of her clan after meeting with Mebis. Most of the clan would be able to make it, with the few that were unable to attend to be updated later.
Kess watched the door open, but it wasn't Bomani she saw. Nyla, an older wereleopard female stood in the doorway, smiling at her. Kess returned the smile and entered. "It's always good to see you, Nyla."
"And you, Kess." Nyla's voice was a silky almost-purr. The woman was in her forties, past childbearing age, but Kess remembered her from when her father ran the clan. Nyla had always been kind to her. "Bomani's getting set up."
"Are we the only ones here so far?" Nyla's territorial run abutted Bomani's; she was his closest neighbor.
Nyla shook her head. "Masud's here too."
Kess followed her to the large, poshly appointed living room where the meeting would be held. Bomani was speaking with Masud, probably sharing some arcane bit of clan counselor knowledge with his chosen successor. She didn't object to Bomani's choice of replacement. She had doubted Masud at first, especially since he'd been close to her brother, but Kess had seen that the man was competent and loyal to the good of the clan, not to Sekhmet.
She greeted the two men and then took a seat on a sleek sectional while she waited for the rest of her clan to arrive. She tried to calm her nerves. Kess hated speaking to groups of people, but it was a necessary part of being the clan leader. She wasn't sure how her idea would be received, but it was time she got the clan's opinion on her idea about opening up Miami. She would need their buy-in, especially with the threat of Samara and her hyenas looming.
The clan members began to arrive and soon there were ten of them gathered in Bomani's living room. He made everyone welcome and then turned the floor over to her. She nodded to him as she stood before the assembled wereleopards, her people, and cleared her throat.
"Good evening, all of you and thank you for coming. I asked you here tonight because there is something that needs to be addressed." She paused, meeting each clan member's eyes in turn. She held longest on Bomani, who stood like a sentinel in the corner. "We've reached the point where we can no longer patrol and protect our territory--our numbers are simply too few. We've all known this, but no one has been able to come up with an adequate solution.
"I propose that we open up the city of Miami to all weres, led by a ruling council. Each were species would have a representative on the council to resolve conflicts and disputes. Every were would be responsible for policing their own and ensuring the safety of the territory."
"And sharing in the wealth of Miami?" This question came from Denari, a very old wereleopard. She had expected the oldest of her clan would have a problem with this change in the way things were run, so his objection was not surprising.
"Your business ventures are your own to oversee." Kess eyed the assembled ranks, being careful to sound neutral. "And they will continue on as always. There will be competition as other weres move in, but we still hold sway. And turf wars will not be allowed."
"This is a big risk," Kiri said.
Kess looked at the small woman, only a few years Nyla's senior and smiled slightly. "All change holds risk. We are at a crossroads here. We dwindle and die or are wiped out by hyenas. With this way we have a chance, slim though it may be."
"What about the hyenas?" Anum had spoken. Kess's gaze sought him out. He was about Masud's age, a contemporary of Sek's.
"I will face Samara before summer's end." Kess suppressed a shiver of fear as she said this. She still had no idea how she was going to do that, even with Mebis' offer of help.
"And if you lose?" Anum's voice was clear in the quiet room. All eyes looked to her and she saw doubt in several faces.
"It would mean all our deaths," Nyla said, speaking into the quiet like a seeress speaking prophecy. Low murmurs greeted her words.
"Which is why I will not lose." Kess'
Kess watched the door open, but it wasn't Bomani she saw. Nyla, an older wereleopard female stood in the doorway, smiling at her. Kess returned the smile and entered. "It's always good to see you, Nyla."
"And you, Kess." Nyla's voice was a silky almost-purr. The woman was in her forties, past childbearing age, but Kess remembered her from when her father ran the clan. Nyla had always been kind to her. "Bomani's getting set up."
"Are we the only ones here so far?" Nyla's territorial run abutted Bomani's; she was his closest neighbor.
Nyla shook her head. "Masud's here too."
Kess followed her to the large, poshly appointed living room where the meeting would be held. Bomani was speaking with Masud, probably sharing some arcane bit of clan counselor knowledge with his chosen successor. She didn't object to Bomani's choice of replacement. She had doubted Masud at first, especially since he'd been close to her brother, but Kess had seen that the man was competent and loyal to the good of the clan, not to Sekhmet.
She greeted the two men and then took a seat on a sleek sectional while she waited for the rest of her clan to arrive. She tried to calm her nerves. Kess hated speaking to groups of people, but it was a necessary part of being the clan leader. She wasn't sure how her idea would be received, but it was time she got the clan's opinion on her idea about opening up Miami. She would need their buy-in, especially with the threat of Samara and her hyenas looming.
The clan members began to arrive and soon there were ten of them gathered in Bomani's living room. He made everyone welcome and then turned the floor over to her. She nodded to him as she stood before the assembled wereleopards, her people, and cleared her throat.
"Good evening, all of you and thank you for coming. I asked you here tonight because there is something that needs to be addressed." She paused, meeting each clan member's eyes in turn. She held longest on Bomani, who stood like a sentinel in the corner. "We've reached the point where we can no longer patrol and protect our territory--our numbers are simply too few. We've all known this, but no one has been able to come up with an adequate solution.
"I propose that we open up the city of Miami to all weres, led by a ruling council. Each were species would have a representative on the council to resolve conflicts and disputes. Every were would be responsible for policing their own and ensuring the safety of the territory."
"And sharing in the wealth of Miami?" This question came from Denari, a very old wereleopard. She had expected the oldest of her clan would have a problem with this change in the way things were run, so his objection was not surprising.
"Your business ventures are your own to oversee." Kess eyed the assembled ranks, being careful to sound neutral. "And they will continue on as always. There will be competition as other weres move in, but we still hold sway. And turf wars will not be allowed."
"This is a big risk," Kiri said.
Kess looked at the small woman, only a few years Nyla's senior and smiled slightly. "All change holds risk. We are at a crossroads here. We dwindle and die or are wiped out by hyenas. With this way we have a chance, slim though it may be."
"What about the hyenas?" Anum had spoken. Kess's gaze sought him out. He was about Masud's age, a contemporary of Sek's.
"I will face Samara before summer's end." Kess suppressed a shiver of fear as she said this. She still had no idea how she was going to do that, even with Mebis' offer of help.
"And if you lose?" Anum's voice was clear in the quiet room. All eyes looked to her and she saw doubt in several faces.
"It would mean all our deaths," Nyla said, speaking into the quiet like a seeress speaking prophecy. Low murmurs greeted her words.
"Which is why I will not lose." Kess'
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