The leader of the second band of stsho came fluttering across the threshold into the airlock, with an engraved case clutched to gtst heart—anxious, by the pursing of gtst small mouth, and the three increasingly agitated bows.
“We are so inexpressibly relieved, most honored captain, that you speak the civilized language. We have far less anxiousness to entrust ourselves and this preciousness into your ship.”
“What’s this ‘ourselves’?” For an instant all command of stshoshi language deserted her; but Tiar and Tarras hadn’t understood a word thus far. Only that. She said it in stsho: “Would your honor clarify the matter regarding one’s illustrious self and one’s presence on my ship?”
Another bow. “As gtst excellency’s most honored representative, of course, as guardian of the precious-ness which foreign hands must not touch.” A wistful curtsy. “I do hope the excellency did not omit the doubtless inconsequential matter of this absolute necessity, and that some provision has been made for my lodging and my meals of sufficient taste and decorousness not to offend my status as the excellency’s emissary.”
Possibly she did not control her surprise. Certainly her vision suffered that tunnel focus her ancestors used in hunting, and at the same instant the stsho officials and escort backed an identical number of paces—while in the gray fringe of her vision the kif reached for weapons. Consequently so did Tiar and Tarras.
But she did smile, a hani pursing of the mouth, not to show the teeth. And her ears did not flatten, nor her claws extend. Nor did her escort or the kif, fortunately, open fire. She said, sweetly, because they had the contract, and they had a hold full of cargo bought with its proceeds, “How extraordinary the excellency’s trust in our ability to adapt to unusual situations. How much baggage do you have?”
Chapter Four
There was an amazing lot of coming and going next door, when Tiar had called down on com maybe an hour ago saying they were going to undock soon. Hallan put his ear to the wall, then backed off as someone began hammering and banging. It sounded as if someone were tearing into the paneling, and maybe taking the whole cabin apart.
That was a peculiar kind of thing to do, on a ship that was supposed to be in count to undock. He began to wonder if they had a malfunction of some kind, and if maybe the access to the conduits or something more critical was there.
But it was certainly an odd place to put an access. Something had leaked, maybe? The plumbing had given way?
It kept up a very long time. He heard them moving equipment in, he heard thumping and banging and hammering and hissing. He listened again, thinking maybe the whole compartment had flooded. Maybe— His door opened. A very dusty, contamination-suited Tiar Chanur put her head in and raked her hood back. “Kid?” All of Tiar came in and shed white dust on the floor. He had had his ear to the wall and could find no plausible excuse for himself standing in the corner. “Captain’s compliments and we got a very important passenger right next. She really wants me to impress on you be careful.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “I understand.”
He was used to the idea foreigners were afraid of him. Every foreigner he had met was.
“Kind of short on space,” Tiar said. “We’d like to sort of move you. Except it’s not quite as comfortable. But there’s facilities.”
“All right,” he said, wanting to be accommodating. Really it didn’t matter that much. It would be nice to have another set of walls to look at.
“It’s kind of—minimal,” Tiar said.
“That’s fine. —There’s nothing to do here. There’s nothing to look at. I’d really like some books or something.”
“We can get you books,” Tiar promised. “I—don’t suppose you have to pack.”
“This is it. Except the kit.”
“The clothes came. We have those. We just haven’t had time—“
“That’s all right.” Anything was all right if it made them happy. And if it proved to the captain that he was obliging and knew how to take orders.
“You want to come with me? We’re between coats. I can set you up.”