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Undoubtedly the Tran slumped into the center chair and staring at them was Rakossa, Solace of the Six
Peaks and so on. Compared to the ruling Tran Ethan had encountered thus far, he seemed to be very
young. There was no white in his gray fur, no crinkling of the skin beneath. He guessed the Landgrave to
be, in human-equivalent terms, younger than himself.
Of the two other Tran seated on either side, one was an older male, the other a young female. Advi-sors,
he mused, or perhaps queen and father. He ex-amined the gargoyle-lined stone disk again, wondered at
the mechanism that powered it.
All three were in turn studying their five visitors with obvious interest, though different expressions.
Valsht approached the throne, halted a correct dis-tance from it. "Your pardon, sir, but I have duties I
must return to." The young Landgrave dismissed the harbormaster with a diffident gesture. Valsht turned,
hurried past the visitors. As he passed, he favored Ethan with a brief, complex, inexplicable stare.
No one spoke or moved. Finally Hunnar stepped forward. "My breath is your warmth, sirs and mad-ame.
We come to you from a far distant land hight Sofold. We come to forge what we hope will be a un-ion, a
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Alan Dean Foster - Mission to Moulokin
confederation of many island-states for the pur-pose of dealing on fair and equal terms with strange new
friends from off-world. These friends," and he indicated Ethan and September.
"They bring great promise and fortune to all Tran who will have the foresight, as your highness surely
will, to join in this unifying proposal. I realize that this thought is& "
Without warning the Landgrave rose, thrust a trem-bling clawed finger at them. "Liars! Offspring of
guttorbyn! You bring promise of naught but enslave-ment and poverty!"
Of all the visitors, only September was not so shocked that he couldn't mutter: "That does it."
Ethan whirled, staring dumbfounded at the giant.
"I knew there was something wrong, lad. When the harbormaster was escorting us here, we passed
through the heart of town. And we were assiduously avoided. No one except the cubs gave us so much as
a curious glance, except the soldiers here in the castle, and even they didn't act too excited. Contrast that
with the stares and inquiries we got from the crews of other rafts.
"Means there's been other humans here before you and me. Or else," and he glanced at the third figure
seated on the dais, the distinguished looking older Tran whom Ethan had guessed to be an advisor or royal
sire, "word of us."
"That is the first truth you have spoken," said the young Landgrave angrily. He gestured to the softly
smiling Tran on his right. " 'Twas fortunate that my good friend here, Calonnin Ro-Vijar, Landgrave of
Arsudun, arrived but two precious days ago. He told me of your infamous plans to enslave and make
ser-vants of the independent peoples of my world, begin-ning with Poyolavomaar."
Hunnar took a couple of steps toward the dais, his hand going toward his sword hilt. "Ro-Vijar, was it you
who had our ship assaulted off your south coast and the Elf a Kurdagh-Vlata kidnapped?"
The older Tran stood, looked imperiously at them. He acted as cool as the air blowing through the open
windows. "I did indeed wish you on your way to the afterlife, traitor, to prevent the spread of your evil
in-tentions."
If the confrontation had begun badly, it was still capable of deteriorating. Ethan moved toward the throne.
"Your highness," he said desperately, "it's Ro-Vijar, who lies to protect his own monopoly and trade with
my people, to poison your mind against us. He trades truth for money."
"Silence and quiet!" Rakossa looked nauseated. "We will not credit the broken words of a hairless k'nith
who masquerades as a true person. Your falsehoods do not touch us."
Ethan saw the eyes of Rakossa, wild and fearful, dangerous and cunning. Yellow with cat-pupils, they
were not human eyes, but there is something in the gaze of a madman that transcends shape, reaches
across genetic distances. There was nothing to be gained by arguing with Tonx Ghin Rakossa. His mind
was made up. Logic and reason would only antagonize him.
Only in the near-neutral expression of the female consort, who had not spoken, was there a hint of
some-thing else. It might be sympathy, it might be sadism. Ethan couldn't tell.
Hunnar's sword came half free of its scabbard. Several of the mosaic walls moved inward, revealed
compartments behind which disgorged dozens of armed Tran. Hunnar stopped.
"Fight and die here," said a tight-voiced Rakossa, "or wait 'til you are properly judged."
"Sounds like that has been done already," Tersund murmured softly.
The Landgrave continued; he looked vastly pleased with himself. "Your ship is already taken, the sailors
aboard already imprisoned. As are those who scat-tered themselves thoughtlessly throughout my city.
You will greet them again in the dungeons below."
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Alan Dean Foster - Mission to Moulokin
Meanwhile Ethan was counting the surrounding pack. They filled the circular chamber until they stood
shoulder to dan. Better to die here than&
He felt a hand cover his beamer as he moved to draw it. "No, young feller-me-lad. There are too many
and likely more behind these. Life is chance, death the absence of opportunity. We've nothin' to lose by
waiting and hoping."
"What chance will we have without beamers, Skua?" But he left the weapon at his waist nonetheless.
Ro-Vijar stepped off the dais and approached them. Without hesitation he undipped Ethan's beamer, then
September's, lastly Williams'.
Other guards began disarming Hunnar and Ter-sund. Then they were escorted from the room. Tran bodies
were packed so tightly around them they could hardly move without stepping on sharp-chived feet.
"Ro-Vijar's the liar, your highness!" Ethan shouted over a shoulder. "He has money in place of a soul!"
Trying hard not to smile, Ro-Vijar whispered to the Landgrave. "Do not tilt your ears to the words of the
sky-outlanders, mighty ruler of mighty state. They are truly more advanced than we poor Tran in
matters of falsehood and deception. You must constantly be-ware their subtle intonations."
"Do not worry, friend Calonnin. We do not intend to pay the slightest attention to their degrading speech."
"Why not," the Landgrave of Arsudun suggested casually as the captives exited from the chamber, "kill
them now and save space in your prison?"
With his usual unnerving quickness, Rakossa turned on Ro-Vijar. "We have listened to you because we
be-lieve in your good advice, friend and fellow ruler Calonnin. Do not think that because of our youth we
will be impetuous instead of methodical. They will be granted fair trial."
"That is only just," Calonnin responded, barely hid-ing his disappointment. He was anxious to be on his
way back to Arsudun. This distant trading city held only crude delights and he wished the more
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