ovan's arm and closed unfocussed
eyes to slump bonelessly to the floor, still smiling.

Looking around at the n'ruhar who had seen Steve's collapse, Hovan
translated the Ranger's earlier prediction aloud into Language, then
smiled indulgently down at him. "And it seems he was right. He has
had a very successful party. Time to pour him, as I promised, into
bed." He stooped, picked up the slightly-built man with no difficulty,
and turned to Yarra. "I think he'd better sleep in the infirmary
tonight, Ka'ruchaya."

"I agree. And tell the nurse to let him sleep until he wakes by
himself. The Supreme has said he and the First Speaker will wait until
Steve is ready to see them."

"They do him much honor."

Tarlac woke up once during the night, and was vaguely aware of being
helped to someplace where he vomited and afterwards collapsed. Then he
was carried back to bed, where dim light showed him a reassuring
shark-toothed smile before a cool cloth covered his forehead and eyes
and he went out again.

The next time he woke it was to lights that were too bright. He
squeezed his eyes shut and groaned, wishing he were still unconscious.

There was a light touch on his arm, and a musical voice said something
he couldn't understand but thought was sympathetic. He didn't want
sympathy, he wanted to die. Well, maybe he just wanted anything that
would end the misery. He recognized a hangover, though he'd never had
one this bad before; while it would end in time, he wouldn't enjoy the
next few hours.

Then an arm under his head and shoulders raised him and a different
voice, Hovan's, said, "Drink." There was a glass at his lips; he
obeyed without thought.

What he drank was almost too sour to swallow, but within a few minutes
he was feeling better. A little bit. "What time is it?"

"Midday, twelve and a half hours by your timepiece."

Tarlac groaned again, forcing his eyes open. "You do this to everybody
you adopt?"

"No, ruhar. You a bad reaction had, an allergy, Doctor Channath says.
You should soon better feel."

"Uhh. That'll teach me to drink Traiti liquor." Tarlac tried to sit
up, refusing Hovan's assistance, noticing only then that he'd been
undressed and was on a sleeping mat laid atop a platform instead of on
the floor. He made it upright, but the effort brought on a wave of
dizzy sickness, and standing up didn't work. His knees buckled,
forcing Hovan to catch him and sit him back on the bed.