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ambient plasma."<br />
"I'll leave those speculations to you, Morna. I just want to keep talking with <strong>An</strong>glana."<br />
"Your internals tell me that your conversation is quite similar to your dream activity."<br />
"Yes, but I'm awake."<br />
"Yes..."<br />
Verluin appeared over the rise of the hill that sloped to the shore with the sea. He was running<br />
and shouting something. Morna turned her hearing up and said: "He's gotten word <strong>from</strong> the<br />
Council. You've been approved for permanent residency on this planet."<br />
Verluin closed the distance, grabbed Delva in his arms and said: "We've been approved for<br />
residency!"<br />
"Morna told me."<br />
"What a snoop she is!"<br />
Morna united with them in their laughter.<br />
<strong>An</strong>glana increased the surge of wavelets at the shore and spoke through Delva:<br />
"<strong>An</strong>glana is happy."<br />
Delva's lower, more liquid tone of voice prompted Verluin to ask: "Was that <strong>An</strong>glana talking?"<br />
"Yes. She can apparently urge me to vocalize what she makes me feel. How marvelous!"<br />
Verluin felt an urge to approach the water. Delva sensed it and gave him a small nudge in that<br />
direction. Morna nearly screamed: "Stop!"<br />
Verluin crouched and scooped a bit of <strong>An</strong>glana into his mouth and swallowed.<br />
He embraced Delva and said: "Faith, sweet Morna, faith."<br />
~~~<br />
After Verluin had united with <strong>An</strong>glana, both of their interactions with the new life-form took on<br />
more of the nature of thought transference, though the strong emotional component wasn't<br />
lacking. Morna's analysis was constant. Reports to the Worlds' Council were constant. <strong>An</strong> official<br />
statement was being prepared for the Worlds' News Mesh.<br />
Emigration considerations were postponed until the carefully selected group of people chosen<br />
to ingest a portion of <strong>An</strong>glana had had time to be studied.<br />
That is, until their remains could be studied.<br />
Every person of that group had fallen into a state of complete ecstasy and quickly died.<br />
Morna thought this was a breakthrough for her analysis. She postulated that enhanced plasma<br />
communication ability was a key. She composed reports to the Worlds' Council, detailing the<br />
plasma communication abilities of Rednaxela, Velu, Xela, Zena, and Delva plus indications that<br />
none of the dead had the ability. She also included a method for determining potential focused<br />
plasma communication ability.<br />
Delva's immunity was a prime consideration for future selection methods. Morna couldn't<br />
account for Verluin's immunity.<br />
He'd told her it was Akla's Will. She set up a separate stream of analysis, incorporated her<br />
previous cogitations relating to possible correlations between religion and science, and set an<br />
alert if probabilities reached 85%.<br />
~~~<br />
The funeral of those who'd died in ecstasy was broadcast on the Worlds' News Mesh. The Council<br />
hoped it would serve as a potent weapon against future settlers' irresponsibility.<br />
Several months after the funeral, Delva had completed her indoctrination of the elected<br />
members of the new Worlds' Mediation Board. The Worlds' Council had insisted she retain her<br />
title of Worlds' Mediator and maintain abundant contact with the Board. Shortly after the<br />
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