Phylogenesis - Alan Dean Foster [101]
“If they do indeed exceed the capabilitiess of ourss, then they are better as well than anything flown by the thranx.” Irritated, Keekil waved a ringed hand across his waist. The persistent hum of communications demanding response promptly died.
“That would be reasson enough to sseek them as alliess.” Huudra scratched at a loose scale on the side of his neck. Sparkling in the bright artificial light of the throne room, it fell to the floor and was promptly vacuumed away by an unobtrusive remote cleaner built to resemble a four-legged kerpk. “Our interesstss would be better sserved by convincing them to become confederatess of the Empire.”
“You know our envoyss have had little ssuccess in perssuading the humanss of the many advantagess that would lie in aligning themsselvess with our interesstss.” Raising a hand, Keekil had to wait less than a minute for a drifting sustainer to place a filled drinking utensil between his fingers.
“Yess.” Huudra was not thirsty. Idly, he wondered if Keekil’s drink might be poisoned. It was a natural thought, as was the corollary that the baron would not be so readily consuming the contents of the container if they had not been thoroughly tested by an independent machine prior to arrival. “These mammalss value their independence.”
“That will have to change. I am persuaded by our pssych sspecialisstss that the humanss can be convinced. We already know that they are resisstant to pressure. Nor have rational argumentss ssucceeded in sswaying them.”
Huudra indicated his irritation. He ranked Keekil, but not by enough to intimidate the other noble. “Then what are we to do?”
“Have patience, I am told. The most convinced human iss one that hass convinced itsself. Wait for them to entreat uss. When that happenss, it will make for a sstronger alliance between uss, as well as one in which we remain the dominant component.” The baron sipped at his refreshment. “There iss only one problem: otherss who have the ssame hope.”
“The benighted, dirt-loving insectiles.” Huudra added a general curse notable for its grace of understatement.
“Truth. They have had only the most modesst ssuccess thuss far in overcoming the humanss’ natural antipathy toward them. For that matter, a great many thranx find the appearance, habitss, and activitiess of humanss detestable. Thiss mutual abhorrence iss of coursse greatly to our benefit.”
“Then nothing hass changed.” Huudra prepared to depart. The administration of his own fief awaited, and decisions waited on no AAnn.
“That iss not entirely true, honored friend, if certain reportss are to be believed.”
Huudra hesitated. “What reportss? I have heard nothing to indicate that the relationsship between human and thranx hass changed. Certainly not for the better.”
Keekil gestured apology mixed with slyness. “Perhapss that iss becausse my ssources are more penetrating than yourss.” He was unable to resist the dig.
Huundra scowled. “I will grant you the ssmall triumph of esspionage—if you have ssomething worth hearing.”
“There iss ssomething very ssecret afoot. Information sspeakss to a great rissk the thranx are taking, in concert with a few sselect human alliess.”
The lord of the Southern Fief spat his disbelief. “The thranx do not gamble. They are cautiouss, calculating, and predictable. They do not take ‘risskss,’ esspecially on matterss of ssuch importance.”
Keekil refused to be put off. “Nevertheless, the report iss there, for any who care to read it. It claimss that the inssectiless have embarked on a rissky coursse of action that, if ssuccessful, would greatly accelerate the improvement of their relationss with the humanss.”
Huudra’s instinctive inclination led him to shrug off this outrageous claim. The thranx did not gamble, and any attempt to rush humans into a decision, as experience had already shown, usually had the opposite effect. The insectiles knew this as well as the AAnn, and whatever else the eight-limbed might be, they were not stupid.
“I would deign to perusse ssuch a report,” he replied absently, thus presenting a formal request to see