“And from Keia and even from Ismehanan-min. These Tahar hani seem to be a matter of some excitement in your faction. A sfik-item, you say. But why should I give the whole prize to you?”
“Tahar interests quite a few people, particularly hani. They’re a big family, they’ve got wide holdings in the same continent as Chanur, as well as being spacer-hani, which also makes them valuable in some quarters. No. I’m going to ask an even larger favor of you, hakkikt-trusting Moon Rising got through the station takeover undamaged. I want that crew handed over to me-and I want their ship.”
“Kkkt. Pyanfar Chanur, your audacity grows larger by the hour. First Tahar, then the crew, now the ship. Next will you ask me for Kefk? Akkht, perhaps?”
There was a hush in the room. Not a kif stirred. “You have Kefk.” Pyanfar assumed her most charming smile. “Myself, hakkikt, my ambitions are different. I want this one small ship. And its crew. For my own reasons.”
“Where are the mahendo’sat? Where is Keia? He could surely make hani reasonable to me. Kkkt. I make no assumptions when dealing with such a suicidal species. And-kkt- the emergency call and the consultation. Kkkt. Kkkt. Who is injured?”
“One of my crew. A minor business. It gave me the chance to talk with Goldtooth. Ismehanan-min. It has to do with the ship.” (Back to the trail, hakkikt!) “Goldtooth delivered me some information that makes me surer than ever where my interests lie, Rhif Ehrran and I are about to come to severe difference; it’s possible she’ll attack us directly, but I doubt it-she wants to survive. She has the means to create difficulties for me on Anuurn. When we get to Meetpoint we’ll have her to reckon with.”
“To Meetpoint.”
Pyanfar blinked. “Meetpoint. Definitely Meetpoint.”
“You assume this.”
“Where Akkhtimakt is headed. Where a certain treaty with the stsho could bring the han and all their ships in on Akkhtimakt’s side. You don’t act surprised, hakkikt. I didn’t think you’d be.”
“Only in your forthrightness. I know about the stsho treaty.”
“Then explain a kif motive for me. Why haven’t you taken Ehrran out, since her liability is about to outweigh her use?”
“Kkkt. She is attached to Kefk at the moment. Inconvenient and dangerous. Let’s wait till she goes outbound. Explain in return: why did Keia acquire this double-edged person in the first place?”
“To keep her from going anywhere else. And for the same reason you’ve used her: the sfik of the han. Roughly speaking. Hakkikt, honor to you, I don’t know how often you’ve monitored our communications, but Ehrran has quite a collection of reports she trusts will damage Chanur’s sfik on Anuurn-I’m translating this as best I can-so thoroughly that the pro-stsho party can destroy us. I don’t intend to let that happen. Now is my motive clear?”
“Labyrinthine as I expected. Kkkt. Once away from dock I can solve everyone’s difficulty at a stroke.”
“Ah, but that’s another favor I ask you: leave the Ehrran ship to me. Destroying it outright might be a present convenience to me, but a difficulty in the long run, when the tale got around, and it would get around. Among this many ships, even among your own, some would talk, to damage me and advance themselves, I have no doubt. If that rumor got out, those records of Ehrran’s wouldn’t even need to get to Anuurn. The pro-stsho party would have all the ammunition it needs to do me harm. Martyr. You know that concept?”
“I haven’t heard that word, no.”
“It’s a kind of sfik you get by dying in a way that makes a point, hakkikt. Double sfik because you’re dead and you can’t be discredited. People will die following you forever. And that makes more martyrs. Destroy Ehrran and she’ll cause us twice the trouble.”
“Kkkkkt. Kkkkkkt. Kkkkt.” Sikkukkut’s snout drew down as if something offended his nostrils. He sipped at his cup and the tongue lapped delicately around his lips. “What a concept. Kkkkkt. I think, hunter Pyanfar, the straightest course is simply to blow up the Ehrran ship in the next action, when matters are suitably confused.”