the house; it wasn’t long before a mountainous woman appeared through the silagas, laying back and reading her pad.

“You need to do a better job of hiding, Zhay.”

“I’ve given up trying to hide from any of you,” she said, rolling over and getting to her knees. “Meeting go well?”

“More or less. A lot of stuff brewing. They’re going to buy Lert Prenn’s land,” he said.

“Really. Wow,” Aezhay said, offering her husband a hand. “Half-tempted to give Lyroo a call and rub it in her face…but I’ll let Aisell do that.”

“She’ll enjoy it more,” Thurfrit said, as Aezhay lifted him gently. He always did enjoy this; it was a slow, gentle pan over his wife’s entire body; if ever he doubted he made the right choice, this convinced him he had never been more right.

Aezhay gave Thurfrit a quick peck, and got to her feet. “So Joli called me while you were in the meeting.”

“Oh?” Thurfrit said, as Aezhay accelerated to full speed.

“Yeah, she’s very, very upset. You remember Luke and Quendra’s great-something grandson, the one who was hanging around with her a few years ago?”

“Loren?”

“That’s the one.”

“I think he did more than hang around her.”

“Oh, I know. Anyhow, he left for Avalon a few years ago so he could get life-extended, sent her a letter saying he’d done it in hopes of a relationship with her, and she shot him down, said it had been a fling, something along those lines.”

“Is he still pestering her? Joli doesn’t owe him a relationship, you know,” Thurfrit said.

* * *

“So anyhow…after all of that…well….we kind of…um….”

“Wait, wait a minute, Zhay,” Lezah said. “You’re saying you’re dating Thurfrit?”

Aezhay blinked. “Well…yeah. I am. I really am,” she said with a wide grin. “I mean…it was stupid and reckless of him, and damn it…what have I always wanted? Someone who would be willing to be stupid and reckless at times, who’d make dumb mistakes with me. I mean, Aisell, you went off on your big adventure, and you found Luke and brought him here. I know it wasn’t easy, but look how that’s worked out! It worked out amazing for everyone!”

“Not so much for Luke,” Aisell said. She’d been uncharacteristically quiet throughout her sister’s story.

“Yeah, ask him and Quendra how not well it worked out. You’ve seen Disa, he’s gorram adorable. And I’m not saying I’m ready to marry him – or trade necklaces. I don’t think he could wear my necklace anyhow, but….”

“Stop being so frakking selfish, Zhay. Gorram. This is…just…this isn’t about you.”

Aezhay was momentarily nonplussed. “What…Aisell, what the frak are you talking about? I know this isn’t just about me. Trust me, if Thurfrit wanted to break up with me…I’m not saying I’d be happy about it, but I’d cry for a week or two and get on with my life. I’m not forcing him into the relationship.”

“That’s…Aezhay, how can he be in a relationship with someone who owns the land he lives on?! You could evict him, and the Tribe, if you got mad enough! I mean, Lezah and I wouldn’t let you, but….”

“No, we wouldn’t, and Thurfrit knows that,” Lezah said. “So that’s how.”

“Gorram…are you backing her up on this?” Aisell shouted.

“Aisell, what the frak?” Aezhay shouted back. “If I was dating a Ler, would you run them out of here? I hope not. Humans are people, and I don’t give a frak what anyone else thinks, I love him, he loves me, we’re gonna see how this goes. Gae and Yamma do fine, Pierce and…well…I mean, I know more than one human-titan match. They can do it, why can’t I?”

“Because you’ll frak it up! You’ll be acting like you think he’s independent, like he’s a person, like he can make his own decisions, no matter how dumb or dangerous, but then he’ll make a dumb, dangerous, wrong decision and you’ll override him – and frak, it won’t matter what he says! What’s he gonna do, run away? Call the peacekeepers? No, he’s gonna have to accept it, and you can’t have an equal relationship like that.”

Aezhay folded her arms. “Ais, don’t assume I’ll frak up the same way you did.”

“Pup,” Lezah said, “Aezhay’s right, you made a mistake, and you tormented yourself for months over it, but that doesn’t mean Aezhay would make the same one – and we’re both here to help her not make it. Besides, Luke was a friend, but you didn’t know he was a person, not the way you do now. If you were back on Titan, would you kidnap him again?”

Aisell looked off into the distance. “I don’t know, Lee. I don’t know.”

“Come on,” Aezhay said, “you can’t….”

“One night on the station, Luke and I drank some hustain. Okay, a whole lot of hustain. And we…well…we’d both had a lot of hustain. And we….”

Aezhay’s eyes went wide. “You hooked up.”

Aisell sighed. “I told him it didn’t mean anything, that it was one night. But I know in my heart that part of the reason I grabbed him, part of the reason I took him with….”

Aisell sat down, and looked up at the ceiling. “I loved him. I remember sitting with him, sleeping on my chest, and knowing it in my bones, and…and not daring to admit it – not even to myself, let alone him. I still love him. I’m not gonna steal him away from Quendra, don’t worry…he wouldn’t want to come anyhow. And I’m not…I’m not in love with him, not like I was, but…there was a point, if he’d been able to forgive me, that I would have been happy to be his girlfriend, his wife…whatever we’d have become.”

“So you get it, though,” Aezhay said.

“And you don’t. Zhay,” Aisell said, not much louder than a whisper. “When it got tough…when Luke wanted to try to make it back to Earth, against all odds…when he didn’t want to come with me…I didn’t leave him with a choice. If I’d told him why I wanted him to come back – not just for his safety, not just because he wouldn’t make it, but because…because I wanted him to be with me, he might’ve. But I didn’t. Because I didn’t have to. Because I could put him in a cage and carry him onto a shuttle and nobody batted an eye. Don’t you see? I knew he was a person, and I still did it. I knew he was a person, Zhay. And as long as we can do that…it’s not fair to them.”

Aezhay knelt down by her sister’s chair and put her hand on Aisell’s knee. “Ais…you said it yourself. You aren’t gonna steal him. You aren’t going to force him to pick you. You made a really bad mistake, but it worked out okay for Luke, and worked out really well for Quendra, and the Tribe, and the farm. And while I know you’re still angry at yourself, I also know that if you were back on Titan, you wouldn’t take Luke. At least…you’d tell him why you really wanted him to come.”

Aisell rubbed her eyes, and said, “If you go ahead with this, Lezah and I are going to look out for him as much as you. Thurfrit may not be able to beat you in a fair fight, but I’ll kick your arse, and Lezah will stop making you pie for the rest of your life, which is even worse.”

“I promise, Ais…I want to date him. I don’t know, there’s a lot we have to figure out…but…well, you were willing to kidnap Luke because you loved him. You think I won’t sneak around behind your back if you don’t approve of this?”

“No, Zhay, you’ll flaunt it openly,” Lezah sighed. “And Aisell and I don’t get votes on your relationship, any more than you get to vote on whether I should go on another date with Eyazon, or whether Aisell should…keep doing whatever she and Loona Armac are doing.”

“Well, if I do get a vote, you should definitely go on another date, Lezah, he’s hot.”

“He is, isn’t he?” Lezah said with a sly smile. “And we are, but not because you approve.”

“I approve too,” Aisell said. “Of both of you. Zhay…it won’t be easy. Talk to Gae about it, or…wasn’t Pierce the human from Earth that was in your house at college?”

“Yeah. He’s, um, dating…a couple of my roommates.”

Aisell’s eyebrows shot up. “Which ones?”

“I can’t say.”

“You know that means we’ll assume it’s the princess and her fiancée, right?” Lezah said.

“Assume what you want,” Aezhay said. “Just don’t spread any rumors. Anyhow, I do have other people I can talk to. Heck, maybe you can ask Loona to have Dr. Freeman give me a call. I want to do this right, Ais. I really do. I know it won’t be easy, but….”

Aisell looked down at Aezhay, and smiled weakly. “Maybe I’m just jealous that it’s working out for one of us,” Aezhay said.

“I think we’re both doing fine. You and your…whatever Loona is…you guys seem happy.”

“Yeah, we are,” Aisell said. “And if you and Thurfrit are happy, I’m happy. I just hope that someone’s talking to him.”

“He’s telling Luke and Quendra now. I…don’t think Luke will be telling him about your drunken night on Titan, though.”

“Quendra knows,” Aisell said.

“And she hasn’t killed you?” Lezah said. “I’m impressed at her restraint.”

“We talked it through,” Aisell said. “She said she didn’t mind, as long as it was over, and I told her it was. Okay, it was a bit more talking than that, but…that’s the result. And honestly…I love Luke. But she’s right for him. And she can’t just force him to do what she wants him to if he disagrees with her.”

“I don’t know, pup,” Lezah chuckled. “Seems to me Quendra could probably force anyone to do anything if she put her mind to it.”

* * *

“So he came back, but barely acknowledged her, and didn’t hang out – just a quick hello – and now Joli is furious, and stalking him on his Avalonian social media site, and says he doesn’t have a girlfriend now, but…well, long story short, I had to talk her out of trying to kidnap the poor guy.”

“Gods. Poor Joli,” Thurfrit chuckled. “And how terrible of Loren. How dare the boy she spurned turn out to be a good-looking soldier on Avalon?”

“Right? This is why I appreciated you. You were calm and collected the whole time, and didn’t mind me throwing myself at you.”

“That’s only because I found the idea of you doing so completely impossible,” Thurfrit said. “If I’d known you had the slightest interest, I would have been a nervous wreck. And I threw myself at you, if I remember right.”

“You probably do, you usually do. You know, the night we came back, when I told my sisters about us…I don’t think you ever told me how Luke and Quendra took it.”

Thurfrit shrugged. “Not much to tell. Quendra was happy that I’d found someone, probably because it meant that any remaining crush I had on her would go away. Luke told me good luck, don’t let you put me in a cage, and the next time we were alone without Quendra, he told me that I shouldn’t be intimidated when the time came for you and me to be together, and I told him I hadn’t been…at least, not much…and he took me down to the great hall and got me a mug of ebala.”

“So you lied to him?” Aezhay smirked.

“No, it was true – I was too shocked to be intimidated!” Thurfrit laughed. “I know, I actually was the fool who suggested it, but…well, Zhay, I was a damned lucky fool that you were interested at all.”

Aezhay lifted her hand and pulled Thurfrit to her lips, and gave him a soft-yet-strong kiss. “I’m the lucky one, Thur. Always will be.”

“Not true at all,” Thurfrit said, beaming at the face of his wife, which filled his field of vision completely.

“It is true. I still feel selfish, for having asked you…I know how you are, after you go to the Tribe. You don’t say anything, but…when you talk about it, it’s like you’re talking about a ghost. I made you give up the Tribe for me, Thurfrit…I hate that.”

“I made the right choice. You think I’d give up Joli or Daz or Luke? You think I’d give you up? Not a chance, Zhay. I’m just lucky you thought to ask for help, rather than break up with me over it. I just wish….”

“I know,” Aezhay said. “I wish they had too.”

* * *

“So anyhow, I figured if anyone would understand, you would, but…I mean, I just don’t know.”

Aezhay wrung her hands, and looked down. “I love him. I mean, first, I thought he was kind of funny, then I saw what he was capable of, and I was impressed, but even knowing – hells, even having done some things – I still didn’t know if it could work long-term. But…well, we kind of stumbled into it, and…I didn’t know if he could be enough, but gorram, he is,” she said, blushing.

“Oh, get over yourself, I’ve seen you naked, and so has Pierce,” Daz said. “Only reason Rhionne hasn’t is that at that point we’d be getting too many people in tight quarters, I’d be worried about Pierce’s safety.”

“I’m willing to take the risk, you know,” Pierce opined from his perch on Rhionne’s shoulder.

“I think you’ve done just fine for yourself already,” Daz laughed.

“I can’t argue that,” Pierce said, after the briefest of glances down Rhionne’s shirt.

“So you love him, he loves you, what’s the hold-up?” Daz asked. “You aren’t secretly betrothed to Vallero, are you?”

“There are reasons,” Pierce said. “There are lots of reasons. I don’t blame you.”

“No, it’s…look, you guys manage it. Gae and Yamanu manage it.”

“Who?”

“Friends of my sister, Lezah. She’s Titan, he’s human – former pet. They’re running a human rights organization to compete with TETH.”

“Finally!” Daz said.

“And I mean, I’m living on the farm, and we’ve got the Tribe as our business partners now, and so marrying a human…that would be fine. It’s just…well, it’s two things. We want to be parents, and that’s out, but worse, I can’t…I can’t imagine losing him in ten, fifteen years. And I would. I don’t know how you three stand it.”

Rhionne had been very quiet until now, but a smile slid across her face. “Aezhay, you’ve been a good friend through a lot of difficulty for all three of us, and aside from advice and a trip to the palace that I wanted you along for, you’ve never asked me for anything…so I’m going to take the opportunity to give you and Thurfrit a gift.”

Rhionne picked up her pad – carefully, so as not to accidentally dislodge her husband – and after punching a few virtual keys, she handed it to Aezhay.

“You know about Dr. Freeman up in Tannhauser, right?”

“Yeah, a friend introduced us. Dr. Freeman is a bit of an ego, but he’s a frakking good deal smarter than I am, so he deserves to be. And his wife’s really, really nice. It was a good trip – we also got to meet Pryvani Tarsuss. You probably think that’s no big deal.”

“I’ve known Pryvani Tarsuss since I was a kid, and it is absolutely a big deal,” Rhionne said. “Anyhow, they haven’t been able to share what’s going on…not before it was official. But it is, as of six months ago.”

“What is?” Aezhay asked.

“Life extension,” Pierce said. “Human life extension. It appears totally safe. They can’t scale us up to Titan size – they looked into it, doesn’t look like it can be done – but they can at least let us live, oh, fifty, sixty percent as long as you. It’s thirty of your years, not fifty or sixty…but it’s something.”

“Thirty…thirty years,” Aezhay said. “That…it must be expensive.”

“Startlingly so, though Sen. Tarsuss is looking into ways to give it to all of Avalon, so the price will come down soon, I bet,” Rhionne said. “But in the meantime, they’re happy to take on a few more test subjects…and I can get Thurfrit on the list.”

“But…I mean, the farm has stabilized, even turning a profit, but….”

“Like she said,” Daz said, “it’s a gift. And not totally altruistic. The kids we have are going to need to meet people like them. Having those be the kids of a family friend is a bonus.”

“Huh?” Aezhay asked.

“Look at the pad,” Rhionne said.

She looked down, and saw some basic information – a sonogram, a genetic readout….

“Oh, gods…this is for real?”

“As far as they can tell, the fetus is developing normally. A few differences, you’d expect that – and Titan-sized, which is kind of a surprise, a bit further along than you’d expect…but neurological development appears normal.”

“A hybrid. A human-titan hybrid.”

“Not possible before the gene reshuffling – well, not impossible, but very, very unlikely – but once it’s done…well, it’s not a given, but it’s much more possible,” Pierce said.

“And if it doesn’t work, we’ll have fun trying,” Daz added.

“I’ll have to convince him. I mean…I know we can’t afford to do this for the Tribe.”

“Probably not. But there are a couple more slots available for the next round of tests – if there is anyone else he’d want extended, any friends…well, it’s not cheap, but I could float you a loan,” Rhionne said.

“Like hells, I’ll take some of my sister’s blood money and use it to do something good,” Daz said. “Frankly, Sen. Tarsuss would probably step in before me. Her partner, Zhan – did you meet him?”

“I did. He was human, wasn’t he?” Aezhay said.

“He is. He’s in the next group, too. There are a few more, but there aren’t infinite slots. Maybe two or three, after Thurfrit.”

“Two or three,” Aezhay said. “I have a good idea about which two.”

About thirty-six hours later, those two sat on the Maris family kitchen table, listening to Aezhay lay out the procedure, the risks, the benefits.

“…it doesn’t affect your ability to have kids with each other. It shouldn’t affect the ability of your kids to have kids – they’d just be able to have them with Titans or humans. But your aging would reverse, a bit, and then…well, then you’d have thirty or forty years. Maybe fifty – they’re not totally sure. It won’t be a full Titan life. But it would be close.”

Luke and Quendra had been listening carefully to the presentation. Thurfrit had heard it once already, and though he was no less fascinated this time around, he’d instead been watching Luke and Quendra’s reaction. He himself thought this was too good to be true, and if it hadn’t come from the Royal Family, he would have thought it a joke. It was everything he’d hoped for, with the possible exception of finding a way to make the Tribe Titan-sized.

Luke and Quendra were skeptical, of course, but Thurfrit expected that. What he didn’t expect – though he immediately knew he should have – was Quendra’s first question.

“So this would be for Thurfrit, Luke, and me only, not for the rest of the Tribe?”

“Not at first,” Aezhay said. “It’s expensive, and still experimental.”

“Experimental?” Quendra asked.

“They’re putting it through tests,” Aisell said.

“They don’t know if it works for sure,” Luke said. “It has, so far, but they still need to see – maybe a different human, it doesn’t work. Something goes wrong. There’d be a risk, then.”

“There would,” Aezhay said, “but my friends were very certain about it. Niall Freeman has been through it, and a couple friends of his, with no problems,” Aezhay said.

“And Zhan Ilios is going through it in the next group,” Thurfrit said. “I don’t think Pryvani Tarsuss would be risking her boyfriend if she didn’t think it was safe.”

Luke gave Thurfrit a slight smile, then trained it on Aezhay. “Thurfrit loves you, that’s for sure. I get why Niall Freeman, or Zhan, or you would go through with it. And I’m not gonna say it isn’t tempting….”

“…but we aren’t going to,” Quendra said, firmly.

Aisell shook her head. “I know, it might be risky, but it would add years to your lives!”

“That’s why we aren’t,” Quendra said. “How long until the entire tribe would get it?”

Aisell looked over at Aezhay, who shook her head. “We don’t know. I know Sen. Tarsuss wants to give this to everyone on Avalon, but even at a million credits a person, she can afford it. We…don’t have that kind of money. Not yet. But maybe, in a few years, when the price comes down….”

“A few years is a long time for us,” Luke said. “A few years, Disa will be an adult. A few years later, I’ll be a grandfather, most likely. A few years after that….”

“All the more reason to do it!” Aisell said. “Luke…Quendra…you could still be young, relatively, when the whole Tribe can afford it!”

“And what of the rest of the Tribe?” Quendra said. “When I am young, in three years, Drugar will be an old man, maybe dead. He will probably not be helped by it. What if it takes five? Then my friends, those of my generation – they will be old.”

“There are good anti-aging treatments, even without this,” Aisell said. “You’ll all get them. Some humans live 20, 25 years.”

“Even so! When will we actually be able to afford it? We don’t know!” Quendra said. “Maybe three years, maybe five, maybe never. Who’s getting the treatment? Friends of the princess, the boyfriend of the richest woman alive – this is not inexpensive. And if it remains out of reach for everyone….”

“Quendra lost her mom and dad, and her baby cousin, and her aunt, and her first husband,” Luke said. “I’ve lost my parents, my whole family from Earth. Thurfrit, you know what it’s like, but you guys…you have no idea what it feels like to lose people you love, know you’ll never see them again. We do.”

“We did lose you for a while, Luke,” Aisell said.

“Yeah, and you’ve guilted me about it ever since, which tells me you got a taste of it,” Luke said. “I can’t imagine watching our friends in the Tribe die off while we’re still young. Watching Disa get old, and die, while we’re just middle-aged. If and when everyone can…maybe. Maybe not. If we can get to 25 years…I mean, that’s like 160 years old.”

Aisell frowned. “Luke, the longer you live…the better the chance you can get back to Earth,” she said. She ignored the look Quendra shot her, but Luke just chuckled.

“So what? Let’s say thirty years from now there’s First Contact and it goes great and everyone gets along and the Empire makes humans citizens and everything’s sunshine and rainbows. And I go back to Earth. And my parents will still be dead. My brother, my sister, my nephew, any other nephews and nieces…all gone. And you know, I hope I live to see it, but I don’t expect to, and even if I do…I love the Tribe, I love my wife and my son, and if I get 140 years with them, well, I think I’ll be doing all right. So no. The answer’s no.”

Thurfrit looked down. He’d assumed – it was years and years of life! How could you turn that down? He’d never considered what the price would be. But Luke and Quendra were right. This would separate him from the Tribe. Not officially, or morally, but ineffably, and forever.

He looked up at Aezhay. She was immense, as always, she filled his world. He loved the Tribe, and he loved his friends….

He loved her. He loved her just enough more.

Just enough.

“I’m still going through with it,” he said, finally. “I know, that may seem wrong….”

“No, Thur, you have to,” Quendra said, with a gentle smile. “If I had to do this to have Luke….”

“Or to have our Disa,” Luke said.

“This isn’t about you living longer than us,” Quendra said. “It’s about you living long enough to be with Aezhay. It’s not fair for you to leave her too soon, either.”

“So when are you two trading necklaces?” Luke asked.

“I…don’t know as I could wear hers,” Thurfrit said, with a chuckle. “It would take several strong men to move it.”

“And his wouldn’t fit around my finger…so we’ll have to do something else,” Aezhay said.

“Nonsense,” Luke said. “Thurfrit can make his necklace on your scale, you can make yours on his, and then trade those! It means more than you realize. And if you trade with someone like Quendra, you end up looking like you’re really good at everything.”

“This necklace has picked up a great many beads, Luke,” Quendra chuckled, running her hand idly over her breastbone. “And will pick up many more. As will both of yours,” she said. “And even Eyes Like Ice may earn a few more. But it is late,” she said. “We should be getting back. Nela is watching Disa for us, and I’m…well….”

She smiled, broadly. “Disa is going to have a sibling, soon,” she said. “A bit more than a month, we think.”

“Quendra, that’s – wow!” Aezhay said. “Congratulations!”

“You’ve kept this a close secret, you two,” Thurfrit said, clapping Luke on the shoulder.

“Yeah, well, we wanted to be sure…but Quendra’s a bit worn out, and we have a long walk back.”

“Right,” Aezhay said. “Lee! Come in here! Quendra’s pregnant!”

From another room, Lezah squeed, and called Aezhay to come help her gather some food up, leaving the three humans alone with Aisell.

“That’s great,” she said, to Quendra. “I’m happy…well…despite how it happened that you got here….”

“It worked out,” Luke said, with a nod. “It did, Ais. And thanks, by the way.”

“What for?” Aisell asked.

“For letting us decide not to get age extension without forcing it on us,” Quendra replied.

“I wish you would,” Aisell said, quietly. “You’re my friends…and because of this, I’m almost definitely going to outlive you. And when the day comes…I don’t want to think about it.”

“You’d miss Luke,” Quendra said.

“And you,” Aisell said. “Both of you. If you ever change your mind….”

“If we ever do, we’ll tell you,” Luke said. “And you know, now that I think about it…there’s someone else who you should call.”

“Who’s that?” Lezah said, toting a basket full of enough food to feed the Tribe for several days. “And what? You’re pregnant, you don’t know what you might want to eat!”

“Yamanu,” Luke said. “He’s in the same boat as you, Thurfrit.”

“They don’t have much money,” Aisell said. “Just enough to get the Foundation up and running.”

“And so what?” Aezhay said. “Daz said she’d pay. And can you imagine the Empire having to face Yamma down for forty years? By the time he’s done, he’ll be Floor Leader!”

Aisell sighed. “I know you know the Emperor, Zhay, but sorry…I don’t think any of our friends are going to end up Floor Leader. But if anyone could, it’s probably Yamma Neutha. And if Sen. Zakrov is paying….”

“That’s a great idea, Luke,” Thurfrit said.

Luke gave Thurfrit a watery smile. “You’re gonna outlive me, and Quendra. You shouldn’t outlive all your good friends, right?”

Thurfrit didn’t answer. He just pulled Luke into a tight hug.