The Elder nodded and vanished.
Once again the beats rolled by. "You suppose he's fallen back asleep?" Klnn-vavgi asked.
"I don't know," Thrr-mezaz said, frowning out the window. Either Thrr-gilag had indeed fallen asleep, or else he was thinking very hard about the question.
Or else he already knew the answer and was trying equally hard to phrase his answer carefully...
The Elder returned. " 'I can't tell what they might want up there,' " he said. " 'But I'm sure you'll want to keep on top of the situation. You certainly don't want the Humans making a carnival out of this whole thing.' "
Thrr-mezaz felt his midlight pupils narrow. A carnival. "I understand, Thrr-gilag," he said, trying to keep his voice steady. "We'll watch ourselves. You, too."
" 'I will,' " the reply came back. " 'Farewell, my brother.' "
"Farewell." Thrr-mezaz nodded to the Elder. "You may release the pathway. That will be all for now."
"I obey," the Elder said, and vanished.
"Well, that was interesting," Klnn-vavgi said, standing up and stepping toward the door. "I'm not sure how informative it was, but it was interesting. If that's all, I think I'll be getting back to my quarters."
"Go ahead," Thrr-mezaz said. "Before you go, though, I want to apologize for blowing up at you a few hunbeats ago. This sitting around here like wounded nornins is starting to get to me."
Klnn-vavgi smiled lopsidedly. "Don't worry about it, Commander. I'll see you next fullarc."
He left, the door sliding closed behind him. With a tired sigh Thrr-mezaz resettled himself on his couch and closed his eyes. A carnival. Not something Thrr-gilag would have just accidentally said. Not a word he would have used lightly.
Which meant that his suspicions had been right. There was something about this war and the Human-Conquerors that Warrior Command wasn't telling anyone.
And Thrr-gilag knew what it was. I can't tell you what they might want, he'd said. Innocently and deceptively worded, but Thrr-mezaz knew his brother better than that. Thrr-gilag knew what the secret was but had obviously been forbidden to talk about it.
And some part of that secret—whatever it was—was right here on Dorcas.
And it was suddenly more imperative than ever that the Zhirrzh find out what was going on up there in the mountains. Which meant getting a warrior inside, or an Elder in close.
Or maybe, just maybe, they already had an Elder in close....
Thrr-mezaz flicked his tongue restlessly, trying to think it through. In its own way it was a wildly audacious idea, and certainly not one that was going to go down well with anyone else involved. And even he had to admit the odds of success were extremely low.
But if it worked, it would be worth whatever grief they threw at him over it. Well worth it. "Communicator?"
The Elder appeared. "I thought you were finished, Commander," he said, his tone just short of a grumble.
"You have somewhere else you want to be?" Thrr-mezaz countered. "I want a pathway to the recorder of the Prr family shrine on Dharanv."
The Elder blinked. "The Prr family shrine?"
"That's right," Thrr-mezaz said. "Go on—it's getting late here and I want to get to sleep."
"I obey," the Elder said, the bemused look on his face vanishing along with the rest of him.
Thrr-mezaz turned back to his reader and the overview map. All right. What they needed was a spot out of view of the Human-Conqueror sentry points....
The Elder was back. " 'I am fourth assistant recorder for the Prr family shrine,' " he said. " 'Speak, Commander Thrr-mezaz; Kee'rr.' "
"I'm inquiring about the fsss organ of Prr't-zevisti; Dhaa'rr," Thrr-mezaz said. "What has been the disposition of it?"
The Elder vanished, reappearing a hunbeat later. " 'The fsss organ you refer to remains untouched in its niche. Why would you think it would be otherwise?' "
"Excellent," Thrr-mezaz said. "Then I would like to request formally that a new cutting be taken from it as soon as possible. A cutting which will then be sent to me here at the expeditionary force beachhead on the Human-Conqueror world of Dorcas."
The Elder stared at him, looking stunned. "Commander?"
"Just deliver the message," Thrr-mezaz said.
The Elder gulped. "I obey, Commander," he said, and disappeared.
Thrr-mezaz flicked his tongue in a grimace and resettled himself again on his couch. The wait this time was likely to be a long one.
He was right. It was nearly four hunbeats before the Elder returned. " 'This is a most irregular request, Commander Thrr-mezaz,' " he said. " 'Most irregular indeed. One might almost say it was illegal; one would certainly say it was a violation of generations of Zhirrzh tradition.' "
"Nevertheless, I make it," Thrr-mezaz told him. "I believe that it would be in Prr't-zevisti's best interests, as well as aiding in our war efforts against the Human-Conquerors."
"But Prr't-zevisti is dead," the Elder frowned.
"The Prr family doesn't seem convinced of that," Thrr-mezaz pointed out. "Otherwise, why keep his fsss organ intact? Deliver the message—let's see what they say."
"I obey," the Elder sighed, and vanished.
The pause this time was nearly as long as the previous one had been. " 'I cannot grant such a request, Commander. It is not within my authority to do so.' "
"Then I suggest you confer as quickly as possible with your family and clan leaders," Thrr-mezaz said, putting an edge in his voice. "If Prr't-zevisti is still alive, this could be his best chance at survival. Possibly even his only chance."
" 'I will do as you ask,' " the reluctant answer came back.
"I thank you for your efforts," Thrr-mezaz said. "I'll expect a quick response."
" 'I will do what I can.' " The Elder paused. "Commander, if you'll pardon a personal observation, this is not going to make you any friends among the Dhaa'rr."
"No, I expect I already have all the friends among the Dhaa'rr I'm ever going to," Thrr-mezaz said. "Unless the recorder has something else, you may release the pathway. And this time I am finished for the latearc."
"I obey," the Elder said, his tone that of one disappointed with his commander, and vanished.
Reaching to his reader, Thrr-mezaz keyed it off, stretching tired muscles in arms and shoulders. Let the Elder be disappointed with him. Let the whole expeditionary force be if they wanted to. Winning this war was the overriding consideration here. Nothing else mattered.
10
Long enough, certainly, for her to have changed her mind about what she was planning to do. But she hadn't. And as she walked down the path toward the towering white pyramid, she realized that that fact meant her decision was indeed final.
The choice was made. She would not become an Elder. Ahead, the door into the leftmost protector dome slid open, and Thrr-tulkoj stepped out, laser rifle in hand. "Stand fast," he said, "and speak your name."
"I obey the Protector of Thrr Elders," Thrr-pifix-a said, nodding politely. Thrr-tulkoj was an old friend of Thrr-gilag's, but the ritual nevertheless had to be observed. "I am Thrr-pifix-a; Kee'rr."
"Who will prove your goodwill and intentions?"
"I will," she said, picking out one of the kavra fruit from the rack and slicing it. The first time she'd ever done this, she remembered, she'd almost dropped the kavra at the sharp and bitterly strong taste of its poison-neutralizing juice. Now, with the slow fading of her senses, the fruit seemed depressingly bland.
"And who will prove your right to approach?" Thrr-tulkoj asked.