Winter in Eden

arrogance of his stance. A moment's weakness on his part and she would strike. Perhaps he had pushed her too far—but he had had no choice. He shot a quick glance up at the hill above them. Nothing.
    "There is something else I wish to tell you about, Eistaa," he said. He must talk, keep her attention, not let her passions carry away her judgment. "Ikhalmenets is a great city, a jewel among Yilanè cities, sea-girt Ikhalmenets. You are Ikhalmenets and Ikhalmenets is you. Your responsibility and your reward. You rule here."
    He chanced another glance at the hill. There was a cloud above it—or was it a cloud? No. Smoke. And Lanefenuu was shuffling towards him. He shouted loudly to cut through her haze of anger.
    "You are Ikhalmenets—and Ikhalmenets is about to be destroyed. Look behind you, up there, on that ridge. Do you see that cloud that is not a cloud? It is smoke. And you know what smoke is? Smoke comes from fire and fire burns and destroys. Fire burnt Alpèasak, killed all there. You know about that. Now I have brought fire to Ikhalmenets."
    Lanefenuu turned, looked, wailed in agony. Smoke burst up from the ridge, climbing high in roiling clouds. Kerrick called for attention to speaking and she looked at him with one eye, the other still staring at the smoke.
    "I have not come alone to your sea-girt Ikhalmenets, Eistaa. My forces have killed your uruketo while I was making my way to the ambesed. My forces now surround you on all sides—and they are masters of fire as you know. They have fire ready and wait my signal. If I give it—Ikhalmenets burns. If I am injured in any way—Ikhalmenets burns. So choose, and quickly, for the fire is greedy."
    Lanefenuu's cry of rage turned to one of pain. She was defeated, slumping back on her tail, forearms hanging. Her city and all her uruketo must come first. The death of this creature was not important.
    Ikhalmenets was.
    "What is it you wish?" she asked. Not humbled, but weak in defeat.
    "I want for mine only what you want for yours, Eistaa. Continued existence. You have driven us from Alpèasak. You and your Yilanè and fargi will stay there for it is a Yilanè city. None will harm you there. I see the snow on the mountain above us, snow that is lower every year. Before the snow reaches you Ikhalmenets will go to Alpèasak and be safe there under a warmer sun. Ikhalmenets will live there.
    "But my ustuzou must live safe as well. Even now Vaintè acts under your command, pursues and kills them. You must order her back, order her to return, order her to cease killing. Do that and Ikhalmenets lives. We do not want what you have. You will keep your city. We ask only for our lives. You must stop Vaintè. You will do that and Ikhalmenets and all of your uruketo will live in tomorrow's tomorrow as they lived in yesterday's yesterday."
    Winter in Eden - Harry Harrison
    For a long period Lanefenuu did not move, sat slumped in silence, fighting to find a way through her maze of conflicting thoughts. Finally, when she stirred, some strength returned and she spoke with the voice of authority once again.
    "It will be done. Vaintè will be stopped. There was never a need for her to attack across your world of ustuzou. She will be recalled. You will leave. You will stay in your place and we will stay in ours. I do not wish to talk to you or to see you ever again. I wish that your egg had been stepped upon and that you had never emerged."
    Kerrick signed agreement. "But there is one other thing you must do to stop Vaintè. You know her and I know her. She is capable of disobeying your order to stop. She is capable of that—is she not?"
    "She is," said Lanefenuu grimly.
    "Then you must go to her, find her and order her return. Then she must stop what she is doing for her Yilanè are your Yilanè, her fargi your fargi. That is what must be done."
    Lanefenuu's eyes were glinting with hatred—but she kept her body under control. "I will do that."
    "Good." Kerrick reached up to the ring around his neck, to the knife hanging there. He seized it and pulled it free, handed it over to Lanefenuu. She would not reach out for it so he dropped it into the dust at her feet.
    "You will take this to Vaintè. She knows it, she knows what it will mean. She will know that it is I who have done this thing and why I have done it. She will know that you had no choice in what you did."
    "I care nothing of how Vaintè feels, what she knows."
    "Of course, Eistaa." Kerrick spoke slowly, with controllers