My Kingdom Come Book 2: The Beast Inside (On hold)

Chapter 2: A Question of Trust

667 standard years after the signing of the Alliance treaty

"I'd like permission to speak with Hathu."

General Kahn frowned at Valenna over his desktop. "Why?"

"He hasn't given us any information that will allow us to actually read the message for ourselves. Unless you want to rely on his translation on this and any future messages, we need more information."

The general's frown deepened. "Oh. That dammed message. For all the urgency that was put on us to get it translated, the translation wasn't received with much enthusiasm. It certainly wasn't worth all the trouble we put Veli's family through."

The general sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I released Fons back to Colonel Hira last night. His eldest daughter has a medical condition and it seems that Veli and his wife have run out of options for keeping her alive. I have no idea why they wanted Fons back at home with them right now, but Veli insisted." He shrugged helplessly.

"Would it be inappropriate for me to contact Hathu right now?" Valenna asked.

A thoughtful look came over the general's face. "No. Fons isn't related to Veli's family. As long as the family isn't disrupted, it would be fine."

Valenna nodded. "Thank you, General."

She left his office and began walking towards the entrance of the building when she scented ambassador Rayuhtahneetenduhaksa coming down the hall behind her. She slowed her pace so that he would catch up with her.

The sense of calm that seemed to follow the ambassador wherever he went enveloped her as he came up beside her. "Ambassador Farkas." He gave her a small bow.

"Ambassador Rayuhtahneetenduhaksa." She returned the bow. "I have a question for you."

"I am on my way to a meeting, Ambassador Farkas; but I do have a moment, if you don't mind walking with me?"

"Thank you ambassador, my question shouldn't take long to answer."

They began walking down the hall side by side. He was a tall man, taller than the Ir'klahn he served as a peacekeeper, but his species was much more slender than the Ir'Klahn or the Shoiga. He moved gracefully on long, narrow legs, keeping his pace slow so that Valenna could keep up with him on her much shorter legs. His four narrow arms came together in front of him, each set of hands loosely clasped together.

"What is on your mind, Ambassador Farkas?" He asked in his musical language, the tinzim in Valenna's ear translated it into Shoiga for her.

"The comments you made about Hathu during our meeting with him intrigue me. Do you think he's untrustworthy?"

The ambassador was quiet for so long Valenna thought for a moment that he hadn't heard her. She glanced over at his long expressionless face, Bukanisono facial structure looked to her like a cross between the face of an Earth land horse and Earth sea horse.

"You ask a difficult question, Ambassador Farkas," he finally said.

"How so?"

"Hathu is not a diplomat. He cannot be measured by those standards."

Valenna frowned. "I don't understand."

He blinked his large round golden eyes. "Diplomates come to the negotiation table desiring something. They are each willing to trade certain things, or give certain concessions to attain that goal. Hathu has been brought to the table by the Ir'Klahn military many times, but he has never asked for anything there.