have attacked us if Natahk hadn't left his prisoners here?" he asked.
"They would have. At night, probably, not like before. This time, I don't think there would have been enough of us left to make a colony."
"In spite of our wall, our guns, you think they could have…"
"I know they could have. Natahk knew it too. We're naked here, Jules. The Tehkohn know about our guns now. Most people wouldn't get a chance to fire a shot."
"You're forgetting that we know quite a bit about the Tehkohn now too. We just helped win a substantial victory over them."
Alanna lowered her head for a moment, carefully not thinking about that victory. "Did you ever think there might be a way for us to use the Tehkohn? A way that didn't involve fighting them."
Jules frowned. "What way?"
"They could help you against Natahk."
Jules sat up straight. "And do you think I'd want their help? Do you think I'd trust them? My God, as bad as the Garkohn are, at least they've never murdered any of my people."
Alanna spoke softly. "I'm not sure the Tehkohn would have killed any of us either if Natahk's hunters hadn't been using our settlement as a base for their raids on the Tehkohn."
"And on the other hand, the settlement might have been totally destroyed if the Garkohn hadn't been here during that first raid." Jules's voice was bitter. That first raid had taught him just how easily naked unarmed natives slaughtered armed Missionaries.
"But… whatever might have happened, you're even with the Tehkohn now. They've beaten you. You've beaten them. Now you can use them. Let them keep the Garkohn busy and away from you. They've been fighting Garkohn for generations anyway. Now you have a chance to urge them back to it. Then you'll have the freedom to run or join in or do whatever you think is best."
"Manipulate them, you mean? Trick them into ignoring us while they fight each other?"
"Not quite. But the effect would be the same."
"What do you mean, 'not quite'?"
"Working alone, I don't think we can trick the Tehkohn or the Garkohn. We're at war with the Tehkohn and that means most of the prisoners we hold won't believe anything we say. There's no lie we could tell them, no trick we could use that wouldn't be either ignored or even used against us. We're enemies and they would rather kill themselves than co-operate with us in any useful way. And as for the Garkohn, we dare not try to manipulate them into more hostility. They'd drag us in with them."
"They'd do that regardless."
"No. Not if we let the Tehkohn think we're on their side. They can help us stay out of it—or out of most of it. After all, it will be better for them if we stay out."
"From what you've said so far, I don't see how we can make the Tehkohn think anything at all."
"We can change their thinking toward us. Because we can do the one thing Natahk can't do. We can make peace with them. Even now, we can make peace."
"With people who won't believe a word we say. With people we certainly don't have any reason to trust. With kidnapers and murderers…"
"But…"
"No, let me finish. What do you think would happen if we did make overtures to the Tehkohn, successful or not, and the Garkohn found out. They would, you know, the way they spy on us. And what do you think they would do then? Surely slavery would be too gentle."
"Will you hear me, Jules?"
"I'd rather listen to you in the morning when you've… when we've both had food and sleep and time to think."
"No, now, please. Because now you have a prisoner you can work through—one of the ones Natahk left. He's a leader of the Tehkohn and I think he'd listen to you if you approached him. He's freer to decide who to trust than the others are, and if he gives you his promise, you can trust him."
"An honorable butcher."
"A fighter, yes. All the ones with authority are fighters. But he could help you against Natahk."
"I don't want his…"
"And he's not going to be here long."
"What?"
"He's the blue one, Jules, the big one. And
"They would have. At night, probably, not like before. This time, I don't think there would have been enough of us left to make a colony."
"In spite of our wall, our guns, you think they could have…"
"I know they could have. Natahk knew it too. We're naked here, Jules. The Tehkohn know about our guns now. Most people wouldn't get a chance to fire a shot."
"You're forgetting that we know quite a bit about the Tehkohn now too. We just helped win a substantial victory over them."
Alanna lowered her head for a moment, carefully not thinking about that victory. "Did you ever think there might be a way for us to use the Tehkohn? A way that didn't involve fighting them."
Jules frowned. "What way?"
"They could help you against Natahk."
Jules sat up straight. "And do you think I'd want their help? Do you think I'd trust them? My God, as bad as the Garkohn are, at least they've never murdered any of my people."
Alanna spoke softly. "I'm not sure the Tehkohn would have killed any of us either if Natahk's hunters hadn't been using our settlement as a base for their raids on the Tehkohn."
"And on the other hand, the settlement might have been totally destroyed if the Garkohn hadn't been here during that first raid." Jules's voice was bitter. That first raid had taught him just how easily naked unarmed natives slaughtered armed Missionaries.
"But… whatever might have happened, you're even with the Tehkohn now. They've beaten you. You've beaten them. Now you can use them. Let them keep the Garkohn busy and away from you. They've been fighting Garkohn for generations anyway. Now you have a chance to urge them back to it. Then you'll have the freedom to run or join in or do whatever you think is best."
"Manipulate them, you mean? Trick them into ignoring us while they fight each other?"
"Not quite. But the effect would be the same."
"What do you mean, 'not quite'?"
"Working alone, I don't think we can trick the Tehkohn or the Garkohn. We're at war with the Tehkohn and that means most of the prisoners we hold won't believe anything we say. There's no lie we could tell them, no trick we could use that wouldn't be either ignored or even used against us. We're enemies and they would rather kill themselves than co-operate with us in any useful way. And as for the Garkohn, we dare not try to manipulate them into more hostility. They'd drag us in with them."
"They'd do that regardless."
"No. Not if we let the Tehkohn think we're on their side. They can help us stay out of it—or out of most of it. After all, it will be better for them if we stay out."
"From what you've said so far, I don't see how we can make the Tehkohn think anything at all."
"We can change their thinking toward us. Because we can do the one thing Natahk can't do. We can make peace with them. Even now, we can make peace."
"With people who won't believe a word we say. With people we certainly don't have any reason to trust. With kidnapers and murderers…"
"But…"
"No, let me finish. What do you think would happen if we did make overtures to the Tehkohn, successful or not, and the Garkohn found out. They would, you know, the way they spy on us. And what do you think they would do then? Surely slavery would be too gentle."
"Will you hear me, Jules?"
"I'd rather listen to you in the morning when you've… when we've both had food and sleep and time to think."
"No, now, please. Because now you have a prisoner you can work through—one of the ones Natahk left. He's a leader of the Tehkohn and I think he'd listen to you if you approached him. He's freer to decide who to trust than the others are, and if he gives you his promise, you can trust him."
"An honorable butcher."
"A fighter, yes. All the ones with authority are fighters. But he could help you against Natahk."
"I don't want his…"
"And he's not going to be here long."
"What?"
"He's the blue one, Jules, the big one. And
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