Part 6

After the Chinese had left, Davdan took Tira aside to inform her that there would be Meds arriving to speak to her in a little over three hours. Then she had Raz light a fire, and gathered them all around it.

"Know this; when one becomes an Elder, and ceases fighting and hunting for excitement, most of us contest with one another with our power. We compete for status, influence, wealth, and yet more power. It is fun, and often allows us to do important work.

"Aside from my other feelings about you all, this group represents a chance for me to gain much as an Elder. I will make my move, and seek to rise many ranks. In just over a year, I will contest for the position of Leader of the Council of All Tiger People, and with it a seat on the Council of the Government of All Peoples. If all goes well, I hope to win the election for Leader of the Council of the Government of All Peoples within four years. The position known to the techs as Secretary General of The United Nation. But that goal begins with achieving greatness far above my present position, both through my own actions, and through the actions of those who accept my leadership.

"Shan Len senses this, but she is in less of a position to capitalize on it. As well, she not yet ready to make her great move. She is not well known outside China, and she is only ninety. She will be a great ally of mine, knowing that when I finally retire to inactivity, she will be in a great position to gather all the toys.

"It will not matter if we choose a name for this group. Among hunters it will be thought of as Jela's group, among cosmologists, as Pina's group, and so on. And it will be thought of by fighters, and the powerful, as Davdan's group. You will all achieve greatness, and it will reflect well on me, but I need to assist you to achieve it with actions that reflect equal greatness. As the techs say, I must be seen by the multitudes and by the powerful as someone who is effective at using her power to Get Things Done.

"But know this as well; I will not have you feeling like a knife in the fist of another, as Kwan Mei said so well today. We must always be open, and share our thoughts and feelings, so that we can decide what is best for all of us.

"And there is greatness for the taking, for all of us. I am asking you all to accelerate your training and efforts in your respective specialties for the next six months. To recognize this as a crucial time, a time to make the effort of your lives. I am offering all my power to assist you all in every way I can.

"Tika will be tested to her limits as a fighter at a special gathering at the Brahman Elders' Enclave in six months.

"Menak and Tira, I am asking you prepare to attend the Grande Tournament of All Fighters in six months. Tika's gathering will be held in the month after the tournament.

"Jela and Jena, I ask you to prepare to be tested for rank as hunters between five and six months from now.

"Raz, I will have the construction schedules changed. We will build the Enclave House first, and start within the next three days. The tube station and trading post project will begin immediately after that, and should take about three and a half months. Those working on the projects will be instructed to do anything they can to assist in increasing your knowledge and skills during that time. As well, you will design a project that will demonstrate the greatness of your talent, and that can be completed within six months from now. Your budget will be a maximum of twelve billion credits.

There were gasps of amazement at that, but Davdan did not pause. "Pina, what can I do to help you, and will it help you make a significant advance in cosmology in the next six months?"

"Davdan, I need run-time on very powerful computers. Lots of it! I need the assistance of other researchers whose effort can be hired for six months at a total cost of forty mega, at most. I do not know if I can prove my theories or make a discovery, but I will try, and I would have a good chance!" Pina answered enthusiastically. "I mean I really think that I would have a statistical probability of at least sixty percent to make a major discovery or breakthrough!"

"Good girl." Davdan chuckled. "Naz, it would be helpful if you could achieve something remarkable in the next six months."

"Davdan," Naz grinned, "Over the next six months I will win more credits betting on the accomplishments of this group than any Tiger Man has ever won over the same span of time!"

Davdan raised her eyebrows and laughed. "Ahh, you will make a very Great Elder when the time comes, Naz!"

"And I will have very great fun till then!" Naz laughed.

"So, what do you think? Do you wish to strive for greatness with me?" Davdan smiled, passing her gaze around the group.

"Yes! Yes yes yes!" Jena was the first to jump up and yell it, followed closely by the rest of the children, then the adults except Tira, and then her as well.

"All right, we have two hours till sundown, three till the Meds arrive to treat Tira. You three adults should take what steps are necessary to secure the surrounding territories." Davdan said when calm had returned. "Tira and myself should accompany you, Tira because she knows her neighbors well, and myself to lend my judgment, should it become necessary. I imagine Raz and Pina have calls to make, and planning to do. Tika and Jena, is there anything you think you should be doing?"

"There is something I must do, Davdan, and I wish Jena's help." Tika said.

"And what is that?" Davdan asked.

Tika grinned. "I will buy a knife. Perhaps two. I will have them made the way I want them. I would like to surprise you all with how that is."

"You will surprise us?" Tira laughed. "Now I am curious!"

"I am sorry, but it has to be a surprise. I cannot tell you why, that has to be a surprise too." Tika laughed.

"Good. We will meet back here at sunset, and then we will have an hour for group discussion and decision. Say now what cannot wait until then." Davdan looked around the group, and received only excited smiles.

Tira went to one knee and spoke to Tika. "Stay with Jena, and do your lessons. Perhaps she will share some with you if you ask her. I will call you after each of our visits, and I will record so you can watch the good parts later. I love you."

She hugged Tika and kissed her on the neck as Jela and Naz hugged and said farewells to their children, then the party of adults set off downstream towards the territory of Midor.

"Menak," Jela said as they walked the path through the quiet forest, "Dern and Midor are both Excellent fighters, reflecting the value of their territories. I had planned on taking the territory of Midor, leaving you closer to Davdan's Enclave house. But Midor is not far from retirement, and today I wish to feel challenged. Dern will be a tough challenge for me, though neither would be a challenge for you. I ask you to take the territory of Midor, leaving me the territory of Dern. Besides, Dern's more varied ecology will be good for Jena's hunt training."

"That works well. After all, my territory in the Brahman is more valuable than any of these territories, and is beside the trading post and the Elders' Enclave where Davdan works." Menak mused. "It is an ideal territory for one who is close to retirement, so I see no reason why he should not trade with me."

"Excellent, and thank you." Jela smiled.

Soon they approached the small clearing of Midor's den, and found him curing a crocodile hide.

"Lo Midor." Tira called. "We have come to speak with you. You know Naz and Jela. And the Great Elder Davdan. This is her grandson Menak, Magnificent, among the hundred fighters."

Nods were exchanged, curiosity and wariness apparent in Midor's demeanor.

"We are forming a training group, based at Tira's territory." Menak informed him. "I wish to trade for relocation from my territory in the Brahman. It is far more valuable than yours; so dense with game it is only six hundred ten yards by three hundred and seventy. I will flash you its stats and recordings."

He made a few strokes on his screen, and Midor viewed the information transmitted to his.

After reading the stats and watching the vids, Midor looked slowly around at the forest before turning back to Menak. "It is a good trade for me. Too good to turn down. But this territory has been my home for fifty-seven years, and it will be hard to say goodbye to it. If you will give me one month, I will trade with you, and I will leave my territory perfectly balanced for you then."

"Done." Menak grinned, and the two men grasped each other's right forearm with a friendly grip. "I will let my neighbors know you are coming, and they will welcome you. But now we must go."

"Go with honor then." Midor said, and returned to studying the recordings of Menak's territory as the others filed from the clearing.

"That was quick and easy." Tira remarked to Menak, slipping an arm around him as she walked. "It will be more entertaining to see how Naz will gain the territory of Baya.

"Are you going to tell us how you will do it, Naz?"

"No, but I am betting all my credits on it." Naz laughed, working on his screen as he walked. "I am getting very good odds, as well!"

All laughed, and the mood was happy as they followed the path that marked the border between Midor's territory and Tira's. Soon it wound on to the tall grass meadows, and shortly they were on Baya's territory. Tira called Tika, a quick 'How are you?' 'Fine.' 'All right.' exchange, and ended the call.

They had crossed a third of the meadow when Jela spotted Baya stalking the edge of a herd of buffalo, and waved the others down. Out of courtesy, they waited and watched for twenty minutes as Baya selected his prey, stalked ahead of the herd, and waited behind a lone tree as the herd slowly grazed toward him. He made a three-step sprint and took a heavy old female with three strokes, taking both hamstrings before lodging his blade deep between two neck vertebrae. He narrowly avoided a vicious kick in the knee, the dying effort of the old buffalo, twisting an ankle in the near miss. Those watching judged his effort to be professionally competent, but no better than that.

"Lo Baya!" Tira called, standing up in the tall grass and waving when the dead buffalo had ceased twitching.

Baya returned the wave, and sat on his fallen prey to diagnose his ankle. He was tall, rangy, and dark. His black hair was crudely hacked short, obviously by himself with his knife.

They joined him under the shade of the lone tree, crouching in the grass, and Naz spoke to him.

"Greetings, Baya. Well hunted. Is the ankle injured?"

Baya rubbed and probed it for a moment more, stood, and bounced on his toes a couple of times. "It is fine. Just a twinge. Tira. Jela. Elder Davdan. What brings you?" Baya nodded, glancing around the group.

"This is Menak, Magnificent, one of the hundred fighters, great grandson of Elder Davdan." Naz informed him.

The two men exchanged nods.

"We here are forming a training group, based at Tira's territory." Naz continued. "It is in our plans for me to have this territory. If you will trade with me, I will make you a gift of twelve mega for your inconvenience."

Baya raised his eyebrows, then laughed a little nastily. "Ha. It is true, Naz, you are a funny man. My territory is more valuable than yours, so you cannot ask me to trade. If you all want to have a training group, you should move to Africa and be Lion People! If you want my territory, Naz, you can challenge me for it, and you will see what happens to you then!"

"Ah, I thought that you would say that, but you should consider these points;" Naz said. "It is true that we can only trade when we want to move, and the trade must be for equal territories, or initiated by the holder of the more valuable territory. This is to prevent trading for better territories, instead of fighting to improve one's holdings, as honorable Tiger People should.