"I was right," he said. "Advance-by-oscillation, it is. He is deliberately provoking the Narvo."
A movement from the Governor's hant drew Kaul's attention. Oppuk was emerging. One glance at the Narvo's posture was enough.
"He will succeed," said the Dano gloomily.
* * *
It did not take him long, either. Kaul and Jutre observed it all from the side. Before Aille could do more than begin his report, Oppuk interrupted him brusquely.
"You may submit those inconsequential items later, in a written report. For now, I wish only to know the extent of the punishment."
"The city is being razed, Governor, and—"
"How many of the creatures are dead?" The Governor practically snarled the words.
His stance mild, Aille looked to the jinau general standing by his side.
Kralik cleared his throat. "We counted one hundred and seventy-two of the rebels dead. There are undoubtedly more who perished in some of the demolished buildings, whose bodies will not be recovered. I estimate a total of perhaps three hundred. Along with another forty or so captured, most of them wounded."
"Three hundred? In a population center of this size?"
Kralik stared straight ahead, not meeting Oppuk's furious green-filled gaze. "Yes, Governor."
"Why were there not more? There should have been thousands—no, tens of thousands!"
"I believe most of the townspeople evacuated soon after it became apparent our forces would attack," Kralik said. His posture was rigid and formal. The bau tucked under his arm was absolutely still.
Oppuk whirled on Aille, whiskers stiff with outrage. "And you did not prevent it?"
"You ordered the town destroyed," Aille said. "You said nothing about its population."
"You had your orders!"
"And I followed them," Aille said. The young Pluthrak's posture was a superb rendition of calm-assurance, perfect for the situation. His tone of voice, also, was appropriate. Mild, but firm. "I admired your wisdom in punishing the locals through destruction of their property while not agitating them any more than necessary through excessive loss of life."
"You mock me!" Oppuk loomed in his face, every line of his body screaming challenge. The Narvo was older, and not as tall, but massively built. Watching, Kaul thought Jutre's analogy to an enraged lurret more appropriate than ever.
The Pluthrak seemed completely unfazed, his calm-assurance never wavering, his voice steady. "How so? I wish only to serve, Governor, as do all here, Jao and jinau alike. We have all learned a great deal today."
"Yes," Oppuk said, "we have, and do not make the mistake of thinking I will forget it!" He turned away, ready to stalk off.
Kaul began to exhale with relief. This had been bad, but not as bad as it could have been. Then, seeing that his fraghta's posture was still tense, he grew tense himself.
What more could the Pluthrak do?
The jinau general stepped forward. The human's face and posture were unreadable, as Kralik generally was, but there was something tense in the set of his shoulders. Before he even reached for the bau under his arm and drew it out, Kaul knew exactly what Pluthrak had planned.
"One moment, Governor," said Aille, still in that mild-but-firm voice. "A carving for Salem needs to be added to Kralik's bau. Pluthrak can do it, of course, but the honor is properly Narvo's."
The Governor froze in mid-turn, staring down at the bau extended toward him in Kralik's hand. With an exclamation of fury, Oppuk seized the bau from Kralik, broke it in two and cast the pieces at Aille's feet. Then, lunged back toward his hant, scattering humans and Jao alike from his path.
Aille gazed down at the broken bau at his feet, then lifted his eyes to stare at Dano.
There was no way for Kaul to pretend he had not observed. Nor would Jutre have allowed him to, in any event. Dano was traditionally allied with Narvo, yes. But Dano was a great kochan because it had its own honor. The vithrik of a fraghta, more than anything, was bound up with protecting that honor.
"Yes, I saw. I will so report the incident to the Naukra." He decided that honor allowed him a bit of leeway. "If this matter reaches their ears at all."
"It will," said the Pluthrak's fraghta. "Be sure of it." Grimly, Yaut said aloud what was now obvious to all: "Battle is joined, between Pluthrak and Narvo. It is in the open now, and can have but one end."
* * *
Kaul and Jutre did not speak further until they had entered their own aircraft and were heading back to Pascagoula.
"In the open, indeed," said Kaul. "We must look to Dano, now. Dano alone."