Free Fossil Hunter by Robert J. Sawyer

my earholes.” Rodlox swiveled his neck so that the citizen could see first one, then the other.
    The citizen’s expression was blank. “Yes?”
    “ Look at them. What do you notice about them?”
    “I don’t know what you want me to say…”
    “The shape, fool. The shape! What shape are they?”
    “Oval, I guess.”
    “Oval. Unusual, isn’t that?”
    “Well, I suppose. But, umm, I mean no offense by that.”
    “None taken. Go look at the Emperor’s carrioles.”
    The citizen stood there. “Your Luminance?”
    “ Hahat dan ,” said Dybo, with a slight concessional nod. “Feel free.”
    The citizen peered at the sides of Dybo’s head. “Well?” snapped Rodlox.
    “His are oval, too.”
    “Louder. Shout it. I want everyone to hear.”
    The citizen’s voice cracked slightly, but she did manage a more robust volume. “I said, his are oval, too.”
    Rodlox bowed full concession at the citizen. “Thank you. You may return to the side of the road.” The citizen hastened to do just that. Rodlox shouted so all could hear. “My associates and I have cataloged fourteen distinctive physical features that Dybo and I have in common. Fourteen!” He turned through a slow circle, facing members of the public, the procession, spectators on the far curb, and then Dybo again. “The earholes are an obvious example.” He tipped forward, lifting his tail from the paving stones. “The mottling on the undersides of our tails is the same.” He pointed at his own feet, then at Dybo’s. “Instead of our middle toeclaw being longer than the other two, it’s the same length as our inner toeclaw.” He looked up. “We both have exceptional vision. Our muzzles are shorter than average. And on and on.”
    Dybo spoke softly. “I fail to see the significance…”
    “We’re brothers,” said Rodlox flatly. “Brothers.”
    “How can the two of you be brothers?” shouted another voice from the far curb. “No one has brothers.” A pause. “Well, no one except Afsan and Novato’s children.”
    Rodlox spun to face the speaker. “No one should have brothers, or sisters for that matter,” said Rodlox. “But I do, and he does. In fact, there are eight of us, siblings all. Every one of Lends’s eight egglings has lived to adulthood. And of the eight, I’m sure that I, Rodlox, am the strongest, for if I were not, I would not have been sent to Edz’toolar, the most barren and isolated part of Land. I am the rightful leader of the Fifty Packs.”
    “But that’s impossible!” said a voice, an old fellow standing near Oro. “The bloodpriest…”
    Rodlox nodded, as if pleased by the question. “Ah, yes. The imperial bloodpriest. He did not devour seven of the eight hatchlings. Rather, I’m convinced that seven of the eight were sent out to be apprentice governors in the outlying provinces, and the eighth remained in the Capital, to be groomed for Emperorship.”
    Dy-Dybo looked as though he’d had quite enough. “Ridiculous!” he said, his voice for the first time sharp. He turned his muzzle toward his blind sage. “Afsan, you’re a clear thinker. Explain the folly of his logic to this fellow.”
    Rodlox spun around, looked at Afsan. And he saw in Afsan’s face something…
    Rodlox narrowed his eyes. “You — you know of this!”
    Afsan said nothing.
    “Speak, blind one. You do know of this, don’t you?”
    “I… ” began Afsan, but he did not continue. His pet reptile hissed quietly at his side.
    “Speak! If what I say isn’t true, tell me now.”
    “You’ve presented no irrefutable proof of your extraordinary claim,” said Afsan slowly.
    “I can prove it,” said Rodlox. “But you — I see it in your expression. You have known of this!”
    “Everything you’ve said is just circumstantial evidence, or could be explained as mere coincidence,” said Afsan.
    “Then deny it directly, sightless one. Say it out loud for all to hear! Declare publicly that what I’ve said is not true.”
    There was