Vk’s nose crumpled. “I do not acknowledge your right to make any decision regarding my actions. Regi may ask me to either accompany him or wait.”
Regi's mother stiffened, and Regi could imagine the offensive comment she might make.
He rested his hand on Vk's arm. “Please wait for me here,” he said. “Having outsiders in the temple proper will only aggravate the exalted, and I hope to save any political capital I may possess to convince them to continue our pursuit of the ship that took Dante and Ter.”
Vk relaxed her nose. “Then I shall wait here for you.” She put her back to the wall and made it clear she intended that statement literally. She would stand guard in this exact spot.
Regi's mother huffed, but she did not disparage Vk's choice. She led them into the temple. “The ship we pursue has changed course, and some are suggesting that the new course is too far out of our way to follow. They say we should abandon the pursuit.”
Regi winced. “And they did not notify me of any debate, which suggests that is the more popular option.”
“It is,” his mother agreed. “I hope that if we work together we may dissuade them of that belief, but I am unsure if they are willing to be dissuaded.”
“I refuse to abandon my crew members,” Regi said.
His mother sighed. “Your devotion, while admirable, will not convince any Kowri of the correct course in this instance.”
Regi understood that. In fact, he suspected some Kowri would be more likely to speak against pursuit because Regi spoke for it. He was not blind to his people’s prejudices.
“What are the objections to the new course?” Regi asked as he followed his mother deeper into the temple. No Coalition ship would have such an expansive open area. A pebafri herd grazed in the distance, and he heard the chittering of dops, although he couldn’t see any. Peewee had chosen to stay in the cabin today even though Regi would have appreciated the dop’s weight on his shoulder.
“Their ship is heading into an area that is largely uninteresting with several navigational hazards that have prevented the Kowri from developing local planets.”
“Why would Bekdi’s ship travel to such a place?”
“That is the question,” Regi's mother said, “and I am hoping that you will provide an answer that is capable of convincing these exalteds that seeking an answer would be wiser than returning to more traveled space.”
She wanted him to say that Divashi was guiding them so the other exalteds would privilege Regi's opinion above those of any other exalted. In general, his mother had much more political influence than he did, so if she hoped he could provide the definitive argument, Divashi was the only logical explanation.
Regi wished she had come to his quarters and spoken to him. They could not discuss the issue freely while avoiding the ire of hostile exalteds. Even now, a Kowri moved toward them through the sacred parklands. His mother bowed her head at the ancient Kowri with gnarled joints.
“Minait a’Otutha,” he said, his voice devoid of emotion.
Regi's mother inclined her head toward him and greeted him with an affectionate “Jeheni a’Gavd.”
He sighed. “When you left, I thought you had chosen to recuse yourself from this debate.”
“Recuse, an interesting verb. It implies that there is reason to doubt my ability to reach a fair judgment. Do you doubt me?”
For a second, Jeheni considered his answer. “Of course not,” he said with a sharp smile. “Your goddess has always put great faith in you.” In the past, Regi would have assumed the exalted meant that literally but knowing how his mother had chosen family over her goddess in such a significant way, he wondered if this exalted wasn't questioning her faith.
If he was, Minait handled the insults with far more aplomb than Regi could have. She smiled and inclined her head toward him. “My goddess chose me when I was very young and has never stopped placing her faith in me.”
Jeheni scowled at her, but he didn't argue.
“Have the others rejoined the debate?” she asked.
“They have,” Jeheni said. “I was not the only one to assume that your departure implied you were removing yourself from debate.”
“Then you are not the only one who is wrong.” She walked toward the meeting rooms where the debate would be taking place. “I chose to ask Regi a’Divashi to join us given that Divashi appears to be the god most involved in this issue.”
Regi touched his thumbs to his temple and tried to feign a respect for Jeheni he did not feel. The old male had tried to hide the debate. That was not honorable.
“Oh?” Jeheni had on a mask of disinterest.
“Perhaps we can speak with the others,” Regi said. He did not want to repeat his arguments nor did he wish to give Jeheni time to construct counter arguments by previewing his position.
Jeheni stared at him, but Regi did not react. He had endured years of Ter’s disagreeable attitude, so a few minutes with a cranky exalted did not impress him.
