As well admit Skkukuk to the bridge during jump. Much rather admit Skkukuk-who was on their side.
Of all the things I’ve done, she thought to herself, staring into Jik’s alien eyes, this is the one I’ll deserve to die for. I know I’m making a mistake. I’m wrong. I’m going to foul up and the kif’ll launch that ship, that ship no one can stop and no one can catch, and there won’t be hani left except those of us who happen to be in space, that the kif will hunt down one by one. All because there’s this chance that we need him, and Tully, and that gods-be kif who thinks I’m his ticket to kifish glory; because I’m an old fool of a hani who’s been out in the dark too long and I can’t shake if off and think clear of it any longer.
“Pyanfar,” he said gently, “you be damn bastard.”
“Got you out, didn’t I?”
“You got.”
“You know you’re not sitting a post on this ship.”
“What you want?” He held out his hands together. “Chain to chair? Do! I want be on bridge. Want talk to my ship. Want hear my ship.”
“Hear them, I’ll give you.”
Fool, Pyanfar. This isn’t Anuurn. He isn’t hani. Parole means nothing to him weighed against his orders.
And how do I treat him like this and trust him again, ever?
“Agreement, Jik. You put this one in my hands. You stay on the bridge, but you keep your mouth shut and you keep your hands off controls.”
He turned his hands, showed blunt mahen claws which nature had never made retractable, or fine enough for the smaller controls on hani boards; and they were broken and bloody, the fingertips swollen and coated with plasm from Tirun’s caretaking: it was sure the kif had done no good for them.
She felt a cold shiver inside, a sympathetic twitch of her own claws in their retractile sheaths. But she set her face all the same. “Is that all the answer I get? Or do you give me those codewords and give us some honest help?”
He looked at her straight from under his dark brow, a hard glitter in his eyes. “I do, Pyanfar. Now you got believe what I say, a?”
Chapter Four
I am writing this in haste at Mkks. Do not hold or compromise this courier. Present crisis compels me to clarify the actions which I have taken in support of Ismehanan-min, since his lines of operation have crossed mine. I trust his report has reached you, but have placed a duplicate in the care of the Personage at Kshshti should the courier have failed. Since Stle stles stlen is not holding to treaty agreements both Ismehanan-min and I are taking measures to support other candidates and to prevent replacement of mahen personnel with hani. Here at Mkks we have retrieved all hostages and have suffered no damage at present. We are requested by Sikkukkut to add support to his candidacy by moving on Kefk. I am not apprised of Ismehanan-min’s whereabouts and do not speculate. I advance on Meetpoint by that route. All reports from tc’a sources indicate that Stle stles stlen is proceeding as in the previous report, and reports from our contact inside stsho space are not encouraging. . . .
Tc’a contacts report knnn agitation in urgent terms. . . .
I have given Ehrran a false packet. Evidently this is a stsho agent and I dispense only disinformation into this outlet. Her willingness to participate I am certain is only a means to gather information on our activities which I am sure she has gained through stsho contacts of her own and which she has twice attempted to relay through furtive contact with stsho agents, some of which have eluded the net. Our movements are reported through an efficient system of couriers and I maintain a close watch over Ehrran’s transmissions.
Thus far Chanur remains reliable. Support for this agent must be managed with extreme discretion on all levels. I would send her on to Maing Tol but I see no means to do this over Sikkukkut’s objections and considering Ehrran’s present state of mind. Therefore Chanur remains with us, under utmost priority of protection. Particularly alarming is Sikkukkut’s courting of Chanur. Leverage will have to be arranged to counter this. . . .