[Q]: '' there are but four more ribs to add , and then the gumming , and you shall have your own birch bark canoe , '' he said . caleb groaned inwardly . gumming the seams on mallett 's canoe had quickly displaced picking stone during mud season as his least favorite chore . there was no doubt in his mind that it was worth the effort , but that did n't make it any more pleasant . captain mallett interrupted his ruminations , saying , '' let us be off to find a quiet table , then ,...

[A]: caleb

[Q]: all of a sudden he seemed utterly concerned that his staff did n't like him . '' i think it means that you 're , well , heartless . '' '' heartless ! i 've got a big heart . especially when it comes to my staff . '' he shook his head , frowning . '' i ca n't believe they think i 'm...

[A]: heartless

[Q]: '' damn , ya know , that might explain something . '' '' what ? '' marston said . '' the other day some of the boys down at pier two , they was acting funny , telling us all to get along and all that , to accept the situation and deal with it . '' '' and why were you at the...

[A]: pier

[Q]: he wondered if perhaps seynorynael might have developed more like this world , if valeria had not been a bluish-white star . the captain 's shuttle from seishinna landed on the plains outside the city and waited for the alien emissaries . * * * * * the reception the aliens gave their visitors intrigued chiyenn . the aliens arrived within minutes of the seishinna 's...

[A]:
landing