Another shrug. “Sikkukkut give you crewman. Not number one important. Maybe fellow make mistake-”
“Maybe a crewman whose loyalty’s in question? Maybe even one off that disabled ship?”
Jik’s eyes flickered. “Maybe so. All same, he belong you. You got deal, a?”
“God’s rot, you want him?”
Jik rubbed at his nose. “Tell you truth. That give you sfik away. I friend, say no do.”
“You mean status with that gods-rotted kif? Sikkukkut?”
“Best thing you kill this kif. Send same pieces to Sikkukkut.”
“Huh.”
“No do, a? Maybe you turn him out naked on dock.”
“So they kill him.”
“He same kill few, maybe.”
“I’ve traded up and down docks from Jininsai to Meetpoint, and I’ve never heard the like. You understand it? What’s Sikkukkut up to?”
“I fight kif long time. Long time, Pyanfar. Kif at Meetpoint, they quiet kif. This be border. Dis-pu-ted Zone. This space no one got. Where we go next, this be true kif space. You not see before. Not see before these thing. No hani see-‘cept maybe Tahar. And she lot crazy.”
“You’ve seen Tahar?”
“I talk with her, one time, two. She strange. Lot strange-” He touched his brow.
“She was strange before she ditched us and turned tail at Gaohn; and took kif money-”
“Hani law.”
“You gods-rotted right, hani law. A lot of hani’d like to get a piece of that ship.”
“Maybe do.”
“Maybe do. Rhif Ehrran was already headed for Kefk when we picked her up at Kshshti. You know why?”
“Maybe you know.”
“I don’t. That worries me, Jik.”
“Worry me too.”
“What’s an honest hani doing going Kefk way? What’s an honest hani know about a kifish system?”
Jik ducked his head and rubbed his nose. “Tell you, hani, few ship I know sometime maybe got rig turn off ID squeal. Sure you not know such thing. Maybe ship also got rig make fake ID to beacon. Vigilance hunter-ship, a? Got lot stuff. Lot stuff. Also maybe know Kefk pretty good.”
“Been there?”
“Stsho been there. Come, go. Stsho know lot stuff. Maybe sell in-for-mation.”
“I’ll believe that. But what’s she doing there?”
“Kefk be Tahar port,” Jik said. “She hunt Tahar. Also- maybe-maybe she got stsho interest. Stsho business. You think, hani: stsho don’t fight. Stsho always hire guard. Who they hire?”
“Mahendo’-” The suspicion got through. She looked up into mahen brown eyes, murkier and darker than any hani’s. “Good gods, they count us barbarians. They wouldn’t hire hani for anything but-”
“Who else they got hire when got falling-out with mahendo’sat? Hire kif? They not fools. No, maybe all sudden they got idea hani not bad neighbor-maybe all sudden want make good friend with the han. Maybe one day there be hani
guard at Meetpoint, not mahendo’sat. Big advantage to hani. To some hani. Lot money. Lot stsho money-and they plenty rich. I tell you truth, friend. I tell you truth. Ehrran want stop all hani make problem this deal. Moon Rising. You.” “You put us in the same-”
“Ehrran do.”
“Gods.” She flung a gesture up, put distance between herself and Jik. Stared at him. “I tell you, you got lot enemy, hani.”
She stood there a long moment. Jik made his mouth a thin, inturned line, as if more might get out. “What you do?” he asked finally.
“What do I do? What do I do? I ought to gods-be head out of here and leave you and Ehrran to the kif.” “You not do.”
“Try me.”
“No, you not do. Where go? Maing Tol? Han got ‘nough suspicion already. Also-you not stsho. Chanur don’t go hide in fight, wait for thing be better, let friend die. …”
“Friend!”
“I save you neck.”
“For politics, for-”
“-same good reason, a?”
“Gods rot you, Jik.”
“I try save you now. Want you at Kefk. Need you. Need you stay ‘live, hani.”
She looked off across the corridor. Anywhere else. Jik’s voice was dim. Her ears lay flat against her skull. “So what do I do with the gods-be kif in my washroom, huh?”
“You keep. I want you keep. He yours. He got nowhere to go, a? You got plenty sfik he fight like devil kill you enemy.”