The exalteds quieted. Not even a whisper was audible as Regi took a deep breath. Dante stood too close for decorum, but Regi appreciated the tacit support as he told their story. By the time Regi finished, his mother’s nose had turned a peculiar shade of gray. All the newcomers looked shocked and Bekdi’s lip was curled in displeasure, likely at the plethora of evidence the gods favored Regi and Dante.
“You make it sound worse than it was.” Dante whispered, but this was a debate space. The five-sided room amplified every sound. Dante’s skin began to redden the way it had when he’d been sun-damaged—but there was no sun here.
“We can all agree the gods have blessed you with an excess of disaster and opportunity,” Gimi offered. “Having a freio appear at the cold season temple is proof enough that Retav himself is moving, and the God of retribution rarely stirs himself unless the temple is required to take note.”
Bekdi scoffed. “Gavd has inspired a very fine pebafri to join my ship. I thank my god for his patronage, but I do not assume that Gavd speaks through the animal. We cannot assume that the actions of the sacred animals implies any sort of approval of the outsider as an exalted.”
Gimi gave a derisive huff. “Given that asking potential exalteds to demonstrate a relationship with sacred animals is the oldest and most respected way of establishing that one is an exalted, I would argue that it proves exactly that,” she said.
“From the journals she left behind, Alb a’Oba knew that she was no longer favored by the Lady Oba because the animals no longer acknowledged her,” Nawr said calmly. “So the actions of the animals must be factored into our decisions.”
Bekdi laid his ears back. “You are no longer the senior exalted, and none can say what message Retav might want us to take from having his freio attend the temple. At best we can say that he disapproved of Alb’s decision to encourage monotheists, and as an exalted of Gavd, I assure you that my great Lord would not approve of any use of his name to denigrate his fellow gods. The moment Alb suggested that Divashi was not to be honored, my god would have worked against her, and Gavd and Retav are often called the brothers. Logically, we can draw no other conclusions about how any god may feel about outsiders.”
“Do not lecture me about logic,” Gimi growled. “It is clear that both Retav and Divashi watch the outsiders.”
“Or,” said Bekdi before she could continue, “Retav anticipated the violence of the outsiders given their violent natures and has sent his beast to ensure that those who are wronged by allowing their ship on our planet are allowed to claim retribution.”
“For a thrown ship tile?” Nuruti a’Azsa asked. Regi was shocked at his evident disapproval. In the past he had spoken in support of Bekdi, but something had changed. “I rather believe Retav has more significant issues than an outsider with the self-control of a child who has not yet left his Mother’s Years.”
Bekdi bristled “Perhaps Retav is more concerned about the outsiders’ decision to wipe the computer histories rather than be caught spying.”
“No,” Regi snapped. “You are not allowed to speak untruths.”
Bekdi took a step forward, but Dwill a’Itzpach pulled him back. Bekdi glared at him before declaring, “I speak the truth.”
“The computer was erased, but you cannot speak to motives. He had ordered his people to delete the computer to avoid experimental data being taken,” said Regi. “I promise you that Ter is far too egotistical to steal from others when he sees himself as capable of coming up with far more elegant solutions.”
That caused a swell of whispering around the room, and Regi knew Ter’s popularity would be at an all-time low. Kowri hated that outsiders would steal technology, but they hated it even more when outsiders suggested Kowri tech wasn’t worth stealing.
“Ter is disagreeable and exacting and foul-mouthed and utterly brilliant. We all put up with the first three because of the last.” Regi lifted his chin in defiance.
“If you allow us to punish him, we could ameliorate some of his more disagreeable habits,” one of the newly arrived exalteds suggested. At least he didn’t advocate for execution.
“Ter’s a grown man,” Dante said, and the whole room fell silent. Even the exalteds who had grown used to his presence in the last month were not accustomed to him speaking up during debate. “It seems a little disrespectful to speak of him like he’s a rude child.”
“He is disrespectful and dangerous,” Dwill said, his fur rising.
“He is disrespectful,” Dante said. “I haven’t known him long, but he’s insulted me more creatively than anyone I’ve ever known, and I’ve known some people who had great talent with hyphenated insults. Everything from my asymmetrical hands to my ignorance to my inability to avoid slavery has come up in conversation when I’ve annoyed him, but I don’t expect him to change. Heck, it could be that I aggravate him on purpose because I admire a well-thrown insult. Ignoring that, is it reasonable to get this worked up over a tile getting thrown?”
Minait raised her hand before anyone could speak. The room stilled. “I believe the only issue to debate is the accusation of espionage. The outsider’s rudeness is not ours to address. We cannot parent a poorly socialized individual who is not part of our society. If throwing equipment were cause for legal proceedings, I would have stood in judgment of my husband Rel a’Mufvu long ago. I have seen him throw many a malfunctioning communication display at a wall, and he rarely checks to see where I stand first. Then again, I have more sense than to stand near him when he is in that mood. So we focus on espionage.”
Bekdi stiffened. By the cant of his ears, he thought this was a victory. However, Gimi appeared smug, which meant she believed this gave their side the advantage. Regi was unsure how to react to his mother’s ruling, but the continuing silencesuggested no one wished to challenge the ruling. Minait lowered her hand, and everyone accepted that espionage would be the sole charge against Ter.
“Perhaps we can gather information and speak in smaller groups,” Minait said.
Again, only silence answered as others accepted her judgment. Nawr offered her a smile and pressed his thumbs to his temples before he pulled himself up and leaned on his rolling bar, allowing it to support his weight as he left the room. Bekdi followed, his long strides overtaking Nawr before the elderly Kowri had reached the door, and Dwill hurried after him.
Regi wished he could judge their support by seeing how many Kowri chased Bekdi, but he didn’t know which of the departing exalteds sought out Bekdi and which hoped to have a more private word with Nawr. Either way, most of the exalteds abandoned the room far faster than Regi had anticipated.
Soon he was left with Dante, his mother and a half dozen exalteds he didn’t know. Regi stood and approached his mother, unsure whether he should speak to her as an elder of the temple or a mother he had abandoned. He’d often fantasized about what this day would look like. When he laid in his bunk in the Coalition military training facility, he imagined his mother crying over him when he returned. Of course, back then he’d believed return was impossible, so he had never anticipated seeing her again.
She finished speaking to a skeletally thin da-male who bowed low before taking his leave of her, and the other unfamiliar exalteds left with him.
She remained facing the far wall for long seconds before she turned to him. Regi was taller than his mother now. Not by much, but it felt strange. He’d thought he’d finished growing before he’d left the Empire, but no. Either that or his mother was shrinking.
“You have returned,” she said in a gentle voice he had only heard her use with mothers in distress.
“With Divashi’s guidance, I have,” he agreed.
