back into
Kranath's awareness. Something communicated, not in words: For now
merely observe; you may analyze later.)

Godhome's voice grew almost somber. "Intelligence is rare in this
galaxy, Kranath. Yet that world has given birth to three intelligent
races, two of which sprang from a common ancestor and needed the same
land to live. Those who went before cherished intelligence, so when
they realized that the two land-based races were destroying each other,
they decided to move the numerically lesser race to another world.
Twenty-seven thousand Homeworld years ago, that was done."

Kranath was badly disturbed by that, even though he'd braced himself to
accept difficult things. Learning that his people had lost an entire
world--their Truehome--made his spirit quail. "Were the others so
powerful, then?"

"Not as individuals, no. But they were so numerous you could not have
resisted them. Had you remained on Terra, you would have been
exterminated millennia ago. Here, you were free to grow without the
pressure of human population to hamper you."

(There was a moment of disorientation, and Tarlac knew somehow that
part of Kranath's continuing education was being skipped as unnecessary
for him. And then, with a shift, he was part of Godhome.)

The computer was thinking that its pupil had done well, even with the
advantages of his heritage and training. Kranath considered himself
rather ordinary for a Cor'naya, and would have been surprised to learn
that Godhome's opinion was far different: his generation was a key one
by the reckoning of those who went before, and he was one of several
exceptional males who had been born as predicted, then subtly guided by
Godhome into developing their full potential without losing the
essential values of the Traiti race and culture. Of those, Kranath was
easily the best, as shown by his ability to accept facts that were
fantastic to him, and then to reason from them. It was a promising
sign, Godhome thought, though it was not a guarantee that Kranath would
join it. Godhome would use everything its creators hadn't forbidden to
influence him to accept, but the decision had to be made freely.

Kranath was sleeping; Godhome sent him dreams, first of the inevitable
results if the inter-clan warfare continued, then--before the nightmare
brought Kranath awake screaming--of what would happen if he joined with
the computer. Kranath's utter rejection of the first dream and
deter