David Brin: The Uplift War

“Of course they must,” the human admiral agreed. But she did not sound convinced. In fact, she seemed worried.

“We are ready to approach to fail-safe envelopment,” the orficer of the deck reported.

Buoult nodded quickly. “Good. Proceed. From there we can contact the enemy and announce our intentions.”

Tension built as the armada advanced closer to the system’s modest yellow sun. Although the Thennanin claimed proudly to possess no psychic powers, Buoult seemed to feel the gaze of the Earthling woman upon him, and he wondered how it was possible that he found her so intimidating.

She is only a wolfling, he reminded himself.

“Shall we resume our discussions, commander?” Admiral Alvarez asked at last.

He had no choice but to comply, of course. It would be best if much was decided before they arrived and the siege manifesto was read aloud.

Still, Buoult planned to sign no agreements until he had-a chance to confer with Kault. That Thennanin had a reputation for vulgarity and, well, frivolity, that had won him exile to this backwater world. But now he appeared to have achieved unprecedented miracles. His political power back home would be great.

Buoult wanted to tap Kault’s expertise, his apparent knack at dealing with these infuriating creatures.

His aides and the human delegation filed out of the bridge toward the meeting room. But before Buoult left he glanced one more time back at the situation tank and the deadly-looking Gubru battle array. Air noisily escaped his breathing slits.

What are the avians planning? he wondered. What shall I do if these Gubru prove to be insane?

In some parts of Port Helenia, there were more guard drones than ever, protecting their masters’ domains rigorously, lashing out at anyone who passed too near.

Elsewhere, however, it was almost as if a revolution had already taken place…The invader’s posters lay tattered in the gutters. Above one busy street corner Robert glimpsed a new mural that had recently been erected in place of Gubru propaganda. Painted in the style called Focalist Realism, it depicted a family of gorillas staring with dawning but hopeful sentience oat upon a glowing horizon. Protectively standing beside them, showing the way to that wonderful future, was a pair of idealized, high-browed neo-chimpanzees.

Oh, yes, there had also been a human and a Thennanin in the picture, vague and in the background. Robert thought it really nice of the artist to have remembered to include them.

The heavily guarded shuttle he was in passed through the intersection too quickly to see much detail, but he thought the rendering of the female chim hadn’t quite done Gailet justice. Fiben, on the other hand, ought to be flattered.

Soon the “free” parts of town were behind them, and they passed westward into areas patrolled with strict military discipline. When they landed their Talon Soldier guards hurried outside and stood watch as Robert and Uthacalthing left the shuttle to climb the ramp leading to the shining new Branch Library.

“This is an expensive setup, isn’t it?” he asked the Tymbrimi Ambassador. “Do we get to keep it if the Thennanin manage to kick the birds out?”

Uthacalthing shrugged. “Probably. And maybe the Ceremonial Mound as well. Your clan is due reparations, certainly.”

“But you have your doubts.”

Uthacalthing stood in the vast entranceway surveying the vaulted chamber and the towering cubic data store within. “It is just that I think it would be unwise to count your chickens before they have met the rooster.”

Robert understood Uthacalthing’s point. Even defeat for the Gubru might come at unthinkable cost.

“It’s counting one’s eggs before they’re laid,” he told the Tymbrimi, who was always anxious to improve his grasp of Anglic metaphors. This time, however, Uthacalthing didn’t thank Robert. His wide-spread eyes seemed to flash as he looked back, sidelong. “Think about it,” he said.

Soon Uthacalthing was deep in conversation with the Kanten Chief Librarian. At a loss to follow their rapid, inflected Galactic, Robert started a circuit of the new Library, taking its measure and looking at its current users.

Except for a few members of the Grand Examiner’s team, all of the occupants were avians. The Gubru present were divided by a gulf he could henn, as well as see. Nearly two thirds of them clustered over to the left. They cooed and cast disapproving glances at the smaller group, which consisted almost entirely of soldiers. The military did not give off happy vibrations, but they hid it well, strutting about their tasks with crisp efficiency, returning their peers’ disapproval with arrogant disdain.

Robert made no effort to avoid being seen. The wave of stares he attracted was pleasing. They obviously knew who he was. If just passing near caused an interruption in their work, so much the better.

Approaching one cluster of Gubru — by their ribbons obviously members of the priestly Caste of Propriety — he bowed to an angle he hoped was correct and grinned as the entire offended gaggle was forced to form up and reply in kind.

Finally Robert came upon a data station formatted in a way he understood. Uthacalthing was still immersed in con-versaticn vith the Librarian, so Robert decided to see what he couk; ::.;d out on his own.

He made very little progress. The enemy had obviously set up safeguards to prevent the unauthorized from accessing information about near-space, or the presumably converging battle fleets of the Thennanin. Still, Robert kept on trying. Time passed as he explored the current data net, finding out where the invaders had set up their blocks.

So intense was his concentration that it took a while before he grew aware that something had changed in the Library. Automatic sound dampers had kept the growing hubbub from intruding on his concentration, but when he looked up at last Robert saw that the Gubru were in an uproar. They waved their downy arms and formed tight clusters around holo-tanks. Most of the soldiers had simply vanished, from sight.

What on Garth has gotten into them? he wondered.

Robert didn’t imagine the Gubru would welcome him peering over their shoulders. He felt frustrated. Whatever was happening, it sure had them perturbed!

Hey! Robert thought. Maybe it’s on the local news.

Quickly he used his own screen to access a public video station. Until recently censorship had been severe, but during the last few days, as soldiers were called away to combat duty, the networks had fallen under the control of the Caste of Cost and Caution. Those glum, apathetic bureaucrats now hardly enforced even modest discipline.

The tank flickered, then cleared to show an excited chim reporter.

“… and so, at latest reports, it seems the surprise offensive from the Mulun hasn’t yet engaged the occupation forces. The Gubru seem unable to agree on how to answer the manifesto of the approaching forces…”

Robert wondered, had the Thennanin made their pronouncement of intent already? That had not been expected for a couple of days at least. Then one word caught in his mind.

From the Mulun?

“… We’ll now rebroadcast the statement read just five minutes ago by the joint commanders of the army right now marching on Port Helenia.”

The view in the holo-tank shifted. The chim announcer was replaced by a recently recorded image showing three figures standing against a forest background. Robert blinked. He knew these faces, two of them intimately. One was a chen named Benjamin. The other two were women he loved.

“… and so we challenge our oppressors. In combat we have behaved well, under the dicta of the Galactic Institute for Civilized Warfare. This cannot be said of our enemies. They have used criminal means and have allowed harm to noncombatant fallow species native to a fragile world.