New situations they could use to deal with their old neighbors the kif?-
Beware of Goldtooth. Thus the stsho, who had double-dealing down to an art.
“Ker Pyanfar, this is Rhif Ehrran. I trust whatever emergency kept you wasn’t serious.”
“No. It’s all handled. No further problem. Unless you have one.”
“No. I’m going to relieve you of one. I’m sending a detail over to pick up Tahar.”
“Afraid not. I’ve accepted her appeal for parole. Sorry, Ehrran. She’s under a Chanur roof, so to speak. And I’m head of house-out here.”
“This isn’t Anuurn and we’re not in the age of sofhyn and spears, you hear me, Chanur?”
“No. We play with bigger toys nowadays, don’t we? You’re fond of quoting the law. Me, I like the old laws right fine: like kinright. The kind of law you can’t quote by the book, Ehrran.”
“Put Tahar on.”
“Maybe you ought to concentrate on her crew. They’ve got a real problem. They might appreciate your intervention. But Dur Tahar’s comfortable enough where she is. Is that all you want?”
Click.
“Log that,” Pyanfar said. “Put the other call through.”
“Aye,” Tirun said.
“Good shot,” Haral said with a dip of her ears. Meaning Rhif Ehrran and a genteel stroll to the brink.
“Huh,” Pyanfar said. “Why couldn’t the kif grab her, huh? Do us a favor.”
“Make a trade?” Haral suggested brightly.
“Gods, that’s a-”
“Captain.” Tirun lifted a hand, signaling quiet. “Harukk’s going through real procedures this time-I think they’re going to try to put the call through. Maybe-Yes. The captain’s waiting, Harukk com, if you can do that. Yes. . . . Right. Captain, Harukk com’s compliments, and they’ll try to reach the hakkikt if you’ll put the request yourself.”‘
Protocols. Sfik games again. Pyanfar flicked her ears and made an affirmative handsign. Immediately the ready light came on and Pyanfar keyed it. Her claws flexed. She drew in a deep breath and killed all the anxieties, banished them to a cold, far place without a future.
“Harukk,” she said calmly, “this is Pyanfar Chanur. I have an urgent message for the hakkikt, praise to him.”
“Honor to the hakkikt, he may give you his attention, hunter.”
-So we come up from our obscure beginnings, do we, kif? Provincial boss and chief torturer-to prince? And we by the gods set you there.
She waited. Coldly, calmly. Long. Eventually:
“This is Sikkukkut, ker Pyanfar. What is this urgency?”
“Hakkikt. I appreciate the courtesy. And the gift you sent me. I’d like to talk with you further. I understand you have Moon Rising’s crew in your custody. …” –
“Hunter Pyanfar, your forwardness would daunt a chi. Is my gift too scant for your appreciation?”
“Hakkikt, I see a way to use it to your benefit and mine. There’s some urgency in it. If you’ll send a courier I can be more specific.” ?
Pause. “Hunter Pyanfar, you interest me. But I see no reason why one of my skkukun should come from my ship to yours and back again, when your own look to be in good health. And I have nothing to say to your crew. I made you a proposition at Meetpoint, you may recall, which you declined. I make it again-a rare offer. Come to my deck this time. If this offer has the merit you say. I trust it does. I’ll; expect you-within the hour.”
Click.
She leaned back in the chair.
“Captain,” Haral said, beside her, “good gods-”
She turned a look in Haral’s direction. “That didn’t go right.”
“Now what? We call Jik?”
“Call Jik to mop up?-We just got a challenge, cousin. I got it. Sfik. The bet just got taken and doubled.”
“They want to get their hands on you, good ,gods, they can’t get Goldtooth in reach-they want you! You just heard Tully say what that son is and you said yourself what Sikkukkut wants most-Goldtooth was just here, talking to you. The kif have to know that. They know he could have passed us what they want to know-”
“They’ll kill the prisoners. They’ll kill them sure now if I fail that appointment, and they’ll let us know about it. If that weren’t enough, our credit with the kif hits bottom. Hard.”