And then Ingolfine wheezed a command for silence, and they composed themselves to listen to what she had to say.
“It has been concluded by the members of our Council that a grave— ah—error of judgment has occurred in the case of the foreigner Karg, inasmuch as although—and let me emphasize this—he has been afforded the best of medical care, excessive enthusiasm for the merits of life at Fregwil led respected Quelf to overpad the boundary of normal courtesy towards one who was sick and far from home.”
Quelf looked as though she would like to disappear.
“Honor obliges us therefore to make restitution. We propose to endow a studentship tenable by a young person from Slah for up to a quarter-score of years, to be devoted to any subject taught at our university.”
And she waited for Yull’s response to what she clearly regarded as a generous offer.
It followed promptly. “We would be dreamlost and foolish to commit any of our young people to the claws and mandibles of so-called teachers who regard us as an inferior folk!”
The insult provoked a furious outcry. When Ingolfine quelled it, she demanded, “Then what do you ask for?”
“The secret of loss-free circuitry, so we can put it to better use than what you’re sure to waste it on!”
This time the hubbub was reinforced by combat-stink. “Out of the question!” Ingolfine declared after consulting her advisers.
“Very well, then,” Yull said composedly. “We have an alternative demand. Regardless of the medical care given him, which we have certain reservations about, it is an undeniable fact that Karg was maltreated here. We will settle for taking one of your citizens home with us, not against her or his will, in order to demonstrate to the world how much better we at Slah can make a foreigner welcome.”
Ingolfine and the other officials relaxed. If the Slah delegation were content to achieve a mere propaganda coup … More private discussion followed, and finally Ingolfine announced, “To that we see no objection.”
“You state that publicly, as a matter of principle?”
Again, hurried consultation. Then, defiantly, “Yes!”
“Very well. We choose Albumarak.”
There was a horrified hush. Quelf broke it, rising to full height and shrieking, “But she’s my best student!”
“Was!” shouted Albumarak, marveling at how clearly Yull had read her secret intentions. “After what you did to Karg, nobody will respect you again so long as you live!”
VII
During the dark that preceded her departure, Albumarak perched alone in one of the shabby neglected bowers of the house where the Slah delegation had been obliged to take up lodging. Her mind was reeling under the impact of the hatred she was having to endure. Even in her fits of bitterest loathing for the “high-pressure citizens” of her bud-place she had never imagined that they, in full awareness of what had been done to Karg, would regard her as the traitor and not Quelf. It showed that they too would have wanted the foreigner to be cheated into turning his mantle, heedless of how much he suffered in the process, in order to delude those who were striving to escape the truth.
Soft slithering at the entrance aroused her. The bower’s luminants were withering and dun, and the night was cloudy; neither moonshine nor the glimmer of stars and comets lent their light. Not waiting to sense the newcomer’s aroma, she said in a dull tone, “Who’s there?”
“It’s Karg. Do you mind if I join you?”
“Why—why, certainly you may!” She had met him earlier; he was still weak, but had insisted on remaining at Fregwil until arrangements for recovering his cylinder were complete. Thinking he might need assistance, she moved towards him, but he waved her aside with one claw.
“I may not be able to walk properly right now, but I can swarm along a branch all right … There.” He settled in the crotch next to hers, where they could look out at the city through gaps between the bravetree trunks.
“I suspect I owe you my sanity as well as my life,” he said after a while.
Embarrassed, she shifted on her perch. “It was Presthin who actually rescued you. I just went along for the ride. And it was Yull who suggested how we could eavesdrop on what Quelf was doing to you.”