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being in the known universe-- don't beg for flattery, Val, by asking who the first is-- we could use Quara."
"And let's be fair about this," said Val. "We're meeting another sentient species. Why should humans be the only ones represented? Why not a pequenino? Why not a hive queen-- or at least a worker?"
"Especially a worker," said Miro. "If we are stuck here, having a worker with us would enable us to communicate with Lusitania-- ansible or not, Jane or not, messages could--"
"All right," said Jane. "You've persuaded me. Even though the last-minute flurry with the Starways Congress tells me they're about to shut down the ansible network at any moment."
"We'll hurry," said Miro. "We'll make them all rush to get the right people aboard."
"And the right supplies," said Val. "And--"
"So start doing it," said Jane. "You just disappeared from your orbit around the descolada planet. And I did broadcast a small fragment of the descolada. One of the sections that Quara pegged as language, but the one that was least altered during mutations as the descolada tried to fight with humans. It should be enough to let them know which of their probes reached us."
"Oh, good, so they can launch a fleet," said Miro.
"The way things are going," said Jane dryly, "by the time any fleet they send could get anywhere at all, Lusitania is the safest address they could have. Because it won't exist anymore."
"You're so cheerful," said Miro. "I'll be back in an hour with the people. Val, you get the supplies we'll need."
"For how long?"
"Get as much as will fit," said Miro. "As someone once said, life is a suicide mission. We have no idea how long we'll be trapped there, so we can't possibly know how much is enough." He opened the door of the starship and stepped out onto the landing field near Milagre.
Chapter 7 -- "I OFFER HER THIS POOR OLD VESSEL"
"How do we remember? Is the brain a jar that holds our memories? Then when we die, does the jar break? Are our memories spilled on the ground and lost? Or is the brain a map that leads down twisted paths and into hidden corners? Then when we die, the map is lost but perhaps some