The transmission ended. The tank dissolved into random flashes of golden light that darted like insects before flickering out.
“The choice lies before you, then,” Yaut said, his body curiously in flux, now bereaved, now proud, now aggravated, as though the fraghta were too overwhelmed to know what precisely he felt. “The prudent path would be to accede to Oppuk, follow his orders and conduct the remainder of this operation as custom dictates. If you do so, I am almost certain the Naukra would remove your kroudh status. It seems clear enough—the Bond already intervening!—that many are unhappy with Narvo’s conduct here.”
Aille turned to him, skin once again prickling with anticipation. “I do not think—not really—that is what Meku wants. You heard him yourself: The possibilities are vast. Not only in terms of finally forcing association on Narvo, but, what may be even more important, in terms of the war with the Ekhat. What if we can stop them, using these new tactics? Think of the gain! To be able to save worlds, instead of simply revenging them.”
“Duty—caution, at least—dictates that I advise you differently,” Yaut said, slowly. “But in the end, you are ava, root kochan, while I am only vau, subsidiary. It is not bred in me to abandon you, if you decide to go on.”
“Send a message back,” Aille said, “and route it to Oppuk as well. I accept kroudh status. What I do from this point forward no longer reflects on Pluthrak.” He gazed at the empty tank. “I act for myself alone.”
“And for this world,” Yaut said, “though I doubt they will understand the honor you do them this day.”
* * *
In that, at least, Yaut proved to be wrong.
Perhaps. It was hard to say. The manner in which Terrans expressed their appreciation of honor was most peculiar to the Jao way of looking at things.
After the signal techs returned, they suggested that Aille might want to see something else. Quickly, the two techs changed the settings for the holo tank to relay the images that were being transmitted on the human communications web. What Terrans called “television.”
Aille and Yaut stared at the images. Gigantic masses of humans thronging in many cities—on no planet but Terra could such immense mobs be assembled—and engaging in the most bizarre rituals.
The Binnat tech explained. “President Stockwell sent out instructions and counsel some time ago to all human authorities and communications centers. The human comm web ever since has been spending all its time reporting on the current situation. Shortly thereafter, these assemblies began taking place.”
“If you can call something like this an ‘assembly,’ ” snorted the other tech. “I am reminded more of the swarms of fish on my home planet during spawning season.”
“Summon Kinsey,” Aille commanded. “I want him to explain this to me. I think it is time I added him to my service anyway.”
Yaut hesitated, his posture suggested apprehensive-doubt. “He will be very difficult to train properly. From what I have seen of him, I think he is oblivious to wrem-fa.”
“I will not use him for official occasions, then. Still, he is shrewd in his own manner.”
Yaut did not argue the matter further. Shortly thereafter, he returned, more-or-less herding a rumpled-looking Kinsey into the room ahead of him. The human scholar still had the look of semi-dormancy in his eyes. But he became alert quickly, once he observed the events being shown in the holo tank.
His first words were meaningless to Aille. “Jesus H. Christ.” Thereafter, his speech became more coherent, although he continued to pepper his words with that same peculiar phrase. Aille was only able to grasp a portion of what he was saying, in any event.
“—called ‘demonstrations,’ sir—also ‘rallies’—and they’re an ancient human custom—”
Here came some meaningless words involving the complicated history of something called “bill of rights” and “petition in redress of grievances.”
“—though this isn’t that kind of rally, sir, but what you’d call a ‘demonstration in support’—that’s obvious not only from the banners and placards but the nature of the speeches—”
Yaut was starting to look as if he were about to apply vigorous wrem-fa, whether or not the human scholar would respond to it. He was not, in some respects, the most patient of fraghta. Aille decided to forestall him.