The limo faded and we stood in Piedmont Park. At least, Farley stood. I was in my wheelchair. My legs ached, but they always do. Farley makes me forget about a lot of stuff. So glad he wants to be here with me.

A friend's nephew came from the field where a bunch of fellas played football. "Hey, Farl! Catch!"

I opened my mouth to say, Not now! Too late!

Farley pulled my wheelchair over the curb with a smooth motion and looked up. The football bounced off his head, and he fell in my lap! I grabbed his head, and struggled to get him balanced so the wheelchair didn't fall over!

"Oh, I'm sorry! You didn't feel that, didja? DS men are tough—"

I glared at him and held my gasping friend. "Tom, stuff it, willya?" His blonde curls felt soft against my hands. Gently, I pulled his head against my chest.

"Okay—oh, my ball's in the street!" He ran off and squealing tires confirmed, Tom's at it again. Maintenance truck.

Farley got up. His skin looked white, but he smiled at me. "Nae harm. Did I cause you pain, when I fell on your legs? Ejis!" He looked down, at my ankles, and sat abruptly on the grass. "Ejis nae!" One hand touched my tennis shoe.

"Farley, don't look—"

"Ejis nae! Did you see a healer, Ella?"

"Five of 'em. On Alb Seer. I—"

"Hey, are you okay, Farl? I didn't mean to ring your bell!" Tom came back, football under his arm, a blur of Blue Devils shirt and blonde curls, lighter than Farley's.

"I am well, I worry for Ella—"

Tom's laughter drowned out the rest. "Hey, you made a rhyme again! Make another!"

Farley shook his head, and his eyes wobbled a bit. "I must take Ella to healers. Excuse me, Tom. I will play later, after Ella has healing." With a wave, a green swirl dropped on us.

My wheelchair floated up with me in it, and Farley picked me up. The wheelchair slipped out of the portal, high above Atlanta, then vanished. Elshars used to drop things on people. Now Earth runs progs to vaporize anything dropped. My cheap insurance won't cover another one this soon--

"Ejis! I will make another for you, Ella." Farley's heart pounded under my ear. His grip on the portal above us loosened.

I reached up and held his twin-fingered hand on it. "Where are we? Oh, south. There's the Spaceport." I steered us towards Molly's ship, the big red one. There aren't many huge red ships in the Spaceport like that! We dropped through the top of the dome and two healers caught us.

"Healer, my maiden." Farley's head dropped onto the old Zheien's shoulder.

"Ejis nae! Are you injured? Maiden, see you this? Had he a fall?" As he sat on the floor holding Farley, he reached a hand up to sweep blonde curls back from my friend's left temple. Maroon swelling showed at his hairline. He laid there trembling. Stared at me with the black marble eyes. He's got blue eyes that change with his moods, like Elshars.

I told them what I saw. Felt awful!

The healer holding me noticed my twisted ankles and wept. "How happened this?"

"Can you heal her?" Farley blinked, then his eyes closed.

"Nae! Did you try?" My healer sobbed as he waited for Farley's answer.

I sighed. "A long time ago, Healer. Nae today."

Farley's healer didn't try to sing for him. Instead, he stared across the ship and an older healer came. I got scared.

That healer didn't sing, either, but looked at me with brown eyes wide. Both of them had yellow skin, and looked alike. Maiden, I fear for my son. This injury was nae enough to cause such damage! Where came you?

I pictured the HamFest, and all the people with handheld radios—

Ejis! Did nae warn him of this danger?

I tried to explain that the most danger of radio frequency energy is heating, if somebody is too close to an antenna when it's transmitting.

Then, this healer explained to me that Zheien brain tissue is resonant at lower frequencies than ours. Just as microwaving baby bottles isn't a good idea because the formula can feel just right to Mom's wrist and contain hot spots dangerous to Baby, handheld radios create hot spots in a Zheien's brain at 2 meters.

Two meters is the most popular Ham radio frequency. I cringed. The old healer waved up a chart of just how far away Zheien are affected by this. Arm's length is enough to cause subtle damage, and he might just have a headache or feel tired until damage accumulates enough. The warmth actually feels good at first, so he might move closer to the source! Zheien are cold when we might be just right or too hot.

Farley shuddered, then shook harder. Regen. I didn't say anything, just held his rolled-up hand, for hours.

I gasped, and grabbed for his hand! Memories kept coming! "We need to be careful! I have a brother and sisters at home--"

I waved for my purple dress and soft shoes with my braces. Enough length on the dress so ruffles disguised my twisted ankles.

Farley wept, and held them. "Nae hide from me! Ella, nae hide longer. Why delayed you healing?"

I sighed.

My healer urged me to tell Farley's and mine about what happened, so I let Farley tell it.

He tried to share memories, and couldn't, so he spoke it. "I led Farley's Team for five years. Ella served as my diplomat-in-aid. When negotiations went badly on Ronsera, two of the council brought a false treaty and demanded I sign. Another two held Ella. They tortured her by sending much energy into her legs with false healing." Farley kissed my ankles, and brushed his yellow tear-powder off often.

"I could nae sign the false treaty. But, I used the sig of my healer, Konomai. They tried to take me, but others of the council thought to avoid trouble now that they believed in the new treaty and released us. On my ship, I tried to heal Ella and thought she kept her walking. Healers took her to Alb Seer from Gerat Lo, and I went on more missions until my respite. Healers of Earth told me that with exercise, Ella improved, and we enjoyed time together while I served there. I nae knew she had nae healing, with these doctors!" He cried loudly.

I sighed. "They thought they could do something, Farley. I did the exercises and used the elbow crutches, but nothing works. With my telepathy, I hid how they looked because they slowly turned inwards, and I hid my wheelchair from you and everybody until I ran out of savings. I can't trade any more, Farley. Doctors told me the reason my ankles don't work is that part of my brain doesn't work. My ankles won't stay healed." I stared at my hands. Zheien are honest. But, I hated the way people tried not to stare at my feet, or did the pity stuff, when they saw me as I really was, and I just ran the progs all the time, even with Farley.

My healer hugged me. "Eae, and we can do little, as her healers on Alb Seer said. But, Farley must remain on Alb Seer. Will you also come, Maiden, and seek healing? We can add comforts to help you bear it."

"Zheien can't bear it! I'll make everybody sick—"

"O, we are stronger than you think us." My healer smoothed my hair.

Farley put his head down on my legs, which felt good to me, and fell asleep. Referpol waved up Konomai, his healer.

A holo came up of a young healer, with a smile. "What is wanted? Ejis nae! You have Farleikon?" He had dark curls, and resembled Farley, in the face. His short stature and thin frame did not! Red-gold eyes turned black.

"Konomai, tell me of him. He had injury, on Earth." The older healer waited.

Konomai shook his head, and those dark curls went everywhere! "How lives he, with such sorrows? His skills are very well, eae, but his health keeps him from progress. I urged him to stay here on Alb Seer, but he asked for Earth, and young death! When his young friend had injury—she is here?" He looked at me and trembled. "How he holds to you! Maiden, are you well?"

I put a hand on Farley's head. "I wish to come to Alb Seer and stay. Because Farley went to Earth, I followed him. I did nae know my pastimes would harm him!" I cried.

Farley got up like a shot and held me. "Have you pains, Ella?"

"No, but I'd like you to stay on Alb Seer with me! I love you, Farley!" I'd never said it. All these years, and I couldn't. It seemed to be a death sentence when some girl tried to marry a diplomat. They all went off and got killed. Three of my friends, who chose dangerous missions when their love got killed—

He hugged me and held my head against his chest. Cried with me. "I love you, Ella. Until my next mission, I stay—"

"Two healers, now, want you to leave DS! Isn't that right, Referpol, Konomai?"

Konomai got upset. "Eae eae, I wish him to stay—"

"And, I have authority to enforce it." Referpol lifted both of us into his lap, quite an armful. "My son, will you sleep? Your maiden stays."

Farley held me tighter. "Nae leave me, Ella, my Ella! Until my next mission, I stay by you to protect you. I stay—" His head dipped until it rested by my cheek. An Earthan couldn't reach so far down! Zheien bone bends.