"I'm from Zuleb," he said lamely, at last.
"Meta—Gelwhops—or even Karkeqwol, that makes no difference. Nobody on Itra speaks like you do. So you must be from that planet that had the Party in a flap several years ago—Earth, isn't it?"
He said nothing.
"Do you know what they'll do when they catch you?" she asked.
"No," he said hollowly.
"They'll behead you."
She laughed, not unkindly. "If you could see yourself! How ridiculous you look, Shamar. I wonder what your real name is, by the way? Sitting with a foot in the water and looking wildly about. Here, let me fix more coffee and we can talk."
She called cheerily over her shoulder, "You're safe here. No one will be by. I'm not due back until Tuesday."
She brought him a steaming mug. "Drink this while I dress." She disappeared into the bedroom. He heard the shower running.