Who had their hands full already, saving their own hides.
“Masheo-to,” Jik said. And something more involving Akkhtimakt and ship IDs, rapidly. While Sikkukkut’s black eyes fixed on him.
“Kkkt,” Sikkukkut said. “Interesting thought. Do you follow that? No? Keia proposes that Akkhtimakt may have faked identification in his ship ID. That he may not be among that group we dispersed, but already at Urtur. We will both have taken precautions: my ships will reach all the jump-points that lead out from here in time to prevent escape from insystem or to prevent any ships not already launched from arriving here. But Keia favors us with another interesting proposal. I tell you I value you both.”
Gods, he means it. The absolute, thorough-going bastard. He’s dead inside. He doesn’t know what he’s done. He doesn’t know Jik’s his enemy. Or if he knows it he doesn’t know it, from the gut. He hasn’t got the equipment. He theorizes. You can revise a theory, but never gut-knowledge, never instinct.
He’s naive as Skkukuk in some ways. He mimics our ways. Even friendship. And he can’t feel it. He can’t ever understand us: just logic his way through our motives; and that won’t always work for him.
”Not know where he be,” Jik said. Another puff of smoke. “Maybe even hani space.”
Hani bodies all about the table stiffened.
“Maybe already there, a?”
Gods look on us all. Let it go. Let him think his way into it. Slowly, slowly.
“Kkkkt. Kkkkt.” Sikkukkut’s tongue flicked in the gap of his teeth.
Can we go too far? Make him lose sfik in front of his servants?
And beside the hakkikt the captain of Ikkhoitr leaned over and spoke rapidly and quietly. Sikkukkut answered a word or two back.
Gods rot him. That one’s no good news.
Worse and worse.
Ikkhoitr’s captain got up from table. And left. While Sikkukkut looked their way again. “You will have noticed the dispatch of certain ships. They are not the first. From Meetpoint, from Kshshti, from Mkks and Kefk. Continually my messengers have gone to inform my ships. And ships have moved. You have never seen all I have. Nor is this all of Akkhtimakt’s company. You are quite correct. Kkkkt. From you, Keia, I expect a certain astuteness in such matters. But the hani are also hunters. And you’ve talked to them, have you, Keia?”
Jik frowned. And said nothing at all.
“Not quite by his wish,” Pyanfar said. “Say that friendship has other uses. He was confused when we got him. He talked rather too much to us. That simple.” We’re lying, Kesurinan. Trust me. Sit still. “It’s what I said. Nothing Jik wants. He knows something Goldtooth doesn’t. That made the difference. Tully doesn’t know what the humans are up to, but a thought occurs to me that I don’t like, hakkikt. That the trouble inside the Compact is weakening us as a whole. That the humans may not wait until the trouble’s settled. Just delay their attack till the most advantageous moment. Because they will push at us.”
“Is this so, Tully?”
Tully made an uncomfortable shift of position. A shrug. Turned a worried look Sikkukkut’s direction, hers.
“He has trouble understanding sometimes. Tully. The hakkikt asked: will the humans fight the mahendo’sat?”
“Not know.” Tully’s eyes fixed on hers, shifting minutely as if they hoped to read a clue.
“You told me. Tell him what you told me. Do it, Tully.”
“Human-” He looked back toward Sikkukkut. Toward this kif who was more than all others his personal enemy. “Come. Got three-” He held up fingers. “Three human-”
“Governments,’ Pyanfar said.
“Three,” Tully said. “Fight. Push one humanity to here.”
“Kkkkt”
“I belong The Pride. Crew-man!”
Keep your hands off me, you bastard.
And implicit in a glance her way: Captain, don’t let them take me.
“He doesn’t know much more than he’s said, mekt-hakkikt. But he understands methane-breathers. I don’t think the rest of his people do. He had no importance among his people. They got what information from him they wanted to hear and they shoved him aside without listening to the rest of what he had to say. They didn’t want him to say the rest. We think. Gods know he might not understand as much as I think. We might not understand him. I think he’s tried to tell the truth, but I don’t think he was in on the planning. Just a crewman. That’s all he ever was. That’s what he still is.” Her hands wanted to shake. If the kif took him, there was nothing she could do to stop it. / got their attention on him. Gods, get it off!