Chapter 34: Diplomacy

"I'm not really sure. The leaders of my land did not instruct me to look at any one thing. I believe, however, that some of our teachers would welcome the chance to study you and your world. If there was a house suitable for, say, six to ten people with enough land to be able to land a shuttle craft like the one outside, we would be delighted. Maybe you would like to send observers to study our home world. Perhaps we could discuss this later?"

"Yes, we will. At the moment, however, I have a council meeting to attend shortly. Would any of you care to accompany me?"

"I would," I replied, "What about you two?"

"I'd like to observe the Council meeting," said Phyllis."

"If it's all the same to you, I'd like to stay with Mel ... particularly if she is going out to buy food," said Chubby, reverting to his other occupation.

"Very well. I'll leave you with her then. If my other two guests are ready, then, we'll be off."

We rose and Kah escorted us out of his house and down the track that passed by it. We came to a building set back somewhat, with a broad set of steps leading up to an imposing pair of open doors. The doorway opened onto a spacious vestibule with a dark corridor opposite the doorway. We were led down the corridor, and Kah ushered us into a room with a large oval table. There were three men and two women already in the room.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. As you see, I have brought some space visitors with me this morning. I won't introduce them yet to save me having to do it again in a few minutes. Ah, Horj. What have you got on our agenda this morning?"

"Mostly it's the usual collection of agenda items. The main new item is the need for additional water supplies for the village of Krust. It's outgrowing its present supply."

While this was going on, I was getting aid in translating some of the words from our computer on the Beagle. I found that I knew most of what was being said. The computer just filled in the words that I didn't know. Seven more people had entered. There were now seven men and five women. Kah Indicated that we should take the seats in the center of one long side of the table. I seated Phyllis and took the seat on her left. Meanwhile, Kah had seated himself opposite me with the other members of his Council on either side of him.

Kah opened the meeting.

"I would like to welcome this morning, Bil and Filis. They are not the usual visitors to our planet. They come from another star system. They tell me that this is their second visit to our system. In their first visit, they landed briefly on the Homeworld. They did not stay as the radiation was still too dangerous for a longer stay. They also made a brief visit here to check that we were still the same people and that we still spoke the same language."

There was a sound of "Huk, huk," from the members of the Council. It was a bit disconcerting at first, but then I translated it as "hullo, hullo."

As the greeting died down, Kah spoke, "Horj, you have a new problem for us this morning?"

"Yes. The village of Krust has grown since they started mining coal there. They don't want to put in more pipes as it means digging up the farmland to lay them. Also, there's a shortage of lead to line the pipes. There's more water at the source, but we are taking as much as we are able."