Man-Kzin Wars XI, Hal Colbatch [story books to read .txt] 📗

did not move like a human? Did that mean not like a young human? Not like a human with its own legs? He remembered something else. In Marshy's house, the last time they had been together in formal circumstances, she had not sat while he remained standing. And she had begun to call him "Honored" before biting off her words.

"In the Name of my Honored Sire, Chuut-Riit, I command you!" he snarled in the Ultimate Imperative Tense. "Speak truth!"

"I escaped when the ARM stormed the secret redoubt," she told him. "Another body was taken for Henrietta's. Its head was completely destroyed and it had spent some time in a Sinclair field. ARM and the Resistance had the body they wanted. No one had an interest in looking or testing too closely. Markham had the body destroyed."

"I rremember."

"I hid. I changed my appearance. At length I got to the swamp. A lot of fugitives have come here at one time or another. Yes, I made contact with the Jotok, fairly recently. Then I returned to Munchen. I took the identity of a student. Largely to be near you."

"Why? Why did you deal with the Jotok? Was dealing in conspiracy with kzinti and humans not enough for you?"

"No. You know what your Honored Sire came to believe—that kzinti and humans both are threatened by a conspiracy of which the human ARM is but one aspect—one tentacle. He warned Henrietta of such. I saw that it could manipulate well-meaning humans. More, that it could manipulate kzinti—and would. It had tricked your Honored Sire into shameful death."

"His death was not shameful! He died saving me and the other kits! I rremember his last day."

"There was no kzintosh nobler and braver. The shame was upon others. I was desperate to secure you as an ally. But . . . you saw how Henrietta's plans failed. Several of those around me were ARM agents. Humans are easily manipulated by them. Kzinti they have experience in manipulating, too. They have selected and seek to breed what some call Wunderkzin, kzinti who are like men. You are the first among those who their eyes and hopes are fixed upon."

"I musst be a leaderr to the kzinti of Wunderland!" He was speaking in Wunderlander again. "Many have ssaid sso. I am of Chuut-Riit's blood!"

"Few know that better than I. Few would grudge you your destiny less or hope more for its fulfilment. But humans and kzinti together are not enough. To defeat the ARM we must add the Jotok to the equation. Another set of alien brains, I thought. Those linked brains perceive things differently to either of ours. A great potential asset. I thought I had reached them. But they have been masterless too long. The older ones will never reenter servitude."

"You are hardly in a position to persuade them to." He was able to get his accent under control again.

"I tried. I spoke with them. Living with the kzinti, Henrietta had seen what the Jotok were capable of. Their brains were not destroyed. Gaining their confidence was slow and dangerous, but I managed it in the end. I have made many secret trips here in the last three years. Easily done. There are many places one can enter and leave this swamp unobserved, and what was left of Henrietta's organization could at least get me a small, stealthed boat. I told them what I could of . . . recent developments on Wunderland, but the old one's minds were too set for them to properly take it in, the young one's minds were too unformed. But I was making progress! They came to acknowledge me as an entity, a non-Kzin, and would not willingly harm me. At least"—bitterly—"that old Jotok entity we have killed would not. Does that not tell you something about them? They are not naturally savage. Well, we have repaid his trust in the way humans so often do!"

"Stand up then. See if their laser will not willingly harm you. And what of the dead humans? The dead kzinti who sought but to fish? How do we repay them! Urrr!"

"The Jotok are not like humans. They are not like kzinti. That is the whole point. But within them still is the remnant of something high and great. The universe needs them. To unite the best of the three species against ARM."

"I do not see how . . ."

"It is all spoilt now. Even if they would listen to me, I have no way of reaching them. I wished to stay with you, Honored One, to speak with you when we might, to have you see . . . things . . . It was foolish of me to come on this expedition, but I thought I could control it. I should have realized that I as one of six could do little. I have made bad judgements, mistakes."

Her eyes looked into Vaemar's eyes. How could I ever have taken her for young? he thought as he saw the weariness there. "I have tried to do my best . . . for all . . . I have paid somewhat of a price . . ." There was liquid running out of her eyes now, the human sign of grief. "But now there is another plan, another chance. If I can live . . . If I can but reach the abbot. He may shelter me, I think. And then, and then . . ." Something else came into her eyes, making her look like the young Rosalind again, and then faded.

"I am confused often, Vaemar-Riit . . . and you see how I look. I have had much surgery. My skull is not my own . . ."

And you weren't excessively sane last time I saw you, Vaemar thought. The ghostly beam sweeping through the smoky air above them suddenly ceased. Cautiously they raised their heads. The turret on the hulk was not moving, as far as they could see, though it was hard