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“One or two more words, I beg you. These three here, Zechtior Lukin, Lisspar Moen, Gheppilin — do you know them? No, of course not. But I do. And there’s wisdom in them, let me tell you. They’ve plenty to teach us all on the subject of bowing to the will of the gods. Have you ever considered, good Thihaliminion, why it was that the sapphire-eyes took it so easily, when the gods threw death-stars down to destroy their world? Everyone knows the sapphire-eyes could have hurled the death-stars back, if they’d cared to, but—”
“Nakhaba! What can the sapphire-eyes possibly have to do with the lunacy that’s ru
“Pass the wine, and I’ll explain. And then you may want to listen to Zechtior Lukin, and even to read a little book that he’s written, eh, Thihaliminion? Because there may be comfort in it for you, if you’re as troubled by the difficulties in Dawi
“Just what we need,” Thihaliminion says, staring broodingly into his wine-cup. “One more new religion.”
Thu-Kimnibol knocked and entered. Salaman, half dozing over a nearly empty bottle of wine, came instantly awake.
“You wanted to see me, cousin?”
“I did. You’ve had a chance to catch up on the news from your city, have you?” Salaman asked. “Taniane’s daughter going mad? And Taniane herself so upset over it that she couldn’t be bothered to govern her city for a time?”
Thu-Kimnibol’s fur flared, his eyes grew bright. Tightly he said, “Yes. So I’ve heard.”
“And have you heard also of the new hjjk-loving religion which has sprung up down there? It was the murder of the envoy Kundalimon that got it going, I’m told. My agents tell me that they’re speaking of him in Dawi
“Your agents are very efficient, cousin.”
“They’re paid to be. What they inform me is that the Kundalimon-worshipers are in favor of signing the Queen’s treaty. Is it true that they want to invite hjjk missionaries to Dawi
“Cousin, why are you asking me these questions?”
Crisply Salaman said, “Because you promised me that your people would fight, when the time comes. Instead this is what they do. This foolishness. This idiocy.”
“Ah,” Thu-Kimnibol said. “So that’s it.”
“It is idiocy, cousin.”
“But useful idiocy, I think.”
The king looked up, wonderstruck. “Useful?”
Thu-Kimnibol smiled. “Of course. The peace faction’s playing right into our hands. They’re carrying things to the extreme that will destroy them. Can you imagine what it would be like, cousin, with Dawi
“A nightmare,” Salaman said.
“A nightmare indeed. But one that can be put to good use, provided there are still a few in Dawi
“And then?”
“And then we begin to sing the praises of war,” said Thu-Kimnibol. “The virtues of carrying the attack to our foe, making the world safe for the People. War against the hjjks! Our only salvation! A war which you and I, cousin, must plan very carefully before I leave here. And then I’ll go back to Dawi
Salaman nodded. Then he began to laugh.
The boy Tikharein Tourb touched the shining Nest-guardian talisman that hung around his neck and said, “If only it would show us the Queen, Chhia Kreun! Maybe we could see Her with it, eh? If we used the talisman and our second sight at the same time, let’s say.”
“She’s too far away,” the girl said. “Second sight won’t reach that far.”
“Well, we could try twining, then.”
Chhia Kreun stifled a giggle. “What do you know about twining, Tikharein Tourb?”
“Enough. I’m nine, you know.”
“Thirteen’s the twining-age.”
“You’re only eleven. But you act as though you know it all.”
She groomed herself elaborately, plucking and smoothing. “I know more than you, at any rate.”
“About twining, maybe. But not Nest-truth. Anyway, this isn’t getting us anywhere. Look, what if I were to hold the Nest-guardian in my sensing-organ, and you and I were to twine, right here in front of the altar—”
“You can’t be serious.”
“I am! I am!”
“It’s forbidden to twine until we’re old enough. Besides, we don’t know how. We may think we do, but until the offering-woman shows us, we—”
“Do you want to see the Queen or don’t you?” Tikharein Tourb asked scornfully.
“Of course I do.”
“Then what do you care about what’s forbidden, or what the offering-woman is supposed to show us? The offering-woman doesn’t mean anything to us. That’s the old way. Nest-truth is everything. And this thing on my chest is the repository of Nest-truth.” He ran his hand over the bit of hjjk-shell as if caressing it. “Kundalimon said so himself. If I hold it, and we twine — and maybe everyone else stands by us, chanting the chants at the same time — maybe then the Queen will appear to us, or we’ll appear to the Queen—”
“Do you think so, really?”
“It’s worth trying, isn’t it?”