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sort out the sounds that reached her ears。 Wind soughing。 Okay。 A rolling noise？ Ocean waves breaking on shore line not far away。 The smells that accosted her nostrils were as varied as the wind and wave； subtle musty floral fragrances； rotten vegetation； dry sand； fish； and other smells which she'd identify later。 Of human noises or presences she had no input。
She opened her eyes a fraction and it was dark。 Encouraged； she widened her vision。 She was lying on her back on a woven mat。 Sand had blown onto it； gritty against her bare skin； under her head。 Overhead； trees bent their fronds； one sweeping against her shoulder in a gentle caress。 Cautiously she lifted her torso； propping herself up on one elbow。 She was no more than ten meters from the ocean； but the high…tide mark was safely between her and the sea； to judge by the debris pushed into an uneven line along the sand。
Islanders？ What had Ampris said about the islanders。 That they'd had to be disciplined out of autonomous notions？ And the young man of the corridor who had assailed her。 He had been suntanned。 That was why his skin was so dark in parison to the other onlookers。
Killashandra looked around her for any sign of human habitation； knowing that there wouldn't be any。 She had been abandoned on the island。 Kidnapped and abandoned。 She got up； absently brushing the sand off her as she swung about； fighting her conflicting emotions。 Kidnapped and abandoned！ So much for the prestige of the Heptite Guild on these backward planets。 So much for another of Lanzecki's off…world assignments！
Why hadn't she left a message for Corish？
Chapter 8
Killashandra grimaced as she crossed off yet another week on the immense tree under which she had erected her shelter。
She sheathed the knife again and involuntarily scanned the horizon in all directions； for her polly tree dominated the one elevation on the island。 Once again she saw distant sails to the northeast； the orange of the triangles brilliant against the sky。
〃May their masts snap in a squall and their bodies rot in the briny deep！〃 she muttered and then kicked at the thick trunk of the tree。 〃Why don't you ever fish in my lagoon？〃
Morning and night she threw in her hook and line and was rewarded by wriggling fish。 Some she had learned to throw back； for their flesh was either inedibly tough or tasteless。 The small yellowbacks were the sweetest and seemed to throw themselves with selfless sacrifice on her hook。
The bronzed young man had not stranded her without equipment。 When dawn had e on that bleak first day； she had discovered hatchet； knife； hooks； line； net； emergency rations in vacuum pack； and an illustrated pamphlet on the resources of the ubiquitous polly tree。 She had cast that contemptuously to one side until boredom set in three days later。
For someone who had been as active as Killashandra； enforced idleness was almost a crippling punishment。 To pass the time she had retrieved the pamphlet and read it through； then decided to see if she could make something out of this so…universal plant。 She had already noticed that many of the tree's multiple trunks had had satellite trunks removed at an early age。 Her manual said that these were cut for the tender heart or the soft pith； both nutritious。 Was the locals' interference with 〃nature〃 one of the reasons for their discipline by the mainland？
And how far away was the mainland？ She couldn't even hazard a guess as to how long she had been unconscious。 More than a day； at the least。 She wished she'd studied the geography of Optheria more closely； for she couldn't even guess at the location of her island on the planet's surface。 In her first days； she had prowled the island's perimeter ceaselessly； for there were neighboring ones tantalizingly visible even though they were also small。 Hers at least boasted a bubbling spring that flowed from its rocky source mid…island into the lagoon。 And； if she could trust her judgment； hers was the largest in the cluster。
Before she immersed herself in polly tree studies； she had swum to the nearest of the group。 Plenty of polly trees but no water。 And beyond that islet more were scattered in careless abundance across the clear aquamarine sea … some large enough to support only a single tuft of polly trees so she had returned to her island； the best of a bad lot。
Working with her hands and for a varied diet did not prevent Killashandra from endless speculations about her situation。 She had been kidnapped for a purpose … to force an investigation of Optherian restrictions。 The FSP； much less her own Guild； would not tolerate such an outrage。 If … and here her brief knowledge of the Optherians let her down … the Optherians admitted to FSP and the Heptite Guild that she had been abducted。
Still； the Elders needed an operative organ by the time of the Summer Festival； and to do that they needed a crystal singer to make the installation。 The crystal they had； but surely they wouldn't attempt such a delicate job。 Well； it wasn't that delicate； Killashandra knew； but the crystal would prove difficult if not handled properly。 So； grant that the Optherians would be searching for her； would they think to search on the islands？ Would the islanders be in contact with the Ruling Elders about the terms of her ransom？ If so； would the extortion be successful？
Probably not； Killashandra thought； until the Ruling Elders had abandoned any hope of finding her within the next two months。 Of course； that could throw their timetable off。 It would take nearly three months for a replacement Guild Member to reach Optheria； even if the Optherians admitted the loss of the one already dispatched to them。 On her own part； she'd be stark raving lunatic if she was left on this island for several months。 And if the Optherians acquired another singer to install their wretched white crystal； that didn't mean that they'd continue their efforts to find her！
After much deliberation； silent as well as vocal； Killashandra decided that the smart thing to do was rescue herself。 Her kidnapper had overlooked a few small points； the most important of which was that she happened to be a very strong swimmer with lungs well developed from singing opera and crystal。 Physically； too； she was immensely fit。 She could swim from island to island until she found one that was inhabited； one from which she could be rescued。 Unless all the islanders were in on this insidious kidnap scheme。
The hazards that she must overe were only two： lack of water was one； but she felt that she could refresh herself sufficiently from the polly fruit … the tree flourished on all the islands she could see。 Too； the larger denizens of the sea constituted a real problem。 Some of them； cruising beyond her lagoons； looked deadly dangerous； with their pointed； toothy snouts； or their many wire…fine tentacles which seemed to have an affinity for the same yellowback fish she favored。 She had spent enough time watching them to know that they generally fed at dawn and dusk。 So； if she made her crossings at midday； when they were dormant； she thought she had a fairly good chance to avoid adding herself to their diet。
Three weeks on the island was long enough！ She had a few of the emergency food packets left and they would be unharmed by a long immersion。
Following the directions in her useful little pamphlet； she had made several sturdy lengths of rope from the coarse fiber of the polly tree； with which she could secure the hatchet to her body。 Her original clothing was down to shreds which she sewed with lengths of the tough stem into a halter and a loin cloth。 By then she had bee as tan as her abductor and was forced to use some of the oilier fishes to grease her hide for protection。 She would coat herself thoroughly before each leg of her swim to freedom。
Having made her decision； Killashandra implemented it the next day at noon； swimming to her first destination in less than an hour's time。 She rested while she made up her mind which island of the seven visible would be next。 She found herself constantly returning to the one farthest north。 Well； once there； none were far away if she decided she'd overshot the right line to take。
She made that island by mid…afternoon； dragging herself up onto the narrow shore； exhausted。 Then she discovered some of the weak points in her plans： there weren't many ripe polly fruits on the island； and fish wouldn't bite on her hook that evening。
Because she found too few fruits； she was exceedingly thirsty by morning and chose her next point of call by the polly population。 The channel between was dark blue； deep water； and twice she was startled by dimly seen large shapes moving beneath her。 Both times she floated face down； arms and legs motionless； until the danger summoned by her flailing limbs had passed。
She rested on this fourth island all the rest of that day and the next one； replenishing her dehydrated tissues and trying to catch an oily fish。 To her dismay； she could only attract the yellowbacks。 Eventually she had enough of them to provide some oil for her raddled skin。
On her voyage to the fifth island； a fair sized one； she had her worst fright。 Despite the sun's being at high noon； she found herself i