Retief turned at the touch on his shoulder.
"The Ambassador wants to speak to you, Retief," Magnan said.
Retief looked across to where Ambassador Spradley sat glowering behind
the plain tablecloth.
"Under the circumstances," Retief said, "you'd better ask him to come
over here."
"The ambassador?" Magnan's voice cracked.
"Never mind the protocol," Retief said. "The situation is still
delicate." Magnan went away.
"The feast ends," F'Kau-Kau-Kau said. "Now you and I, Retief, must
straddle the Council Stool."
"I'll be honored, Admirable," Retief said. "I must inform my
colleagues."
"Colleagues?" F'Kau-Kau-Kau said. "It is for chiefs to parley. Who shall
speak for a king while he yet has tongue for talk?"
"The Yill way is wise," Retief said.
F'Kau-Kau-Kau emptied a squat tumbler of pink beer. "I will treat with
you, Retief, as viceroy, since as you say your king is old and the space
between worlds is far. But there shall be no scheming underlings privy
to our dealings." He grinned a Yill grin. "Afterwards we shall carouse,
Retief. The Council Stool is hard and the waiting handmaidens
delectable. This makes for quick agreement."