Kinsey held up the shiny aluminum case of his mini-recorder, then placed it on the table between them. “I must confess I was too busy talking to some of the Governor’s other guests to observe their interaction. Did I tell you? I learned some simply fascinating things about the Jao homeworld last night.”
“Homeworlds,” she said and stood. “Nobody knows how many there are. Nobody human, at least—and I don’t think even the Jao do. That knowledge is lost in their prehistory. Aille told me that Pluthrak alone has twenty-nine and that’s the most specific information on the subject I’ve ever heard.”
“Oh, my.” Kinsey blinked. “Twenty-nine? For one kochan alone?”
“They are so powerful, we’ll never get rid of them until they want to go. And when—or if—they do, how much of this world will be left in their wake? They’ve already converted many of our factories and resources to their exclusive military use. The rest . . . many of then, especially here in America, stand in ruins.”
“For the war they’re always talking about,” he said.
“For the war against the mysterious Ekhat, who may be mythical, for all we know.” She leaned over the back of her chair. “Maybe they exterminated the Ekhat long ago and now just use them as an excuse for whatever they want to do.”
“I freely admit I do not know as much about the Jao as you, my dear,” Kinsey said, “but it’s always been my impression the Jao make no excuses for their actions. Speaking as an historian, they remind me of the ancient Romans, in the way they combine practicality with ruthlessness against any opposition from their conquered territories. Or the way the Mongols ruled Asia and parts of Europe. The point being, Caitlin, that they would not waste their time developing elaborate reasons to do what they wanted, simply to dupe a conquered people. They’d just do it.”
The doorfield to her room faded and Banle entered. As always, the Jao guard did not ask permission.
“Governor Oppuk requires your presence,” Banle said, eyes ignoring Kinsey.
Caitlin released the chair. “Let me finish dressing,” she said. “And I still need to brush my hair.”
“Oppuk does not care about the state of your grooming.” Banle’s body was tight with disapproval, and Caitlin thought she saw just a hint of overlying fear. “You will come now.”
“Shall I come too?” Kinsey asked.
“No,” Caitlin said before Banle could speak. “I doubt I’ll be long.”
“Very well,” he said, standing. “Call me when you’re back.”
She nodded and, carrying her shoes in one hand, trailed Banle out the door into unairconditioned corridors already torrid with the region’s wretched rising heat.
* * *
Kralik led his little party through the twists and turns of the Governor’s palace out into the sunshine, keeping his eyes front and his mouth firmly, and prudently, shut.
In his experience, one Jao was pretty much the same as another—only some were a lot more so. Down through the years, he had found them by turns indifferent and pugnacious, not to mention single-minded and exacting, with no way to tell which it would be on any given day. Many things, which had obsessed humanity down through the ages, they cared nothing about. Religion was one example, philosophy another. Other concepts, such as correct-association and polite-movement, which most humans couldn’t even comprehend, occupied a great deal of their attention.
In other words, they were mostly the classical “riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.” Kralik had advanced through the jinau ranks by saying as little as possible and keeping his head down, dealing fairly with his human troops, but taking care to enforce Jao discipline as instructed. He told himself he didn’t have to understand their reasoning. He just had to obey. That was always the bottom line.
This Aille krinnu ava Pluthrak, though, seemed different. He had never seen a Jao appear to listen to humans so closely. Was this Pluthrak kochan really something special, as the Jao seemed to believe? The fellow actually had taken several humans into his personal service. As far as Kralik knew, that was unknown among Jao. Strange behavior, indeed. Very strange.