Free The Web and the Stars by Brian Herbert

we will do that!” Woldn and his entourage sped out of the anteroom the moment the door opened. They were waiting for him, when Eshaz marched purposefully into the large central chamber and faced the Elders.
    “Let me begin by saying that I have not been disingenuous,” Eshaz said, gazing up at the broad-necked First Elder Kre’n.
    She looked at him sternly, then stepped down from the bench. Approaching Eshaz, she touched his scaly bronze skin and closed her eyes.
    Eshaz trembled as he felt the mental linkage, the two-way flow of information between them. It was not a complete transference by either of them; barriers still remained. Some were partial, while others were full and complete barricades. This was normal.
    All grew silent to Eshaz, except for a faint, rushing inner sound as data flowed back and forth. He tried to calm himself, knowing that more details about how he had healed Noah Watanabe were emerging, beyond what he had already told the Council. Eshaz felt the outward flow of truth, the immensity of what he did to Noah and the web.
    He detected Kre’n’s probing questions on the subject, that she was not yet getting everything she wanted to know. Even with the skin contact—the truthing touch—she was not learning all of the reasons for Eshaz’s momentous and dangerous decision, including the full details of his history with the remarkable Human. Somehow, Eshaz’s internal barriers were holding this back, but he would tell her anything she wanted to know if she ever asked him.
    But he realized that he was not conscious of all of the reasons himself. Maybe there were subconscious motivations, or other forces at work that he did not understand himself. Despite what he and his people knew about Timeweb, it remained an infinitely mysterious realm, a massive puzzle with only a small number of its pieces showing.
    Kre’n withdrew. Then, looking emotionlessly at Woldn as the tiny creature hovered near her, she said, “This timeseer has told you the truth. It is incontrovertible.”
    Looking deep into Eshaz’s eyes, she added, “There, may, however, be a way of opening the pathways of his mind even more, of moving aside whatever may be blocking full revelation. For that, the Council must be alone with him.”
    Grumbling, Woldn at first refused to leave. His words were loud, despite his diminutive size. “You Tulyans have always been a nuisance, and never deserved to hold dominion over podships. We’ve taken them away from you, but you still find ways of causing problems, of interfering with our rightful mission in the galaxy.”
    “Woldn,” Kre’n said, “with all due respect to your position, I must point out how … undiplomatic … your remarks are. Perhaps you would be better served to deal with us through a professional ambassador, instead of personally.”
    The Eye of the Swarm shouted, “I will hear no more of this!”
    In a huff he attempted to leave, but at a signal from Kre’n, the guards blocked his exit, sealing the chamber off. At this he raised a commotion, citing all kinds of treaty violations that were being committed against him.
    Calmly, the First Elder returned to her chair, and gazed dispassionately at the angry leader. Like a small cloud of insects, they flew one way and another, attempting to escape. Eshaz saw the twenty Elders unite their thoughts, recognized the little signs of this, the subtle, matching twitches on all of them, the simultaneously blinking sets of eyes, the way their gazes moved as if from the eyes of a single organism. They were in mindlink.
    Gradually the Parviis stopped their tirade, and settled down.
    “The guards will escort you back to the anteroom,” the Council members said, their voices perfectly synchronized. “We will summon you after our private session.”
    With no choice in the matter, Woldn and his entourage flew away, following guards out a door that was opened for them.
    * * * * *
    Now Eshaz faced the entire Council of Elders, inside the