“Is he going to speak to you or not?” Romal asked nervously.
“He’ll come on,” Merdon said. “He’d better.”
As if in answer to the young rebel leader, the viewscreen seemed to dissolve and the powerful form of Okatar took shape. The Komani Kang was seated in his tent. Although no one eke was in the line-of-view, Merdon sensed that Okatar was far from alone.
“I have asked you to come to my camp,” Okatar said. “Why do you refuse, and attempt to speak through the-di? It is difficult to confer fully with you in this manner.”
Merdon sat without answering for a moment, and the two stared at each other, face to face. Finally Merdon said, “Shall I be frank^” ^ “By all means.”
“I was going to visit your camp, but my lieutenants asked me not to, for two reasons. First, they feel that you have broken the bonds of friendship and common purpose that we once had between us. Second, they fear ^ that I might never leave your camp—alive.”
“You have suspicious friends,” Okatar said impassively. “They value my life more than I do, perhaps. But I ^ agree with them on the first point—your raids on our ^ people are not the works of an ally.”
J” Okatar nodded “Correct. I have learned that your ^ people are no longer allies of the Komani They were ^ friendly with us only when it seemed that the Terrans would be wiped out in the valley of Carmeer. Now that there is the prospect of continued fighting before us, ,/ your people have meekly returned to the Terrans and asked to be forgiven for their audacious dreams of freedom.”