“You’re more than welcome,” Lakuviv said, catching the eyes of the two guards who’d brought Haplif in and nodding toward the reception room. The guards nodded acknowledgment in turn and headed toward the door. “Thank you for making the time to meet with us today.”
“It is my privilege and pleasure,” Haplif said. “How may I serve you?”
“I had a few questions about your facility,” Lakuviv said, watching as the guards filed through the doorway and closed it behind them. “Senior Aide Lakjiip was most impressed with your operation, but we were both curious about whether or not you have any other workers there.”
“I don’t understand,” Haplif said, the slit of a mouth puckering in the midst of all that wrinkled facial skin. “We have many workers: miners, refiners, extrusion operators, and food preparers. What others would we need?”
“I was actually asking whether you might have hired other species for some of those tasks,” Lakuviv said, watching the alien carefully. “There are aliens particularly suited to underground mining, for instance, short and stocky with lower oxygen requirements and the ability to see in low-light settings.”
“Oh, no, we couldn’t employ anyone like that,” Haplif protested, a whole-body shiver running through him. “We could never trust anyone so thoroughly as to allow them access to the mines. Our jewelry and spices are the sole sources of our livelihood. If we were to lose our source of inexpensive metals, our very survival would be in danger.”
“Yet you let us see the operation,” Lakjiip pointed out.
“But you are different,” Haplif said, sounding puzzled. “You are the Chiss, noble and honorable and courageous. You treat us as you treat all others, as fellow travelers in this grand journey through life.”
Despite himself, Lakuviv winced a bit. Was Haplif really that naïve? “You have a great deal of trust, Haplif.”
“It is born of experience and insight,” Haplif said firmly. “For three months we have traveled with Yoponek of the Coduyo. He has been first our companion and then our friend. Through him I have learned to understand the Chiss heart, the Chiss soul, and the Chiss nobility. I would trust you with my life, Councilor Lakuviv of the Xodlak.”
His face seemed to cloud over. “And indeed, I may very soon have to turn that trust into action. As you are aware, pirates have attacked us once. Who can say if they will do so again? Who can say if they will then find their way to our mines?”
“You think that’s possible?” Lakuviv asked, feeling his heart starting to beat a little faster. This was the very opening he needed, the opening he’d been trying to figure out how to engineer. Now Haplif had unwittingly done it for him.
“Nothing in this universe is impossible,” Haplif said solemnly. “As I’m certain Senior Aide Lakjiip has told you, the Agbui have no way to stop an aggressor determined to slaughter our people and take or destroy what we’ve worked so hard to build.”
“Yes, indeed,” Lakuviv agreed. As if anyone in their right mind would actually destroy a nyix mine. But of course he couldn’t say that. “Is there anything we can do to help you?”
“The Xodlak family has mighty warships circling this world,” Haplif said, pointing one of those long fingers toward the ceiling. “Even mightier than the one you sent to escort our freighter. I know; I’ve seen them. If one could be sent to guard our world … but I recall the difficulty you had wresting even a simple patrol craft from the hands of your Patriel. This would be a much harder task.”
“As you yourself said, nothing in the universe is impossible,” Lakuviv said. “I’ll put a call into the Patriel’s office immediately.”
“Oh,” Haplif said with a distinct lack of enthusiasm. “Yes. That would be wonderful.”
“You sound unhappy,” Lakuviv said. “Is there a problem?”
“No,” Haplif said in that same neutral tone. “Please don’t take this as a criticism, Councilor Lakuviv. The Xodlak family has been wonderfully gracious to us. It’s just that … I’m not certain the Patriel can be fully trusted. I don’t mean she can’t be trusted with the safety of the Agbui,” he hastened to add. “I’m sure she would never betray us. I’m merely concerned that she may usurp any commendations or thanks that would come to you from the determined and selfless defense of our world. I would hate to see your work pushed to the side and your initiative buried beneath another’s claims.”
“So would I,” Lakuviv said grimly. So it wasn’t just him who thought Lakooni was a glory-thief. Haplif had seen that in her, too. “More important than any commendations, though, is the question of whether we have time to go through the proper protocol. Under the circumstances, perhaps I should contact the Patriarch directly with this matter.”
The loose skin of Haplif’s face piled itself into a bunch. “You can do that?” he asked with obvious amazement. “You can speak directly to the exalted head of the Xodlak family?”
“Of course,” Lakuviv said. It wasn’t nearly that easy, of course. He would have to go through at least a couple of layers of homestead officials before he even reached the Patriarch’s office, let alone the Patriarch himself.
But this was important enough, and urgent enough, that he was confident he would be passed through those obstacles with minimal delay. “I’ll start the procedure at once.”
“Thank you for coming,” Lakjiip put in. “I’ll have your driver take you back to Lakphro’s ranch. We’ll contact you again as soon as Councilor Lakuviv has news.”
“You are gracious, Senior Aide Lakjiip,” Haplif said. “However, would it not be better for me to remain here and available for any questions your Patriarch might have? There may be details that only I can supply.”
“Possibly,” Lakjiip said, looking questioningly at Lakuviv. She knew as well as he did the kind of bureaucratic maze he was casually promising to walk his way through, and how long things of that sort normally took. “But it might not be right away.”
“I am content to wait,” Haplif said. “The sooner we have Xodlak defenders over our world, the sooner all Agbui will be able to rest.”
“If you’re willing, it’s all right with me,” Lakuviv said. “Senior Aide Lakjiip will instruct the guards outside to find you a place where you can rest, and arrange for some refreshment.”
“Once again, I am in your debt,” Haplif said. “Your name will forever be blessed among the Agbui people.”
“Thank you,” Lakuviv said. Now if only his name could move up the Xodlak family hierarchy, that would be the real miracle.
Lakuviv’s call to the Patriarch went about as well as he should have expected.
He connected to the family homestead on Csilla without difficulty. Identifying himself as a Councilor on Celwis got him through the first two layers of screening, while his insistence that the matter was vital to Xodlak interests got him through a third layer. Barely an hour after beginning the call he was finally to the Patriarch’s office, talking with the Patriarch’s third aide.
And there the whole thing ground to a halt.
“He said that there was nothing interesting or amusing, let alone vital, that a Councilor could possibly bring to the Patriarch’s attention,” he fumed to Lakjiip, glaring at the comm display on his office desk.
The blank comm display. The cursed aide had said a brief goodbye, told him to go through proper channels next time, and cut him off.
“Maybe Patriel Lakooni would have better luck,” Lakjiip suggested.