"There is no dishonor, Fleet Commander. That web will hold a kzin; you would not have been able to break free." He hit the release switch. There was no danger. A kzinti warrior's word was his honor, and his honor was his life. Nevertheless it was unsettling to be alone in the room with a hungry enemy carnivore.
The kzin dropped free of the field and stretched in a quintessentially feline motion, then rubbed his limbs in an incongruously primate gesture. "In truth, Major Long, that web will hold ten kzin. I believe the warrior who put me here found me more fearsome than he had need." He flicked his ears for a third time. That expression was the kzinti equivalent of a wry smile, given in concert with an ironic comment. Long seemed to have found a kzin with a sense of humor. Under the circumstances, he thought with his own touch of irony, that might be even rarer than a Fleet Commander with no name.
"I apologize for your maltreatment." Long gestured to the prrstet. "Please make yourself comfortable, we have much to discuss. I am to act as your liaison while you are here." He settled into the armchair.
The kzin hopped onto the padding with easy grace. He looked completely relaxed, as only a cat can. No trace of his former anger remained. "You speak the Hero's Tongue well, Major Long. It is music after the way your destroyer captain abused my ears.”
The interview was going better than any Long had conducted before. It usually took days to reach this stage of semiformal banter. Fleet Commander might have well been a W'kkai noble meeting Man-Student-of-Kzinti for the first time, curious, confident and polite almost to a fault. He responded in kind. "Your praise encourages my poor efforts, esteemed warrior.”
Fleet Commander continued. "Tell me, though, what need has a prisoner for a liaison officer?”
"You are not a prisoner, although you must remain here for now. While negotiations for your return continue you will be our guest. We would appreciate any help you could give us." The hope of release helped kzinti captives to hold on to their sanity longer and gave Long more leverage to pry out information. It was despair that ultimately filled them.
Fleet Commander tensed, his whiskers bristling. "You suggest I would reveal military secrets. It is a poor host who mocks the honor of his guests.”
"No insult is intended, honored guest. We would not ask you for sensitive information. Of course you are free to decline any question. We are not seeking military advantage, but a fuller understanding of the situation. We hope to prevent another war.”
"Urrrhh." The big cat relaxed, somewhat mollified. "Under the circumstances I cannot dispute your fairness." His ears twitched again.
Long felt relieved. An offended kzin whose honor didn't allow him to adapt to the situation was very difficult to deal with. Establishing the ground rules without antagonizing his subject was the most delicate part of his job. Sensitive questions would be asked, and refused at first. Once Fleet Commander felt at home with the situation his guard would go down and the refusals would come less often. Unsuspected information would be touched on. Whether further answers were forthcoming was irrelevant. What the kzin declined to volunteer would come out later with the hypnotics.
"You must be hungry; I will order food for us. A computer ident is being set up for you so that in future you can do so for yourself. We are also arranging for some prey animals. Meanwhile, I trust you will find fresh meat preferable to shipboard rations." Long tapped his code into the terminal, keying in a request for a cold dinner – cooked meat would offend the kzin's sensitive nose – and ten pounds of raw beef.
"I am grateful for your hospitality. While we wait perhaps you could tell me what has become of my comrades aboard Silent Prowler." The kzin's carefully neutral expression showed that he expected the answer, but Long still paused before answering. "You were the only survivor. The commander of our destroyer says they fought well. I am sorry for your loss.”
"Hrrr. Chraz-Captain was one of the best in the fleet, his crew was of the highest caliber. They will be missed.”
Long filed the identity of the scoutship's captain for future reference. Perhaps it would provide another lead. "You were fortunate to survive, Fleet Commander. Space is seldom so forgiving.”
"Seldom indeed, Major Long, but more often than the UNSN. I protest these needless deaths. Our mission was only observational, as allowed by treaty." The kzin wasn't just lodging a grievance, he was testing, trying to find out how far he could push. Long warned himself to tread cautiously. Fleet Commander was an invaluable intelligence prize. His rapid adaptation to the situation suggested considerable resourcefulness.
"The treaty requires notification which was not given and omits the sensors which may be used. You were deeply in violation of Sols defensive sphere. When challenged you opened fire first. Though we regret the results we could have taken no other course.”
The kzin growled softly. "Silent Prowler was a reconnaissance ship, posing no military threat to Sol System. We fought only because your interception precluded flight, and then only engaged to cover our withdrawal. Our mission began to discern any human war preparations and ended with human attack. Clearly those preparations are considerable or you would not have attacked us. My protest stands.”
"How can you accuse us of aggression? Humans were pacifists before the kzinti came." Long hoped continuing the argument was the right move. He didn't want to antagonize his subject, but on the other hand the kzin had to come to see him as an equal. That wouldn't happen if he avoided this challenge. Then too, his prisoner had given the purpose of his mission unprompted. Perhaps in the heat of the moment he might reveal less obvious facts.
Fleet Commanders angry snarl took Long by surprise. "Humans were pacifists because the alternative was self-extinction. You found it no difficulty to revert to killers when need arose. You fear kzinti because we are predators. We duel for honor and hunt for food and you say our race is violent and bloody. But no kzin has used conversion weapons on a population center. No kzin has ruptured the domes of a colony world. How many humans were killed when the UNSN attacked Wunderland? How many sentient species have you eliminated on Earth alone? It is we who should be trembling for having the temerity to attack such a race, May the Fanged God protect us from our folly!”
Long was shocked. His nose could not detect kzinti pheromones, but long experience had taught him how to read the nuances of the Hero's Tongue. Beneath his anger Fleet Commander was actually afraid. This was new and dangerous territory. Against his better judgment but desperately wanting to know the answer, he asked, "How can a kzinti warrior fear humanity? We fight only to defend ourselves, we don't seek to conquer kzin space.”
Fleet Commander's voice no longer held fear. His fur bristled in barely controlled rage. "Without thought you conquer what you don't desire. The Patriarch himself quakes to imagine humanity with its liver set for empire. Only a fool would not fear you. A single vr'pren couldn't cow the basest coward, but when they swarm by the eight-to-the-sixth-power they will strip the meat from the bravest warrior. I have read human histories, Major Long. Do you know what happened when Rome sacked Carthage? They slaughtered a populace of over a million. When they were through raping and pillaging they razed the city and burned the ruins and everything else for kilometers around and then they salted the earth so nothing could grow back. A conversion bomb would have been more merciful. Genghis Khan's warriors killed forty million humans with swords and arrows, one third of all who lived in his time. Is it any wonder you became pacifists when you developed weapons of mass destruction? Your planet would now be sterile had you not. You fear the kzin will exterminate you. You forget when you feared you would exterminate yourselves.”