The Course of Empire(179)

"And these are very far from animals," Yaut said abruptly. The fraghta's whiskers twitched and he turned away, appearing to study the approach to the refit facility through a single small, darkened window. "They are clever sentients, often shrewd. Sometimes, I even think, wise. True, they are lacking in many respects, compared to Jao, but they are highly advanced in others. More advanced than we are, in fact."



Dau's whiskers quivered with amusement. "You too, fraghta? You are referring to their famous ollnat, I suppose. They are obsessed with it, I am told."



"A different form of ollnat," Aille said. "Not the fanciful vagaries of a Jao mind, when it knows not what to do, but innovation of high quality, which thwarted not only Oppuk, but defeated the Ekhat."



"A fluke," Dau said. "The Ekhat will be prepared for such crude tactics the next time. It would not work again." But his posture as he said it conveyed subtleties. He was asking a question as much as making a statement.



"It would certainly be more difficult," Aille said. He leaned over his console and pulled up the image of the new design for a sunship; then, set the holoimage to rotating. "But my advisors are already developing something else, equally innovative. We will succeed—if the Naukra rules wisely, this time."



"Your human advisors."



"Human and Jao," Aille said. "My personal service consists of both." He gestured at the image above his desk. "This design, for instance, was initiated by humans, but since then is being drastically modified in light of the experience of such veterans as Chul and Hami."



Aille found himself performing the difficult tripartite unashamed-steadfast-resolution. "You should trust in my training, in all you have given me. What I have done is best for us all, Pluthrak, Terran, and Narvo alike."



"I hope you are right," Dau said, and his aspect shifted to an unguarded moment of weary-fondness. "We all do. But you have removed yourself from our protection, and we cannot intervene directly on your behalf."



"I do not wish you to intervene," Aille said, on the edge of offense. "My actions should be judged by the Naukra on their own merits."



"That is fortunate," Dau said, "for I suspect that is all you will receive—and not even that, should Narvo hold sway at the council. Though, it seems, the Bond will be playing a much greater role than usual. Very difficult to tell, how that will affect the outcome."



The old kochanau's whiskers quivered with amusement again. " 'Subtle as a Pluthrak,' they say. Ha! They only say that, who have never encountered a Bond Preceptor."



To Aille's surprise—astonishment, even—Dau then bestowed upon him the posture of gratified-respect. "You have met our hopes, young one. Perhaps even exceeded them. I am not certain of your wisdom, in all of these matters, and I much fear the doing of it will require your life. But never doubt Pluthrak's pride, kroudh or not. Narvo will never recover from this, and can finally be brought into proper association."



Dau straightened. "And now, I need some dormancy. Alas, I am old and no longer as resilient as I once was."



Nath, respectfully, immediately moved toward the door. "I will lead you to a suitable chamber, kochanau. It has a very good pool, if a small one."

* * *



After the kochanau was gone, Aille stared at Yaut. The fraghta's uncertainty was all gone now, clearly enough. His posture was even tripartite, very rare for Yaut. Gratification combined with relaxed-certainty.



Aille looked away, bringing his eyes back to the rotating image of the new sunship-in-design.



Yaut did not understand, he realized. Not surprising, of course. Until that moment, Aille had never really understood either.



It is all so stupid. In the end, is this all of Pluthrak's vaunted "subtlety"? Another maneuver against Narvo? With half a galactic arm infested with Ekhat?



It is so—so—



Another of Wrot's little adopted sayings came to him:



Like children, in a sandbox.





Chapter 40




Though it had once been his refuge, Oppuk now found the palace in Oklahoma City oppressive. Since recovering from the minor injuries suffered when his subordinates had seized him at the Bond's orders, he had spent most of time there. Swimming in the pools of what his human servitors had called "The Great Hall."



Back when he'd had human servitors. He had none any longer, and would not have tolerated any even if the Bond gave permission.



Which, they certainly wouldn't. The only servitors they now allowed him were a handful of Bond members, who obeyed Oppuk's orders but showed him little else in the way of respect. Very junior members, all of them, to make the insult worse.