did not sigh with relief then, but his hands did loosen their convulsive grip on the table. Diut returned to his seat.
"Your artisans know their craft," he said quietly. "There are things you could teach even us about the working of metal." It was the first overture of anything resembling friendliness that he had made, but Jules was in no frame of mind to notice it.
"I can't believe the kind of crossbreeding you're talking about is possible," said Jules. "I must have proof."
"Ask Natahk for it. Perhaps he will give it to you now while he is still drank with his victory. What will you do if he does?"
Jules looked stubborn, said nothing.
"Or perhaps it would be better if you did not ask him. He has shown surprising gentleness in his handling of you so far. As long as you obey him, you are left alone to live as you wish. He does not have to waste large numbers of his hunters controlling you and you have at least the illusion of freedom. You might be more comfortable holding on to that illusion."
Jules could not have missed the scorn in his voice. It seemed to bring back his reason. He spoke quietly. "Is it beyond your understanding, Tehkohn Hao, that I have borne this humiliation to keep my people alive?"
"And are you ready now to watch them die?"
"I would rather watch them die than see them stripped of their humanity."
"So? And what of those who have already been… stripped?"
"No true Missionary could ever submit to such a—"
"I am weary of your raving, Verrick!" He paused as though daring Jules to speak. When Jules did not, he went on. "I will explain what I should not have to explain. Your people are all meklah slaves. When they hunger enough, when their pain is great enough, there is no price they will no; pay for the meklah poison. Do you understand me?"
There were several seconds of silence. Then Jules answered softly. "Yes."
"And do you accept what I say as truth?"
There was another long silence. Alanna watched Jules, hoping that he would give an honest answer even if that answer was "no." A "no" would disgust Diut, but he had reason to be patient. He would try again. But if Jules said "yes," and lied, it would take Diut no time at all to realize that he was lying—again. At that point, Diut might give up on (he Missionaries altogether. Jules answered finally, his voice flat, dead.
"Yes. I believe you."
"Then there will be no more talk of animals." There was an edge to Diut's voice. Apparently, he had not been as completely tolerant of Jules's insults as he had seemed.
Jules nodded dumbly.
Now Alanna spoke up, asked the question Jules seemed too beaten to ask. "Is there a way out of this for the Missionaries, Tehkohn Hao?"
Diut glanced at her, then turned back to Jules. "Is that what you want, Verrick? A way out?"
"If one exists…"
"There might be one. But you must convince me first that it is truly what you want—that you would be willing to abandon the Garkohn if I opened a way. And you should know exactly what you run from."
"From the Garkohn…"
"Wait. You should know that Natahk has probably already taken as many of your people as he needs for the tie. The union of tribes can be mostly ceremonial. They need not live together nor continue to intermarry. In your case, the Garkohn would probably not want much intermarriage. Your physical differences would be more a hindrance than a help to their way of life. Natahk will continue to let you live as you wish as long as you obey the few commands he gives."
"Could you ask your people to live under such conditions, Tehkohn Hao?"
Diut flashed negative yellow. "But I have both personal and tribal reasons for hating the Garkohn," he said. "We are old enemies. You are their ally. You would benefit as much from their protection as they would from your knowledge."
"You said my daughter had told you of our beliefs," said Jules. "If you understood her, you must realize that there is no way that I could ask my people to consider themselves subjects of
"Your artisans know their craft," he said quietly. "There are things you could teach even us about the working of metal." It was the first overture of anything resembling friendliness that he had made, but Jules was in no frame of mind to notice it.
"I can't believe the kind of crossbreeding you're talking about is possible," said Jules. "I must have proof."
"Ask Natahk for it. Perhaps he will give it to you now while he is still drank with his victory. What will you do if he does?"
Jules looked stubborn, said nothing.
"Or perhaps it would be better if you did not ask him. He has shown surprising gentleness in his handling of you so far. As long as you obey him, you are left alone to live as you wish. He does not have to waste large numbers of his hunters controlling you and you have at least the illusion of freedom. You might be more comfortable holding on to that illusion."
Jules could not have missed the scorn in his voice. It seemed to bring back his reason. He spoke quietly. "Is it beyond your understanding, Tehkohn Hao, that I have borne this humiliation to keep my people alive?"
"And are you ready now to watch them die?"
"I would rather watch them die than see them stripped of their humanity."
"So? And what of those who have already been… stripped?"
"No true Missionary could ever submit to such a—"
"I am weary of your raving, Verrick!" He paused as though daring Jules to speak. When Jules did not, he went on. "I will explain what I should not have to explain. Your people are all meklah slaves. When they hunger enough, when their pain is great enough, there is no price they will no; pay for the meklah poison. Do you understand me?"
There were several seconds of silence. Then Jules answered softly. "Yes."
"And do you accept what I say as truth?"
There was another long silence. Alanna watched Jules, hoping that he would give an honest answer even if that answer was "no." A "no" would disgust Diut, but he had reason to be patient. He would try again. But if Jules said "yes," and lied, it would take Diut no time at all to realize that he was lying—again. At that point, Diut might give up on (he Missionaries altogether. Jules answered finally, his voice flat, dead.
"Yes. I believe you."
"Then there will be no more talk of animals." There was an edge to Diut's voice. Apparently, he had not been as completely tolerant of Jules's insults as he had seemed.
Jules nodded dumbly.
Now Alanna spoke up, asked the question Jules seemed too beaten to ask. "Is there a way out of this for the Missionaries, Tehkohn Hao?"
Diut glanced at her, then turned back to Jules. "Is that what you want, Verrick? A way out?"
"If one exists…"
"There might be one. But you must convince me first that it is truly what you want—that you would be willing to abandon the Garkohn if I opened a way. And you should know exactly what you run from."
"From the Garkohn…"
"Wait. You should know that Natahk has probably already taken as many of your people as he needs for the tie. The union of tribes can be mostly ceremonial. They need not live together nor continue to intermarry. In your case, the Garkohn would probably not want much intermarriage. Your physical differences would be more a hindrance than a help to their way of life. Natahk will continue to let you live as you wish as long as you obey the few commands he gives."
"Could you ask your people to live under such conditions, Tehkohn Hao?"
Diut flashed negative yellow. "But I have both personal and tribal reasons for hating the Garkohn," he said. "We are old enemies. You are their ally. You would benefit as much from their protection as they would from your knowledge."
"You said my daughter had told you of our beliefs," said Jules. "If you understood her, you must realize that there is no way that I could ask my people to consider themselves subjects of
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