Qyl-Elussab had done as much as any single Vssey possibly could to awaken his kind to the subtle threat in their midst. From the lack of any significant reaction so far, it was evident that was not enough. A third passionate provocation was therefore in order. To distinguish itself, to rise above its predecessors, it should be considerably more destructive than those that had preceded it. A provocation on a wide scale was called for. To carry it out would require much careful planning, lest innocent (or more than the acceptable number of innocent) Vssey perish along with the AAnn interlopers.
Still, it could be done. There were several possibilities. Qyl-Elussab was becoming more proficient at taunting the AAnn, as well as at killing them. Confidence brightened the dim confines of the dwelling area.
Give any Vssey a new vocation and they would inevitably get better with practice.
If not for the presence among the searching party of the two Imperial troopers and Takuuna himself, the raid would have taken on the aspects of a comedy performed by the famous AAnn farceur Louhkouk VBLL. Dismounted from their individual transports, the squad of Vsseyan police hopped through the shattered doorway with all the urgency of a tired cub emerging reluctantly from its bed of sand. The only true indication of their resolve was the agitated writhing of their tentacles.
After allowing the Vsseyan authorities to enter first, just in case anyone within actually happened to harbor a hostile notion and was hefting the means to propitiate it, Takuuna and the pair of troopers pushed their way in past the hopping, bounding police. They found themselves confronting a cluster of a dozen or so startled locals. While several of the Vsseyan police moved to check for weapons, others rushed to the computation equipment that flashed from the back wall. An electronic “freeze” had already been clamped on the entire building to prevent anyone within from erasing archived material of potential significance.
The officer in charge of the Vsseyan contingent beckoned for Takuuna to come forward. The impatient administrator found himself confronting a quavering local of slightly less than average size. Both eyestalks had retracted as far as they could, giving the native's eyes the appearance of resting directly on the cap-like upper portion of its olive-gray body. The hearing frill hardly rippled, while the mouth slit was emitting so many bubbles of nervousness that Takuuna had a hard time seeing through them. Irritably, he reached out and brushed them aside, popping a goodly number in the process. It was a sorry breach of civility, but he was in no mood for coddling.
“This individual is identified as the nominal leader of this circle.” The Vsseyan officer lowered the several small but effective weapons he clutched in his tentacles.
“Yes, I am Moulapuu.” In response to the officer's non-threatening tone, the eyestalks extended themselves timidly. “I am today's designate' principal here.”
“Today'ss?” As always, Takuuna found himself struggling to understand the mushy argot that passed for a language among the locals.
Tentacles gesticulated, and the obnoxious flow of bubbles from the Vssey's mouth mercifully diminished. “Tomorrow, another will be chosen, and after that, another. We rotate our leadership.”
Takuuna nodded, and spoke as if he knew something important the Vssey did not. “A truly excellent way to sshield your membersship. Everyone takess a turn at giving orderss, sso that if anyone is killed, any other can handle the dutiess of leader. An admirable ssysstem for a terrorisst cell.”
“Terrorist cell?” the Vssey squeaked. Both eyes turned to the officer of police. “What is the visitor talking about?”
As the officer replied methodically, tentacles gestured. “You an' your associates are suspecte' of having ties to the unknown organization that has recently carrie' out acts of sabotage against our good Imperial friends.”
“Sabotage? Us?” Tentacles started to ripple with amusement, but the motion ceased when the speaker saw that the intruders, AAnn and Vssey alike, were deadly serious. “What woul' ever give you such an idea? What coul' we have done to inspire such a nonsensical conception?” Behind them, the other members of the group had been herded into a tight knot by the Vsseyan police. The two AAnn troopers were already examining the impressive bank of electronics that dominated the back wall of the room.
Removing his tablet, Takuuna called up the relevant information. “Downsstream monitoring of thiss ssector by elementss of your own government hass revealed frequent and ssysstematic cycling of material relating to demolition, desstruction, and general warfare.” Reversing the tablet, the administrator held the damning screen out for the circle leader to see. Eyestalks strained for the best view.
When no response was forthcoming, a hopeful Takuuna prompted. “Well, pyssin, are you going to tell me that you and your friendss do not recognize any of the viewed material that hass recently been recorded as passing through thiss location?”
His words moved the bewildered Vssey to reply, “No. Of course I recognize it.”
“You are witness.” Takuuna glanced over at the Vsseyan officer. “Thiss one confessess to making usse of the specified material.”
“Certainly I do.” The Vssey was torn between confusion and amusement. Tentacles fluttered at those who had been encircled. “We constitute the circle of Beirranus Enlightenment—Fourth through Twelfth Dynasties.”
Takuuna blinked both sets of eyelids. “Explain your-sself,” he hissed.
Hearing frill undulating serenely now, the speaker proceeded to do just that. “We are a research society whose particular interest lies in re-creating the great battles of the eight fractured ruling families of southern Jast. It is an extensive and ongoing project. Our objective is to imagine and reconstruct the many possible outcomes base' on known historical factors as viewe' through the prism of contemporary knowledge.”
The Vsseyan officer could not repress the twitching of dozens of tentacles as the last of the weapons they held slowly pointed toward the floor. “Historians! This is a conclave of historians.” As word spread around the room, even the AAnn troopers were hard-pressed to conceal their amusement.
Takuuna was not pleased. This was not the overwhelming breakthrough he had hoped to make. Aware that everyone, and in particular the two now-hesitant troopers, was watching him, he fought to fit the preconceived notions with which he had organized and mounted the raid into the inconvenient reality that had presented itself.
“Truly, it sseemss that you are even more clever and cunning than I had thought possible. It iss a very clever cover you have concocted here, but it will not ssave you from further interrogation. Perhapss then other truthss will emerge.” He turned sharply to the Vsseyan officer in charge. “Bring them in. All of them. We will find out how much truth there iss in thiss one'ss claimss and how much may lie sshrewdly concealed beneath artful wordss.”
Weapons drawn, the two troopers advanced to comply with the administrator's orders. The cluster of Vsseyan police were less immediately reactive. Holding their weapons at ease, not hopping to obey, they looked to their superior for further instructions—and clarification.
The leader of the circle of anxious researchers hopped forward until he was within tentacle-touching length of the officer. “Your pleasure, respecte' one! We are nothing more than what we are.” Flexible limbs indicated the speaker's assembled colleagues. “We conduct our research in private because it is frowne' upon by those of the establishment who would brook no questioning of the history of this part of our worl'. Hence the nee' to pursue our work in this private place. We are peaceful citizens who know nothing of the terrible events of which you speak. All of us here have our own friends to return to. Some of us have buddings to nurture. Nothing will come of questioning us about matters on which we are blissfully ignorant, and will only result in deprivation and distress for all concerne'.” Seeing the officer hesitate, the speaker continued.
“All of us are well known. We have recorde' places of dwelling where we can be found at all times, and positions of responsibility that are easily monitore'.” Tentac
les indicated the wall of electronics. “If you must, confiscate an' examine everything that we have utilize' in our work, but please, let us go. We will voluntarily accept monitoring devices.” A chorus of agreement rose from the others. “You will quickly see that we pose no harm to anyone or anything, except perhaps orthodox historical theory.”
The plea was as wily as it was impassioned, a frustrated Takuuna realized. Monitoring devices could be tricked. He wasn't so easy. “We will invesstigate everything at the proper time. Bring them along.”
Next to him, the Vsseyan officer was plainly hesitating. Unlike the rest of the squad, the officer was not intimidated by the AAnn administrator or his well-armed escort. “I must tell you that, after hearing what I have hear' and seeing what I have seen, I am no longer convince' such a step is necessary.” Limbs gestured at the nervous assembled. “These citizens are either the finest actors I have ever encountere' in my professional career, or else they are nothing more than what they claim to be: students and investigators of an alternate history. I am incline' to accept their offer to wear monitors until they can be cleare' unreservedly or charge' without hesitation.”
Takuuna whirled on the officer, shoving his face toward the staring eyes. “I have disspenssation to do whatever I deem iss necessary from the uppermosst level of your government, and I ssay all of thesse dissemblerss here need to be brought in for formal quesstioning!”
The officer's eyestalks did not flinch, and the Vssey held its ground in the face of the AAnn's anger. While retaining its distinctive wispishness, the native's voice grew tight.
“While I do not dispute your status, respecte' administrator, I must remin' you that I am in comman' of this local force, an' until an' unless I receive a directive to the contrary, they respon' to my orders an' not to that of guests. No matter how respecte'.”
There was that word again. Guests. Takuuna hoped he would be stationed on Jast long enough to see the appellation removed. But Jast was not yet a part of the Empire. However grating for the AAnn assigned to the world of the Vssey, its nominal independence had to be respected. For a while longer, anyway.
He had worked among the Vssey long enough by now to be able to judge their moods. Eyeing the ordinary members of the constabulary, it was clear that their sympathy lay with their uneasy brethren rather than the task at hand. Though he well knew this clutch of panicky locals was far more likely to consist, as claimed, of revisionist historians instead of murderous conspirators, he was loath to concede the point. Nor did he relish the idea of appearing to concede a posture of control to the obdurate Vssey officer.
But Takuuna had not survived and prospered for as long as he had by showing the stubbornness of a moleq in heat. Ordering one of his troopers to put a gun to the official's upper body might regain the administrator the upper hand. It might also provoke a firefight between AAnn troopers and Vsseyan police. No matter who won, much less survived, such a confrontation, it would not look good on his record. This time, then, it suited him to defer.
He executed an intricate gesture that, in AAnn circles, would have cast the gravest aspersions on the legitimacy of the officer's lineage. Unfamiliar as he was with the arm and tail movements of the scaled visitors, the subject of the appalling slander did not respond. But both of the AAnn troopers hissed a mixture of shock and amusement.
“Ssince you are determined to inssisst on thiss matter, I sshall concede the point. If future eventss sshould determine that your assessment of the ssituation iss horribly wrong, I have no doubt that your own buddingss will be assigned to pull out your eyess and tentacless one at a time.” While far from satisfied with the outcome of the raid, Takuuna took satisfaction in knowing that he would depart fully insulated from any adverse consequences that might ensue.
The Vsseyan officer tensed visibly, tentacles stiffening and hearing frill going motionless. “I accept the responsibility.” Pivoting in place, the whole trunk-and-cap body inclined slightly in the direction of the still tightly bunched cluster of suspects. “As we have only a few monitoring devices with us, we will nee' identification and notification of places of residence from all of you so that those not properly equippe' can be fitte' at a future time an' date.”
“ ‘Future date.’ ” Takuuna inhaled stiffly through the nostrils set on the end of his short snout. “If you are wrong about any of thesse, you will never ssee them again.”
As the officer's subordinates moved to fix several of the assembled with the tiny tracking devices, the senior Vssey's eyes swiveled to regard the AAnn administrator. “You shoul' not concern yourself. It is my eyes that are pledge', not yours.”
“Truly,” agreed Takuuna. He was not entirely displeased. Any operation that perpetuated his authority was a useful one. Any circle of Vssey that could not be indicted for being filthy with dangerous malcontents was one that could be officially listed as inoffensive. Either assessment was of value.
Prove them guilty or prove them innocent, he could take the credit for being the one who had done so.
Days later, back at work in his expanded, much enlarged office within the Imperial Administration compound on the outskirts of Skokosas, Takuuna took time to savor some of the snacks that had been set out on his desk by his adjutant. The expensive treats had been imported all the way from Goavssav, an Imperial world noted for the excellence and sophistication of its food exports. As a secondary administrator he would never have been able to afford such luxuries. But as the head of the special detachment in charge of rooting out the perpetrators of the violent outrages against the Imperial presence on Jast, he had received a salary increase commensurate with his promotion in status. It was not quite the equal of an official divestiture of a personal hierarchical subjunctive, but as an intermediary rise in status it brought with it unquestionable advantages.
The snacks did their best to escape his attention, racing about on miniscule legs. Unable to escape the smooth, polished confines of the serving dish, they eventually resorted to trying to hide in its corners. Since the serving dish was perfectly round, this tactic was doomed to failure before it began. He relished them one after another, using his long tongue to ritually lick their sticky internal body fluids from his claws after each was crunched and consumed, until at last the dish stood silent and empty. Only then, his appetite sated, did he activate his personal communicator.
It took several moments for a response to form. That was to be expected. As the head of Imperial Administration on Jast, Keliichu was forever busy. He could not be expected to drop whatever he was doing simply to reply to a call from the head of a special unit, much less a secondary administrator. Eventually, however, the imposing figure of the elderly AAnn coalesced out of the air to the immediate right of Takuuna's desk.
And as usual, the gaunt, ax-like face wasted no time on pleasantries. “What newss of your progress, Unit Leader Takuuna?”
The administrator gestured second-degree satisfaction. “As the ressult of careful planning and preparation, a recent raid in the city of Wevepevv in the southern continent expossed a ssecret faction of native academicss whosse activitiess invite not only general ssusspicion but in all probability will necessitate a good deal of additional monitoring of their immediate circle. I have already put in the requesst for the necessary additional personnel.”
Keliichu glanced briefly at something out of the range of his pickup. “It lately sstrikess not only myself but otherss that the ability on your part to expand your budget and sstaff iss not matched by a corressponding facility for actually capturing thesse malefactorss.”
Takuuna was glad his tail was out of range of the pickup on his desk, so that the senior administrator could not observe its nervous twitching. “While it iss true that one musst proceed expeditioussly in ssuch matters, proper care and prudence musst alsso be taken. Imagine the harm to our image among the population sshould we unjusstly accusse or imprisson any of the guiltless among them.” He delivered this admonition with practiced skill, blithely ignoring the fact
that that was precisely what he had nearly done in Wevepevv.
Keliichu gestured first-degree irritation, a dollop of digital punctuation so biting that it caused Takuuna to cringe. “I want ressultss, Unit Leader! Caution in a difficult ssituation iss to be commended. Incapability iss not. You are pressently in command of extenssive ressourcess, at conssiderable expensse to the Imperial financess. Other ssectorss of our pressence on Jasst are doing without sso that you may do with.” Keen eyes glared from the depths of the senior administrator's image.
“If you cannot be productive in the capacity to which you have been assigned, perhapss a more appropriate possting can be found. I await with eagerness your next report.”
The communication's image dissipated in a flicker of discontent, leaving a troubled Takuuna alone in his silent, impressive new office. There was no mistaking Keliichu's warning. Either the special unit Takuuna commanded produced an actual radical or two, or he would quickly find himself back shuffling reports and dealing with the mundane problems of the everyday AAnn presence on Jast. Not a likely position from which to obtain significant advancement. He hissed wearily. It appeared that he was going to actually have to do something. A difficult undertaking, he reflected, given the distinct possibility that there was no large-scale insurrection directed at the AAnn.
But someone was responsible for the two serious acts of violence that had been directed at the Imperial presence. About that, there was no dispute. All he had to do was find those responsible. It seemed such a simple, straightforward task. If only these so-called sentients, these somnambulistic Vssey, were more like the AAnn! Everything moved so slowly on Jast, everything had to be done by consensus. As far as he was concerned, the natives were barely a generation removed from the fixed-site creatures from which they had evolved.