"So it was there after all," Cvv-panav said, a flicker of his earlier satisfaction returning. "You were right: the Mrach intelligence reports were indeed wrong. Excellent. That means there will be no chance at all of our assault force having to face that weapon."

" 'Yes,' " the reply came. " 'I suppose that's something.' "

"That's everything," Cvv-panav countered. "It's the upcoming victory at Earth that will vault the Dhaa'rr back to power. What's going to happen to you now?"

" 'The Overclan Prime will be sending a ship to return us to Oaccanv.' "

Cvv-panav flicked his tongue in contempt. "Don't let it worry you," he said. "Long before you reach Zhirrzh space, the Overclan Prime will have ceased to exist as a political force. Farewell."

"Close the pathway," he told the Elder. Yes, the ship commanders of his warships would find this good news indeed. As would the Mrachanis towing them; and this would be an excellent opportunity to demonstrate to those nornin-furred aliens that the Zhirrzh weren't dependent on them for information about their enemies. "And open a pathway to the Trillsnake."

Mra was receding behind the Closed Mouth when the word finally came from Oaccanv. "It has happened, Lord-stewart Cavanagh," Nzz-oonaz said, his voice sounding both excited and surprised. "Exactly as you predicted. The Dhaa'rr warships have reported to Warrior Command that the Mrach spacecraft have broken their tow cables and fled into the tunnel-line. The commanders are close to panic—they say they are now within enemy detection range."

"Have the Overclan Prime tell them that as long as they stay where they are, they can't be detected," Cavanagh said. "It's only in the tunnel-line that we can find them. Once we get a proper and official truce established, they'll be able to leave. You can let them know when that happens."

"I obey," Nzz-oonaz said. He turned back to the waiting Elders and began to speak.

Beside Cavanagh, Bronski shook his head. "You called it," he conceded. "But I'm still not sure I believe it. Why would the Mrachanis cut and run that way?"

"Because the only reason they allied with the Zhirrzh in the first place was because they were convinced CIRCE didn't exist," Cavanagh told him. "They'd drugged Ezer Sholom on Mra-mig, remember—they must have learned about CIRCE's nonexistence from him and then cleared out just before we got there. At that point it became a typical Mrach power game: manipulate the Zhirrzh against the Commonwealth and see what advantage they could get out of it. By having Pheylan and Commander Thrr-mezaz plant that story with Cvv-panav's agent, all I did was give them strong evidence that Sholom was wrong."

"Ah," Bronski said, nodding. "Which instantly changed all the percentages they were playing. If CIRCE really did exist, the last thing they'd want would be to get caught in the company of a Zhirrzh war fleet. But how did you know Speaker Cvv-panav would even bother to tell them?"

"Because I've known too many politicians just like him," Cavanagh said. "Politicians who like to gloat and show off their knowledge to allies and enemies alike. And who never let prudence get in the way of their personal agendas."

"Mm," Bronski said. "Speaking of politicians like that, I'll bet Parlimin Jacy VanDiver is going to want your head over this one."

31

Bracing himself, steadying his tail as best he could, Thrr-gilag walked down the aisle toward the front of the chamber, gazing straight ahead and trying to ignore the eyes of the Thousand Speakers and the thousands of Elders in the room. Trying not to wonder what they were thinking.

The chamber was quiet as he reached the front. He performed the kavra ceremony; then, at the Prime's nod, he turned to face the Speakers.

"You all are aware of the events of the past few fullarcs," the Prime said. "And of the role of Searcher Thrr-gilag within them. His actions, and the actions of his family, have helped to end an unnecessary and tragically pointless war.

"But some of those same actions have also violated the most deeply consecrated areas of Zhirrzh law and custom. Those violations, and the consequences stemming from them, cannot be ignored."

In the center of the front row Thrr-gilag could see his mother and brother and Klnn-dawan-a, looking terribly out of place among the powerful and distinguished Speakers around them. His father was there, too, a pale figure hovering between Thrr-mezaz and Klnn-dawan-a. A few couches away to their right was Speaker Cvv-panav, his eyes glittering with malice and anticipation. It was he who had insisted on this confrontation, Thrr-gilag knew, in revenge for the devastation of his grandiose plans.

It apparently didn't matter to him that there was now a genuine hope for peace between the Zhirrzh and Humans; didn't even matter that he had escaped the rubble of his scheme with his position and public prestige intact. In the quiet circles of power that existed in the Overclan Complex back rooms, he had been shamed and embarrassed and thwarted, and nothing less than a sacrifice would appease him.

He had demanded that Thrr-gilag be that sacrifice. And the Prime had agreed.

"Under some circumstances a proper punishment would be imprisonment," the Prime continued. "Under others a loss of privilege would suffice. But the situation we have before us is nearly unprecedented; and in the face of that I have decided that something far more drastic is called for. Searcher Thrr-gilag; Kee'rr: step forward and face the Speakers of the Thousand Clans."

Thrr-gilag took a step forward, his tongue pressing hard against the inside of his mouth. Here it came: the end of life as he'd known it. Distantly, he wondered how it would feel.

Off to his right the chamber hailer stepped forward. "Hear, all members of this chamber," he called, his voice booming across the room. "The Overclan Seating and Overclan Prime hereby decree that Thrr-gilag; Kee'rr shall no longer bear his family or his clan name. He is from this hunbeat forward a Zhirrzh with neither clan nor family, neither home nor territory, and is cut off from all rights and responsibilities and privileges which those names and those associations require and permit. By this action too shall any and all crimes and violations of Zhirrzh law be satisfied and declared void. Gilag is now above and outside of Zhirrzh law."

The last word echoed across the chamber as the hailer stepped back again. Thrr-gilag—no; just Gilag now—looked down at Speaker Cvv-panav. The Speaker was smiling back at him, the bitter, self-satisfied smile of one who has finally seen an enemy trampled beneath his feet and is fully enjoying the spectacle.

The Prime stepped forward to stand again at Gilag's side. "I said earlier that the situation here is nearly unprecedented," he said to the assemblage. "But it is not entirely so. Once before, five hundred and eight cyclics ago, a group of clan leaders met under similar circumstances, and for a similar purpose. Then, it was to seek a way to end centuries of clan hatred and to bring peace from the devastation of the Third Eldership War. Now, it is to seek a way to deal with the Human Commonwealth in such a way that no single clan benefits at the expense of any other.

"For both purposes, the same answer has been chosen."

Gilag looked at Speaker Cvv-panav again. The smile had vanished, his entire face going suddenly brittle as he suddenly understood the full scope of the Prime's plan.

And how his own demand for vengeance had played directly into that plan.

"And so, as the clan leaders did then," the Prime continued, "we have come here this fullarc to separate from our midst one who will begin a new family. Like the Overclan family, it will be a family without a clan, one that will stand above clan rivalries in all our dealings with the leaders of the Human Commonwealth."