Trident's Forge by Patrick S Tomlinson Read Free Book Online Page B

reetings . We long to know your people in friendship. We come in calm. Watch the sky for our great bird. –
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    â€œ W hat in Cuut’s name does that mean?” The question came from Kuul, a young, ambitious fighter many years yet from zer transition. Ze’d succeeded Tuko as head of the village’s warriors after Tuko’s transition and ascension to chief. Kuul made no secret of the disdain ze had for the humans, or zer disapproval of their continued presence in the village.
    â€œI was hoping our truth digger would know,” Tuko said. “Kexx has spent more time with the humans than anyone.”
    Kexx ignored the accusatory undercurrent of Tuko’s statement. “Have you tried asking it?”
    â€œOf course we did, but it just repeats the same words. It’s stupid. It can’t think,” Kuul spit back.
    Kexx’s skin pattern changed, dialing back from confusion and alarm and returning to a slow pulse showing deference. “Chief Tuko, Mei has explained to me that this…” ze swept a hand toward the rover, “…isn’t alive like an animal, or even a plant. It is a tool, like a spear or a plow.”
    â€œPlows and spears don’t move and talk by themselves!” Kuul objected.
    Kexx bowed slightly. “I would like to ask permission to bring Mei into this conversation. Ze can explain this better than I can.”
    â€œZe can barely speak our language,” Kuul said.
    â€œZe is learning very quickly. Faster than I did as a child. Ze can answer our questions. We just have to have the wisdom to listen.”
    Tuko flexed zer fingers in a signal of annoyance. “You give your pets an awful lot of praise. Maybe too much.”
    Kexx lowered zer bow a fraction more. “You appointed me as this village’s truth-digger. My task is to learn that which can be known, and to share it without distortion so that your wisdom may be built on bedrock instead of sand. You’ve never expressed doubt in my work before.”
    Tuko put a hand under Kexx’s chin and pulled zer back upright. “Just remember who your people are, and where your loyalties belong.”
    â€œI haven’t forgotten, elder.”
    â€œFine. Bring your pet so we may ask our questions.”
    Kexx said zer thanks and went to retrieve Mei from by the lake, but the humans had already packed up and left. Kexx asked one of the G’tel children where their new playmates had gone. Ze pointed uphill to the outskirts of the village where the humans’ shelter had been hastily built near the halo tree’s inside edge. Several of the adults saw Kexx approaching and moved to block zer from entering.
    Kexx reached the shelter and slowed to a walk as ze neared the line of humans. “I need to see Mei,” ze said, but if anyone understood, there was no sign of it on their stony faces.
    â€œMei,” Kexx called out, hoping ze would be heard over the growing sounds of alarm echoing through the rest of the village. Something was happening back down the hill.
    Kexx spotted one of the G’tel children who’d been playing in the water. Ze cupped zer hands and shouted as loud as ze could. “Cho! What’s wrong?”
    Cho stopped and turned to face zer. “The elders say the emissary’s message changed. It’s counting down to something.”
    â€œTo what?”
    â€œI don’t know.”
    â€œThey come,” came the small voice from right beside zer. Kexx nearly jumped out of her skin from the shock. Ze looked down to see Mei standing a step behind zer, holding and staring at some sort of flat, shiny rock Kexx had never seen before.
    â€œWho, Mei? Who comes?”
    â€œThe rest of us.” Mei turned the rock around and held its perfectly flat, polished surface so Kexx could see it. Ze nearly pushed the ornament away to press Mei for an answer, but then something on the surface of the rock caught zer eye.
    It was a picture,