“So there’s anotherrace involved?” Eth asked. “The… Baupoco?”
“They look more likeyou or me,” Dentrat said. “Two arms but they also have shorttails. They prefer to go unclothed as a matter of pride. It’s saidthey have... two tails...”
“Yes,” Luna saidhastily. “You meet regularly with your enemies?”
“They aren’tour enemies,” Dentrat corrected her. “We send small war partiesevery four tens. The honor wars were devised many generations ago toprovide a steady flow of honorably captured subjects for the gods.”
He looked around theroom at the armored people sitting at the table with him. “I begyou to return me to the Mictan,” he said earnestly. “Our godswill be jealous that new gods have come and taken their offering fromthem.”
Adelina sat forward,putting her palms on the table. She opened her mouth but her sisterwas ahead of her.
Luna held out a warninghand to Adelina and turned to Dentrat. “We’re not gods,” shetold him gently but firmly. “We’re simply people like you thathave access to more advanced equipment.”
“You’re testingme,” he insisted, shaking his head. “You fly through the air sofast you make the sky roar in fear.”
“I was the one whotook you from the pyramid,” Gabriella told him. “I brought youinside my flying machine. You flew through the air to get here, justlike me. Does that make you a god?”
“The flying creatureserves you, not me,” he countered. “I flew because youchose to convey me here.”
“Hells,” Ethmuttered, “he’s starting to convince me!”
“Either way,” Glebsaid with a note of finality, “we’re not in the business ofkidnapping people and holding them against their will. If Dentratwants to return to his fate at the hands of the Mictan, we have noright to stop him.
“But we’ve learnedthat there are populations of three races living near us, found inthe first few days of searching.” He tilted his head. “If therest of the structure is similarly peopled, there could be Trillionsof sentient beings living on Babilim.
“We’ll send Dentratback as he’s requested, but we should continue searching thestation.” He looked at Eth.
The military commandernodded. “This time, we found pre-technical societies. For all weknow, there could be civilizations here that make our tech look likestone tools. We need to intensify the search.”
“Agreed.” Glebstood and the rest of the room stood as well, even Dentrat, who hadthe sense to copy the behavior around him.
“Hotdog’s flightbrought him,” Luna said, turning to Gabriella. “He can go backthe way he came. Have him standing by at your fighter in one hour.”
They filed out, leavingGabriella with Dentrat.
“Thank-you,”Dentrat said quietly. “I am ready to face my end.”
Gabriella wanted toshake him. How could he stroll meekly back into the midst of thosemurdering savages, knowing what he knew now?
She shot out ofher chair. He doesn’t really know, does he?“Come with me,” shecommanded.
She led him to anearby room set up for training. She opened a pod and gestured. “Getin here. It’s the same typeof machine that taught you our language.”
He gave her a nervouslook but he stepped in and laid back against the inclined backsurface. He said nothing, trusting in the will of the ‘goddess’.
Time to make me a mortal.She gave him the same data-pack she’d received when she’d comeaboard the Mouse inEarth orbit. He’d be freeof the need to die on that pyramid.
Nobody had given herany orders regarding the hour between the end of the meeting and thedeparture time in the hangar. Nobody had forbidden her to offerknowledge to this alien.
The hum of thepod’s field generator died out and Dentrat’s eyes opened. Heremained in place, looking straight out past her at the wall beyond.A single tear escaped hisright eye and rolled down his cheek.
She wasn’tready for this. She’d expected him to bound out of the pod shouting‘eureka’ or something like that. “Do you understand now?” sheasked, reaching out to touch his shoulder.
“I do,” hewhispered. “I understand itall…”
“So you see…” Shehesitated, unsure. “You see there’s no need to return to theMictan for the sacrifice?”
He shook his headslowly. “There is still aneed. The honor of my familyis at stake. If I live on asa coward, they will be executed for my shame.”
“That’sinsane!”
“It is,” heagreed. “I understand that now but it’s no less necessary for itsinsanity. I must die so my relatives can avoid reprisals. Theonly difference now is that my death will have no other meaning.”He stepped out of the pod and brushed past her. “I’ll wait foryou in the hangar,” he said sadly.
She watched him leave,stunned.
She thought she’djust give him knowledge and he’d be saved. Now he’sstill dying but he knows it’s meaningless. He has me to thank forthat.
Without warning,her stomach rebelled. She lurched over to the side of the pod,placing a hand on its side asshe leaned over a trash-collection chute.
She convulsed afew times and then her breakfast came rushing up. Sheretched into the chute, thesour smell of bile in her sinuses.
You’d think I’d learn. Shewiped the back of her hand across her mouth. I needto stop making decisions about other people’s lives.
She drank some waterfrom her suit’s reserves to wash out the taste in her mouth.
Then she left the room to go end Dentrat’s life.
She took a meandering route, not wanting to spendany extra time with the victim. My victim. I thought I was savinghim, though it’s hard to imagine just watching him die.
But that was exactly what she’d have to do now.She stopped wandering and headed for the hangar. The squadron wasstanding there, waiting for her. She wasn’t late, so she offered noexcuses.
Still, having them waiting just made things seemworse. She found Dentrat waiting by her fighter. He clambered aboardwith more familiarity than he’d shown previously.
The flight back to the pyramid took less time thanshe’d expected. She brought her fighter down to hover at the top ofthe pyramid again, while the rest of the squadron floated aboutmenacingly.
She opened the canopy and started to get up butDentrat put a hand on her shoulder.
“I should go alone,” he told her.
“But I caused this mess,” she said. “Maybe Ican…” She stopped, not sure what she was about to say but prettysure it wouldn’t have
