Dirge - Alan Dean Foster [38]
As they so often did, the three Pitar put their heads close together and conferred in whispers that were even softer than their usual speech. When they moved apart again, the woman in the middle explained.
“We explore, as your first ship to visit Treetrunk discovered. But we do not settle. We do not colonize.” She smiled, and her countenance far outshone the light from the overhead glowstrips. “Our population is stable and has been so for some time. Believing as we do that the Twin Worlds are the most perfect of all habitable places in this galaxy, or at least in this part of this arm, we see no reason to stray from them. None of our people would willingly do so, even if our government was to offer incentives. They are quite happy where they are, and know that their offspring will be as content there as are they. We do not seek to spread ourselves more widely throughout the firmament.”
The other male spoke up. “The stars are home to dangerous, uncouth, uncivilized creatures. We wish to know they are there so we can defend against any that might prove hostile. Among those we have met only yours suits our limited desire for offworld contact. We want as little as possible to do with the others.” He shivered visibly. “Such as these overbearing AAnn and hideous thranx.”
Frowning, Ymir piped up. “The thranx aren’t so hid—umph!” Turning a hurt face to Saluafata, the secretary used the bottom of one foot to rub the other where the minister’s heavy shoe had descended. Discarding laborious diplomatic niceties in favor of alacrity, Saluafata had cut the secretary off in mid objection.
Let them find every space-going sapient species except homo sapiens abhorrent, the minister mused. Unreasonable and xenophobic such an attitude might be, but it only increased humankind’s leverage in relations and negotiations. Still, he could hardly believe his good fortune. Not only would the council be delighted, such an astoundingly successful arrangement could only enhance his personal prospects for advancement.
Still, he could not escape the feeling that he was overlooking something significant. He sought certitude.
“Though colonizable space on Treetrunk is limited due to the conditions that prevail over much of the northern and southern portions of the planet, there is room for settlement by more than one species. You are certain your people do not want to share? We already have such an arrangement with the thranx, both here on Earth and elsewhere.”
“No thank you,” replied the female evenly. “In addition to the reasons I have already given, we find Treetrunk both too cold and too barren to be enticing. Also, our present thrust of exploration lies in the direction of the galactic center, away from your Earth as well as the Argus system. Even if we sought it, there is no reason for potential conflict.”
“Better for you to concern yourselves with the expansionist AAnn, thranx, and other aggressive colonizing species than with us,” the male on the right proclaimed. “Bearing such considerations in mind, you would do well to begin your settlement of Treetrunk as quickly as possible.”
“I’m sure that when I convey the results of this conference to my government it will want to do just that,” the minister assured the Pitar. “Local climatic considerations on Treetrunk will keep the pace of development below that of such worlds as Amropolous and New Riviera, but I know that as a first step the scientific outpost that is there now will be expanded as rapidly as possible.” Putting both massive hands together, he leaned forward and rested them on the table.
“Now that I have your most gracious concession on the principal matter at hand, we can proceed to a discussion of congruous minutiae. Specifically, how much and what sort of compensation does your government