“Probably support staff for the Resistance in this area,” Wrot said. They watched the monitors, which showed the small band of dirty and demoralized prisoners being herded into vehicles by jinau foot soldiers. “Most of the real civilians had left before you got your act together.”
“What act?” Aille turned to him with baffled-inquiry.
“It’s a human colloquialism, endlessly adaptive,” Wrot said. “Applied here, it means ‘before you organized your troops into an effective unit.’ ”
“Interesting,” Aille said. “I will remember that expression. At any rate—” He turned to examine what was left of the city. “—I intended the innocent to leave. There is no vithrik in killing those who do not wish to fight.”
Kralik came on the monitors, seeking further instruction.
“Most of the city is still intact, I believe,” said Aille.
“Yes, sir.” Kralik’s face bore no expression Aille could see beyond respectful attention. “Do you wish me to order the brigade to start razing Salem?”
Aille hesitated, but only for an instant. His sense of how vithrik worked with humans was becoming a strong and sure flow. “No, General. Your brigade has done its duty, and done it very well. I will have the Jao units carry out the city’s destruction. They will begin as soon as you report your last soldiers have left.”
Aille though he detected a trace of relieved-appreciation in Kralik’s expression and posture. It was difficult to tell. The jinau general was superb at concealing his sentiments, almost like a human version of the Bond of Ebezon’s Harriers.
“As you wish, sir.” Kralik hesitated, for an instant. “It will take me some time to extricate all my troops.”
Aille concealed his own amusement. No doubt it will. Kralik, like me, will give the civilians remaining as much time as possible to flee.
“That is understood and acceptable, General.”
Kralik saluted and his image vanished from the monitor.
Aille rose from his seat. “And now, I must inform the Governor of our success.”
He and Yaut exchanged a look. This, too, would be a battle. But Aille now felt confident in this arena of struggle also—and so, judging from his stance, did Yaut feel confident in him.
Confident in him, perhaps, but not necessarily in Aille’s sense of flow.
“Wait,” Yaut suggested. “Wait until Kralik has returned.”
“Why?”
“I’m not sure, yet. But I think it will help to have the jinau present himself when you—” He gave a glance at Wrot, but obviously decided that the old bauta was in their full confidence. “—trap the Narvo. Again.”
Subtle, Wathnak was not—its junior affiliate Hemm, even less so. Old Wrot’s posture was one of pure and unalloyed anticipation-of-another’s-misfortune.
“To witness that alone,” he growled, “would make my personal service a great honor.”
Chapter 27
Oppuk lounged in his hant and watched the visual link, fuming, his shoulders and the line of his spine stiff with outrage. The fighting had progressed far better than he had expected, once the campaign had been turned over to the jinau troops. It was affront enough that Pluthrak had assigned someone with no experience, as though this world were so easy to handle even a crecheling could do it. Now the young upstart and his natives had increased the insult by seeming to prove it so.
He would grind their bones into powder before he was finished here, would hack their young to pieces and sear this land with cleansing flame. He—
Forcefully, he broke off the moment of reverie. The situation was growing perilous, with the Pluthrak challenging him ever more openly. This was no time for Oppuk to be wallowing in fury, much as he wanted to.
What he wanted even more was to be back at his palace, swimming in his specially formulated pool instead of the miserable little substitute he had available in this hant. The wild water on this planet was subtly off, the salts too high in mineral content, too full of impurities. He longed to immerse himself in the scents and tactile sensations of his kochan-world, even if they were only simulated, so that he could regain his equilibrium.
A Jao servitor approached. “Kaul krinnu ava Dano has arrived, and wishes to speak with you.”