“Jack, are you willing to reduce my honor guard to four?”
“No problem,” the Marine answered, then turned to face the Iteeche captain. “You do realize, I’ll have some others guarding the doors and things. I don’t think any of the people aboard the Wasp still hold a grudge against the Iteeche, but I’m not willing to take that chance.”
“I’ll feel better about the safety of the Imperial Representative if you do take those precautions.”
“Good,” Jack said. “I just didn’t want you feeling surprised or betrayed if you catch a glimpse of extra Marines close at hand.”
“It is easy for an old sailor to understand your need, and I’m glad to see you’re as interested in building trust as I am.”
“I think we understand each other on that,” Kris said. “Anything else?”
“I and another Navy captain will stay with the Imperial Representative. At least one . . .” And here the Iteeche glanced back at the still-debating trio of Ron and his green and whites. He raised and lowered his head, something like a nod, but Kris strongly suspected the intent reflected was more the shake of a head in a human. She’d have to watch herself on that. “At least one of the Imperial counselors will stay with the Imperial Representative. Maybe two if they can ever settle matters among themselves.”
“We don’t mind,” Kris started, then decided she’d better change her choice of words. “It does not matter to me whether one or two Imperial counselors come with the Imperial Representative. What is the issue that causes their discussion to drag on and on?” Kris knew her question could be out of order, but it was time to push back the mutual ignorance between Iteeche and human.
The Iteeche captain again turned his back on the argument and faced Kris. “My fellow captain who commands the Reach into the Dark must have a counselor on board, since he is sailing far beyond the boundaries of the Empire. Otherwise, he is subject to shortening.” Here the captain drew a hand across his throat in an all-too-human gesture.
“Both of the advisors want to be with the Imperial Representative. Neither wants to go back. Can you see the problem?” Kris nodded. “It can only get worse. I warned both of them that our best chance to meet Raymond of the Long-Reaching Knife would be for us to transfer to a human vessel. Neither one of them wants to be left behind.”
“How are they going to settle this if they can’t agree? A flip of a coin?” Colonel Cortez asked.
“A flip of a coin?”
“Nelly, explain to the captain what we humans mean.”
Nelly did. All four of the Iteeche’s eyes widened.
“You would leave something of such honor to a random event generator? In the Imperial palace, they would likely refer a matter such as this to the Field of Honor. The one that lived would go.”
“Iteeche kill each other over such matters?” Kris said.
“In matters of such historical importance, a family’s honor would require the maximum exertion. Of course, I cannot really imagine either of those two being anything but a joke with swords on the Field of Honor.”
Kris didn’t consider herself a good judge of Iteeche fighting quality. She’d leave that to the captain. Still, the problem of having only two counselors on the voyage and no instructions on how to resolve their duties . . .
“You must have known this problem was coming when you set out on this trip.”
“Some of us did,” the captain agreed.
“Did that include the Imperial Representative and his, ah, chooser?”
Was that a smile on the captain’s lips? His nose had flared wide and emitted a huff of air, and his mouth had widened, though his lips were still closed. “Roth’sum’We’sum’Quin did know this time would come. He marveled that the Imperial court sent us only two counselors. I, of course, was not privy to any advice he might have given his young chosen one.”
“Is it normal for an Imperial Representative to be so young?” Kris asked.
The Iteeche captain eyed Kris. “Is it normal for humans to let one as young as you lead them by the hand? I cannot help but note that all your advisors are older than you. All except the immature one, who, I assume, does not advise.”
BUT Boy Does she ADVISE My COMPUTER, Kris thought loudly in her head.
You WANTED Me To hear THAT, DIDN’T you? WELL, I’M LEARNING To Be a KID FROM her, AND I’M ENJOYING IT. YOU OUGHT To Try IT SOMETIME.
I NEVER HAD TIME To Be a KID, Kris snapped, then added, Don’T TRANSLATE This.
Kris turned to her team. “Crew, it seems to me that someone has dumped a basket of hot potatoes right in our collective lap. Any ideas what we do about it?”
Jack was the first to find his voice . . . and note that Nelly had not translated Kris’s words. “Well, I guess we could shoot one of them. Death with honor doesn’t seem to be all that frowned upon.”
“Assuming we can trust this captain’s story about the Imperial court,” Colonel Cortez said. “Considering some of the stories I’ve heard about politicians circulated at O clubs, I’m none too sure we should rely on him as an unbiased witness.”
“Unfortunately, what I know about Iteeche doesn’t give me any better handle on this,” Penny said.
“So we just keep waiting,” Kris said with a frown. “I get the feeling these two are willing to talk until one of them keels over from old age.”
“Looks that way,” Jack agreed. “Maybe I should shoot one. Shall I flip a coin?” he asked, reaching for his pocket.
“Let’s don’t and say we did,” Colonel Cortez put in.
“Does anyone besides me feel that it’s unfair that the Imperial court dumped this hot potato in our lap?” Kris said. “They knew they had a problem. They didn’t solve it. Kind of makes you wonder what they’re up to. Like I occasionally do with my grampas. Huh?”
“This just gets stranger and stranger,” Jack agreed.
“Sure would be nice if we knew more,” Penny said.
“So let’s ask some questions,” Kris said. “Nelly, tell old Ted here that we’ve been talking among ourselves and wondering why they didn’t sail with three counselors. Two could then go on with the Imperial Representative. Or they could have sailed with just one, in which case he’d stay with the ship, and the Imperial Rep would go on alone.”
The Iteeche made a very good effort at a human shrug. “I do not know. It might have had something to do with Imperial court politics. One can never tell.”
“I kind of thought it might. Politicians doing funny things seems to be something you can count on no matter what color your blood is,” Kris said slowly as Nelly translated. “So, what kind of solution do you think the folks back at the Imperial court might have come up with for this problem? If they were all that concerned with solving it.”
“Some of them might not be all that bothered if it wasn’t solved. Not everyone thought we should talk to you humans again. As they see it, matters have gone fine while we ignored you. Why change?”
“Is that your thought?” Kris asked the Iteeche officer.
“I would not be here if it were.”
“But you have no idea how to solve this problem.”
“Not within my authority, no, I do not.”
“Could you chop one of their heads off?” Jack put in.
“If I did, his family would demand blood from my family. Whole families have been decimated in such events.”
“Good idea you didn’t shoot anyone,” Cortez said.
Jack nodded, as Nelly kept quiet.