Footfall

The Earth was distant now, and no longer turning beneath them “Synchronous orbit,” Nikolai said. “Above Africa. Look!”

White streaks blazed across Earth’s night. That was Africa, and the digit ships were going down.

“Go now. Tashayamp, take them,” the Bull Elephant said. “Dawson, Raztupisp-minz, stay.”

The Herdmaster waited until the rest had left the theater. Then, before he could speak, Dawson said, “I will not tell my fithp to surrender.”

If Dawson made to grip his eyelid, the Herdmaster would simply slap him across the room. He said, “You will. Raztupispminz, tell him details, but later. Wes Dawson, did you speak with Fathisteh-tulk?”

“Name not known.” Dawson’s eyes flicked sideways, at Raztupisp-minz. “Wait. Second in leader status? Advisor?”

“Yes.”

“He came to me.”

“Raztupisp-minz, you permitted this?”

Breaker-One Raztupisp-minz hesitated, then gestured affirmation. “The Advisor thought he might find an unusual angle of approach. I thought it worth a try.”

Takpusseh’s thuktun at the time had been the Soviets. Raztupisp-minz had been studying Dawson alone. Balked by Takpusseh, Fathisteh-tulk would have had to go to Raztupisp-minz. “Dawson, what was said?”

The human still lacked skill in the speech of the thuktunthp. Questioning him took more time than the Herdmaster liked, but he persisted.

According to Dawscon’s tale, when he reached his room after his first foray into the ducts, there was a piece of cloth over his night light, and a fi’ was waiting for him. A pressure suit helmet and glove covered its face and digits.

“Then how can you know you spoke to Fathisteh-tulk?” the Herdmaster demanded.

“I make him take it off.”

“Did you. How?”

“Reason he was in my room, he will not tell. He asked questions. ‘We take Winterhome. Query: is this wrong? We use moons and circling rocks, not want planets. Query: is it true? Tell why. Tell if humans took wealth from space.’ ”

The rogue human shrugged. “I tell fi’, Wes Dawson. Congressman. 514-55-2316.”

“I don’t understand,” said the Herdmaster.

“Warrior under foot of enemy give his name, standing, and number, and not else.”

“Wrong. Tell more.”

“He said, ‘Dawson, you gave your surrender.’ I said, ‘I not surrendered to you. Who are you? If I talk to you, who is enraged?’ ”

The arrogant creature actually had a point. “Very proper.”

“He take his helmet off. I take the cloth off the light. He said, ‘I am the Herdmaster’s Advisor. Query: war with Earth is wrong? We want Space, not Earth?’

“I said, ‘Yes.’”

“Of course you did. Go on.”

“What is …” Dawson tried to wrap his mouth around an unfamiliar fithp word “… fufisthengalss?”

Dissident. “You have no need to know. Speak further.”

“He said he is fufisthengalss. Fufisthengalss are many. Fufisthengalss want to go away from Winterhome. I say, ‘It sound pretty to me. Query: I can help?’

“He said, ‘Give me reasons if Thuktun Flishithy leave Winterhome.’

“I tell him about loot of Moon and Mars and asteroids. Metals. Oxygen bound in rocks and dust. Things to make in free-fall, cannot do under thrust. Power from sunlight, not thinned by Winterhome air, not blocked by Winterhome storms and Winterhome night. We only begin to take the loot of space when you come to take the loot of Winterhome. Let us alone and we move all dirty industry to space, turn Winterhome into… into Garden.”

“Fathisteh-tulk would have enjoyed hearing that.”

“He enjoy. He is hurrying. He leave before I finish. I not see him after.” Dawson’s digits flicked toward the screen that showed Fathisteh-tulk’s corpse. “Some fithp disagree with fufisthengalssthp?”

“Did you have more to tell?”

“Yes. One time we have foolish entertainment given by television. Imaginary fithp from another star come to Winterhome, rob oceans of water for their own planet. No sense. Why not go to Saturn, the ringed gas giant for water, where it is already frozen to be moved with ease, where are no human fithp to shoot back?

“The tale sounds foolish enough, but—”

“Traveler Fithp are no smarter. Message Bearer is fithp home for eight-squared years or more. Supplied again at Saturn. Could last forever. Why you need to smash Winterhome?”

“That is in my thuktun, not yours. Do you know or guess who killed my Advisor?”

“Many fithp, not one. No fi’ does things alone.”

This insight was hardly worth the mentioning, save for one thing. The Herdmaster had asked around. Dissidents, warriors returned from Winterhome, mated and unmated females, juveniles: nobody knew anything. It seemed impossible… and even Dawson thought so. “You speak well. More?”

The human’s shoulders moved. “Not fufisthengalssthp, for Fathisteh-tulk must have been of that fithp. Not human, for he wanted to leave Winterhome unhurt. Did he offend Fistarteh-thuktun? Do fithp kill for what they believe?”

“We do. Why do you suspect Fistarteh-thuktun?”

“I do not. The warmakers, they killed the Herdmaster’s Advisor. Are they many? Can you choose one who is nearest to becoming rogue? Smashing Winterhome is a rogue’s act. You must have many possible rogues.”