Trident's Forge by Patrick S Tomlinson Page A

complaint from a long-ago fight with a tribe of raiders. “Mei, what do your people want? Why have they come now?”
    Mei shrugged. “I don’t know. We have not talked, two years.”
    â€œI see.”
    â€œBut you won’t beat them,” Mei hurried to add.
    â€œNonsense,” Kuul bristled. “We could beat you easily.”
    â€œOnce, maybe. Not twice.” Mei pointed back at the line in the sky. “Because they come back. More birds, more people, and many bigger spears.”
    Kexx stepped in. “Mei has told me the great birds can hold many hundreds of humans. They chose not to bring that many today. Whatever they are and whoever sent them, they came to talk, not to fight.”
    â€œYou’re sure of that?” Tuko said. “Sure enough to risk our village?”
    â€œYes,” Kexx answered without hesitating. “With an unburdened soul.”
    Tuko’s hand worried away at zer shoulder. “Well, I am not so fortunate, or certain. Kuul will take two fullhands warriors and–”
    â€œFinally, wisdom!” Kuul shook zer hands in triumph while excited ribbons danced across zer skin.
    â€œAnd,” Tuko’s voice took on a sharpened edge, “escort our new guests into the village, where we will perform the evening cleansing and make the appropriate sacrifices. Meanwhile, Chak and a fullhand of warriors will take our bearers into Xis’s temple below where they will be out of sight and safe. If that is agreeable to everyone?”
    It wasn’t really a question, but as Kexx looked around at the skin patterns and posture of all present, it seemed that everyone at least found the proposal equally disagreeable . And what was compromise, if not that?
    Kuul stormed off with several warriors in zer wake, while Chak meandered away to moan with two of the other elders. The rest of the circle of elders returned to the temple. All except Tuko, who stood zer ground. Resolute, but agitated.
    Kexx approached. “My chief.”
    â€œTruth-digger. You wish to say more?”
    â€œI wish to go out to greet the new humans and keep an eye on Kuul. As you’ve said, I’ve spent more time with them than anyone else.”
    Tuko let out a short laugh. “You might return with a spear in your back.” Ze sighed, a long, heavy sigh, as if deep water squeezed at zer air sacks. “No. A truth-digger’s job is to observe. I need you to keep your distance and report what you see. It may have been a mistake letting you get so close to Mei and zer people.”
    â€œFullo trained me to see what others cannot, or what they don’t wish to see.”
    â€œAnd did Fullo wish to see the inside of an ulik’s belly?” Tuko snapped. “Fullo was a good truth-digger, but ze had a warrior’s soul. Always getting too close, too narrow. Too…”
    â€œToo focused?” Kexx asked pointedly.
    â€œPerhaps,” Tuko said after a pause. “The other elders are focused enough in what they see. I need your mind to remain broad, open to different possibilities, different perspectives, if your counsel is to have value. Do you understand?”
    â€œI understand that Kuul is scratching for a fight and will look for any excuse to start one.”
    Tuko waved an arm in annoyance. “That’s been true since ze first balled a fist and threw zer first punch. Chak is right about that one, ze’s a spear in need of a strong hand to wield it. If Kuul starts a fight with the humans, on zer hands it be. Might be just the excuse I need to replace zer.”
    â€œIf any of us are still alive.” Kexx folded zer arms. “You’ve seen the rover. It’s magic, Tuko. But to them, it’s just a tool. If that’s their idea of a plow, imagine what their spears must be like. You heard Mei, ze wasn’t worried about Kuul and zer warriors in the slightest.”
    â€œZe may be bluffing.”
    â€œMei has