Haplif had taken the first two months to organize and prep his people and to learn as much of the Chiss language Cheunh as he could manage in so brief a time. Since then, the group had spent three months in the Chiss Ascendancy, visiting eleven different regions on five different planets, talking with everyone from mid-range family officials to regular working citizens. The supply of spices they’d brought to fund the operation was slowly but steadily decreasing, roughly in proportion with the steady increase in Haplif’s frustration.
Three months. Three completely wasted months.
Seated at an outdoor table in a town whose name he’d forgotten, feeling the mocking sunshine on his face, he listened to the even more mocking music of the street festival going on all around him and glowered to himself. Three months and five worlds, and he still was no closer to getting a handle on these people.
That there were such handles wasn’t in doubt. There was no way an ordered society could function without them. But the way the family structure and hierarchy operated internally, combined with how all the families interacted with one another, offered no obvious entry point that a non-Chiss could find and exploit.
The festival music was swelling to yet another climax. If it followed the pattern he’d already heard three times this afternoon, that peak would be followed by about a quarter hour of silence. At least he would have that much peace before the raucous sound resumed.
He took a sip of his drink—it didn’t taste very much like his favorite ale, but it was the closest he’d found so far in this worthless collection of planets—and pulled out his datarec. He’d already decided it was time to move on to another Chiss world and try again. The question was, which one?
He had no idea which would be the most promising. There was a fair chance that none of them would. But Jixtus had given him a task, and the promised payment and the hope of finally being done with this wearying work for a while would keep him going.
That, plus his own pride. No alien species had yet been able to resist him, and the Chiss were not going to be the exception.
But if it was going to happen, it had to happen soon. Two days ago he’d received news from Jixtus that the Chiss had defeated the Nikardun forces over Primea and General Yiv the Benevolent had vanished from sight. Haplif’s plan had been to get his operation here fully under way while Yiv’s threat pulled official attention outward, but now that hope was gone. There would be a short period before life in the Ascendancy returned to normal, at which point the people in charge of order and security would be once again paying full attention to their own backyards.
That wouldn’t be an insurmountable barrier. But it would make things harder.
The music ended. Finally. Hunching over the table, Haplif punched up the Ascendancy star charts and began tapping up the data sheets on the nearest planets. He’d read those summaries a dozen times already, but maybe this time around something would catch his eye with a hint on how he should proceed.
He frowned. With the music silenced, he was now able to hear the conversation going on two tables over. A pair of young Chiss, one male, one female, were chattering away to each other, and despite Haplif’s language limitations it was quickly clear that they, too, were discussing finances and trying to decide where to go next. Not where to go in the local festival, but which planet they would travel to.
It was worth a shot. “Excuse me,” he said in Minnisiat as he turned to face them. “Do you speak this language?”
The two Chiss seemed startled to see an alien face peering out from beneath the hooded cloak Haplif had taken to wearing after one too many patroller stops on various streets. A close look would immediately reveal his features, of course, but there were enough Chiss who also wore such garments that he now blended better into the crowds. At least the hood limited the number of stops that had been due solely to worried passerby call-ins.
The boy recovered first. “Yes, we speak it,” he said, though his halting cadence suggested he had more book learning than actual experience. “Forgive my surprise, but we haven’t seen any other beings of your type in our travels. Who are you?”
“I am Haplif of the Agbui,” Haplif said, giving him a little head bow. “I and my people are cultural nomads, who travel the stars seeking knowledge and enrichment for our lives.”
The boy’s face lit up. “Really? That’s just what we’re doing.” He got up from his seat, picked up his drink, and crossed to Haplif’s table. After a second’s hesitation, the girl followed suit. “I’m Yoponek, and this is Yomie, my betrothed,” the boy said as they sat down across from him.
“Honored to meet you both,” Haplif said, trying to read their voices and faces. Young and enthusiastic, which often came pre-packaged with idealism. That should make them easy to manipulate.
Still, he needed to step carefully. He couldn’t afford to bungle this chance. “That is indeed a blessing of luck,” he continued. “I was puzzling on where my people should travel next. As you are engaged in the same quest for wisdom, perhaps you could offer advice.”
“Certainly,” Yoponek said. “What exactly are you looking for?”
“We have tasted some of the breadth of what the Chiss people have to offer,” Haplif said. “But I feel we are missing the true depth and grandeur of your worlds. Where, would you say, is the full richness of the Chiss Ascendancy to be found?”
“A stroke of luck indeed,” Yoponek said. “Again, that’s also our quest. We’re in our wandering year, the period of time between primary and final education. We’ve chosen to spend it traveling the Ascendancy.”
“An amazing and unique concept,” Haplif said, skipping over the fact that he could name at least five other cultures that did the same thing. “Do you have a specific field of study?”
“Well, I’m a student of history and Chiss culture,” Yoponek said. “So pretty much anything we see and experience is in my area. Yomie—” he sent her an appraising look “—is much more a student of everything.”
“So even more intrigued by everything in the Ascendancy,” Haplif concluded, nodding. “An exciting time for you, indeed. So for a year you are free to move about as you wish?”
“For another five months,” Yomie corrected, her nose wrinkling a bit. “And it’s hardly free.”
“We’re doing all right,” Yoponek said, giving her a slightly annoyed look. “We just have to be careful with our money from now on.”
Haplif suppressed a smile. Perfect. “I understand the challenges of limited funds,” he said, switching his attention to the girl. Clearly, she was the practical one of the pair. If he could convince her, the boy would follow. “But there’s an obvious solution for both our problems. I suggest we combine our efforts.”
“What do you mean?” the girl asked, frowning.
“I offer you passage aboard our ship,” Haplif said. “That will save a great deal of your funding. In exchange, you would offer your services as guides and mentors, saving us missteps and wasted efforts.”
The two Chiss exchanged looks. “What if we want to go someplace you don’t?” Yoponek asked.
“Not a problem,” Haplif said. “We have no fixed itinerary, nor have we anywhere in particular we wish to go. Cultural nomads go where the wind of fate takes them. We would happily allow you to be that wind, following wherever you lead.”
Again, the two looked at each other. “What do you think?” Yoponek asked, switching back to Cheunh.
“It would make the finances work better,” the girl said, sounding a little hesitant. “Not exactly what we’d planned, though.”
“We would also of course provide sustenance throughout our journey,” Haplif put in. “Our experience has shown that our two species can eat the same food and require the same nutrients. And of course, we’ll also be buying other exotic foods, which will offer you more variety.”
“We did talk about sampling the various cuisines along the way,” Yoponek pointed out.
“I know,” Yomie said.
But Haplif could still hear the doubt in her voice…and if she didn’t come around in the next few seconds, he’d have lost them both.
He gave a silent inner growl. He’d wanted to continue using only the spices for their income and hold off on bringing out the jewelry until the time and place where they would do the most strategic good. But Yomie was teetering on the line, and the two rings and woven necklace she was wearing suggested that she appreciated fine jewelry. No choice but to switch plans.
“You seem uncertain,” he said. “If I may, allow me to offer one more inducement.” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a brooch, one of several he carried. “I would be honored if you would accept a small gift,” he continued, placing it on the table in front of her. “There’s no commitment suggested or required. I gift it to you simply in gratitude for listening to my offer.”
The girl tried to play it casual, pausing for a full two seconds before picking it up. But Haplif could see the gleam in those glowing red eyes as she gazed at the delicate swirl and interweaving of the metal threads. “It’s nice,” she allowed, again trying to hide the true depth of her interest. Haplif watched her closely, noting that the boy was doing the same. Definitely the decision maker of the pair.
She took a deep, deciding breath. “All right,” she said. “If Yoponek’s happy to go with you, so am I. At least, for a time.”
“Then it’s settled,” Haplif said, beaming his best cheerful smile. “Whenever you’re ready, I’d be honored to show you to our ship. Once we’re there, you can discuss and then decide what our next destination should be.”
“We’ll also need separate sleeping compartments,” Yoponek said. “Not just separate beds, but separate compartments.”
“Yes, of course,” Haplif said, hiding his surprise. Most species’ betrothal customs and restrictions, at least those he’d seen on his various jobs, seemed to be held more in theory than in actual practice. This couple was apparently more serious about following them. “Whatever you need, we can supply.”
From across the festival grounds came the sounds of musicians warming up their instruments. “Can we listen to one more set first?” Yomie asked, looking at the boy. “I really like their style.”
“Of course.” Yoponek looked at Haplif. “If that’s all right?”
“Absolutely,” Haplif said, being careful not to let his cheerful façade slip. “As I said, I and the Agbui are completely at your disposal.”
He hesitated, recognizing that this next step might be a little too early in their still-tenuous relationship. But he needed to be sure. Reaching across the table, he brushed his fingertips across Yoponek’s temple, pushing back a few strands of hair as he did so.
The boy twitched, but didn’t pull away. “What was that for?” he asked.
“It’s an Agbui gesture of greeting and friendship,” Haplif said, reaching next toward Yomie. The girl tried to duck away from the approaching fingers, but Haplif managed a brief touch. “I’m sorry—is it offensive to you?”
“It’s all right,” Yoponek said. “Yomie?”
“It’s fine,” Yomie said stiffly, her glowing red eyes narrowed and glaring.
“My apologies,” Haplif said, ducking his head toward her. “With like-minded souls, I sometimes forget I’m not among fellow Agbui.”
“It’s all right,” Yomie said, relaxing a little.
“But I intruded,” Haplif said humbly. “I will try to remember my proper place in the future. In the meantime, let us enjoy the performance together.”
The music started up. Yoponek turned his chair around in the direction of the musicians; with a lingering look at Haplif, Yomie did likewise. They settled back to listen, their hands entwined in each other’s.
With their faces turned away, Haplif finally permitted himself a small, triumphant smile. Yoponek was already enthusiastic about the free travel and cultural opportunities, he’d seen in that quick pass-by. Yomie, while more cautious, was at least warming up to the idea. As long as Haplif and the others didn’t make any blatant missteps, their new guests should settle in comfortably.
And with a pair of Chiss aboard from whom he could study and glean information, the handle he was looking for was bound to show itself.
And once he had the handle, he would have the whole ax.
He settled back in his seat to wait on the convenience of his new unwitting allies. And really, the music wasn’t that bad.