“I understand you.” Sirany’s hand trembled on the arm of
the chair, jerked in a small tic. She gripped the chair arm till the tendons stood out.
“You want to bring the captains aboard?”
“We got no room in dock. Have to stack ’em in lower main. No. I’m going outside and hope to all the gods I live through this. I’d be expensive to lose. Real expensive. / can talk to that kif. My kif can talk to those bastards out there. Where is he?”
“Lowerdecks. Well-fed, I might add. I wonder he can move.”
“Gods.” She walked over to the com console and punched in the number. “Skkukuk. What’s this you want to tell those kif out there?”
“Is this you, hakt’?’
Hani voices. Different voices. “Godsrotted sure it is, skku of mine.”
“Kkkkt! I am delighted!”
“Worried about me, were you?” Gods, a change of captains aboard, possibility of mutiny in the air, the kif like a lit fuse and she had never picked it up. “I told you hani are a peculiar lot. You asked contact with the kif out there. What were you going to do, in particular?”
“Call them in, hakt’, to take this ship.”
Gods, gods, and gods. Perfectly logical. Her own crew exhausted, in his eyes perhaps acquiescing to this threatening change of authority on the bridge. Ships were moving and threatening everywhere. And here was one little constant light of kifish loyalty, a kif who knew no other hani would tolerate him and who planned to serve her interests through his.
“I’m in command here. No problems. What do you think ought to be done, regarding those kif out there?”
“Kkkt. Put me in command over them. That is your best action, hakt’. I am a formidable ally.”
“Skkukuk. What rank did you hold? Is it proper to ask that?”
“Kkkkt. Kkkkt.”
“Not proper. All right. Let me point out something to you, Skkukuk. Sikkukkut is a bastard, a real bastard, with a sense of humor. I think if he ever did get his hands on you again you might never get out with a whole hide. Despite your
cleverness. He’s too clever not to know you’re clever. Do you understand me?”
“Hakt, you are completely correct. What will you do?”
“Why, I’m going to give you all those kifish ships out there, and a treaty with the mahendo’sat and the hani, skku of mine, and tell you that if you will take my orders very closely you may fare very well. But first you have to take those ships and hold them.”
“You will see, you will see, mekt-hakt’.”
She leaned over the First’s panel and unlocked doors. “There you are. You can just go down to ops, down to the auxiliary command right down the corridor to your left, and you can use com in there. You call yourself one of those ships for transport, and you pack up your Dinner and any weapons you think you need, and you get yourself out there and remember how far you are from kifish territory, and who your friends are. Hear me?”
“Kkkkt. Kkkkt. I will give you Sikkukkut’s heart!”
“You take orders! Hear me?”
“What you will, what you will, Chanur-hakkikt.”
Promoted, by the gods.
There was a deep, gnawing cold at her gut. Raw terror.
Just made my will and testament. To Sikkukkut, should some fool stationer pick me off out there. To my beloved enemy: a new and kifish problem.
Enjoy it, bastard.
She looked at Sirany, who was staring at her in dismay. “One thing about the kif. When they’re on your side they’re on it. And they’re on it as long as they’re profiting by it. That’s a real happy kif down there.”
“I hope to the gods you know what you’re doing.”
“I’ll tell you. If something happens to me, if you have to take charge of this mess, rely on my crew and threaten Skkukuk within fear of death, then turn him loose. Best insurance in the world. He’ll respect you for it.” She had an impulse toward the weapons locker, for one of the APs, remembered it was Gaohn out there, civilized, home; and then went and did it anyway, pulled the heavy piece out and belted it on. “Tell my crew meet me belowdecks. Tell the captains I’ll see them in dock offices.”