"I am sorry," Vinsra said, relaxing her muscles. "Leeza is curious about you."

"Yeah, I picked up on that," Nathaniel mentioned.

"I have known Leeza many years. I do not know her to act this way."

"Are you talking bad about me?" Leeza asked, not quite as well-versed in English as she wished.

"I was just explaining that you're behaving strangely," Vinsra replied.

"Frankly, Vinsra, you are the one acting strange. What happened to you? You weren't so stuck up before you went off to that college of yours."

"I have always had a strong moral standing," Vinsra defended. "I would never consider stripping bare in front of a male who was not my mate, nor asking one to do the same in front of me."

"I am not going to sit in soaking wet clothes for five hours while we ride home. It's uncomfortable and unhealthy, and Nathaniel is not a Lesher male, so I don't understand your problem."

Vinsra huffed in resignation. "It just seems wrong, somehow."

The rest of the ride back was mostly quiet, as everyone kept to themselves. Nathaniel took the time to write down some thoughts in his electronic journal, which recounted much of the past two years of his life. He had a lot of catching up to do, having been denied the portable computer for the past two weeks. By the time they reached Vinsra's ranch, he had managed to put in a rough entry for each day he had stayed with the Leshers thus far.

As the stagecoach came to a stop, Leeza slipped into her wet dress, not wishing to walk out almost naked in front of the driver or any Lesher male who would see her on the walk back to her farm.

"Well, Vinsra, it was an interesting excursion," Leeza said, squirming in the discomfort of the soggy dress. "Perhaps tomorrow we'll check the telegram office before mapping out a new route."

Vinsra didn't respond. She appeared to be sleeping, but moving in close, it was clear that she was awake, though didn't appear very active.

Leeza nudged her friend a little to get a response out of her. "Vinsra, are you alright?"

"It's so cold," Vinsra replied, cringing a little at Leeza's prodding.

Turning Vinsra's head, Leeza spotted two elongated lumps formed under her jaw. "Skate Chills!" she hissed.

"What's wrong with her?" Nathaniel asked, hoping Leeza knew enough of his language to answer.

"Plague," she replied.

Nathaniel picked her up and carried out of the coach, across the yard and into the farmhouse, with Leeza following in haste. They were met in the dining room by Ganz, who was quietly relaxing by the fire.

"What happened?" he shouted, rushing to take his wife from Nathaniel's arms.

"We ran into a quarantine blockade halfway to Laushek," Leeza replied. "She must have picked up the plague when we got out to read the plaque."

"Her clothing is wet," Ganz mentioned, grabbing hold of her.

"It was raining, and Vinsra wouldn't expose her body in front of company."

"You mean in front of him!" Ganz shouted, staring at Nathaniel with furious anger. "You are responsible for this, demon!"

Vinsra stirred in Ganz's arms, managing a few words. "No, don't blame Nate, please."

"If she dies, you die!" Ganz shouted, turning toward the bedroom door.

As soon as Ganz was out of earshot, Leeza said to Nathaniel, "Here, you no stay. No safe."