didn't matter. Right up beside the shrine like this, all the Elders would be able to hear his voice, carried directly to them through theirfsss organs. "Thrr't-rokik?" he called. "It's Thrr-gilag."
There was a flicker, and his father was there in front of him. "Hello, my son," he said, his voice faint but with its well-remembered warmth. "It's good to see you."
"And you, my father," Thrr-gilag said, the remnants of his guilt washing away in a sudden surge of emotion. His father; and yet, not really his father. His father as fragile spirit, a voice and faint image of what he'd once been, his physical body long since consigned to the fire.
His father as Elder.
Thrr-tulkoj had been right. This was going to take a lot of getting used to.
"You're looking well," Thrr't-rokik said. "I'd heard you were on Oaccanv; I'd rather expected you would get in touch with me sooner."
"I'm sorry," Thrr-gilag said. "I've been rather busy."
"So I hear." His father eyed him closely. "I also hear that not all has been going well for you."
"No." Thrr-gilag glanced up at the shrine towering above him. "That was one of the things I wanted to discuss with you."
"Well, as it happens, I'm free for the postmidarc," Thrr't-rokik said with a smile. "Shall we walk over to the bluff overview?"
To the bluff, and away from the unavoidable eavesdropping that would take place beside the shrine itself. "Certainly," Thrr-gilag said, turning and heading across the grass.
The overview was relatively modest, as such things went: a slight rise leading up to the predator fence, with the land then dropping off steeply into a rocky bluff just outside the fence. Past the edge of the bluff Thrr-gilag could see one of the minor tributaries of the Amt'bri River as it wended its casual way through the wooded plain below. Beyond the woods, some of the higher towers of the Hlim-family city of Hlimni's Glen were visible.
"The Thrr leaders are talking again about putting up a new shrine," Thrr't-rokik commented. "I've been trying to talk them into locating it down there in the woods, close enough that we could hear the river."
"They'll never do it," Thrr-gilag said. "Not that close to a river. Too much risk of flood damage."
Thrr't-rokik sniffed. "Flood damage. The Amt'bri hasn't flooded in probably two hundred cyclics. But you're right, too many people would be afraid. Sometimes I think Elders are the most timid creatures in existence."
"You can't really blame them," Thrr-gilag shrugged. "When you're that close to the unknowns of death, I suppose it's natural to try to hold on as tightly as you can."
"Perhaps," Thrr't-rokik sighed. "Personally, I think that being terrified of taking the most minuscule of chances is no way to live."
Thrr-gilag looked off across the valley. "We're certainly taking chances now," he said. "Every one of us."
"Yes," Thrr't-rokik agreed quietly. "The Human-Conquerors. You've seen them up close, Thrr-gilag. What do you think?"
"Of the Humans, or of our chances against them?"
"Either. Both."
Thrr-gilag pressed his tongue against the top of his mouth. "I don't know, Father. I really don't. They're fearsome and dangerous enemies-there's no doubt about that. But at the same time there are things about them that don't seem to fit together. Large inconsistencies in their aggressiveness level, for one thing."
"They're aliens, after all," Thrr't-rokik reminded him. "Their reasons for doing things don't have to be the same as ours."
"True," Thrr-gilag said. "But there's one other possibility: that the Humans aren't the vicious warmongers we've been led to believe."
Thrr't-rokik frowned. "What are you talking about? They attacked first."
Thrr-gilag turned again to look down at the river. "Unless the Overclan Seating and Warrior Command were wrong about that."
He could feel his father's gaze on him. "You mean mistaken?"
"Or just wrong."
For a long beat the rustling of the trees below was the only sound. Thrr-gilag kept his eyes on the
There was a flicker, and his father was there in front of him. "Hello, my son," he said, his voice faint but with its well-remembered warmth. "It's good to see you."
"And you, my father," Thrr-gilag said, the remnants of his guilt washing away in a sudden surge of emotion. His father; and yet, not really his father. His father as fragile spirit, a voice and faint image of what he'd once been, his physical body long since consigned to the fire.
His father as Elder.
Thrr-tulkoj had been right. This was going to take a lot of getting used to.
"You're looking well," Thrr't-rokik said. "I'd heard you were on Oaccanv; I'd rather expected you would get in touch with me sooner."
"I'm sorry," Thrr-gilag said. "I've been rather busy."
"So I hear." His father eyed him closely. "I also hear that not all has been going well for you."
"No." Thrr-gilag glanced up at the shrine towering above him. "That was one of the things I wanted to discuss with you."
"Well, as it happens, I'm free for the postmidarc," Thrr't-rokik said with a smile. "Shall we walk over to the bluff overview?"
To the bluff, and away from the unavoidable eavesdropping that would take place beside the shrine itself. "Certainly," Thrr-gilag said, turning and heading across the grass.
The overview was relatively modest, as such things went: a slight rise leading up to the predator fence, with the land then dropping off steeply into a rocky bluff just outside the fence. Past the edge of the bluff Thrr-gilag could see one of the minor tributaries of the Amt'bri River as it wended its casual way through the wooded plain below. Beyond the woods, some of the higher towers of the Hlim-family city of Hlimni's Glen were visible.
"The Thrr leaders are talking again about putting up a new shrine," Thrr't-rokik commented. "I've been trying to talk them into locating it down there in the woods, close enough that we could hear the river."
"They'll never do it," Thrr-gilag said. "Not that close to a river. Too much risk of flood damage."
Thrr't-rokik sniffed. "Flood damage. The Amt'bri hasn't flooded in probably two hundred cyclics. But you're right, too many people would be afraid. Sometimes I think Elders are the most timid creatures in existence."
"You can't really blame them," Thrr-gilag shrugged. "When you're that close to the unknowns of death, I suppose it's natural to try to hold on as tightly as you can."
"Perhaps," Thrr't-rokik sighed. "Personally, I think that being terrified of taking the most minuscule of chances is no way to live."
Thrr-gilag looked off across the valley. "We're certainly taking chances now," he said. "Every one of us."
"Yes," Thrr't-rokik agreed quietly. "The Human-Conquerors. You've seen them up close, Thrr-gilag. What do you think?"
"Of the Humans, or of our chances against them?"
"Either. Both."
Thrr-gilag pressed his tongue against the top of his mouth. "I don't know, Father. I really don't. They're fearsome and dangerous enemies-there's no doubt about that. But at the same time there are things about them that don't seem to fit together. Large inconsistencies in their aggressiveness level, for one thing."
"They're aliens, after all," Thrr't-rokik reminded him. "Their reasons for doing things don't have to be the same as ours."
"True," Thrr-gilag said. "But there's one other possibility: that the Humans aren't the vicious warmongers we've been led to believe."
Thrr't-rokik frowned. "What are you talking about? They attacked first."
Thrr-gilag turned again to look down at the river. "Unless the Overclan Seating and Warrior Command were wrong about that."
He could feel his father's gaze on him. "You mean mistaken?"
"Or just wrong."
For a long beat the rustling of the trees below was the only sound. Thrr-gilag kept his eyes on the
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