Banle’s whole body reacted, framing a posture Caitlin did not recognize. “I have never given you instruction!”
“But you have, Banle,” Caitlin said with all the innocence she could muster. At her side, she could feel Kralik growing tense. Struggling to contain his humor, too, she thought. Caitlin was playing a dangerous game, here, but she couldn’t resist the chance to jab at the overbearing Banle. “Every day, every hour, since I was too small to remember, I have had your shining example before me. How could I do other than learn?”
Banle did not answer, merely struggled back into her harness with short, sharp motions, then the trousers, and then took up her customary glowering post behind Caitlin’s shoulder, forcing the human to take the lesser place. Caitlin sighed. What little freedom she could expect from the evening was now over. She might as well locate Professor Kinsey and make sure he stayed out of trouble.
* * *
Aille realized he did not know the human female’s designation. Jao-like, she had not presented it before Yaut had interrupted him with a few sharp observations on certain of the kochan represented here. Then, when he’d turned back to the puzzling woman, she had disappeared into the crowd.
She’d said she knew Jao as well as English. By her fluency of speech and almost complete lack of accent, he felt certain that was indeed no idle boast. And she was the first human he’d encountered who had acquired even a minimum of the Jao movement vocabulary. He was highly intrigued. Despite Yaut’s warning, what an addition to his personal service that one would be! If he could arrange it, though, he cautioned himself. With her unique qualifications, she was most likely already assigned elsewhere, perhaps even to Oppuk’s own service.
Tully was gazing after her with an unreadable expression, his hands and arms rigid at his sides.
“I heard what the Governor said.” Yaut was holding himself to the strictest of neutral postures. “Shocking, to display the antagonism of one kochan against another for all to hear and comment upon.”
“I did not interpret his words that way,” Aille said. “I heard insecurity and worry, lack of faith and fear of incohesion. Narvo seems much in need of highly placed associations.”
“Do not make the mistake of thinking you will be the source!” Yaut bristled with admonition, then remembered where he was and resumed his neutral stance. “If you can refrain from giving actionable offense here, that is as much as anyone has a right to expect.”
Most of the Jao were either swimming, or had just finished. Aille began to shed his harness, including the halfcape. It would be an insult not to sample Narvo’s hospitality, and Aille would counter Narvo ill-grace with Pluthrak courtesy. Yaut accepted each article as Aille pulled it off with an air of long suffering.
“There is always trouble between our kochan,” Aille said softly, just before he plunged into the inviting green water. “But this Narvo apparently feels matters have gone too far to be amended. As his subordinate, it is my duty to restore possibility.”
“And if you cannot?” Yaut stood aside as Aille dove straight and clean into the choppy pool.
Aille considered as the water, cool and delicious, closed over him. If he could not bring about change, then he would fail and bring shame to Pluthrak. Therefore, he could not fail. He must succeed, whatever the cost.
He swam with long, joyous strokes, feeling the water cleanse his body and invigorate his nerves. The alien ocean at Pascagoula had been acceptable, but these salts had been specially formulated to soothe Jao sensibilities. Narvo was clever, indeed, to fabricate such a marvel to entice and impress his guests.
Finally, he surfaced and shook the water from his eyes. Yaut was still waiting where he had left him, more or less patiently, with Tully nearby. But he saw the human female watching him too, from over by the wall, along with the man who had accompanied her. Aille headed for the simulated shore with powerful strokes.
* * *
Jao everywhere, so many, it made Gabe Tully’s teeth ache. He wanted to leave the noisy, crowded reception hall with its ostentatious pools, but Yaut had a constant eye upon him, even though the Subcommandant was busy attending to whatever social amenities Jao recognized and thought necessary.