by Kacey Ezell
“Hunter, your pardon.”
The voice that spoke was Besquith, and female, unless Deluge missed his guess. It was also smooth and laced with respect, unlike the nervous, aggressive tone of the one he now had by the ears. That Besquith was busy whimpering in pain and fear as Deluge wrenched its head around so that he might look at the newcomer.
The newcomer stood in the curtained doorway at the back of the booth. She wore the rich silks of a wealthy Besquith trader, and the grey about her muzzle spoke of some experience. She inclined her head as Deluge met her eyes.
“I greet you,” Deluge said. He didn’t want to be rude, but he rather thought that in this particular situation, he might be excused the use of an abbreviated hello. “Welcome to our negotiation.”
“I am Jhurrahkk” she said. “I am the alpha for our people here on Khatash. You hold the life of my pup in your claws.”
“I am Deluge,” he answered. “Your pup was rude and attacked me. His life is forfeit on my planet.”
“This is where I propose we begin our negotiation.”
“His life is forfeit,” Deluge said. “I cannot change that. The clans are very clear.”
“They are clear, Hunter. And we were very well briefed upon entry to your system. But there is a stipulation. His life is forfeit on this planet.”
“Which is where he stands.”
“I am a mother, mighty Hunter. I would negotiate a period of time during which I might get my child off your planet and save his fool life.”
Deluge slow blinked.
“I see why you are alpha, Jhurrahkk. Clever of you to mention your relationship to this unfortunate one.”
“I have done my homework, mighty Hunter. I know how your race honors motherhood,” Jhurrahkk said, inclining her head.
“Without our mothers, where would we be?” Deluge said, quoting an oft-recited maxim. “Very well, we will negotiate. What is your offer?”
“All of the goods in this booth, and all of my possessions here on Khatash, in exchange for one day to get him off planet and out of the system.”
“That is rather a high offer to begin with,” Deluge said. “You surprise me. Usually negotiations are much more…meandering.”
“I am a mother whose child is threatened, mighty Hunter. I do not feel like wasting a lot of time meandering,” Jhurrahkk said on a hint of a growl. She stood motionless in her trader’s silks, but Deluge suspected she would be a vicious fighter.
“So you are,” Deluge said, he flexed his front claws, causing the panting Besquith pup to let out another sharp whine. “I am tempted to decline and see just what kind of dance you would lead me, alpha.”
Jhurrahkk tensed, her hackles rising along the back of her neck.
Deluge moved. Before either Besquith could react, he launched himself backward, diving for the floor. His front paws touched down on the gritty floor between the pup’s heels first. His back paws followed, tucking up toward his belly where he kept a knife hidden in his hunting vest. The toes of his right paw curved around the hilt, and he slashed out with a kick that neatly severed the tendon running up the back of the Besquith pup’s leg.
Deluge contracted himself back into a sitting position, conveniently hiding the knife beneath his body, and began to groom the fur on his left front leg. The Besquith pup collapsed, screaming. Jhurrahkk flinched at the sound.
“I accept your offer,” Deluge said, his pleasant tone unchanged. “Provided you leave immediately with your pup for the starport. You do not have a day. You have until the next shuttle departure for anywhere.”
The alpha mother let out a low, guttural growl and gave him a single nod. Then she bent down and picked up her injured pup.
“We have an agreement,” she said.
“A pleasure doing business with you,” Deluge said, as he watched the two of them leave the booth that was now entirely his.
* * *
“Mighty Hunter…you did what?”
Deluge dropped his mouth open in a laugh at the Zuul factor’s expression. The large canid alien wore the sigil of Deluge’s clan dangling from one of his ears, and had done so for as long as Deluge had known him—which was most of Deluge’s life. Ruzeen had joined the clan as a pup long before Deluge’s birth. There was a story there, but Deluge didn’t know it. All that mattered was that Ruzeen was a devoted retainer. His race had a reputation for being both cunning and avaricious, and Ruzeen lived up to both qualities. In his case, however, all his cleverness and greed functioned on behalf of the clan. Which was why he was the clan’s financial factor in the City.
“I bought a Besquith Khava trader’s booth and inventory, Ruzeen,” Deluge repeated, deliberately letting his voice sound as nonchalant as possible. To heighten the effect, he began once again to groom his front paws while the noon sunlight streamed through the windows of the clan’s City offices.
“Yes, mighty Hunter, but…why? We have no interests in the Khava trade, and it is not really a growth industry at this time.” Ruzeen’s pointed nose wrinkled slightly in puzzlement. Like the Besquith alpha, his muzzle fur had faded from rich brown to grey with age. His large liquid eyes, however, were as keen and intelligent as ever as he sat next to a low table that held both a large slate, and Deluge himself.
“It just sort of happened. It was either that or kill a stupid kid who made a stupid mistake. You’ll see to the disposition of the goods?”
“Of course, mighty Hunter.”
“Ruzeen, you’ve known me since I was a kit,” Deluge said.
“I have. You were an adorable ball of orange fury,” the factor said.
“See? Why do you insist on being so formal with me now?”
“Because that is the way things are done, mighty Hunter. And also because I know it bothers you.”
Deluge blinked, his ear twitching in surprise. Ruzeen eyed him sidelong and dropped his own jaw in a smile.
“Ruzeen!”
“You deserve it, young master. Especially when you come in here telling such stories! First you go out hunting Cheelin, then you return with nothing but the stingers and poison sacs—”
“And a booth full of Besquith Khava!”
“Oh, more than that, mighty Hunter. I know Jhurrahkk. She has entire warehouses full of goods. You did say you purchased all of her inventory, did you not?”
“Well…yes.”
Ruzeen dropped his jaw again and this time let out a short, barking laughter.
“You have no idea! The Besquith here on Khatash were into much more than just spiced fish, mighty Hunter! You’re now the proud owner of enough starship and atmospheric craft avionics parts to resupply every one of the Elders’ Basreeni.”
Deluge froze, paw halfway up to his face, mouth open, tongue out. The Basreeni fighter was designed by the Jeha, and while it wasn’t overly maintenance intensive, the Council of Elders had wisely purchased a bench stock of parts from the insectoid alien engineers. Apparently, that deal had been brokered by the Besquith, and Deluge had just purchased himself into the very lucrative position of middleman.
“Well,” Deluge said. “That is very interesting. I…ah…”
“Never fear, young master,” Ruzeen said, his smile turning indulgent. “You may leave it with me. I know exactly how to play this to best benefit our clan.”
“Of course you do,” Deluge said, recovering his aplomb in an instant. He resumed grooming his face, and then stood up and indulged in a lengthy stretch on the Zuul’s work table. “This is why I come to you with these matters.”
“And because you don’t know anyone else you can trust in the City.”
“And because of that, too.”
“So, you’ve hunted the deadly Cheelin and fleeced the even deadlier Besquith. What will you do now, young master?”
“I shall return home, I think. It has been a while, and Dama should likely hear of the Besquith affair from me. In case there are…repercussions.”
“That would be wise,” Ruzeen said, dipping his head as
his smile dropped away. “You acted with propriety, but the Besquith can be unpredictable. You see clearly in this matter. Our dama will likely be returning to the den within the ninenight.”
“Oh? Where has she gone? A contract?”
“No, young master, you did not hear? I suppose the word went out after you left last. A Council has been called. The Union needs a new Peacemaker.”
“What of the current Peacemaker?”
“She will be promoted to Governor, representing the will of the Council to the Union. The former Governor has laid down this life,” Ruzeen said.
“May she find her next one swiftly,” Deluge responded. The platitude came automatically to his lips, but his mind raced through the possible implications of these events. “So, our dama will help choose the next Peacemaker.”
“At the very least,” Ruzeen said. Deluge looked sharply up at the wily old Zuul, but Ruzeen was known for his discretion. He merely closed his mouth and gave the Hunter a sly look and a nod.
Deluge let out a little sigh and then stood up to his back feet.
“Well, then I must certainly return home as soon as possible,” he said. “Have you anything for me to carry? Messages or anything else?”
“An offer of contract came in from one of our dealers,” Ruzeen said. “It requests your sister Silent Flame, though she may not be back from her previous commitment. Our dealer was very clear on the point that she might not be available. The client will accept a member of the clan in her stead. It might be a good offer for you, young master, now that I think of it.”
“What is the contract?”
“A Lumar mercenary company is not fond of their commanding officer. Apparently, he puts them into terrible positions and then blames the rest of them. Discipline is overly harsh, according to them, and they aren’t getting their appropriate share of the contract payouts.”
“They must be getting some, if they can afford us.”
“I believe they’ve saved up for some time for this purpose. One wonders why they didn’t just take care of the commander during a mission…but then, the Lumar aren’t known for being the smartest race in the galaxy.”
“The name of the company?”
“‘Proud Fist.’”
“How very…Lumar.”
“Snobbery is unbecoming, young master. Please give our dama my love when you see her.”
“I will, Ruzeen. Thank you.”
Deluge dropped back down to four feet and walked over to where the Zuul sat watching him. With a low purr, the Hunter reared up and rubbed his face along the Zuul’s cheekbone, mingling their scents together, marking Ruzeen as clan, as family. The canid factor let out a small rumble of pleasure and reached up to stroke Deluge’s fur from ears to tail in return.
Without another word (because what more needed to be said?) Deluge leapt down from the factor’s desk and walked out into the searingly bright sunlight.
* * * * *
Recall
It didn’t take long to get home to the den.
Deluge hopped a suborbital, which rocketed him to the Clan’s territory in less than half a Mrur. When it touched down on the familiar plateau, he felt a thrill of joy ripple through him. The door of the shuttle opened with a hiss, and the mountain air flowed in. While he wasn’t the only passenger, he was the only kit of the Clan on board. And since his Clan paid for this particular shuttle service to their lands, the pilot ordered that the others remain strapped in their seats until he’d disembarked. He appreciated the courtesy, and gave the pilot a brief nod as he passed the cockpit on the way out.
The pilot lifted his paw, claws retracted, in response. Deluge didn’t recognize the Hunter, but it wasn’t unusual for his Clan to contract with the aerial Hunters who flew the Basreeni fighters to do this work for a season or two. Perhaps in a night or so, Deluge would venture out here and learn the pilot’s name and Clan. It was always good to be sociable and make new acquaintances. One never knew when they’d be useful.
But not now. Now, he was home, and the moment the pads of his paws touched the soft, springy mountain soil, Deluge knew he’d been away too long. He broke into a run, his muscles burning pleasantly after too long immobile on the shuttle. He dove into the shadows of the jungle that ringed the shuttle landing pad and blinked twice in rapid succession. His sunlight goggles retracted smoothly into the harness he wore around his ears as the green darkness enveloped him.
The path from the shuttle pad to the Den wound for about three sprints through the undergrowth until it approached an ancient rockfall on the side of the ridge. Deluge headed straight for this, reveling in the feel of his body stretching and moving, his blood and quintessence flowing through him as he charged up the mountain slope toward the gap in the boulders that served as a front door.
By all the stars in the sky, how he hated sitting still!
Flushed and happy from the exercise, Deluge slipped through the boulder gap and slowed to a walk in the tunnel beyond. The floor dipped downward here, in a long, curving ramp that further cut the daylight from outside. Even Hunter eyes strained to see in this darkness, but Deluge knew every step like he knew the pattern of his own fur. At the bottom of the slope, a sharp right followed by a sharp left, and then a door that slid up into the ceiling as he approached.
Cool, comfortable light flooded the tunnel, causing his dilated pupils to contract quickly, and a voice spoke his name with the barest of lisps.
“Choking Deluge. I greet you, kit of my heart. Welcome home.”
“Susa,” he said and launched himself toward her tall, slender form. She reached out to him, laughing as he leapt into the slimly-muscled Human arms that had held him since he was a tiny kitten. Just as she had done back then, Susa pulled him close to her chest and bent her head so he could more easily rub his cheekbone against hers. Her scent filled his nostrils and, more than anything else, made him feel as if he were finally, truly home.
“I missed you, Del,” the Human woman said, burying her nose in his fur. Deluge felt the warm rumble of pleasure start to fill his throat and move through his body.
“I missed you too, Susa,” he said. “So much that I forget the niceties. I greet you, molly who raised me.”
She let out a Human laugh, throwing her head back after the fashion of her species. Like most Humans, Susa’s only real fur grew from the top of her head. Long and iron-grey, it moved as she did and carried her comforting, slightly spicy scent. Currently, she wore it woven together into something that resembled a rope and dangled down over her shoulder. Adult though he was, Deluge couldn’t resist swatting at the tail of it while she carried him further into the Den.
“You know, just because I’m carrying you like a kitten doesn’t mean you need to act like one, Del,” Susa said. “I should put you down and make you walk. Any respectable molly would.”
“You’re better than a respectable molly. You’re Human. Which means that besides being unique, you’re also big enough to carry me as an adult. And don’t pretend you don’t enjoy cuddling us just as much as we enjoy you doing it.”
Her laugh rippled out again, and she scratched deliciously behind his ears.
“Your sister-kita Death is here with her lover,” Susa went on. “And Flame is expected any day now. Your brother-kit went with Dama to the council, as her aide.”
“Mmmmrr,” Deluge purred, “That sounds like Blade. He was always good at that kind of stuff.”
“He does have an interest in politics and things beyond his own belly, that is true,” the molly said, her gentle tone teasing.
“I will have you know, Susa, that I bested a Besquith trader in the City.”
“Oh? Bested in what way?”
“I bargained her into a corner until she was forced to sell me all of her possessions and inventory on Khatash.”
“I see,” Susa said. “Very impressive. And what did this Besquith receive for her price?”
“The life of her child, forfeit by his own actions.”
“Del,” the teasing left Susa’s tone, only to be replaced by mild censure. “If his life was forfeit, it was forfeit. You know the laws.”
“It was forfeit for threatening me. He had no forbidden knowledge. All I did was give them time to get off planet. It was well done.”
“If you do say so yourself.”
“I did say so. You just heard me.”
Susa laughed again and shook her head, causing that tantalizing rope of fur to bounce on her chest. Deluge thought about swatting at it again, but she had stopped walking, and the door in front of them was in the process of retracting into the ceiling, revealing the open space of the family gathering room ahead.
The room was large and round but managed to be comfortable and cozy just the same. The light was tinted slightly green, so as to mimic the natural light of Khatash outside. It filtered down on various steps and pedestals and ledges, all covered in plush fabric. They were arranged in clusters and provided plenty of spaces to sit or lounge for conversations.
Susa gave him one last Human-style kiss between his ears before depositing him on one of the pedestals.
“I will tell your sister-kita you are here,” she said as she walked toward the back door. “And alert the kitchen. You must be starving.”
“I ate this morning, in the City.”
“What does that signify, Del? You are always starving,” she said with a wink over her shoulder as she headed for the back door of the room. “Welcome home.”
Deluge flopped onto his back on the pedestal and stretched out his arms and legs.
“It’s good to be home,” he replied.
* * *
The trip home took barely any time at all.
That might have been a factor of Mhrand’s presence, though, and the joy that Death couldn’t help but feel in his nearness. It was rather sweetly funny to watch him try to be solicitous as they boarded the suborbital. He refused to let her even wear the simplest of harnesses, citing that she shouldn’t be carrying extra weight, and the binding couldn’t be good for the litter.