Bubba stood and offered the old Thunt his arm. “Been a pleasure, ma’am.” She allowed him to help her stand, and then went back to her seat.
“The second Task is complete,” the Governor spoke. “We will recess again before the final Task.” With that he and the Triad stood and left the room by a back door. Other members of the Council and of Hoss’s Progenitors milled about, arguing about the outcome so far.
“That was a nice bit of reasoning, Bubba,” Hoss said.
“Well, son, don’t thank me. I got it from Leo Rosten.”
“You have been inordinately lucky twice, Bubba,” Mike said. “You can’t expect it the third time.”
“Believe me, I know,” Bubba replied.
“What are you going to do for the third Task?”
“I been thinkin’ long and hard about that, Mike. I’m just gonna have to play it out as I think best, and hope that’s enough.”
No more than ten minutes passed before the Triad Governors trooped back in, bringing the room back to order.
“The third Task, the Task of Spirit, will now begin. However,” the Triad Governor added, looking directly at Bubba, “there must be no more tricks, Allen Poe Hudgins Pritchert.”
“No, sir,” the human replied. “No more tricks.”
“Then you may commence when you are ready.”
“Thank you.” Bubba paused, looking around the hall at dozens of alien faces. “Wish I knew something more about you folks. Those of you I’ve met seem to be decent people, not much different from what we’ve got back home. Might could be that your people and mine would get along just fine.
“But there’s something I don’t understand about you. Now, far be it from me to belittle the institution of parenthood. Never been one m’self, but I’ve had a set of my own, and never regretted them.” There were scattered chuckles as Mike translated this.
“We have a book back where I come from that says ‘Honor thy Father and thy Mother.’ Oh,” he said with a shrug, “there’s lots of other books that say pretty much the same thing, but that’s the one I was raised with, and that’s how I think about it.
“That book says a lot of other things that I can agree with without accepting that that particular book is the only one that matters. It says you shouldn’t steal, shouldn’t kill, shouldn’t make up hurtful stuff about your neighbor and go blabbing it all over.
“But most important, I think, is that it has a lot to say on the subject of forgiveness. Hell, the whole second half turns on that one idea alone. In fact, if you took all the books that folks like you and me use to guide ourselves through life, I’m pretty sure you’d find most of them singin’ that same song, and there has to be a reason for that.” A number of the council were nodding as Mike interpreted this; the concept wasn’t foreign to them.
He began to pace, gesturing with his hands to emphasize his points. “Your man Hoss, here, managed to prevent a confrontation with an enemy you might not have been able to handle. Nothing shameful about not bein’ the best—there can only be one, anyway. But you’re looking at the short of it and ignoring the long.” He picked out K’tine with his eyes.
“Some of you aren’t too happy with it, for all that you’re not too sure how to fix it. Others,” he looked square at Leens, “seem to think that the letter of the law is more important than serving justice.” Again, he shook his head. “I can’t help but think you’ve lost sight of something here.”
Triad Governor M’nath interrupted.
“That’s as it may be, but it begs the question: can you show us Honor?”
“Well, sir, there’s honor and there’s honor, if you catch my meanin’. By that I mean there’s a difference between a Thing of Honor and an Honorable Thing.”
“You may explain.”
“Thank you. Now, if I was to do something I didn’t want to do, that was inconvenient or even maybe dangerous, simply because some code told me I had to, that would be a Thing of Honor. See, the ‘honor’ comes first and forces me into an action that might otherwise be just plain stupid. My choice is made for me.
“But, on the other hand, if I was to do something inconvenient or dangerous—or stupid—because I couldn’t see my way to do anything else under the circumstances and still call myself a reasonable person, then the choice of doin’ whatever it might be is mine, and mine alone. Not imposed from outside, you understand?”
M’nath nodded. “Yes. I perceive the difference. What has that to do with the third Task?”
“I’m gettin’ to that.” He turned to where Hoss was seated.
“Hoss,” he said in a voice loud enough to be heard all across the hall, “I am offering, here and now, to take you in. I will share my home with you, my food (though I’ll have to make a deal with Clint Miller for a steady supply of his beef cows), my books, and—if you’ll have it—my name.”
“NO!” shouted Leens, leaping to her feet. She was followed closely by most of the Progenitors, and a good number of the council. K’tine sat, stunned; Rinn was pounding her fist against the bench in front of her, in anger or in excitement; Bubba couldn’t tell. Hoss stood slowly, his eyes darting between his Primes and the human.
The Triad Governors were frantically trying to restore order; it took a concerted effort on the part of the guards to quell the furious council, and it was some few minutes before the hall became quiet enough for any one voice to be heard.
“Bubba,” Mike said intensely, “are you sure you know what you’re doing?”
“Mike, this isn’t for show. I’m ready to take Hoss home right this minute, if he wants to come.”
With a final shout from the Governors, an uneasy silence was imposed on the hall.
“You must know that what you propose is impossible,” said M’nath.
“With all due respect, sir, I don’t know any such thing. You’ve cast him aside like trash. How can you make a decision concerning the way he lives the rest of his life? He’s not a Thunt anymore, remember?”
“This… must be considered. This council will deliberate for one hour. You may return to your rooms.” They were led out of the hall by the same guards that brought them. As they passed the seats of the Progenitors, Bubba caught sight of K’tine; he looked stricken.
Once back in their rooms, Hoss closed his door. Bubba was left alone with his thoughts.
“I wish I knew what was going on inside your head.”
Bubba sighed. “Mike, there’s nothing wrong with that boy. You heard what would happen if they decide to exile him. I can’t let it go.”
“I know this isn’t a good idea, just like I know I could never talk you out of it. Just like I know, for all that it’s the wrong thing to do, that it’s more the right thing.”
“You ain’t so dumb after all, Mikey.”
The door to Hoss’s room opened, and he came out, having taken the opportunity to change clothes. He cleared his throat.
“Allen Poe Hudgins Pritchert.” His words rang with ceremony. Bubba looked up at him.
“You have offered me family when I had none. You have offered me identity when I had none. You have offered me the most of what you are and all that you have. I must—” The door chimed before he could finish. A guard on the other side spoke.
“They are ready for us, Bubba,” Mike said. “They have made their decision.”
Bubba took a deep breath. “OK, Hoss, let’s see what they have to say before you go any further.” Hoss nodded slowly, and they left with their escort.