"Are the Azure Mountains the edge of your frontier?"
She nodded. "Beyond is the Emerald Plain, a great, wide plain, and beyond it are mountain ranges that have never been named or explored. I'm going into them some day and—"
Time passed with astonishing speed as he talked with the girl and it was late in the afternoon when he continued on to Brenn's cottage. He put the thoughts of her from his mind and told Brenn of the too-warm association between the girls and the Vogarians.
"But it is only friendship," Brenn said soothingly. "You can assure your commander that nothing immoral is being done."
"If he knew what was going on, it would be my neck. It has to be stopped. Write an edict—do anything that will stop it at once."
Brenn stroked his white beard thoughtfully. "I'm sorry this unforeseen situation has occurred, sir. Will you have strict orders to the same effect given your men?"
"There's a severe penalty for unauthorized fraternization. I'll see that they're well reminded of it."
"I'll write another edict, at once, forbidding the girls to speak to your men, sir."