The kif sat on a folded stack of blankets on the tiles against the far wall. Its robes were tucked close about it. It had dropped its hood. Now its head came up and it rose in one muscular glide and bowed, showing empty hands, before it looked up again.
Courtesy of a killer-kind.
"Is it ker Pyanfar?"
"It's me. This is the captain of Aja Jin."
"Sssstk." A deep nod of the head. "I am impressed. Nomesteturjai."
"Kif," Jik said,
"His name is Skkukuk. He says he's mine. A gift, from Sikkukkut."
"A.—A noikkhe?"
"Skku nik kktitik kuikkht kehtk tok nif fik pukkukk."
—Why? Pyanfar followed threads of it.
—Subordinate, weapon, for pride, revenge— " Nfkokkth shokku hakhoth nkki to skohut."
"A," Jik said.
"Well?" said Pyanfar. "You got kif," Jik said, and shrugged.
"I am starving," it said.
She shut the door, laid her ears back and looked at Jik. "What do I do with it, huh? Put it out the hatch?"
"They kill him sure."
"Well, gods rot it, do I run a charity for kif?"
Another shrug. "Sikkukkut give you crewman. Not number one important. Maybe fellow make mistake—"
"Maybe a crewman whose loyalty's in question? Maybe even one off that disabled ship?"
Jik's eyes flickered. "Maybe so. All same, he belong you. You got deal, a?"
"God's rot, you want him?"
Jik rubbed at his nose. "Tell you truth. That give you sfik away. I friend, say no do."
"You mean status with that gods-rotted kif? Sikkukkut?"
"Best thing you kill this kif. Send same pieces to Sikkukkut."
"Huh."
"No do, a? Maybe you turn him out naked on dock."
"So they kill him."
"He same kill few, maybe."
"I've traded up and down docks from Jininsai to Meetpoint, and I've never heard the like. You understand it? What's Sikkukkut up to?"
"I fight kif long time. Long time, Pyanfar. Kif at Meetpoint, they quiet kif. This be border. Dis-pu-ted Zone. This space no one got. Where we go next, this be true kif space. You not see before. Not see before these thing. No hani see—'cept maybe Tahar. And she lot crazy."
''You've seen Tahar?''
"I talk with her, one time, two. She strange. Lot strange—" He touched his brow.
"She was strange before she ditched us and turned tail at Gaohn; and took kif money—"
"Hani law."
"You gods-rotted right, hani law. A lot of hani'd like to get a piece of that ship."
"Maybe do."
"Maybe do. Rhif Ehrran was already headed for Kefk when we picked her up at Kshshti. You know why?"
"Maybe you know."
"I don't. That worries me, Jik."
"Worry me too."
"What's an honest hani doing going Kefk way? What's an honest hani know about a kifish system?"
Jik ducked his head and rubbed his nose. "Tell you, hani, few ship I know sometime maybe got rig turn off ID squeal. Sure you not know such thing. Maybe ship also got rig make fake ID to beacon. Vigilance hunter-ship, a? Got lot stuff. Lot stuff. Also maybe know Kefk pretty good."
"Been there?"
"Stsho been there. Come, go. Stsho know lot stuff. Maybe sell in-for-mation."
"I'll believe that. But what's she doing there?"
"Kefk be Tahar port," Jik said. "She hunt Tahar. Also— maybe—maybe she got stsho interest. Stsho business. You think, hani: stsho don't fight. Stsho always hire guard. Who they hire?"
"Mahendo'—" The suspicion got through. She looked up into mahen brown eyes, murkier and darker than any hani's. "Good gods, they count us barbarians. They wouldn't hire hani for anything but—"
"Who else they got hire when got falling-out with mahendo'sat? Hire kif? They not fools. No, maybe all sudden they got idea hani not bad neighbor—maybe all sudden want make good friend with the han. Maybe one day there be hani
guard at Meetpoint, not mahendo'sat. Big advantage to hani. To some hani. Lot money. Lot stsho money—and they plenty rich. I tell you truth, friend. I tell you truth. Ehrran want stop all hani make problem this deal. Moon Rising. You." "You put us in the same—''
"Ehrran do."
"Gods." She flung a gesture up, put distance between herself and Jik. Stared at him. "I tell you, you got lot enemy, hani."
She stood there a long moment. Jik made his mouth a thin, inturned line, as if more might get out. "What you do?" he asked finally.
"What do I do? What do I do? I ought to gods-be head out of here and leave you and Ehrran to the kif.'' "You not do."
"Try me."
"No, you not do. Where go? Maing Tol? Han got 'nough suspicion already. Also—you not stsho. Chanur don't go hide in fight, wait for thing be better, let friend die. ..."
"Friend!"
"I save you neck."
"For politics, for—"
"—same good reason, a?"
"Gods rot you, Jik."
"I try save you now. Want you at Kefk. Need you. Need you stay 'live, hani."
She looked off across the corridor. Anywhere else. Jik's voice was dim. Her ears lay flat against her skull. "So what do I do with the gods-be kif in my washroom, huh?"
"You keep. I want you keep. He yours. He got nowhere to go, a? You got plenty sfik he fight like devil kill you enemy."
"And if he decides I don't have?"
"You kill him quick. He offer you weapons, a?"
"Huh."
"He tell truth. Kif truth." Jik laid a careful hand on her shoulder. "You keep him lock up tight. A? Later I take. I got reason."
"I'm sure you do." Her nose wrinkled. She endured the hand, that was no small weight, and turned and stared up into his face. "So what's the game at Kefk? What's Sikkukkut want? He wanted me. Before you ever got into it. He got me to Mkks. What's he want, dragging me into this Kefk business?"
"You got damn lot sfik."
"You're crazy." She shook the hand off. "He's crazy."
"You got think like kif."
"I'm sure you're good at it."
"You friend."
"Friend, my—"
"Maybe kif play same game like Ehrran." He shrugged, hands in the back of his belt. "He kif. Kif mind got twists. One, he hate Akkhtimakt. Two, he want take opposite from Akkhtimakt. Three, he got no heart. Got no way understand you not all time mad like kif. You add all up, think like kif. He give you kif advisor—he number one smart: you take kif advice, he hope know what you do. You got lot sfik with him. Also you got tame human."
"What's that got to do with it?"
"Kif all time got disadvantage, try predict what outsider do, Sikkukkut lot curious 'bout hu-man-ity. Same way stsho not understand kif: stsho want make deal with Akkhtimakt, want make same deal with Sikkukkut, same with Ehrran hani, a? Someone eat they heart someday. Maybe Sikkukkut. Meanwhile, Sikkukkut want get me, a? Want also get human. Human be big problem soon. Same tc'a. Stsho—they nothing without make alliance with hani, if they not more trust mahendo'sat. Anuurn hani damn fool get involve in this politic."
"They're not the only ones."
"You born involve, Pyanfar. You spacer hani. You too smart."
''Then why am I here?''
"You got stake. We all got stake."
"Like what, like hani do all the fighting and mahendo'sat pick up all the eggs? Same as you and your partner did to me at Gaohn? Same as get me barred from Meetpoint— same as—"