Ruse

§ 2020-08-23 02:54:41

[02:58] It was some hours later, the soothing night having taken Sanctuary into its gentle embrace, the first two entrepeneurial kavkem groups of four already on their way, that Karodaga and two kavkema happened upon Szambatem. They were both younger than Karodaga, making for a trio of inexperienced kavkema.

Karodaga seemed to hesitate, as though unsure whether to speak directly to Szambatem or continue on her way and ignore him. But whatever motivation had her pack less and meander about more also seemed to extend a sense of social urgency even toward kavkema she did not strictly get along with.

"Aren't you at all concerned this is a trap?" she asked, bluntly.

[03:13] Szambatem seemed to be in quite a good mood, but distracted. He also seemed not to have expected anyone to speak to him, and looked up from the last of his packing with faint surprise. "I'm surprised that you would have any interest in my concerns," he replied, "all things considered." He carefully hung a small pouch from his tool necklace.

[03:27] After a moment's consideration, he added, "Of course I'm aware of the possibility of a trap, though concerned may not be the right word. Evading a trap, or escaping from one that has caught you, is a matter of watchfulness and decisive action, rather than concern." He turned his gaze toward her. "Such ways that we know to mitigate the risk have been taken. All that is left now is to proceed. ...but what reason, exactly, is there to think that this is a trap?"

[03:37] There was no particular hesitance evident in her manner that might have suggested she had to first think about it before giving her answer. "How many people 'escape unscathed from the Nayabaru'?" she asked disdainfully, quoting Taranidad. "You're not so naive to think that that's possible, are you?"

[03:41] Szambatem idly tested the fit of the necklace, then, his expression and tone still quite pleasant, leaned in very close – the tip of his muzzle nearly touching hers, his gaze boring into her eyes – and said, "I was in their clutches once myself. Why, then, should I, naive though I am, not think that escape was possible?"

[03:52] He leaned back, and added, "Mind you, 'unscathed' is a matter of opinion, and certainly a more difficult accomplishment. But impossible – no, I don't think so. It sometimes pleases Ateheril, I think, to configure the Mirage in that way; possibly as a reminder to strive. In any case, if Gazhil is part of a trap, it seems an absurdly elaborate and complicated one, since simply embedding a tracking device into his body would have been sufficient to lead the Nayabaru to Sanctuary and, quite probably, trap us before anyone had a chance to leave."

[03:53] He said nothing else, but the expression he aimed at her clearly asked the unspoken question: Did you or Taranidad think of that before bringing him here?

[04:01] Karodaga bristled in irritation after as much as Szambatem's first retort. "You," she spat the word. "Did not escape of your own power. And you certainly," she gestured at his patchwork feather coat. "Did not escape unscathed." There was venom to her voice, as though it was much more important to her to win the exchange than it was to do something productive about the situation.

The way he proceeded to speak of Ateheril and the Mirage as if it made a difference – given it was by its very nature unpredictable – did not serve to smooth her feathers back down. She snorted at his suggestion of a tracking device, for a moment giving the impression that she thought otherwise, then said: "Obviously he would have one."

...perhaps this wasn't as simple as Szambatem had hoped.

"But did you pay any attention at all how quickly Sanctuary chose to believe him? Don't you think that's a valuable experiment? Wouldn't it have been quite a coup if he had managed to steer the conversation so we would all march in one neat file to a very particular location, simply to prove that he could, and save the Nayabaru the trouble of coming here besides?

"We've bought ourselves some time by scattering and possibly..." – she was not willing to acknowledge Szambatem's great contribution quite to the degree she should have – "...by choosing the destination we have, but that's all."

[04:19] "All of life is but buying time," Szambatem replied blithely. "I admit, then, that I don't see the thrust of this conversation. If Gazhil is correct, staying here risks death. If Gazhil is the instrument of a trap, staying here is no safer, since the Nayabaru know where we are and, should we fail to move, would come for us regardless. Changing destinations, even if we could get word to everyone, would only help if Gazhil did not go with us to be followed.

[04:21] "Are you intending, then, to ask me to take him elsewhere? I don't doubt that the prospect of not having to see either my face or his would improve your experience immensely."

§ 2020-08-31 23:26:17

[23:29] Karodaga's feathers bristled in irritation. "Of course staying here is dangerous," she hissed. "But if we can get most of our brethren to join in a different location than the one you mentioned in public, we may still be safe." She sounded like she was really into this conspiracy theory. But a kavkem, serving the Nayabaru? It was unheard of, really.

§ 2020-09-14 02:01:01

[02:01] Szambatem was rather dubious. It seemed, indeed, rather an unlikely thing; but, then again, Gazhil's story was itself rather unlikely, wasn't it?

[02:05] Still, he was not the sort to waste his thoughts much on such trivialities as likelihood of capture, and the younger kavkem's abundance of caution seemed to him to lend rather too much credence to the importance to an illusory reality. But he was rather amused by the idea of a sudden change of destination resulting in kavkema wandering around in confusion.

[02:08] "Yes, well," he said at last, "if you really think it's important, I'll help pass word along, though it'll mean finding some other recognizable place to meet."

§ 2020-09-19 18:31:40

[18:31] "Assuming we want to stay together," Karodaga observed. By tone, it wasn't a barb at Szambatem at all, but a general observation, and what she said next confirmed the impression: "It's unlikely we'll find another place as well-suited for a large number of kavkema as our Sanctuary. It may be safer to keep the groups scattered."