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Coming out of the telepresence trance, Gau startled Arkk. One moment the Osk had been lying on its back, still except for its hands, which moved as though in a dream. The next, it sat up, stripped off the visor and gloves, and hopped off the couch with no sign that its attention had ever been off him.
If Arkk had been tense before, the news of what Gau had discovered made it worse.
“It’s everything you feared,” Gau said flatly. “If the Urd catch you they will feed you to the meat factory, and to the suns with the Terran treaty.”
We have to tell the Terrans, Arkk signed. There is evidence now.
The Osk gave a dry laugh. “You want to trust in the Expansion’s sense of justice, go ahead. Just warn me so I can avoid the blood splatter.” Those pale pupils narrowed in a focused gaze that made Arkk squirm. “The truth is, you’re dead meat without my help—literally. You can either leave Rreluush-Tren with me, or go into the meat factory. Those are your choices.”
Arkk asked what he should do. It was hard to make the signs; his hands were shaking.
Gau sighed a bit too quickly, as though it had been waiting for this. “I can’t leave until my ship is repaired, and the equipment to do that is in the hangar. If I had a distraction, I could get Carnivore in and out before anyone noticed.” The Osk paused. “Which is why you’re going to precede me and distract the Urd.”
Arkk was fumbling at the hatch release before Gau finished speaking, ready to flee to the jungle and take his chances with the vortna. A grip on his arm that held unexpected strength stopped him. Arkk tensed to shrug off the Osk when Gau spoke.
“Run if you want to,” Gau said. “I’ll understand if you do. But you know they’re expecting that. And you know as well as I do how that ends.”
The Osk curled around Arkk’s side as soundlessly as smoke, placing a smooth hand over Arkk’s larger one to pull it away from the hatch release. Gau let the hand rest there.
“I know you’re afraid. You have every right to be. The Urd are dangerous. But I’m more dangerous than they are, and I’m on your side.”
The Osk lowered its arm, and after a long moment, Arkk took his hand away from the hatch.
“Good,” Gau said. “Now, here’s what we’re going to do.”