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floor and soared high overhead to pass through the ceiling. Matt had seen the huge Galla tree many times now, but he was always amazed by its size and by the fact that he’d seen only one other like it. The one growing from the heart of Big Sal . He supposed other Homes had similar trees, and he wondered again if it was possible they were descendants of the trees the Lemurians had known in their ancient home.
    The crowd was growing restless, anxious.
    At a nod from Nakja-Mur, he stepped onto the stage. Immediately there was a respectful silence in the Great Hall—a much different reception than the last time he’d spoken to this assembly. Of course, he’d given them a “victory” since then—such as it was. He paced the small platform for a moment, staring at the upturned faces while Chack joined him to interpret. Many of those present had actually learned a smattering of English, but Matt hadn’t yet acquired a conversational ability in their tongue and he was slightly embarrassed by that. He’d always thought he was pretty good with languages, but there was something about the strange, yowling words of the People that absolutely defeated him. Bradford, Letts, and even Sandra could jabber away like natives—at least as far as he could tell—but he was just as likely to insult somebody as to tell them it was a temperate day. Maybe it was a mental block, or his mind was too busy. Whatever the reason, he was glad Chack was there.
    He gestured at Lieutenant Mallory. “My friends,” he began, “as you know, the flying-boat has returned from its scout in the south.” He paused. He’d hated sending the PBY and its crew off by themselves, but Bradford and the Mice had managed to refine a small amount of high-octane gasoline. They had done it somehow using salt water, of all things. Also, since Riggs had the plane’s radio working, they’d never been out of contact. Ben flew under orders to avoid being seen at all costs, so he didn’t have a firm count of the number of enemy ships that invested Surabaya. The only thing he could verify was that the lizards were definitely there. All the air crew could see from ten miles away and an altitude of 13,000 feet—a distance that should have muted the Catalina’s loud engines—was “lots of ships.” Unrealistically, Matt had hoped Mallory would spot Mahan —even though he had instructed him not to specifically look for her. Judging by how long he was gone and how much fuel he’d used, the Air Corps aviator must have covered as much ocean as he could anyway. There’d been no sign. “What Lieutenant Mallory and his companions have reported confirms our fears,” Captain Reddy resumed. “Aryaal is under siege.” He waited for a moment while the tumult died down. “I must ptime, many minutes passed before he was able to speak again. There were a few shouts of agreement, but many more cries of incredulous protest. The initial response degenerated into a general roar of discussion and debate. “We have no choice!” he shouted over the hubbub. “If the enemy establishes a permanent base as near as that, Baalkpan is doomed!” He picked out a small gathering of High Chiefs and fixed them with his eyes. “Many of you can just leave. Your Homes aren’t tied to the land. But if Baalkpan falls, what then? Where will you replenish stores? With whom will you trade? Who’ll repair your Homes? I know there are other lands that will serve that purpose for a time, but how long will it be before they too are lost? If we don’t stop them now, one day all that will remain of the People will be scattered clans, alone on the sea, without sanctuary and without hope.”
    “We have no hope now!” snarled Anai-Sa, Fristar ’s High Chief. “We should flee. We’ve seen the charts you took, many of us, and the Grik are as many as the stars above.”
    “We must not flee!” Adar bellowed, joining Matt on the stage. The intensity of his glare caused many to flinch. “I was in the