Barry Longyear - Enemy Papers

"How are you? Damn it, Benbo, how in the hell are you?"

"Fine, Major. Just fine."

The direction of his voice changed. "Ovjetah. she will recover in a moment. May we be alone?"

"Certainly, Amos Benbo. Please use those couches over there."

Benbo led her across the chamber and lowered her into a deep, soft couch.

She felt him sit on the couch beside her. Again Tora Soam spoke: "Joanne Nicole, the next part of your surprise waits with my other guests. He is Leonid Mitzak."

"Mitzak. It sounds like old home week."

"I… am not certain I understand; but would you like me to send him out here?"

"No, Tora Soam. I would like to be alone with Benbo for a while. Can you have Baadek call us when the repast is ready?"

"Of course. Until then. Come, Baadek."

Their footsteps left the chamber. She turned toward Benbo. "Amos, why are you here?"

Benbo laughed. "It sure beats the hell out of me. When I was snagged on Ditaar, I was busy making like a firebug. Right now, I am the special guest of Ovjetah Tora Soam, the grand poobah hisself-itself." His voice became very quiet. "Major… your eyes…"

Nicole shook her head. "I’m temporarily blind. It’s all right. What happened to you after the attack?"

"I put you in a safe place-or thought I did-then I ran back to the V’Butaan field to check up on the troops. Do you know about them?"

She nodded. "Mitzak told me."

"Major, what in hell is going on here?"

"I don’t know. I’ve been the ward of Tora Soam since V’Butaan, from all I can tell. What that means, or why it’s so, I don’t know. What about you?"

"I was picked up, brought here, and dropped by a couple of characters that it didn’t look too smart to argue with. Beyond that, I don’t know."

Baadek’s voice called from a distance. "The night repast is prepared and ready. Will you join the company?"

Nicole pushed herself up from the couch. "Thank you, Baadek. We will be there in a moment."

Benbo was standing, and Nicole pulled him close and whispered, "You wanted to know what’s going on here. I don’t know, but I’ve been warned about this dinner party. You keep your trap shut unless you are asked a direct question, and then be very careful how you answer. Tora Soam’s Drac guests are all Talman Masters-" The hint of a thought crossed Nicole’s mind. Flowers. The slight odor of flowers.

"What is it, Major?"

Nicole shook her head. "Nothing. Just remember that every word you speak gives information to them."

Nicole was seated on one part of a long circular couch; Benbo to her right. On Benbo’s other side sat Leonid Mitzak. Far to her right sat Tora Soam, and directly across from her were the five Talman Masters. In the center of the couch arrangement were the dishes of food. Tora Soam began the ritual: "This is the bitter weed we eat to remember the Madah. Never shall we return."

Nicole heard the Talman Masters take up grain from the center table, and then replace it. Tora Soam continued: "For the second repast, we eat fruit and say: This is the fruit of the Irrveden, for which the Mavedah fought. "

Everyone picked up the strange bulbs and tubers that the Dracs called fruit. Benbo handed Nicole hers, and her jaws ached as her eyes watered at the acid taste of the raw plant. "For the third repast, we eat nothing, for this is the legacy of Mijii who burned its people rather than submit to the rule of the Mavedah."

She touched nothing to her tongue, but the smell of charcoal was heavy in the air. "The fourth repast-the night repast-celebrates Uhe’s victory and the unification of the Sindie. This is the night repast; let us celebrate."

And then the food flowed. Strange meats, salads, ices, and cheeses passed her lips until her stomach sent up its all-full warning. Shortly after, the sounds of eating quieted, and she could hear the table being cleared. Benbo placed a hot mug into her right hand. "Here, Major. It tastes sort of like hot rubber soaked in dirty underwear."

She sipped at the brew as Baadek performed the peculiarities of introducing the guests to the host. Of course, Tora Soam knew all of those at the table. The introductions were more for the benefit of the guests. Baadek would move behind the person being described.

"Ovjetah, this guest at the table is Jetah Zigh Caida, First Deputy of the Dracon Chamber." Baadek moved behind the next guest: "Ovjetah, this guest…"

The Drac side of the table was rank-heavy. Besides the first deputy of the Chamber, Draco’s governing body, there were: Raga Gia, Drac Fleet liaison officer to the Chamber; Xalta Lov, Nujetah, second master, of the Talman Kovah; Suinat Piva, Ovjetah of the Fangen Kovah, the school of social goal formulation; and Vikava Minose, liaison officer to the Chamber of the Denve Irkmaan-department of humans.

Baadek stood behind Mitzak. "Ovjetah, this guest at the table is Leonid Mitzak, student of the Talman Kovah." Footsteps. "Ovjetah, this guest at the table is Amos Benbo, vemadah." Baadek stood behind her. "Ovjetah, this guest at the table is Joanne Nicole, vemadah."

Tora Soam opened the talk: "Fellow masters, I see your puzzled expressions at having humans at the repast. I shall explain. As Ovjetah of the Fangen Kovah, Suinat Piva has known for some time that the facilities of the Talman Kovah have projected an armed truce with the forces of the United States of Earth."

There was excited chatter among the Dracs. A deep, old-sounding voice interrupted the chatter. "Soam, how far has the projection been substantiated?"

"It has been substantiated to the full capabilities of the kovah, Deputy Zigh."

Zigh Caida hissed. "This is of crucial importance. Why has not the Dracon Chamber been informed of this development?"

It Just has-wait." The grumbling from the Drac brass quieted down and Tora Soam continued. "There are several things upon which the occurrence and successful exploitation of this projected truce depend. The truce will follow immediately after a battle of certain configurations. This is a tactical matter, and the configurations will soon be made available to the Chamber and to the Dracon Fleet."

A voice spoke: "What has this to do with these humans Soam?"

"Vikava Minose, you direct the Denve Irkmann."

"And?"

"And have you ever talked with a human?"

A pause. "No. But what of it?"

Tora Soam paused. "The truce is a thing that can last only a moment and then lead to continued fighting; or it can lead to peace. Following the truce, Dracs and humans will gather to sort out and resolve the issues of the conflict. They will talk. The Talman Kovah has projected that you five, or your replacements, will probably be those who will represent the Dracon Chamber at the talks, provided that the battle mentioned takes place within the next eighty days."

The voice of Vikova Minose spoke: "Ovjetah, an enemy is an enemy. You were to speak to why these… humans are at your table."

Tora Soam answered, its voice slow and thoughtful. "When you face the humans. you will have in your hands the ability to bring this war to an end. You will also have the ability to throw three hundred worlds-Drac and human-back into war."

Deputy Zigh Caida spoke: "Soam, what does this have to do with your… other guests?"

"It is simple, Deputy Zigh: if there is to be peace, or if there is to be more war, sense dictates that talma is best followed if the result is a matter of studied choice rather than a matter of ignorance, anger, or accident. One does not need to take to diagrams to see the truth in this. If all of you have at least some experience with human thinking, the chances of the negotiations being conducted and settled on an intelligent basis are improved-"

"Wait!" The voice was Tora Kia’s.

"My guests, this is Tora Kia, my firstborn. Why do you interrupt. Kia?"