"Please." Teyla spoke in calm, measured tones. "We are not familiar with your people and customs. Tell us what offense we have caused, and we will atone for it."
With a short bark of disbelieving laughter, Kellec echoed, "What offense? You disgrace the Hall of Tribute with your weapons, you plunder its riches-"
"Riches?" Now it was McKay's turn to be incredulous. "The place is…" Realizing that Sheppard was giving him a very dangerous look, he wisely chose to shut his mouth.
"— and you have the audacity to ask what offense you have caused?" Kellec demanded.
"We did not recognize what your Hall of Tribute was, and we have taken nothing from inside." Placating, Teyla moved her P-90 to one side, dropping her aim. "To prove it, we will show you everything we carry. But you will need to release this man's arm." She tipped her head to indicate McKay.
After a brief hesitation, Kellec nodded to Merise. The woman's cool expression did not waver as she flicked her hand to remove her whip from McKay's wrist.
Wincing, McKay flexed his hand a few times before lowering his pack to the ground. "Fine, take a good look. But try not to touch anything unless it's absolutely necessary.
Ronon watched him take each item out of the bag but kept most of his attention on the guards. Two of them hovered behind the scientist, alert for any glimpse of a trinket from their beloved ruins among his possessions.
"We heard a great noise from inside the Hall," Kellec said, less accusing and more cautious than before.
McKay paused in his task, and there actually might have been a trace of embarrassment in his reply. "Yes, about that-we were only trying to operate the transporter. For informational purposes. We didn't do anything that can't be, uh, repaired."
Strangely, the guard leader didn't seem upset that they might have caused damage. Instead, he was looking with fascination at some of the equipment McKay had spread out on the ground. "Like that which the Hall contains, but not the same," he said, half to himself. He raised his eyes to Sheppard. "You have the ability to use the tools of the Ancestors?"
In answer, Sheppard took his life sign detector out of his vest pocket and turned it toward Kellec, displaying the lighted screen. "Not all of us, but some do."
The guards' cool response to his demonstration was unexpected, yet not unwelcome. Ronon had gotten used to witnessing extreme reactions from strangers to the news that the Earth team carried Ancestor blood; everything from near-worship to outright hostility. These people, by contrast, seemed mostly intrigued.
"Then they cannot be Nistra," Merise said quietly to her leader.
"Indeed not. Rather, they are our kindred."
Kindred? Ronon shot Sheppard a questioning glance, which was returned.
Kellec stepped closer to them, but his bearing suggested no threat. "You truly came through the Stargate?"
"That's right," said the Colonel.
They must have done something right, because the whips were put away at last, affixed to the guards' woven belts.
"I am Kellec, chief warrior of the Falnori."
Relaxing a little, Sheppard lowered his weapon, and Ronon followed suit. "Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard. My team-Teyla Emmagan, Ronon Dex, and the one freaking out about his gear is Dr. Rodney McKay."
"A pleasure," McKay muttered, refusing to be distracted from gathering his equipment.
"We're explorers," Sheppard continued, "and we're interested in learning about the work that went on here back when the Ancients were around. That's all we wanted-we didn't come to steal anything from you."
A half-truth, Ronon thought; if they hadn't come upon a native populace, they gladly would have taken anything they found of use.
Kellec, however, was preoccupied with something else. "Your trespass in the Hall can be forgiven. But you entered while carrying weapons, and that is a more difficult matter."
"Wonder what the over-under is on how many shrines we mistakenly desecrate this month?" McKay hauled his pack onto his shoulder again.
"I'm not the city bookie," Sheppard replied tightly. Turning to Kellec, he said, "We really apologize for intruding on the Hall. We didn't know it was sacred to your people."
"It is not sacred, at least not in the way you may believe," the chief warrior explained. "The Hall holds great historical significance for us. It is the place where we remember the sacrifices of the Ancestors, made to defend this world against the Wraith so long ago. We do not worship the Hall, but we honor it. One way we do so is by entering only with pure intentions. Weapons of any kind are strictly forbidden on its grounds."
That declaration triggered an understanding for Ronon. "You heard us earlier, but you waited until we came outside to confront us."
With a single nod, Kellec said, "To take any sooner action would have required that we too enter the Hall while armed. Such an endeavor would have been a grave dishonor to each of us and to our houses. Even to prevent the scourge of a raid."
"These raids happen often?" asked Teyla.
Merise's features darkened, and the other warriors adopted expressions that appeared to be carved in stone.
"Too often of late," admitted Kellec. "You must come to the capital. Cestan will no doubt have questions for you, and he will be able to tell you better of the menace wrought by the Nistra."
It hadn't been presented as an ultimatum, but they were still in some trouble for the weapons gaffe, so a refusal seemed like a bad idea. Besides, if they were going to have any chance at getting back inside the ruined laboratory, they'd have to, as the Earth natives often said, work and play well with others.
Sheppard appeared to have come to the same conclusion. "Sounds like a plan," he agreed. "I take it Cestan is your leader?"
"We are citizens of Falnor, and Cestan is our governor." Kellec held out a hand, motioning in the direction of the forest. "It is not a long journey. We will arrive before the sun begins to leave its peak."
A skyward glance told Ronon that the sun was nearly overhead already.
The group set off toward the woods and soon came across a reasonably well-traveled path, the Atlantis team bracketed at the front and rear by the Falnori warriors. The canopy of trees soon swallowed most of the sunlight, giving the trek a desolate feel. Ronon's senses remained sharp, primed to detect any unexpected sound or motion. The warriors might have decided to trust them, but only up to a point. He saw no reason to do any differently.
"So there's a native populace around here," Sheppard began conversationally, keeping his voice low and his expression placid. None of the Falnori paid him any additional attention. "That would've been good to know."
"Don't look at me," McKay said, instantly defensive. "The scanner has a limited range, and I told you multiple times that it was acting up. The energy source in the facility registers oddly on what I'd call standard Ancient equipment-it must have interfered with life-sign detection. Whatever work went on here, it must have been a pretty highly regarded project. Usually the first requirement for new technology is for it to be compatible with everything that already exists."
"These people recognized the significance of the gene," Teyla observed, "and called you `kindred'. Might they have the blood of the Ancestors as well?"
"If they're descendants of the facility's workers, I don't see why not. At one time there were a large number of both Ancient researchers and human aides living here. It's possible that this society's incidence of the gene is comparable to that of Earth." McKay's lips curved in a wry smirk. "Dating one's lab assistant, apparently, is a universal practice."
"And these Nistra they hate so much?" Ronon asked.
Sheppard shrugged. "Don't know, but I'm thinking they don't sound like folks we want to invite over for din„ner.