"We are just old friends having a meal together." It was no trouble Jas." Unlike our last meeting, It was I who felt on the defensive. Jas was assured...and calm."Sit down, the meal will be about ten minutes. Would you like some wine now? I have a Shiraz open." That would be good." I looked around her large lounge and was impressed. Jas had always had an eye for colour, and her scheme of mute lemons and pale greens promoted calm. There was huge window with a balcony outside and as the apartments. " Ancient languages come easy to you." Go on, I'm listening." I turned to regard Morgan who still stood closeby. "And I think you can leave now, Morgan. Off you go. Shoo." Theguard smiled to himself as he gazed at me, as if enjoying a privatejoke at my expense, but with just a confirming glance at Kurgus, noddedand exited the room."You'll have to excuse Morgan. Like many real men he's unused to takingorders from a woman." Really? Well, that's his problem, not mine. He'd better get used toit.". It never happened."You're right, Jack," I said. "Let's go to Deland and confront my father. He is too unstable not to go nuts and give up some information when he sees me alive, instead of dead like the rest of the family."Mr. Bell will go with me, and we need to go ASAP. I can call Jet Services and get us as big a jet as we need, but we need to get going."Jack looked me over very carefully and said, "Are you going to kill him?" Tim Sanderson has to die..."Hire anyone you need. Buy any. "We don't wish to do that again. You are friends now, no more fighting." He made the clashing hand motion again. "But we need to understand. I tell you first how it was to us, how we remember. We think you attack"—he gestured with a fist pounding into his other palm—"you try to kill us, make us die, when we offer peace, we come in peace." He extended his arms in the peace gesture both species had used. "But we do not know why, what reason."The native seemed frozen. It neither spoke nor moved..