"All stalled. We're still boomeranging the sector, but it's about five
billion time-lines deep, and the pattern for the Kholghoor and Esaron
Sectors doesn't seem to apply. I think they have a lot of these Abzar
time lines close together, and they get from one to another via some
terminal on Fifth Level."

Tortha Karf nodded. It was impossible to make a transposition of less
than ten parayears--a hundred thousand time lines. It was impossible
that the field could build and collapse that soon.

"We also think that this Abzar time line was only used for the
Croutha-Wizard Trader operation. Nothing we found there was more than
a couple of months old; nothing since the last rainy season in India,
for instance. Everything was cleaned out on Skordran Kirv's end."

"Tell him to try the Mississippi, Missouri and Ohio Valleys," Tortha
Karf said. "A lot of those slaves are sure to have been sold to Second
Level Khiftan Sector."

"Well, it looks as though our vacation's out the window for a long
time," Dalla said resignedly.

"Why don't you and Vall go to my farm, on Fifth Level Sicily," Tortha
Karf suggested. "I own the whole island, on that time line, and you
can always be reached in a hurry if anything comes up."

"We could have as much fun there as on the Dwarma Sector," Dalla
said. "Chief, could we take a couple of friends along?"