The Kif Strike Back by CJ Cherryh

“Even so. Often our interests have been mutual. This human, for one. And have you noticed the stsho here? Uncommon. Stsho send emissaries about. Even here to Mkks. When the grass-eaters raise such dust, expect fire. And there is fire, hani. From Llyene to Akkt to Mkks. Even Anuurn. A fool would reject my offer. You are not a fool.”

“No. I’m not.”

He set the cup aside. “Is Mahijiru one of these ships?”

“No. Lost, I thought you told me.”

“Perhaps. Ismehanan-min is full of surprises.”

“And Tully’s folk? What happened to them?”

A kifish shrug.

“You had a ring, gods rot it. It came from Ijir. What’s your part in that?”

“I have my agents. Even among Akkhtimakt’s spawn. That ring has traveled, hasn’t it? Like Tully himself. you’ll give it back to him.”

“Did you take that ship?”

“I? No. That was Akkhtimakt. He has that prize. I have mine. Go back to your ship. I’d hate to have a misunderstanding with your allies coming in. If my ships should be damaged at dock-you understand. It would be a great mistake.”

“So would harming him. You want talk. All right. Return him now. You’ll get talk. You’ll get something more. I’ll tell you we won’t fire.”

There was long, long silence. “Ah. Promises. Another hani term. Some hani put sfik-value on a promise. Mahendo’sat are another matter. I will keep this human. To assure good behavior. But for your promise I will give you one of mine-

“I get him back. Alive. And well.”

“There’s no kif word for promise. When -your allies are here. I promise.” Wrinkles chained up and down the kif’s dark snout, limned in light. “I do tell you truth. You should thank me, hani. Someone else might have gathered up your people, there on Kshshti dock. I found them in an alleyway But it was not I who aimed at them.”

“Akkhtimakt.”

“His agents. If he had taken them, there would be no hope for them. I’ve protected them. Comparatively.”

“Tully.” Still she did not look at him. She did not want to see that look, that blue-eyed trusting look that confounded and knotted up her gut. “Tully. They want me to go. hours more. I get you back, Tully.”

“Fine,” he said, a faint, slurred voice. “Py-anfar. Go.’

“Kkkt. It does talk.”

She stood very still. Points, gods: Tully scored on the hakkikt and maybe did not know it. She held the gun constantly toward Sikkukkut, not daring look Tully’s way.

“Promises,” she said. “Your ships are safe. Safe as is.”

The silence hung there. “We will talk,” Sikkukkut said then. “He and I. While we wait on your agreement. Go back to your ship. You have no choice, hani. See that nothing happens.”

“Likewise.” She backed for the door, reached the archway where the brighter light of the twilit hall fell on the corners of her eyes. There was light to one side of that vision, hani red and blue and brown. There was kif black to the right. She kept the gun trained on the hakkikt inside the room. “You want a deal, kif,” she said into the murk. “An alliance. I’ll ask my allies. Don’t foul it up, huh?”

Silence from the room. Perhaps the majority expected her to fire and scour the room. Most kif would, losing points by it, in Tully’s case. Destroying all, both gain and loss.

A very arrogant kif might not.

Or a hani with a friend in there. In his own arrogance, Sikkukkut was confident he knew hani. She stared constantly at that single seated shadow beneath the lights. At the hakkikt’s right, among the guards, she saw Tully’s pale face and never focussed on it. About the room the LED ready-lights of a hundred rifles glowed a wicked, unblinking red.

She dived aside, rolled her shoulders against the wall and bounced off it, headed at a trot for her own crew while they covered the kif down the hall.

“Tully–” Hilfy said.

“We can’t get him yet.”

“Give me a gun.” Hilfy caught at Geran’s wrist. “For the gods’ sakes-”

“Gods rot it, move.” Pyanfar tore Hilfy away one-handed and dragged her along the hall. Hilfy dug her claws in, roundhoused a swipe at her and Khym caught her by that arm.