Into the New Millennium: Trailblazing Tales From Analog Science Fiction and Fact, 2000 - 2010 (65 page)

They cower against the cushions. They know what I could do, were I not a civilized creature. How pitiful!

"Humans," I bark. "Bite-bite: you travel star territories, you see medicines in blood, but for all that you are prey. See how you fear me, though I am better now than a dumb creature to attack you, when my molri does not bring me low. Your
clothes
are no better than prey fur, subversions of natural order, and without them you would shiver worse than I! Is it any surprise that I cringe to hear in your shallow mouths the Cold words of the dominator?"

My own words silence me. I flop exhausted to the cushions and cover my nose with one hand. This is the explanation they have demanded, but it only proves that all hope is gone from our hunt.

Hada neither speaks nor looks at me; she crosses her arms tight over her chest.

"You wound me, Rulii," Parker whispers. "I hope you don't mean this—that you merely speak from shock, or that I mishear you . . ."

How can I have said such a thing to him? I whimper. "Hnnn, I don't mean it, Parker; I was angry. You have saved my life tonight, and truly I have no brother but you."

"Hark," Parker says. "I believe I understand your talk of Rank, yet this is not of our thinking. Humans bow—or, we try to bow—first to merit in skill."

Ah, so this is the invisible territory they guard so jealously: a borderline of skill that reverses their Rank. I choose words carefully. "You must realize, I have watched you argue this between yourselves, both with bodies and with words. Yes, Parker is powerless to speak to Majesty without Hada's Rank of negotiator—but you, Hada, never forget you would be speechless without Parker and his long hunt here. Rank and interdependence, both together, create natural order."

I have Hada's attention now. "Hark-hark," she says sharply. "We Humans know interdependence well."

"Do you truly? Majesty thinks he knows it, yet he places Rank far first when he fails to repay the Lowlanders who feed and fight for him. Measure him beside
us
: we grow plants we cannot eat, to care for the low beasts that sustain our strength. And what of you, Hada? Here Parker has been the hunter to bring down the beast of our Aurrel tongue, yet you chastise him when he has not made it soft enough for your teeth to manage."

Her face works, angry. "Bow-bow: my teeth are sharp enough."

"Do not convince me, Hada. Convince Majesty."

"Hark-hark: I shall, tomorrow evening," she says, gharralli eyes glittering. "Bow-bow: enough foolishness, now. We must begin our preparations."

I had entirely forgotten! Moon must be low by now, and I with no sleep, no sure medicine that will allow me to face Majesty safely—wauuunn! "I will do what I can," I say. But now that I have seen Humans as Majesty does, what can I say to defend them? I cannot change nature! "Parker, how do you believe we should proceed?"

"Do as you wish." Parker closes his eyes. "I will not be there."

Ar, no—I
have
driven him away! "Belly," I say, "Parker, we—"

Hada interrupts. "Par-parker, bow-bow: you forget you still bear obligation to the
Allied Systems
."

"My obligation is to my own
scientists
," Parker says, keeping steady eyes on me. "And to the progress of Aurrel research, not to
spaceports
. I will no longer play Lowlander to Hada's Majesty. Rulii—" He touches my wrist; through my fur I feel the strange soft tips of his fingers. "I need treatment, from the doctors at our research station in Oll-ollugha forest. I won't leave you without medicine—there is enough here for several days—but we will not speak again until your negotiation is over."

My chest tightens. "But Oll-ollugha is wilderness! Parker, Majesty may not want you in his presence, but I do."

Parker's voice stiffens. "Hada can do what you need. She came here for this—she would never leave here with her reputation damaged. She says she has teeth; now let her use them."

I don't know if Hada has enough bite for Majesty—but determination, she has in plenty. She and I walk together beneath hangings of rich embroidered cloth and lacquered leather toward Majesty's Ice-fang door, wearing—at her own insistence—beaded waist-purses, invisible medicines, and
nothing
else.

Is she more natural without the subversion of her heavy
clothes?
Or with her small stature and furless flesh exposed, is she more delicious? Our night-long preparations have pushed me too far outside myself to judge.

Two heavy-furred submissors with iron hooks pull aside the strings of sharp mirrors that bar the door, revealing Majesty Gur-gurne at his table. His beads of royal ice capture the light of fat-lamps, making him seem larger; his mouth gapes as he looks at Hada.

I must breathe calmly, stop myself shivering from pure fear. Parker's medicine serves well enough, but I find I miss molri's flush of carelessness. Ar, Parker, I was wrong when I told you I cared nothing for pleasure!

"Bow-bow: sit," Majesty calls. "Hark-hark: at last Ru-rulii's rumored negotiator joins me at table! Ha-hada, make welcome."

Hada replies with deepened tone, "Thank-thank, Majesty: your invitation grants me Cold honor."

Majesty laugh-howls. "Hark-hark: how you sound like a singing bird, Ha-hada! Sniff-sniff: is this the common voice of the female Human?"

Wauuunn! Will my hunt fail before our negotiation begins?

"Bel-belly, Majesty," says Hada. "This was a song of thanks, but in speech I hope I am not such a delicate bird, to die of cold in your exalted presence."

She has changed her voice! Suddenly a faint iron-on-iron shriek pierces her words, nothing we planned. Unbreathing I wait for Majesty's answer.

"Bow-bow: take meat with me," he says, no mocking now. "We shall speak of your hunt soon enough." As we sit, the obedient submissors bring forward plates of seared urrgai tongue marinated in voghi liquor and sprinkled with early ruz blossoms.

Majesty raises his jeweled dinner-knives to cut his meat; petals of ruz float in sweet voghi-scented blood. But as I lift my own knives, he stops me suddenly. "Hark-hark: Ru-rulii, no."

My stomach tightens. "Majesty?"

"Bow-bow, before we eat or talk, raise your bowl," he says. "A toast to our guest."

"Bel-belly: to our guest." What does he intend? I lift my bowl forward while Hada tenses, alert for defense or attack.

"Ha-hada, hark-hark," says Majesty. "To the health of your new young, to your fight-strength returned, and to the continuance of your Clan in great numbers!" He lowers his head to drink of ihlu.

Hada looks to me, sharply.

Now I grasp it: it is her nipples Majesty has remarked, swelling as they do from her chest, bare and brown-tipped with no covering fur. "Hark-hark: the suckling mother," I say, and bend to my drink, hoping she will understand. Here, such would indeed be cause for congratulation.

She calms. "Thank-thank, Majesty." With each word the hint of shriek in her voice appeals more to me. "Health to all the Clans of Au-aurru, to the Clan of Majesty Gur-gurne, and to Majesty himself in singular." A toast she has made up, but I surmise it will belly to Majesty's liking.

"Ahhh Ha-hada." Majesty shakes head, shoulders and tail, now relaxed. "Hark-hark: your Warm talker gave me little hope, but I smile to find a dominator among Humans. You are no songbird, but a harrihi!" He begins to eat, cutting and spearing his meat, tossing it back into his mouth, and Hada imitates him.

My surprise hisses out. Harrihi, the raptor—
that
is the sound in Hada's voice! I understand her skill now: with her voice predatory, her manner is so Aurrel that her lack of muzzle or standing ears seems almost a surprise. Can she truly have done this across other worlds, with creatures even more alien than herself?

"Ru-rulii, bite-bite: you are half sleeping."

I turn to find Majesty's gold eyes intent on me.

"Bow-bow," he says. "Eat; these last days I begin to think you suffer a condition."

Cold fear blows through me, but I don't shiver—truly, Parker and his medicine have saved me from death on the Dominator's Teeth today! "Bel-belly: it is only anticipation," I say. "I confess I wish to speak of Humans."

"Hark-hark: I notice how you precious them, Ru-rulii! Well then. Ha-hada, bow-bow: tell me, what is this
spaceport?
"

Hada flicks a hand through her long mane. "Hark-hark: a
spaceport
is a landing-place, Majesty. Humans stop there for food and fuel, thus easing our trade between star territories."

"Hark-hark: yes, Ru-rulii has told me you fly." Majesty laughs, but offers no insult—she is harrihi now, not grouse. "He tells me you wish to purchase land for a generous price. We have such land to offer; unused grasslands plenty in our Lowland south."

I scent my prey at close pace; my heart speeds, but I make myself eat.

Hada smiles. "Thank-thank: indeed, Ru-rulii has spoken to us of these grasslands. Yet our eyes turn differently. Your eastern rocky flatland would serve us better, at a price you may suggest."

What? She has lost pace with me completely! "Ha-hada," I say, "sniff-sniff: eastern flatland? Will you abandon your plans for Lowland so quickly?"

"Bow-bow," she says. "
I
had no such plans, Ru-rulii."

How she stares—I understand suddenly that she baits me. I snap my teeth shut, but I have already said too much.

"Ru-rulii," says Majesty. "Bow-bow: I thought you desired a Human
spaceport
. But now it appears you desire it singularly in Lowland. Sniff-sniff: is it only on your own territory that this
spaceport
will bring you satisfaction? Your Councillorship, your houses here and in Ro-roghell, they are not gifts enough?"

My breath shallows; my mind races to escape the trap before it can close. "Bel-belly, Majesty, do I appear to concern myself with territory? Hark-hark: I worry for all Au-aurru! I wonder why Ha-hada should change her proposal so late, unless she bears some concealed intent."

Majesty's hackles rise—oh, I have alarmed him! He turns eyes-ears-nose to Hada while she sits stiff, her pupils widening. "Hark-hark: a strange move indeed," he growls. "Bow-bow: explain yourself, Ha-hada. This is the behavior of a Barbarian, if Ru-rulii scents true."

Wauuunn! I have destroyed everything! Now Majesty will banish them, their
spaceport
, their research and their medicines, and I shall have condemned myself to return to molri, to die of it after a lifetime's bloodless hunt!

"Bel-belly," says Hada. "I am no Barbarian, Majesty."

Hiding my shaking hands, I force myself to speak. "Hark-hark: indeed, honored Ha-hada, I do not wish to believe this of you. Tell us then why our eastern flatland smells so good." And let her words somehow appease Majesty!

Hada bends her head. "Bel-belly: Majesty, I meant no ambush. I am new-come to this negotiation, and perhaps I had not told Ru-rulii: I have always desired this flatland location. Humans shall bring goods through this
spaceport
, yet it must also provide of its own—
resources
."

Majesty throws his head back and howls. My heart is half frozen before I hear him break into a laugh. "Hark-hark! Resources, Ha-hada! Ar, I see you are a negotiator indeed!"

Her lips curl down. "Bel-belly, Majesty—"

Majesty stamps the pads of one hand on the table. "Bow-bow: if you negotiate for land, this is something. But if you desire land-and-take-of-prey, our negotiation changes. Au-aurru must demand you render tribute."

She calms at once. "Hark-hark: we can deliver tribute, Majesty. This is simple."

See how certain she is! Majesty demands that she submit, placing Human star territories among the tribute nations of Aurru—yet she shows no sign of tremor!

Ah, no. I see it now: this is not courage.

What tribute could we demand that Hada would
not
find simple? She finds all of us simple. She and Majesty match eyes, confronting, but neither one sees the truth: that each of them believes his, her people superior and the other to be tamed! I must not allow them to reach agreement upon such terms. What good are riches, if all Aurrel blindly consents to play Lowlander to Human Majesty?

I scent only a single way to turn them aside—in a word each one might privately ignore, but which I believe in the ears of the other neither would dare deny.

"Hark-hark!" I toss my mane, to draw their eyes. "What a happy day, when Human and Au-aurrel enter for the first time into interdependence!"

Hada takes the bait. "Bel-belly: this interdependence is welcome. You will find we have much to offer you."

Majesty gapes in amusement. "Hark-hark: indeed? I grow impatient to see these offerings!"

"Yet, Majesty, bel-belly: what a puzzle!"

My tone has caught him; he closes his mouth, turns ears to me. "Sniff-sniff: puzzle, Ru-rulii?"

"Hark-hark: why, we know less of our new huntmates than we do of Barbarians! In a single hour's interdependence, how can we know what prey they shall seek on our soil, or how much?"

Majesty snorts, but without humor. "Bow-bow: look, this one hardly eats at all."

My heart beats running pace. "Sniff-sniff: but how can we judge if Humans shall fly alone as harrihi, or as rowill, to blacken the sky? How should we attempt in one night to guess their future take, in order to measure fair tribute?"

Hada quickly spreads her hands. "Hint-hint: Majesty, surely Ru-rulii overstates himself. Humans are not unknown to Au-aurrel; not when our talker Par-parker and his
scientists
have run here so long."

"Bow-bow!" Majesty shows irritated now, shaking his beads harshly. "Indeed they
are
known to Au-aurrel, Ha-hada: known to
Ru-rulii
in singular. He has run leader in your hunt from the first, and he is right; we make no bargain tonight."