"I liked you." Her glance was half-tender and a little amused. "And I knew you wanted me here, even though you tried not to show it." She paused. "There was another reason, too." "What was it?" "You know Marlin Ross lived here once?" He nodded. "Well, there was a note from him on the spaceship you came on. It was addressed to my father, asking him to take care of you. He and Ross were good friends. But my father is dead now, and so the letter was given to me." "And so you've been taking care of me." "Yes." "But I'm sure he didn't mean it literally--taking care of my house and fixing my food and--" "No, of course not. He just meant to take care of you, give you what you needed. But you needed this. You needed to be waited on a little." "I guess I did." He could find nothing adequate to say. "Thank you." There was a moment of silence. She put aside the broom, which was still poised in one hand. "Let me make you some _jen_. You look tired." "Thank you." Kirk sat down, with a deep sigh, and leaned back, watching her precise, exquisite movements, as she prepared the hot liquid. He found himself longing to touch her, to reach out and feel the soft, supple flesh, the rippling hair. The sight of her beautiful, firm breasts moving as she worked tortured him. The low necklace that signified they were covered didn't work very well for him, he thought. The flowers twined into it kept falling aside as she bent and turned, tantalizing him more. He pulled his eyes away, and forced himself to think of other things. She had been very kind, he realized. She hadn't made him feel like a fool. * * * * * He stood waiting for the last of the staff to assemble, letting the feel of triumph course through his body. He felt heady, exultant, a little drunk with joy. This was his moment. This made it all worth while--the long hours, the sleepless nights, the relentless work, the struggle. They would see. They would see he hadn't been driving himself and them for nothing. He stared down for a moment at the piece of ore which he had brought to show them. It contained unpolished zenites. Nemar possessed zenites, the fabulous gems valued all over the galaxy for their shimmering, glowing beauty of changing color. Infinitely more precious and rare than diamonds, they served often as a galactic medium of exchange, where weight was important. A handful of them could be worth the whole cargo of a trading ship.