Free Trident's Forge by Patrick S Tomlinson Page B

halo tree wood snapping bordered on heresy, but successfully shut every mouth, dimmed skin, and turned every face in Tuko’s direction.
    For a long, uncomfortable moment, Tuko turned the broken spear shaft around in zer hands, inspecting the fracture as one would a wound. “Friends.” Tuko’s voice was even, measured, quiet. But it carried through the sudden silence of the temple like a hurricane. “Our people await our wisdom. Is it too much to ask that we agree on some?” Their shamed silence dragged on as Tuko’s eyes passed over every one of them in turn.
    â€œMy chief,” Kuul moved to the front of the crowd and took a knee, averting zer eyes from both Tuko and the rover, as was proper. Zer skin, however, glowed brighter than Tuko’s. It was either a calculated insult, or an honest oversight from an ambitious young warrior. Kexx tended to believe the latter, but Tuko’s position mandated that ze assume the former.
    Tuko’s skin flared bright as a torch. With a flick of the wrist, the spear in zer hand rested on the back of Kuul’s neck, right on top of the bloodways that fed zer brain.
    â€œShall I cut, Kuul? I don’t see why not, you don’t seem to be using your head.”
    The room froze. The threat was theatrical… mostly. But, even with a broken shaft, Kuul felt the immense weight of authority of the spear at zer neck. Kuul’s skin dimmed and changed to the quick, inward-flowing dots of embarrassment and total submission. Tuko held the broken haft in place for a time, driving the lesson home before lifting the spear.
    â€œYou wished to say, Kuul?”
    Kuul’s skin brightened, but did not match Tuko’s. Not a complete idiot, then. “My chief.” Zer eyes darted over to the now-silent rover at the center of the room. “The emissary can talk. It stands to reason that it can also listen .”
    Tuko looked over at the rover with suspicion, then pulsed zer agreement. Without another word, everyone followed Tuko out of the temple and back into the afternoon sun.
    â€œThank you, chief,” Kuul said. “Our early scouts tell us there are less than thirty of them. My warriors alone are ten times their number. Let us go out to show these raiders the futility of their invasion.”
    A chorus erupted in support, but a flash from Tuko silenced them. “You call it an invasion?” Ze held out a hand in Mei’s direction. “Our guests have been here for many Varrs. Have they not been civil? Why just today I watched their children playing with ours. Is that typical of an invasion?”
    â€œHow can we know what’s ‘typical’ of these people?” Kuul pointed at Mei. “We have no idea why they’re here. Maybe they’re criminals. Maybe they’re scouts. Maybe they were sent here, meant to look and act harmless so we would drop our guard.”
    â€œThat’s preposterous,” Kexx angrily said before catching zerself.
    Tuko turned to face zer. “You have something to add, truth -digger?”
    Kexx straightened zer back and placed zer hands on Mei’s shoulders before continuing. “Mei and I have had several conversations about their choice to come here, to meet us.”
    â€œAnd you’ve kept these ‘conversations’ to yourself?” Kuul demanded.
    â€œA truth-digger may keep anything they learn private until their examinations are complete.”
    â€œSo we’re just supposed to take your word for it, then?”
    â€œNo,” Kexx shook zer head without realizing it, a uniquely human gesture. “You’re supposed to take zer’s.” Kexx gently pushed Mei forward into the circle. “It’s all right, Mei.”
    Tuko took a step closer. “It’s all right, child. You don’t have to be afraid.”
    Mei squared her shoulders and went even more rigid than normal. “Not afraid,” she said in passable