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effort of imagination, but she did know how to see, which was something no HydrO knew, and she
did have a fine, focusing mind. When not distracting herself with pointless jealousy of more lushly
fleshed females of her kind.
'I heard that!'
"You were snooping."
'Oh, I suppose I can't deny all the Bessies of this galaxy their right to use what little they have to
better their situation. It's just that I wish other things counted for more.'
"Flavor counts for more."
'Go to hell.'
She was determined to expire in her own style, though what he grasped of her image of hell was not
far removed from the Hole they were entering. She wanted to distract herself from the reality of death.
That was something Heem should be doing too; his weakness was-
A planetoid loomed near, its rocky surface cratered and ragged. The light of Holestar reflected from
it, making it sparkle. There must be reflective minerals-
Shock ran through him. He had seen it! He had seen glints of brightness, rather than tasting nodules of
flavor. He-no, of course he hadn't. He had no-
'Oh, now you've spoiled it!' Jessica cried. 'Just when it was coming clear!'
So he had. "Seeing-it just is not natural," Heem sprayed apologetically.
'Maybe not to you. Why don't you just tune out for an hour or so while I play with it? I promise I'll
wake you in plenty of time for your demise.' Now there was a brittle-ness to her cleverness. She was
angry about dying.
"I shall," he agreed. And relaxed into memory. These recollections might be forbidden and unsocial
and illegal-but what did such things matter now?
Moon of Morningmist woke him with a fine-spraycaress that proceeded quickly to further copulation.
She tasted wonderful. Then they rolled out to interact again with her siblings, Miin, Maan, Muun, and
Meen. Heem, fresher this morning than he had been on the prior day, doused them all with a splendid
sex spray, and they needled him back delightedly. There was no joy in life to match that of such a
welcome!
They toured the further aspects of the valley of Morningmist, paying special attention to the swamp
that degenerated from the nether end of the lake. There were flatfloaters in it, big, healthy ones, that
took easy jaunts over the surface of the water, swamp, and land.
"Heem came over the mountain on a flatfloater," Moon sprayed proudly. She had a proprietary
attachment to him, for he had encountered her first, and he chose to copulate with her for pleasure
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rather than mere politeness. "The creatures can be guided by jets. We can do it too, with courage-"
"My brothers died!" Heem interjected. She was spraying as though she had entirely forgotten their
dialogue of the night.
'Females do that,' a thought needled him. 'Be assured she has not forgotten a thing.'
"Therefore your valley of Highfalls is empty, and requires seeding," Moon concluded firmly,
demonstrating the accuracy of his thought-warning.
"No! We are not sure of that!" But they were not convinced; he could taste it even without their
sprays of demurral. "And-I am afraid to risk my life on another flatfloater." That was a half-truth, but
it would have to do.
"Yes, there is fear," Moon agreed.
They continued the tour of Morningmist, visiting its pleasant seclusions, playing challenging games,
comparing personal histories. It was very like his prior life, with the added dimension of sexuality.
Heem enjoyed it greatly. In fact, tasting back later, he was to conclude that this was the happiest of his
forbidden memories.
Yet after the first full day he began to wonder: was this all there was to life? Residing in one valley or
another, sporting, while things like Slitherfear Squam consumed them one by one? Where was the
meaning in that? Maybe he was wrong about repopulation. If he were to procreate, seeding his valley
of Highfalls, then stay to protect and guide his offspring-he knew Moon would not agree to that, for
she had already jetted that it was not the HydrO way, but if he deceived her into thinking that he was
departing the valley, then secretly returned-
No. Deception was not his way. He had to convince her, or not seed the valley at all.
'That is an honorable sentiment, Heem.'
There went his thought again. Still, the impasse remained. Suppose Moon could not be convinced? He
found himself yielding, preparing to follow the HydrO way. It was better than being idle.
Next day they came across the remains of Miin. Slitherfear had descended to the valley floor and
caught her as she slept. The Squam had not been hungry enough to consume her entirely, so had left
half of her lying in her burrow. That was how they knew what had happened. Usually members of
their number had just distasted, with no indication of the manner of their demise.
They rolled rocks to block up Mini's burrow, sealing her in. Her body would decompose into its
components in the natural way. It was all they could do for her. They sprayed about the nice things
she had done in life, the sweet thoughts she had jetted, how pleasant she had been to associate with,
and their grief at her loss. Then they tried to forget her. After all, almost two hundred of her sisters
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