Chapter 25

"Thank you for inviting us to dine with you, Chief Xolan," Nilsen said nodding to his host.

"Is nothing," Xolan said with a wave of his hand. "Is our custom to discuss matters over meal. Insult you?"

"Not at all, Chief," Nil answered. He noticed a number of the chief's advisors were also dining with them which was probably unusual, but it did set the tone that this was indeed a working meal and not just a social gathering. The social part wasn't completely missing though; Lavender's mother was also present, a remarkably ugly woman Nil couldn't help but notice, sitting beside her husband. There were a couple of younger men sitting with them who Lavender introduced as her older brothers along with their mates.

Nil almost chuckled at the cultural differences inherent in the perception of beauty. To Nil the brothers' wives, or mates as they called them, were also remarkably ugly. He looked over at Lavender and grinned thinking how lucky he had been that the first woman from this culture he had met was also the most beautiful. She answered his grin with a slight frown until she caught the meaning of his look through their bond; then she actually blushed, rather prettily he thought.

"Xolan," the old chief corrected him. "Family now; no need for nonsense."

"As you wish, Xolan," Nil answered with another nod. "It isn't normally our custom, but that isn't to say it's never done. It certainly doesn't bother me and after all we are your guests.

"And speaking about custom," he continued. "I want to beg your pardon right up front for any indiscretion I might make. Makro here is the true diplomat and I'm sure would be the first to confirm that I am little more than a muscle-bound barbarian when it comes to matters of state. I usually do best when left in the background growling and grunting while the smart people do the talking and thinking." Makro just rolled her eyes and sighed.

"True warrior," Xolan nodded solemnly, but he did have just the hint of a smile on his lips when he said it. "Our daughter welcome home always, but you come for another reason?" Nil actually felt refreshed to be talking to someone that didn't beat around the bush.

"Yes we did, Xolan," he responded and for the next half hour he explained why they came and the fears they had if one of the teaching machines were to fall into the wrong hands.

"Our Teachers?" Xolan sounded incredulous.

"Just so: your Teachers," Nil nodded. "These Teachers of yours could unlock the knowledge of the ancients, which could be good, but also very bad. Knowledge is always a double-edged sword and the thought of some of that information in the wrong hands gives me nightmares."

"You want our Teachers?" Xolan looked at him dubiously.

"Honestly, yes," Nil sighed. "We would like to trade for one if we could. But even more important than that, we want to make sure they are safe."

"Teachers safe!" one of the advisors shouted, pounding on the table. It was Kanelo, the advisor from earlier in the day who had been looking daggers at Nil throughout the meal. "Kushitic great warriors; Teachers stay!"

"I agree," Nil answered softly not letting himself become caught up in the shouting. "I think they are safe, for now, and hopefully for a long time to come.

"But," he continued, "as I'm sure you also know, a secret is difficult to keep forever. We found out about them and who's to say somebody else won't? Maybe not tomorrow, maybe not for many seasons, but for the security of my people ― for the world, even ― we have to assume it will come out eventually. And make no mistake about it: if ― when ― the knowledge that you have working crystal readers here gets out it would be more than enough to bring vast armies to your doorstep. There are nations that would gamble everything they have to obtain them."

"Your nation?" Xolan asked with a frown.

"Not while my father or myself lead it," Nil sighed. "But after that... ?" he shrugged. "I don't know. And I'll be honest with you: If I thought there was a chance someone might take one, I'd come with as much force as I could to prevent it. Again I'll be honest with you: I would rather see them destroyed than fall into the wrong hands."

"What if we, 'wrong hands'?" Xolan grunted. "You 'wrong hands'?"

"That possibility has been discussed," Nil nodded in agreement. "There were questions whether or not to even tell you about the potential danger, to see if we could trade for one without you knowing about the potential benefits or the dangers." There were angry mutterings from around the table and Nil put his hands up pleading for more time to explain. "It was discussed; that's all. My thoughts, and most everybody else's was that even if you could be persuaded to part with one you certainly wouldn't give up all of them and so long as one was unprotected the danger would be the same.

"Our final decision was to tell you everything we know," he continued. "Our hope is we can work with you and be able to use the machines; but above that to make sure they are protected."

"Teachers ours!" one of the advisors declared angrily. "Belong to the Kushitic; outsiders not allowed! No contamination!"

"That may be your final decision," Nil answered calmly. "Although I doubt the question has come up before. I still hope we can work together to our mutual benefit. We have access to hundreds of thousands of the crystals and I know you have only a few on limited subjects. There is a great deal we can both learn by working together." There were a number of disbelieving snorts and even more angry mutterings as a number of the Kushitic looked at Lavender with open hostility.

"You can stop that right now," Nil said firmly rapping on the table. "Yes, it's obvious that we learned this from Lavender, however she had no idea that any of this was or even should be secret and it wouldn't have mattered if she did. If I had asked she would have no choice but to give me the information. If you have a problem then it is with me, no one else."

"Peace," Xolan held up his hand. "My table, my guest.

"Much to hear still," he continued. "Ultimately is matter for all Kushitic, not just Clan Zagwci. No decision until all hear. Will call for meeting of the clans soonest. Until then we listen, learn, understand."

"Chief," another of the advisors implored, "Zagwci cannot tolerate blasphemous shorty and his traitorous cull! Our Honor decreased!"

Chief Xolan looked steadily at the speaker for a moment before answering. "Beware, Thaho, speak you of man's mate," he paused for another moment. "My daughter." Turning back to Nil he asked, "Aware Law of Challenge?"

"I have some experience with it," Nil responded tersely.

"Fear will have more before done," Xolan sighed.

"It is your custom and I will abide by it," Nil shrugged.

"But not agree with," Xolan stated, it wasn't a question.

"It isn't my place to either agree or disagree with your customs in your country, Xolan," Nil answered with another shrug. "I will admit I prefer to settle differences with reason rather than force; but each culture has its own ways and who is to say which is better so long as it works for those peoples."

"Yet trained for war you are," Xolan said with just a hint of a smile.

"Well, I may be a reasonable man, but that doesn't mean everybody else is," Nil responded with a straight face. It would have been more believable if his sisters didn't snort and chuckle at him after he finished.

"Just so," Xolan nodded, pretending to ignore the playful mockery along with Nil.

"See you with shiakye," he said changing the subject. "Unusual, interesting. Fear not well received by some."

"You mean Florien?" Nil asked surprised. "Yes, well, I don't know about my shiakye, at least as Lavender was able to explain it to me; but she does seem to have attached herself to us. I thought she was unbonded and free to go where she wishes. Did I misunderstand? I certainly don't have a problem with her hanging around with us if she wants." He looked back at the huge canine dozing behind his chair. The animals seemed to have the run of wherever they wanted to go; the chief's was laying down next to his chair as was Cerberus and one of the advisors had one sitting quietly behind his chair.

"To whom they bond is mystery," Xolan shrugged. "Some never. Believed Florien never bond; appears wrong. The bond forms from them, you feel later. Is permanent."

"Ah, so you're saying I'm bonded whether I want to be or not and there isn't much I can say about it?" Nil asked with a snort.

"Is an honor to my people," Xolan chided gently.

"Of course it is," Nil responded quickly. Then he continued with almost fatalistic acceptance, "I seem to find myself bound to all sorts of women lately without being involved in the decision. What's one more?"

"Just so," Xolan nodded wisely.

"Send for the meeting of clan chiefs," he continued. "Will take few days. Tomorrow will meet with Geneticists. They responsible for Teachers; must be involved."

That signaled the end of the meal and of the discussion so Nil and his women took their leave and returned to their quarters. As they were heading to their room, Jarrah poked her head out of her room and gestured for Nil to join her.

"What do you need, Jar?" he asked as he walked into her room. Without saying anything she pushed him down into the lone chair and sat on his lap.

"You know I love you," she began.

"Of course..."

"But I don't want to be one of your women," she interjected before he could finish. "At least not now."

"That's okay, Jar," he said with a grin. "That's certainly not something I'd want to force you into."

"Well, you don't have to sound so relieved," she pouted.

"I have to admit I didn't really think you were ready for something like that, maybe never," he said soothingly. Then he got a devilish little grin and started tickling her sides stopping just short of grasping her breasts. "That doesn't mean I'm not disappointed I won't have a chance to play with your delightful little body though."

"Stop that, you idiot," she laughed and slapped at his hands. "Like you don't already have enough tits and ass to play with! I don't think you'll miss my boney body in the least."

"Jar, you are an incredibly beautiful and sexy woman. Of course I'll pine away from wanting you," he tried to look woeful and hurt at the same time, but his acting was so pathetic she laughed at him again. "I want what's best for you, Jar. If that means you end up with another man, or another woman, that's okay by me. I just want you to be happy."

"Well, there certainly isn't any other man I'd want to be with," she laughed again. "And I do want children some day so you may be pressed into stud service sometime in the future, but I'm not interested in any kind of commitment right now."

"The sacrifices a brother has to make," Nil sighed dramatically. "But you have to take that up with the real bosses around here, not me."

"Oh, I will, when the time is right," she smirked and then turned serious and looked him in the eye. "Are you really okay with this?"

"Yes, I am really okay with this," he nodded solemnly.

"Just so you know, I don't find you quite as repulsive and disgusting as the rest of your sex," she added.

"I could ask for no higher praise."

The next morning they met with three of the Geneticists. Lavender led him to believe they were a class separate from the warriors and were a combination of priest and scientist. Their primary function was to ensure the Kushitic progressed on their designated path of becoming as tall as humanly possible; their secondary function was to care for the crystal readers and instruct the young.

Nil was surprised when he first met them; he had expected them to be probably the tallest of the Kushitic, but that wasn't the case. In fact they were relatively short, very relative since they still towered over Nil by a good head and a half. He also expected them to be overtly hostile but again they surprised him. True, they were guarded and politely skeptical but seemed genuinely interested in their story and, given the looks they gave each other, concerned. Whether they were concerned about the potential ramifications of the uncontrolled release of the ancients' knowledge or of the possibility someone would try to steal their readers Nil wasn't quite sure; he assumed it was probably both.