Barry Longyear - Enemy Papers

It looks at me and answers, "Yes?"

"On Timan. What was the Ri Mou Tavii like?"

Falna stares at the deck for an instant, squints its eyes, and shakes its head. "Depressing. Very depressing." It struggles out of the pod, stands weaving on the deck, and stumbles toward the shower.

As the door on the airlock opens, allowing Timan’s poisonous atmosphere to enter, I look through my suit’s view plate at the three Timans standing there in clouds of choking gas. The smaller of the three is named Atruin 'do Timan and he represents Timan Nisak to Willis Davidge and his entourage. In excellent English he introduces his two companions, Pritith and Riniseh. Despite the purported Timan abhorrence of violence, at least the kind that involves them personally, it is apparent that Pritith and Riniseh are personal bodyguards. They appear capable of backing up their instinctive social manipulations with fists and whatever weapons are concealed within their brown and gray robes.

Davidge introduces his "entourage," Kita, Ty, Falna, and myself, the crew having already left the ship headed for Timan’s limited Indulgence Zone for oxynitro breathers. After that comes the Timan’s formal greeting: "I approach you in peace with no motive or weapon hidden. Welcome to Timan, to my hearth, and to my place of business."

Davidge steps forward and in English replies, "I stand here in doubt, the heat of a Timan weapon still burning my skin, a weapon meant to kill me and my charge, Yazi Ro."

Davidge nods toward me and I watch as the Timan’s tiny white eyes grow wide. Atruin 'do Timan waves aside his greetings with a fleshy arm and bows his head. "I am very distressed by this, sir. What can I do to clear the doubt between us?"

Davidge gestures at the bulkheads with a suited hand. "Words have no leashes."

The Timan holds the palms of its irregularly fingered hands out to indicate his understanding. "We should go where they cannot wander." Davidge bows in approval to the suggestion and Atruin 'do Timan leads us down a ramp into a dimly illuminated passage that arrives at a huge, sleek blue vehicle that opens itself, allowing us to enter and seat ourselves in the plush black couches inside. Atruin takes his seat with us and leaves his two protectors to ride outside the compartment, a gesture of great trust on the Timan’s part, according to Timan Survivor . Once the doors are closed and locked, Atruin says, "Nisak, dark and quiet." At that the windows opaque, the sounds from outside the compartment blank, and the vehicle begins accelerating toward the company nest.

"No one can hear us or observe. Now, Mr. Davidge, tell me the circumstances that gave birth to this distressing doubt."

"There are two things," begins Davidge. "First, there is the latest book of The Talman accepted by the Jetai Diea on Draco. It is the Koda Nusinda and titled The Eyes of Joanne Nicole. Are you familiar with it?"

The way the Timan’s skin blanches as his eyes go wide speaks worlds. The extreme emotional reserve claimed for Timans in Timan Survivor appears to have at least one exception.

"Although I have not read it, I am familiar with its substance. I was not aware that the existence of the work is known outside the Jetai Diea. You said there are two things."

Davidge glances at Kita and she leans forward, issues a tiny bow with her head, and holds an envelope toward the Timan. "Atruin 'do Timan, sir, these are the specifications and test results on a weapon used against Mr. Davidge and Yazi Ro on Friendship. It is an improperly detonated thermal drill and the source of the weapon appears to be Timan Nisak."

The Timan holds the envelope in both hands and stares at it as though it might grow fangs and bite him. After a moment he looks up and says, "There is something missing."

Davidge looks at me and I turn away, frowning. This Timan might be our enemy―probably is our enemy. But then The Talman speaks to me from the corridors of my memory. Aydan said that if there are no secrets, there is nothing to hide, nothing to remember.

I face the Timan and say, "There is a talma whose end may find the war on Amadeen at an end. Through the work of a Jetah Talman on Amadeen and the insights of the Koda Nusinda, the likely paths became visible. Davidge and I are parts to this puzzle. The Koda Nusinda is a third part. If the Koda Nusinda is discredited and the Jetai Diea rescinds its decision to add it to The Talman , the Timan role in the USE-Draco War will never become more than a rumor. If Davidge or I are killed it is not likely that we will be replaced. The talma will probably fail and the Nusinda may be discredited."

The Timan’s lower mandible rests on its bloated chest, his head jerking slightly in time with his breaths. "I see why you came to Timan. You perceive a motive in our desire to have the work disregarded." He looks up and adds: "And you would find out who is behind the attempt to sabotage this talma. Perhaps you would see, as well, if the species you believe gave birth to the war can somehow manipulate the warring factions on Amadeen into a peace."

No one contradicts the Timan and Atruin seems to close himself off from his surroundings. After an uncomfortable moment of this silence, Atruin emerges, his eyes almost glowing. "Please understand, every species has the choice, in response to a threat, to act or to react. Both humans and Dracs attack or run when they react. Timans, as you know from the new book of The Talman, react by manipulating the threat against itself. Most Timans do not respond this way, of course, any more than most humans or Dracs immediately attack and kill every time they perceive a possible threat. Reason and choice have subordinated primitive instinct." Atruin 'do Timan’s head sinks into his shoulders until he exhibits no neck. "Some of us do yield to instinct, however, at least to the extent of using the skills instinct has provided. Regrettably, Hissied 'do Timan was one such."

"Might there be others?" asks Kita.

"Are there murderers on Earth?" asks Atruin, not expecting an answer. He holds up the envelope. "I will turn this over to the Karnarak, our situation resolution force, with an urgent request from Nisak for information. If there are answers, the Karnarak will find them." He orders the windows cleared and I watch the hazy grays of Timan’s landscape as we streak toward Timan Nisak.

Timan Nisak provides a business village for alien representatives, contractors, and visitors. Our part of the village is the Keu Vac Ount, which means Oxygen Garden. The air is rich, humid, and scented with something that resembles rather old cheese. We are given individual suites, and shortly after I remove my environmental suit and clean myself, Davidge enters my greeting room and fills a chair, his expression one of intense concentration. After dressing, I enter and sit opposite him. "You have come to say what?"

He lifts his gaze slowly and faces me. "I have a favor to ask."

"Ask."

He looks around at the room, sniffs the air, and shakes his head. "God, this place stinks. It smells like old feta cheese. You don’t suppose this is what the Timans think we want to smell."

"Perhaps their olfactory thresholds are higher than ours."

"Hell, you could use a dead skunk for an air freshener in here." He rubs his eyes then clasps his hands over his belly. "There are two things we need to accomplish here. First, we’ve got to track down whoever it is who is trying to kill us. Atruin has pledged his complete cooperation. I believe he’ll produce our killer; or die of embarrassment trying. He seems sincere."

"I wonder if he is working you," I add, "or someone higher up is working him."

"Or both," completes the human. Davidge scratches his ear and looks at an animated light display on one wall attempting to resemble a log fire in a fireplace. "Anyhow, Ty, Kita, Falna, and I will be working with Atruin on that."