Some of the people had already started to leave when Governor Macmillan walked onto the stage. He looked harried and upset, but he broke quickly into his official open smile when he began addressing the crowd.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” he said, “the execution of Nicole des Jardins Wakefield has been postponed. The government has discovered some small irregularities in the paperwork associated with her case-nothing really important, of course-but we felt these issues should be cleared up first, so that there can be no question of any impropriety. The execution will be rescheduled in the near future. All the citizens of New Eden will be informed of the details.”

Ellie sat in her seat until the auditorium was nearly empty. She half expected to be detained by the police when she tried to leave, but nobody stopped her. Once outside, it was difficult for her not to scream with joy.

She suddenly noticed that several people were looking at her. Uh-oh, Ellie thought. Am I giving myself away? She met the other eyes with a polite smile. Now, Ellie, comes your greatest challenge. You cannot under any circumstances behave as if you expected this.

As usual, Robert, Ellie, and little Nicole stopped in Avalon to visit with Nai Watanabe and the twins after completing their weekly calls on the seventy-seven remaining RV-41 sufferers. It was just before dinner. Both Galileo and Kepler were playing in the dirt street in front of the ramshackle house. When the Turners arrived, the two little boys were involved in an argument.

“She is too,” the four-year-old Galileo said heatedly.

“Is not,” Kepler replied with much less passion.

Ellie bent down beside the twins. “Boys, boys,” she said in a friendly voice. “What are you fighting about?”