"You don't think they'll let us have fair chance at any human trade. They'll double-deal us, they will, all our precious allies, first chance."
"I expect they'll try. They're good at that. But right now they're all the credit we've got. You want to go to Maing Tol, try to limp the long way back to Meetpoint to bail out our cargo—what with, niece? Go back to Anuurn and try to argue away all the charges in the han? When this gets back, your father's going to have challenges; every whelp with ambitions is going to try him, Ehrran's going to make double-sure of that—and Kohan's getting old, imp. He can't take everyone. That's the way it is."
"So we risk The Pride?"
"That's the way I choose."
No one moved. Hilfy stood there trying to catch her breath. There was a persistent beep from com.
"What we do," Pyanfar said, "we take the rest we're due. We back up this lunatic mission of Jik's and we guard the deputy's blackbreeched backside. And we hope to all the gods Goldtooth's in reach. The best we can do is keep the mahendo'sat well-disposed. Sikkukkut's only normal crazy. You got out alive. What I hear about Akkhtimakt I don't half like. That kif's got a real grudge against us. Sikkukkut's only half mean— that's the truth, niece. Listen to me. You want Akkhtimakt to be the great hakkikt, the one that unites the worlds, the leader the kif have been waiting for since they discovered piracy? Or you want Sikkukkut, who at least has limits? Maybe we have got a personal stake in this kif fight, huh?"
"So we let Sikkukkut into bed?"
The coarseness set her ears back. "We don't let the bastard anywhere. Yes, we made a deal. It benefits both sides."
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I've had that bastard's hands on me, I've had drugs and shocks and every lousy trick that kif could think of—gods know what all they did to Tully: he couldn't even tell me—You want me to approve this deal?"
"No. I don't. I didn't ask." She rested her head back. "I just tried to let you know what happened. You want to ride this one out in quarters, go on. You're due the rest. I don't recommend you get off here at Mkks. It's going to be real hot here in a little while. Real hot, about the time the word gets Id Maing Tol and to Akkt. We're talking about the mahendo'sat losing a star station, hear? Or the kif taking one. And no one's just real happy. You're not alone in troubles. Gods know what the mahendo'sat will do or how good Jik's credit still is back home. We've lost any backing we might have had from the han. All we've got is Jik. And Goldtooth. And if they go, we've got nothing. Nothing. Chances are they'll double-deal us just the way you say. But if they go—chances are the Personage they work for goes down; and there'll be a new Personage. New deal. New policies. I'm not sure we'd like that. I'm not sure even Ehrran would."
Hilfy's shoulders fell. She had a look of pain. The beep from com went on. It was her station. She waved a hand in defeat and went over and picked up the earplug, pushed the button. "Pride of Chanur," she said to someone. "Com officer speaking."
Hilfy sat down. Back turned. Got to work.
"Tully," Pyanfar said. She held out her hand and he came over to her chair. He gave her that blue-eyed, thinking stare. But he took her hand gently as he had learned; and she curled her claws round his hand, not enough to prick his soft skin. "Go below. Go rest. It's all right. It's all right, Tully. It's just a discussion. It's just talk. Go on below and rest."
"I'm crew. Scan tech. I work,"
"You're mincemeat; and you can't read our boards, let alone work our controls without a probe. You want to work? Go get some sleep. You work later. Go." She freed her hand and gave him a swat on the rump to send him off, but Tully failed to move. Khym was standing there watching all of this. It set her teeth on edge. Her husband. This male. And an adolescent with a gut-deep hurt and gods knew what notions acquired in a kifish cell. "We all go off duty and get some rest. Sleep. Food. AH right?" A second swat, clawtips out. He did move, startled-like, and looked back at her in shock. "Get," she said in a no-nonsense way, ears back; and he backed up.
"Aunt," Hilfy said. Business voice, sane and sensible. "It's Aja Jin. Captain's compliments and he's got a problem. He says he's got to talk to you direct. He won't take no. You want to talk to him?''
"I'll take it." Anything—anything—to maintain Hilfy's quiet. "I can guess." She swung her chair about. "Tully; Khym; Chur, Geran; get out of here, get fed, get to bed. Now. Move it. Hilfy. You too.—One other thing, Hilfy."
"Aye?" Defensively..
"Kif says Tahar's friendly with Akkhtimakt."
"Moon Rising?" Hilfy's eyes widened.
"Since Gaohn. Makes sense, doesn't it? She played close with Akkukkak; after Gaohn, where else could she go? Vigilance is real interested. Thought you'd like to know."
"Gods rot. Aunt—"
"Mind that language. You're back in civilization, niece." She punched the contact in as Haral switched it, a solid stream of mahen exigency in her ear. "Gods-be, Jik—"
''—time. You got take comp feed. What you want, wait Akkhtimakt, wait Harak kif?''
"What you want, my crew loses it in jump?"
"Got no damn time this rest. I got same station authority my neck, got same want board ship. I got explain kif you want sleep, a?"
She raked her mane back and flicked her ears. Rings chimed, light and constant. "ThenI'll explain to the hakkikt, friend. You want that?"
A moment of silence from the other end. "/ talk hakkikt. Damn."
"Thanks."
"Before sign off, maybe get comp feed through. Deal, a?"
"No! My crew's gone the limit, understand? No more!"
"We got stsho run go Kefk."
"We can't do it, Jik."
"I send crew."
"Not on my deck, you don't. No way."
"You want I come over there explain? We got stationer trouble, got urgent request we clear dock, got big fear, Pyanfar. Got kif trouble. What I say to kif? Sorry, hani got take nap?"
"Explain all you like. I got fall on my face, bastard. I'm out, through; whole crew's going offshift."
"Got finish comp feed."
"Twelve hours. Then we do it."
"Nine."
"Eleven."
"Damn, hani, this not merchant deal. Nine. Nine all we possible got. We cover you tail that long. Listen."
"Nine," she muttered. "Nine." She punched the contact out, turned the chair and got up.
Hilfy and Chur had gone. Khym and Geran. But Tully lingered, alone against the bulkhead door frame, hands behind him.
Looking at her.
"Scared you, huh?"
"Pyanfar."
"I'm not mad at you. I give you an order, na Tully, you move, hear? Did I say get?"