Star Wars_ The Approaching Storm - Alan Dean Foster [137]
“This is not a court of law, Padawan.” Luminara spoke gently but firmly. “Words like almost are even less admissible here. This is neither the time nor the place for addressing such concerns. Restrain yourself.” Her tone hardened. “Or I will have to.”
Slowly, reluctantly, Barriss sat back down. But her eyes never left the distended, bloated object of her resentment. Behind her and her friends, city attendants were removing the broken body of the Hutt’s former majordomo.
Shaking his head regretfully, Soergg addressed the curious delegates. “Our offworld friends have clearly been under enormous strain. This is quite understandable. Spending so much time among the savage, uncivilized nomads of the plains would take its toll on any civilized person.” At this insult, Bulgan started forward, and had to be restrained by Kyakhta. “I take no umbrage at the child’s outburst. I can only imagine the deprivations she and her companions have been forced to suffer these past weeks out on the empty prairie.”
“At least we didn’t have to worry about ‘savage nomads’ trying to murder us from ambush,” Barriss shot back. Luminara threw her a cautioning glance, but for once the Padawan ignored it. She was that angry.
One of the new Ansionian delegates peered down the ceremonial table at the well-known and highly respected member of Cuipernam’s diverse business community. The delegation had allowed the Hutt to be present as a courtesy, to observe the vote on behalf of all the city’s business interests. “This offworlder’s words trouble me, Soergg. Could she be so mistaken?”
The Hutt spread his arms wide. “You all know me here. I am only an ordinary businessperson trying, like the rest of you, to survive on a world where I was not born. Thanks to the warmth and openness of Ansion’s people, I have prospered here. Think now: would I really do anything to jeopardize all that I have accomplished, everything that I have built?” Casting a kindly gaze in the direction of the barely controlled Padawan, he all but wept openly. “Is this the kind of understanding we can expect from envoys of the Senate if we consent to accept this concordance the Jedi bring before us?”
Oh, but he was clever! Barriss saw. The fat slug was an expert at twisting words to fit the situation. He might be lacking in minutiae like a conscience, or scruples, or legs, but words he had in abundance. She understood now why Master Luminara had warned her to keep silent. One of the first things a true Jedi must do, she remembered reluctantly, was learn to control her temper. At critical moments such as this meeting, personal feelings and individual emotions could not be allowed to intrude.
So she held in the fury she was feeling, did not try to employ the Force to wrench the smug, bloated Hutt’s eyes out of his swollen head, and sat still as a sculpture chiseled in stone while delegates and Jedi discussed the terms of the proposed agreement between the city and town folk and the Alwari of the open plains.
She took some small satisfaction in Soergg’s obvious tight-lipped displeasure when the final vote went nine to two in favor of adopting the concordance, with Kandah and an Ansionian from the southern communities voting against it. She also drew some edification from observing how effortlessly and smoothly Soergg subsequently lied, blandly conceding the fairness of the vote and vowing to uphold the terms of the treaty.
Taking her cue from her training, as well as from what she had just observed, she made her way unchallenged through the congratulatory postvote crowd to confront him directly. He loomed above her, massive but slow moving. Though she did not show it, it did her heart good to sense the first stirrings of fear within him.
“I hope to meet you again some day, Soergg.” She smiled flatly. “Perhaps in surroundings and under circumstances where diplomacy is irrelevant.” She nodded tersely to where Luminara and Obi-Wan were conversing with several of the other delegates. “And where the expression