The ceilings in the ancient building were high, and the heels of Sarek's boots echoed loudly on the stone stairs. He climbed until he reached the third floor (he would not have used the lift even if there had been one) and walked to the end of the hallway, to the door bearing the inscription LINGUISTICS. He paused before the door and spoke a name aloud--the offices were not equipped with buzzers--and waited for a response too soft for human ears before he pushed against the heavy stone door.

In the center of the room was a desk and behind it a window flooded the room with sunlight, obscuring for a moment the face of the seated figure in shadow. Sarek blinked. The figure rose and stepped forward out of the glare.

Silek was younger, leaner, with an openness about him that Sarek completely lacked, but even so the resemblance was unmistakable. He raised his hand in the Vulcan salute. "It has been many years, brother."

Sarek returned the salute. "Many years; thirty-eight point four standard, to be exact."

"I trust your wife and son are well?"

"They are well." Sarek paused politely, taking notice of the stranger who stood next to Silek's desk.

Silek turned to him deferentially. "This is Starnn, my father-in-law. Starnn was chief archaeologist on our project. He will be participating in the presentation with us."

"Sarek," Sarek addressed the old Vulcan. "Then you are part of our family, and will be staying with us."

Out of respect for Starnn's age, which he estimated to be well over two hundred, Sarek waited for the older man to initiate the salute. But Starnn merely nodded distractedly. His white hair was disheveled, as though he had forgotten to comb it, and there was a vacant gaze in his eyes. Sarek took no offense; even the best of Vulcans sometimes suffered from forgetfulness at such advanced age.

"Starnn, of course, has often heard me mention your name, and is honored," Silek said swiftly.

Sarek changed the subject. "And what of your expedition to the Hydrilla sector?"

"Most successful, actually," replied Silek. "Of the ruins, we were only able to thoroughly explore Beekman's Planet, which is why we need more funding to continue exploration of the sector."

"If you were successful, no doubt you uncovered some interesting artifacts," Sarek said, looking at Starnn.

"Of course," Starnn said in a wavering voice, suddenly galvanized. "That is why we must return. There were far too many for us to uncover in one expedition. And several of these discoveries are worthy of extensive study and testing, for they will no doubt lead to a greater understanding of the principles of physics." He turned to Silek. "Show him the box."

"Yes," said Silek. "One of our most intriguing discoveries." He went into the lab for a moment, then returned to the outer office area with a look of thinly veiled scientific excitement and what looked to be a smooth piece of onyx, polished so that its surface reflected the faces of the three. It was somewhat larger than Silek's hand, and shaped like a Terran oyster, with an almost invisible seam around its center. Even in the daylight, a faint bluish glow emanated from it. Sarek thought he detected a slight hum.

"Try to open it." Silek handed it to him.

Sarek pulled on the top of the box and flinched as it sparked and crackled. "I cannot."

"Nor can we," replied Silek, "with all of our instruments. It is apparently an internally generated force field. And it is shielded from us; our scanners cannot penetrate this material. We don't even know if the structure is solid or hollow. And, of course, the field will not permit us to analyze the material."

"Fascinating," said Sarek.

"And quite beautiful," said Starnn. "An ingenious blending of the principles of physics and art to create a puzzle. We found many others like it; this one is the smallest. Please take it as a gift, a souvenir of the Hydrilla sector."

Silek shot a quizzical glance at the elderly Vulcan.

"Forgive me," said Sarek, "but I cannot take it. This belongs to the academy museum. It belongs where others can appreciate it."

Starnn ignored Silek's stern, silent gaze. "We already have too many for display. This one is the smallest, as I said."

"I cannot," said Sarek.

Starnn grew something close to vehement. "You are a diplomat," he said. "Your house is open to many guests, some of them interplanetary; the box would be seen and enjoyed by many."

"Perhaps you are right." Sarek bowed slightly, wishing at this point only to humor him. "I am honored."

"Your acceptance honors me," Starnn said, mollified.

"If you gentlemen are ready," Sarek said, "I will escort you to my home."

"Yes," Silek agreed quickly. "And will your family be there also?"

"My wife will be there. Spock is in Star Fleet."

"Forgive me," said Starnn. "I have some matters to attend to here in the capital. If it is no inconvenience, I will join you later."

"Certainly," said Sarek. "Take the evening shuttle to ShiKahr and I will meet you at the station."

Starnn nodded and picked up the box. "Do not forget this. I know you will display it where it can be admired."

Sarek bowed again as he accepted the box.

The two left. In the hallway, out of Starnn's earshot, Sarek said, "I am honored by the gift, but I feel it is inappropriate. I am unused to receiving items which should be museum pieces."

"Starnn uncovered many of these," Silek answered, not meeting his brother's eyes. "He is quite accurate when he says that there are too many for display."

"Then it could be used for testing. And I perceive that you also do not approve of Starnn's action."

Silek paused before he met Sarek's eyes. "Starnn may be chief archaeologist, but even that does not give him the right to dispose of academy property."

"Then why did you say nothing to him?"

"He has not been himself of late."

"He is old," said Sarek. "And his only daughter has died."

Silek glanced at him darkly. "My wife. Yet I have not changed. It's more than that. Even before T'Ylle died, Starnn...changed."

"Perhaps he should visit a healer."

"If you could recommend a local one," Silek said, "I will suggest it to him."

"That would be wise," said Sarek.

Silek paused, and his tone became lighter. "And is the lady Amanda still as gracious as I remember her?"

Sarek was unaware that his expression had softened. "Even more so."

The security contingent of Tomson, Nguyen and al-Baslama had seen to it that the Vulcan researchers were safely ensconced in their quarters and were now making their way back to C deck. Nguyen was the newest member of the security team, and the lowest in rank. She had directed this question deferentially to Security Chief Tomson.

Tomson gave Nguyen a sideways glance, secretly displeased, although technically she had no right to be. Nguyen was eager and well-scrubbed enough, with hair pulled back and falling in an amazingly straight line down her back. It was the hair that troubled Tomson; she could not get used to the new, relaxed regulations on hairstyle. Tomson was regular navy, and still had palpitations when a crewman's hair touched the collar. She made a mental note to talk to Nguyen afterwards. For routine security work, okay--but for show, pomp and circumstance, the hair should be pinned up. Nguyen might not like it, of course; if she decided to be bold, she could point out to Tomson that this was a backwater planet in a dead sector and the Vulcans they were picking up were scientists, not diplomats.... She could point it out, and find herself transferred. Tomson was not there to be liked. She was there to see to it that her people did their job.

Nguyen smiled up uncertainly at her, and Tomson's pale face shifted into the barest ghost of a smile. It was often an effort for her to be friendly, especially with overeager types like Nguyen. She'd once overheard a crewman saying that it must be the altitude--it wasn't the first such comment she'd heard. A cold, six-and-a-half-foot female security chief was an easy target for jokes. Tomson told herself she did not care, as long as it didn't interfere with her job.

"They were staying behind to finish up an archaeological dig, and one of them was injured," Tomson answered, looking straight ahead and not at Nguyen. "All of their doctors had already left, and he needed immediate medical attention. The Enterprise was the closest ship out. Apparently, his family came with him."

"Extended family," al-Baslama said. He was swarthy, congenial, and almost as tall as Tomson. Save for his intelligence, he perfectly fit the stereotype of the beefy security guard.

Nguyen nodded; they had picked up twelve passengers. "Do they always travel in families like that?"

"It was convenient in this instance," Tomson said. "They'd been out close to forty years."

"Forty years..." Nguyen faltered.

Tomson shrugged. "The wink of an eye, to a Vulcan." She stopped abruptly as they approached the turbolift and turned to al-Baslama. "I wonder if I could talk to you for a minute, al-B."

"Of course, sir."

Nguyen got on the turbolift and shot a glance in al-Baslama's direction, which he studiously ignored. From the looks of things, Nguyen had already joined the ranks of al-B's ardent admirers; no doubt, she had hoped to ditch Tomson and consult al-B about his off-duty plans. Tomson watched the doors close over her with a sense of smugness.

Al-Baslama stood politely at attention, and Tomson looked at him admiringly. Next to Tomson, he held the highest rank of anyone else in security: lieutenant, junior grade. Not, Tomson thought, that he hadn't earned it. Now that Nguyen was gone, she permitted herself to smile at him. Al-B relaxed; he had not been able to tell from the lieutenant's voice whether to expect praise or a reprimand.

Tomson never wasted words. "I've recommended you be put up for promotion. I want you to know that my evaluation of you was extremely flattering."

"Sir?" al-Baslama said. He wasn't due for a promotion for another six months. He was silent for a moment and then seemed to remember that more of a response was called for. "Thank you, sir. That's very kind."

Tomson leaned forward conspiratorially and lowered her voice. "I'll tell you another secret, al-B. I'm almost sure you're going to get it."

He hesitated. "Sir...that would mean a transfer."

"I suppose it would," Tomson said, falsely casual. It was not something she liked to think about, but someone like al-B deserved any help he got from his superiors. "You deserve a command of your own. We both know that."

"But I've enjoyed working with you, sir," al-B protested. "You're the best."

Tomson lowered her eyes, uncharacteristically embarrassed. "I appreciate the compliment, Lieutenant, but you've got a career to think of. You shouldn't let anything get in its way."

"Yes, sir," he said, clearly unconvinced. "Again, thank you, sir."

Tomson stepped into the turbolift, and al-B followed. He stood, silent, not looking at her, as they moved toward C deck.

When she could no longer stand the silence, she said, slightly exasperated, "Is there a problem, Lieutenant?"

Al-B squared his shoulders. "Is there any way, sir, that I could get the promotion and still be assigned to the Enterprise?"

Nguyen, Tomson thought bitterly. She almost stamped her foot. "Dammit, al-B, I stuck my neck out on this one! What's the matter with you? There's no one on this ship worth wasting your career for!"

"I had thought..." he said softly, then broke off. "I guess I was wrong."

Tomson was about to continue her invective until she caught his eye. She had only seen such looks directed at others, never at herself--and she became suddenly conscious of her heart beating faster. "Moh..." she said gently. "I'm your immediate superior. It wouldn't be proper."

"I know, sir. But a transfer..." He looked hard at her. "I guess I read everything wrong. Is that what you really want?"

"Yes--for your career," Tomson insisted. Then, in a much lower voice, she said, "Personally? No. You're the best person, male or female, I've ever had on this team...and the nicest."

He smiled sadly. "Maybe it won't go through, Lieutenant."

The doors to the turbolift opened. "Don't be a damn fool," she said shortly, and walked away too quickly for him to catch up.

"Are reunions always painful for you, my wife?" Sarek asked calmly.

"It's nothing," she said, smiling once again. "A thorn. Silek, how wonderful to see you!" Her impulse was to hold out her hand in the Vulcan embrace, two fingers extended, but a strange shyness held her back. "You've hardly changed."

It was true, of course; other than a broad streak of gray in the front of his hair, Silek looked exactly the same. Being human and aging much faster, Amanda knew that he could not truthfully say the same for her; after living with a Vulcan for many years, she did not expect him to. Curious, though, how much he looked like Spock.... She had never forgotten his face, but had somehow failed to realize over the years that by some capricious combination of genes, her son had grown to look more like his uncle than his own father.

"How long has it been?" she asked.

"Thirty-eight-point-four years, or so your husband tells me." Silek did not smile, but the effect was the same as if he had. Amanda wondered how he did it.

Sarek held out his hand to her in the ritual embrace; automatically, she walked over to the two men and touched her fingertips to her husband's. Sarek looked down at her hand and permitted himself the small, exasperated tug at one corner of his mouth that usually appeared only when he teased her in private. "Your hands are dirty, my wife. I see that you have forgotten your gloves again."

"I'm not afraid of a little dirt," Amanda replied, pretending defiance, but she wiped her hands again on her coveralls. "Ouch!"

"The thorn?" Sarek asked. "Let me see."

Amanda held up her thumb and did not flinch as Sarek removed the thorn with expert detachment. "So you see," Sarek said under his breath to Silek, "what marrying an Earther has brought me." A small rill of blood followed the thorn, and she instinctively pulled her dirty thumb away from Sarek and put it in her mouth.

"Barbaric." Silek turned to Sarek. "Is it typical to find her thus--covered with dirt?"

Sarek nodded. "She has always been fond of gardening; indeed, she knows more now about Vulcan gardening than I. But it has always been her private sorrow that roses could not survive the climate here. She tells me now that a genus of rose has been developed which can withstand life on Vulcan."

"For her sake, I hope it survives," said Silek, remembering that roses had always been her favorite flower.

Amanda smiled. "This time I am determined. Neither hot Vulcan breezes nor infernal pests are going to destroy my flowers this time. But here, let me clean up." She brushed the dark, loamy soil from her coveralls. "I wasn't expecting you back so soon; this isn't exactly my hostess gown."

"Finish your gardening," Silek said. "If we were on Earth, I'd say I am family, not company. And it is quite nice in the garden."

"On Vulcan the best kind of company is family," Amanda retorted. "Besides, I'm finished. I'll be only a few minutes." She turned and went into the house.

"I have never seen such black soil," said Silek.

"Earth dirt," Sarek replied. "For Earth flowers. Imported all the way from Minnesota, knowing my wife."

Silek walked carefully through the fresh mounds of earth and leaned over the nearest bush to inspect it. There were no buds. "These would be yellow roses," he said suddenly.

Sarek studied him curiously. "I was unaware you were such a horticulture expert, Silek. These are a yellow variety known as Desert Peace."

Silek straightened. "I cannot claim such expertise, Sarek, merely a simple deduction. I was recalling a conversation when Amanda mentioned her favorite flower."

"You have an excellent memory, brother."