“The traffic is heavy here, but it often is. They give you no ship names.”
“No.” .
“That is alarming.”
“Vigilance going in,” Khym said.
“That’s the one,” Haral said, “I wonder about.”
“Sure thought that son would bolt,” Tirun said.
“Skkukuk. What will they do?”
“They will surrender. Slowly. Testing sfik against sfik.
Withholding the shiplist may be the station’s test of the hakkikt.”
“Or Sikkukkut’s order?”
“He has no motive to withhold it. The ships about us obey him. No, it’s a test of him. It will be an expensive test if the are not careful. Kukottki-skki pukkuk. Sikkukkut may interest himself to find the one who withstood him. Do you wish to gain sfik at Sikkukkut’s expense? Discover this fool on tin station and kill him before Sikkukkut does. Captain, I id you, it is a waste-‘”
“Priority!” Chur yelled, simultaneously with Tully. “Sys tern entry, ecliptic 23-45, V z-70-aught factor 9-”
Pyanfar’s heart stopped. A lurking ship was on a nine-C startup and headed in; a kifish beacon carried its image t< them, and relayed as it came-"Relay on!" she ordered, am Hilfy already had the system set: the message went, calmly "This is The Pride. We've got an incoming, Aja Jin. Take- " And over-riding her own message: "Priority," Hilfy said "Aunt, it's Mahijiru! That's Goldtooth coming in! The kif-Harukk's sending. Don't fire, he's telling his ships, don't fire, it's allied." Keep your speed, blast all and run, the kif advised. No one is to be trusted. They were hani. Not kif. "Send," Pyanfar said past the nausea in her throat. "Pride to Mahijiru. Gods fry you, Goldtooth, it's about time you showed up!" IX Harukk went into dock; Aja Jin; Vigilance and the advance kif guard followed in final approach: "The hakkikt take dock now," word came from Aja Jin then; and shortly after that docking a voice from Kefk central: "Oxy-side traffic control will shut down briefly," first in main-kifish and then in hani. "Pride of Chanur, this is Kefk central: oxy-side traffic control will shut down transmission briefly and resume with Harukk personnel, compliments of the hakkikt Sikkukkut an nikktukktin; methane-side operations will continue. Please stand by." "Skkukuk?" Pyanfar asked. "The hakkikt Sikkukkut has secured the dock around his ship," the kif said from his seat across the bridge. "His force is on its way to take station central; central indicates no resistance. Hani, I am suffering. Kkkt. I am-" "So are all of us. Shut up." "Beware traps. Beware-Sikkukkut knows them. Beware hidden resistance. There will be-Kkkt. Hidden resistance." "Where?" "Hidden. Hidden." "Lot of help, kif." "Kkkt. Ktkot kifik kifai. . ." "Well, we're not kif. Thank gods." "Fool. Kkkt. Fool." "Shut him up!" (From Hilfy, harsh and desperate.) "Quiet. Kif, shut it down." "Kkkkt." (Subdued.) "Kkk-kt." "Shut it down." (Tirun.) "Or I'll break your gods-be arm." Quiet then, excepting a few clicks. Profound silence, around Hilfy's station. You lost it, kid, everyone knows it, the kif knows it. Pick it up again, huh, niece? Let's pick it up, mind on business, you're doing all right, kid. And a little later: "Aunt," Hilfy said; and from com "-This is Kefk traffic control, compliments of the hakkikt resuming transmission. Ikkiktk, continue as instructed.-Pride of Chanur, compliments of the hakkikt, continue as instructed. This is Tikkukka, skku to Sikkukkut an'nikktukktin akki-hakki pakkuk Kefktoki. Compliments of the hakkikt your dock will be berth 2 as assigned.-Ikkiktk, honor to the hakkikt you will occupy berth 4; Makkurik, honor to the hakkikt you will occupy berth 25-" "Politeness," Chur muttered. "Politeness. Listen to 'em." "Skkukuk?" Pyanfar asked. "You hear that?" "It seems straightforward," Skkukuk said from his post the rear of the bridge. "The hakkikt has secured station central control. Hani, I am weary of this chair; the wire cuts my wrists. I need food-Kkkt. Kkkt. I warn you my service will be wasted-" "Just shut up about it, kif. Answer me straight. What's likely up there?" "What will the mahendo'sat do? Kkkt. Kkkt. What does your incoming ally intend? Kkkt. If the mahendo'sat try treachery against the hakkikt we will not be wise to dock." Goldtooth's Mahijiru was still coming, inertial now. Not hurrying as much as he might. But decidedly on his way.