“We sit here,” Sikkukkut said, “attempting to preserve three hundred thousand fools. Why this is, I wonder. Perhaps I shall lose patience with it. In a very little time any outsystem spotter will be receiving our early movements down his timeline. Once he knows Harukk has docked, he will know it is too late: I will not have stayed here overlong. Or if he is a fool and does not know that, still I will not be here, kkkkt?” Sikkukkut took a sip from his cup. “As for incursions from system-edge in general, that is all anticipated. If some of Akkhtimakt’s ships exist out there, which I still doubt. Only a fool would annoy me and pen himself into the system with me, a fool or a very formidable enemy. Or my friends Keia and Pyanfar, kkkkt? But I am not vastly worried. On the one hand I am not anxious to lose the station itself; on the other anything that brought Akkhtimakt’s ships within my reach would please me, and likewise,” Sikkukkut said, and turned a glance on the two stsho before which they wilted like grass in the fire. “Likewise anything that brought the perfidious Ismehanan-min to an interview with me. Do you understand me, kkkt?”
“Yes. Yes, honorable.”
“He dislodged Akkhtimakt. And the hani ship with him?”
“-Yes, yes. He hung off and waited, the hani went to Urtur. Discovering Akkhtimakt here, these perfidious scoundrels abandoned us, each, yes, honorable.”
“And sent you nothing?”
“-Nothing, nothing, O, Honorable, we would tell you. They waited and then these creatures came out of hiding! Waiting at the limits of our system! We were shocked, we were dismayed, we cannot understand how they penetrated our net-”
“Akkhtimakt here,” Jik said lazily. “Ana know you come. He do thing I say. He wait. Wait you come. Maybe you fight these bastard kif, he come in. He got these human on short chain.”
“And you?”
Jik drew a mouthful of smoke and let it out. “What I do, a? What do my ship? My First, she don’t fire. We make quiet, wait. I be you friend, mekt-hakkikt. Not po-li-cy fight you. Po-li-cy my side want you win. What we got, we come in, hit both you hakkikktun, a? Damn mess. Ten, fifteen week got new hakkikt, whole different game.” There was a stirring in the hall, ominous movement against the lights. Jik lifted a hand. “I not dis-courteous, a? Long time neighbor, you, me. We do fine. I know these thing, same Pyanfar know these thing. Same time I got big worry what we see here not real honest. Maybe bait. Maybe Akkhtimakt sudden smart, want bring us here, hold us here, make us fight Ana while he go do what he want.”
Safeties had gone off weapons. “Kkkkt,” Skkukuk said anxiously, with a furtive wave of his hand.
“No. Long time the mekt-hakkikt been patient with truth. He ask question, he still be patient.”
“I am still patient, Keia.” Long jaw rested on black, retractile-clawed fist. “Pay no attention to them. I am listening.”
“This got big danger. Tully say don’t trust human. What happen, a? You got fight Ana, fight human, fight maybe other mahen ship, few; then come some bastard out from Akkht, want make self hakkikt-same all time happen, you know you people real good: first time you got trouble you got some bastard want make suicide. All same take time, take ship, take you attention. Same time got Akkhtimakt settle in real good in hani space, same time far from methane-breather- you got methane-breather trouble, a? You be real close over here. But Akkhtimakt not got. Maybe he make good friend with mahendo’sat over by Iji-same join with them, come fight human when human make trouble-now where we be, a?”
“That is an elaborate possibility. Very elaborate.”
“Same. But two kif want fight, my people always help.” Another lifting of a finger. ‘ ‘This time you got luck. Akkhtimakt damn fool, all time push mahendo’sat, mahendo’sat never like help that bastard. A? So you got no mahen help to you enemy. Maybe change. That bastard get rule in hani space, he be whole different bastard.”
“Can it be you’re trying to maneuver me, Keia? Or do you agree in this move, hunter Pyanfar?”