Beyond the males questioning the Paterian women, I noted the former slaves and felt that I had shirked my duty. They stood as a group. They had been listening to Kana talk, also. Abram's family and several other cooks stood with them, diligently surrounding them. The healthy, young Paterian females Left with them Last night were probably assisting the men outside.

The former slaves seemed to be a touch better than they had been the day before. Many of them were looking around and several were attempting to talk to their guardians. Speaking to men under the control of The Great Harmonious Spirit was a difficult endeavor, though. I wanted to tell them that.

I caught Molly's eye as I sat staring at the women. She Looked around and then confidently crossed the room. She watched Kana and Rysell warily, but they just smiled at her and introduced themselves. Molly responded, but her voice was still small and unsure. It would take time for her to feel comfortable.

“Come sit with me," I offered patting the slab beside me.

Molly hesitated before she sat with me. The old training was hard to break. Humans knelt on Pateria, we didn't sit.

We watched as Kana and Rysell moved away, saying they were worried their discussion was causing unnecessary disruption to those receiving healing. An area was cleared on the far side of the infirmary for Kana and Rysell to continue the men's education.

“One of these is your boy?" Molly asked quietly.

I stroked Jonathan's head and smiled at her.

“My brave Little boy, Jonathan, and his Brother Aiden found the aliens hiding in our bathing pool. It attacked them, but they fought back. They have some bites and scratches, but the Healers said they just needed rest."

"Branden liked to fight, too," Molly smiled. "He was so active I feared for him sometimes."

I laughed and remembered Jonathan's early days and his obsession with our pool.

Molly and I sat and talked as the boys slept. She wanted to stay on this planet with her boy, but she wasn't sure how it would be possible. Other than the men who had owned her, she had no one to help her. We just mulled it over between the two of us as Mycah's family continued to slumber.

“It was the drink," a high voice intoned suddenly from beside us. "You could have just told us it was the drink that kept us from carrying their children."

I wanted to roll my eyes and curse out loud. Vesa and her friends stood less than five paces away. They wore borrowed clothing from the camp, but they still managed to look haughty. Vesa had managed to be just as annoying as she always had been.

If I hadn't been so irritated with her very presence I might have been impressed with her ability to pull it off. Less than a day ago Vesa had been a broken mess. Thanks to our Healers, she stood in all her usual glory, despite the ragged, mismatched attire. The rebound was actually quite stunning.

“I'LL tell you anything you want to know, now," I said forcing a polite smile.

“I was a slave and so were you back then. There were things I just couldn't say."

Vesa almost ignored what I said as her eyes raked over my body. "Not like I'd want to be breeding with them anyhow," she said.

“You can't seem to stop..."

The woman's tone was aggressive and so was her stance. I got the impression she wanted to hurt me for whatever reason. This was a place of healing and rest, though. I sought to defuse the situation promptly.

“My children are very important to my family and me," I said as calmly as I could.

“We enjoy being surrounded by our offspring.”