of it may take root between us while we are together.
“As for your question, datholch is a civilian rather than a military
rank.” He did not speak in exact equivalents, for Merseia separated
“civilian” and “military” differently from Terra, and less clearly; but
Flandry got the idea. “It designates an aristocrat who heads an
enterprise concerned with expanding the Race’s frontier.” (Frontier of
knowledge, trade, influence, territory, or what? He didn’t say, and
quite likely it didn’t occur to him that there was any distinction.) “As
for my standing, I belong to the Vach Urdiolch and”–he stood up and
touched his brow while he finished–“it is my high honor that a brother
of my late noble father is, in the glory of the God, Almighty Roidhun of
Merseia, the Race, and all holdings, dominions, and subordinates of the
Race.”
Flandry scrambled to his feet and yanked Djana to hers. “Salute!” he
hissed in her ear, in Anglic. “Like me! This chap’s a nephew of their
grand panjandrum!”
Who might or might not be a figurehead, depending on the circumstances
of his reign–and surely, that he was always elected from among the
Urdiolchs, by the Hands of the Vachs and the heads of Merseian states
organized otherwise than the anciently dominant culture–from among the
Urdiolchs, the only landless Vach–surely this was in part a check on
his powers–but surely, too, the harshest, most dictatorial Protector
regarded his Roidhun with something of the same awe and pride that
inspired the lowliest “foot” or “tail”–for the Roidhun stood for the
God, the unity, and the hope of the warrior people–Flandry’s mind
swirled close to chaos before he brought it under control.
“Be at ease.” Ydwyr reseated himself and gestured the humans to do
likewise. “I myself am nothing but a scientist.” He leaned forward. “Of
course, I served my time in the Navy, and continue to hold a reserve
commission; but my interests are xenological. This is essentially a
research station. Talwin was discovered by accident
about–uh-h-h-h–fifteen Terran years ago. Astronomers had noted an
unusual type of pulsar in this vicinity: extremely old, close to
extinction. A team of physicists went for a look. On the way back,
taking routine observations as they traveled, they detected the unique
orbital scramble around Siekh and investigated it too.”
Flandry thought sadly that humans might well have visited that pulsar in
early days–it was undoubtedly noted in the pilot’s data for these
parts, rare objects being navigationally useful–but that none of his
folk in the present era would venture almost to the ramparts of a
hostile realm just to satisfy their curiosity.
Ydwyr was proceeding: “When I learned about Tal-win’s extraordinary
natives, I decided they must be studied, however awkwardly near your
borders this star lies.”
Flandry could imagine the disputes and wire-pullings that had gone on,
and the compromise which finally was reached, that Talwin should also be
an advanced base for keeping an eye on the Terrans. No large cost was
involved, nor any large risk … nor any large chance of glory and
promotion, which last fact helped explain Morioch’s eagerness to wring
his prisoners dry.
The lieutenant wet his lips. “You, uh, you are most kind, sir,” he said;
the honorific appeared implicitly in the pronoun. “What do you wish of
us?”
“I would like to get to know you well,” Ydwyr said frankly. “I have
studied your race in some detail; I have met individual members of it; I
have assisted in diplomatic business; but you remain almost an
abstraction, almost a complicated forcefield rather than a set of beings
with minds and desires and souls. It is curious, and annoying, that I
should be better acquainted with Domrath and Ruadrath than with Terrans,
our one-time saviors and teachers, now our mighty rivals. I want to
converse with you.
“Furthermore, since any intelligence agent must know considerable
xenology, you may be able to help us in our research on the autochthons
here. Of a different species and culture, you may gain insights that
have escaped us.
“This is the more true, and you are the more intriguing in your own
right, because of who you are. By virtue of my family connections, I