Star Wars_ The Approaching Storm - Alan Dean Foster [110]
Bayaar was back well before evening. If the swiftness of his return was encouraging, his words were not. At best, they were ambiguous.
“The council will greet you,” the sentinel informed them.
Barriss’s face broke out into a wide smile. “We’re all set, then.”
As she spoke, Bayaar turned his attention to her. “I am not entirely certain what you mean by that, but I think you are confident too soon. When I say that the council will greet you, that is all they will do. Not to do so would be ill mannered.”
Obi-Wan worked to interpret their host’s meaning, as opposed to his words. “Are you saying they will receive us, but not listen to our proposal?”
Bayaar nodded. “In order for that to happen, you must present the council with an appropriate conventional offering of their choosing.”
“Oh, well then.” Obi-Wan relaxed slightly. “What would satisfy the council? We have access to some funds that can be used for trade. If something more substantial is required …” He left the question open.
“Actually, the council requests that you present them with something smaller.” Bayaar let his gaze travel over the group. Having encountered only a few human traders before, he was fascinated by their tiny, squinched-up eyes and individual follicular variations. “They wish one of you to hand them a handful of wool taken from the ruff of a mature white male surepp.”
“That’s all?” Anakin blurted. Obi-Wan threw his Padawan a warning glance, but a very mild one. He was himself surprised by the seemingly unpretentious nature of the request.
Which was why he was immediately wary.
“Where can we purchase some of this wool?”
“You cannot buy it.” Bayaar was uncomfortable in the position of diplomatic go-between. He would much rather have been out on the prairie, patrolling a picket line, weapon in hand. “One of you must take it, by hand, in the traditional manner and without the use of any marvelous offworld devices or other forms of assistance such as a suubatar mount, from the back of a white surepp.”
Tooqui made a face. “Don’t like this idea. Too many many surepp gots too many many big feet.”
Leaning over, Barriss whispered to her fellow Padawan. “I don’t like this either, Anakin. Just a handful of wool? It seems too easy. The surepp are domesticated herd animals, therefore they can’t be too hard to work with. How hard can it be to catch one and snip off a handful of ruff?”
He nodded uncertainly. “I know. Maybe that is all there is to it. Just because it’s a custom doesn’t mean it has to be difficult, or dangerous.”
She indicated their Masters, who were conferring between themselves. “I have a feeling we’ll know soon enough.”
Standing away from Luminara, Obi-Wan again addressed their host. “We’ll be happy to comply with the council’s request.” He hesitated. “I take it that wool from one of the surepp in the Borokii herd will suffice, and that we don’t have to go looking for a wild one?”
“That is correct. It is allowed to cut from the ruff of a herd animal.”
“Then we’re wasting time. There’s still ample daylight outside. If you’d be so kind as to escort us?”
Bayaar sighed. Plainly, these strangers had no idea what they were being asked to do. Haja, they would find out soon enough.
“Come with me.”
The stroll through the nomad town was interesting, and Bayaar was happy to point out highlights and explain the sights. Before too long they found themselves on the outskirts of the bustling