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Durga wondered how Jabba and Jiliac had discovered that Besadii was behind the attack of Drell pirates. Too bad they’d missed their chance to rid Nal Hutta of Jabba. Without Jabba, Jiliac would be easier to get out of the way. Jabba was a crafty Hutt, who was protective of his Aunt. His security forces were better than Jiliac’s.

The Hutt Lords were unable to reach a conclusion about Besadii’s off-the-scale profits. The discussion rambled on, degenerated into personal insults, then ended with no conclusion.

Aruk took the floor again. He was still concerned about the recent violence. Jiliac acknowledged that she was concerned, too. Durga was surprised that they could agree on anything. Finally, Desilijic and Besadii united to put forward an unprecedented proposal.

“I propose,” Aruk said, in summary, “that the Grand Council declare a moratorium on violence between the kajidics for at least the next three standard months! Who will support me in this?”

Jiliac and Jabba voiced their enthusiastic approval, then, one by one, the representatives of the other clans chimed in. Mardoc declared Aruk’s proposal adopted.

Durga looked up at his parent and felt another wave of pride. Aruk is a giant among Hutts!

Much later that night, as both Hutts prepared to sleep in Jiliac’s Nal Hutta mansion, which was located on an island in one of Nal Hutta’s more temperate zones, Jiliac turned to Jabba. “Aruk is dangerous. I am more convinced of it than ever.”

“Yes, he was quite impressive when he managed to rally the clans,” Jabba agreed. “He has … charisma. He can be very persuasive.”

“It is truly ironic that it was Aruk who wound up proposing my idea about the moratorium,” Jiliac said. “But as the meeting progressed, I realized that if I hoped to convince the others of the wisdom of the moratorium, the idea would have to come from Aruk.”

Jabba nodded. “He is a forceful orator, Aunt.”

“An orator who must be deprived of his voice, or Desilijic will suffer even more,” Jiliac said soberly. “A three-month moratorium on inter-kajidic violence will free our minds so that we may look at the problem of Aruk without distractions.”

Jabba blinked his bulbous eyes at his aunt as she settled herself comfortably on her padded resting spot. “What are you thinking, Aunt?”

Jiliac was silent for a moment, then said, “I am thinking that this is our chance to strike at Aruk’s weak spot.”

“His weak spot?”

“Yes, Nephew. Aruk has a weak spot, and it has a name. And that name is …”

“Teroenza,” Jabba said.

“Correct, Nephew.”

When Teroenza boarded Kibbick’s space yacht for the trip back to Ylesia, he was in a very bad mood. Aruk had not permitted them to have any kind of a holiday on Nal Hutta, stressing that they must get back to Ylesia to see to the rebuilding after the raid.

Teroenza had been profoundly disappointed. He’d hoped to see his mate, Tilenna, while he was home.

But Aruk had said “no,” and said it with such stern disapproval that Teroenza hadn’t dared to ask again.

So here he was, stuck with that idiot Kibbick for company. When he could have been sporting with his lovely mate in a delicious, sensual mud wallow.

Disgustedly, Teroenza plodded into his large, well-appointed cabin, and sank into his resting sling. Blast Aruk! The Hutt Lord was getting irrational in his old age—irrational and mean. Meaner, that is, than he’d been before.

The High Priest still smarted from the “financial review” he’d been forced to sit through. Aruk had questioned every expenditure, carped about every extra credit. He’d gone on and on about how the bounty Teroenza had posted on Solo was completely unnecessary. “Let Boba Fett blast him into atoms!” he’d raged. “Disintegrations are much cheaper! Allowing yourself personal revenge on Solo is simply self-indulgent!”

Grumpily, Teroenza reached out and turned on his comm unit. Words in Huttese formed on the screen, even before he could key in his personal code.

Eyes widening, Teroenza read the following message: “This message will vanish in sixty seconds. Attempting to save it will destroy your