Footfall

“Why, he did not say. We went to the mudroom. It had been thawed. He said, ‘Cold, it would be uncomfortable for us. It might freeze my guest. Chintithpit-mang, I insisted that my contact come alone, and he demanded that I do the same, though he is a slave.’

“I said, ’What is he then, a rogue?’ And then I knew. He was to meet a human.

“He said, ‘I want to question him. I think he has much to tell me about the uses of space. He surely has motive to be convincing. When I speak of this meeting to the Year Zero Fithp I don’t want to depend on my unsupported word. You must witness, unseen.’

“I stayed near the far end of the mudroom, hidden from the grill by the curve of the ceiling. The human was behind the grill. I listened. Herdmaster, I hate and fear humans, but this one said things I have always believed. He knew more of the wealth of the spaces between worlds than we have guessed! He spoke of marvelous dreams, of asteroid mines, of towers that would take loot from world to beyond orbit.”

“He told the Advisor that the dissidents were right. I am not amazed,” said the Herdmaster.

“Suddenly the grill came flying out and struck Fathisteh-tulk a stunning blow. The human came after it, kicked at Fathisteh-tulk, and leaped back into the duct.”

“What did the Advisor say?”

“He said nothing. He leapt after the human, to punish—”

“Pause. What upset the human? It had what it wanted. You were there to witness. Exactly what did the Advisor say that so enraged a surrendered human?”

Trapped. After what he had done, lying to the Herdmaster would be a trivial crime; but what did the Herdmaster already know?

The Herdmaster’s accusation rolled forth. “You confronted me in the Garden to tell me that humans are a terrible enemy, that we should turn our backs on them. After one day aboard Message Bearer you volunteered to return to Winterhome. You fought well. Chintithpit-mang, what was here that you feared more than the war? What were you afraid that a fi’ might ask? What did Fathisteh-tulk say to the human?”

It was impossible. “Fathisteh-tulk said that descendants of the human prisoners would serve the Traveler Herd in space, with their smaller food requirements and dexterous digits and their greater knowledge of the worlds of Winterhome-light.”

“Was this what enraged the human?”

“It was.”

“Would you recognize this human again?”

“It was him! That one!”

The Herdmaster turned. “Wes Dawson, did you speak to my Advisor a second time?”

The man said, “Wesley Dawson. Congressman. 514-55-2316.”

“Chintithpit-mang saw you. Did you see him?” The man was silent. “The line you were given for cleaning the ducts, we found its mark deep in Fathisteh-tulk’s snnfp.” Still he was silent. The Herdmaster said, “You must speak.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Chintithpit-mang, why didn’t you help the Advisor?”

“I was stunned.”

“Did it cross your thoughts that the Advisor would say things you didn’t want heard?”

“No! My mind had not moved at all. I knew so little of humans then. A surrendered prisoner attacked a fi’ of the herd!”

“Stunned. Speak further.”

“Fathisteh-tulk went after him. I thought he was reaching for the human, to scoop him out and kill him. But it went on too long, and I tried to think what to do, and then Fathisteh-tulk was pushed out into the mudroom. He was dead.”

“And you?”

“I looked into the duct. I pulled the grill out and looked again. There wasn’t anything. I … put the grill back … I couldn’t find the twist fasteners … I … took the line off Fathisteh-tulk’s snnfp and pushed him into the mud until he was completely covered. Then I left. I went to the emergency control room and set the mudroom to freeze again.”

“Why?”

“What the human said, he might say again if we caught him.”

“Pfoo. You were stunned. From the way the Advisor reacted, don’t you think even a human might learn a lesson? You’ve been on Winterhome, you know they’re bright. Next time he would say, we’ve certainly wondered if there might be things in space worth having, the meteors lead us to think that there are all-metal asteroids and ice strata and air bound loosely in rock, but we have not looked. Well?”

“I didn’t think of it.”

“I think you have lied. You shall be isolated. None shall speak to you henceforth. If you have more to tell me, tell a guard.”

The females’ eyes were fixed on Chintithpit-mang, and he cringed. He tried, “Mang…?” and then Shreshleemang turned away.

The Herdmaster had already forgotten him. “Dawson. We kill rogues.”

The rogue human said, “We kill murderers ourselves, or else we imprison them.”

“When a fithp conspires to murder, we may kill them all, or not. It depends on their grievance. Did you act alone in this?”

“Alone? Of course I was alone. You had kept me isolated for a week.”

“And did you tell others afterward?”

“Wesley Dawson. Congressman. 514-55-2316.”

“You shall be imprisoned alone. None shall speak to you. If you have more to say, tell a guard.”