Chanur's Homecoming

Likely Haral remembered Harukk, too. She had seen it, when they pulled the Tahar crew out of there.

“Hostages,” Hilfy said. “That’s what he’s got Gods-foe, Haral, I could make a routine query over there, take the temperature.”

“Just sit still,” Haral said. “Captain’s got enough trouble. Let it be.”

They flung the larger of the two stsho at the table, between Pyanfar’s chair and Haroury Pauran’s. Gtst collapsed all in a nodding huddle of white, delicate limbs, of swirling pearlescent draperies at the table edge. Gtst shuddered and shivered and bubbled.

While Pyanfar looked at the designs of pastel paints on gtst brow and her heart thudded in shock.

It was Stle stles stlen. Or it had been. Gods knew what personality the wretch had fragmented to when the second wave of kif invaded gtst station.

“You recognize this creature?” Sikkukkut asked. “Or do they still look alike to you?”

“I know gtst.”

Gtst-or gstisi: it might well be Phasing-wrung gtst hands und wailed something about noble kif and noble hani. Moonstone eyes looked her way, liquid with pleading, and Pyanfar’s stomach turned over. Gtst stank of oil and perfume and

something indefinable, doubled when the kif flung the other stsho down beside it.

“Talk,” Sikkukkut said to the stsho. “Or we begin to hurt something, perhaps one of these others; perhaps your translator. And then if you don’t, we will hurt you. Do you understand, creature?”

The stsho bubbled and babbled at each other; the one clung to the person which had been Stle sties stlen, fingers locked in gtst robes. Do it, do it, the translator was crying, and the erstwhile Stle sties stlen poured out a sudden flood of wails and words.

“-The Director is not responsible,” the translator cried then. “Gtst was another person-”

“That’s very well. We don’t care which of you we skin.”

“-But! But! noble, esteemed friend-this wretch Akkhtimakt-”

“You begin already to make a lie. Tell us about the treaty and about what happened here.”

More babble. The translator turned gtst face about again, moonstone eyes wide, gtst mouth a tiny, trembling o. “It was a mistake, it was-”

“Report what you did!”

“We are not a violent people, we had need-”

“This translator is useless. We can send for another.”

“-but! but! in our foolishness we listened to agents of the other hakkikt, we had need of ships to defend us and in our foolishness-”

“What of your bargains with mahendo’sat; with hani; with the methane-folk; with humans?”

“Mahendo’sat are with these creatures, these-” The translator looked Tully’s way with a visible shiver that made all gtst plumes tremble. “Creatures! We ejected them. We sought accommodation with the hani. But hani have no great ships. What can we do now but shelter with the most powerful? We were fools to think this was Akkhtimakt: we see very well now: we will make treaty with you, at once, at once, estimable! Defend us!”

“Kkkkt. What an offer! And what will you do for me, little grasseater?”

“We have science! We have-unique objects-”

The whole of stsho culture-open to kifish piracy.

Pyanfar coughed, and the stsho mistook it and trembled the more, lifting gtst hands to the kif.

“Save us! Estimable!”

“This thing is a fool,” said Sikkukkut. “Where is Ismehanan-min? What bargains have you made with him and with his Personage?”

Jik, Jik, for godssakes don’t make a move, gtst’ll talk, O gods, we can’t help it and we don’t need craziness right now, we need wits, we need the sharpest gods-be dealing any trader ever made.

The stsho once Stle sties stlen waved gtst hands and babbled.

“Hakkikt,” the translator lisped. “Hakkikt, Ismehanan-min dealt with us, he is the other side of a conspiracy, pernicious, pernicious, most honorable hakkikt-” The stsho waved gtst hands, rocking and tearing with nervous fingers at gtst robes; gtst cast an anxious look back where the kif stood with guns all about them; toward Jik, who had no restraint on him. “We are not a violent people. What are we to do? Mahendo’sat crowd upon us, they force their way into our offices-we need guards to secure our privacy, but we are not a violent people-”

“And we are not a patient kind,” Sikkukkut said, and Stle sties stlen said something lengthy and urgent.

“-The mahendo’sat left us. They left these few they said must close out certain business, menials, functionaries, persons of no import- Lies. They attempted bribery-”

“To which you surely listened.”

“-Akkhtimakt had betrayed our agreements!”

“What are the mahendo’sat up to?”

“-They are making you fight each other, hakkikt. One mahe aids you; the other dare not aid your enemy, but he leads and lures him.”

O thank gods.

“Kkkkt, is this so, Keia?”

Jik was relighting his smoke, which looked to be reluctant to stay lit. He capped the fire. “Sure. Same we always like you best. You win, hakkikt, we glad deal with you. I think maybe you do win. Right now I not much happy ’bout humans. So same I convince Ana, he switch tactic fast. Maybe come you side, a? Meanwhile got this hani problem.”