A Plague of Giants (Seven Kennings #1) - Kevin Hearne Page 0,138

is. Their work is a credit to your nation and their kenning.”

“Kind of you to say,” Numa replied. “Rael formally requests the return of those stonecutters to our care this instant regardless of work in progress.”

“Of course,” Sefir agreed immediately, and I almost blurted out, “Really?” but turned it into a cough instead. The hearth continued, “We will deliver them to your care as soon as our parley is finished.”

That changed our objectives considerably. Our primary reason for sending the juggernaut, after all, was to rescue the stonecutters if the Hathrim refused. Now Tarrech had no reason to employ his kenning against the Hathrim, and I wondered if that was not her design all along. If she was well versed enough in our culture to read our Jereh bands, she might know much more and realistically conclude that if she gave us no reason to attack, we would refrain. Like the Kaurians, we use force only after a triggering event. It is no secret that in a way this allows us to be controlled: do nothing to trigger our military response and you will be safe. It dawned on me that her superior smirk might be deserved. At this time, anyway, she appeared to have all the answers.

Until Junior Tactician Nasreghur spoke again. “We have received reports from Forn that your houndsmen attacked their peaceful scouts without provocation.”

“Then the Fornish are lying to you,” Sefir said, and her expression finally hardened for a few moments. “The Fornish attacked us because we harvested a few trees to cook our food, even though this side of the Godsteeth is not part of their precious Canopy or their country. In fact, they are invaders much more than we are. We lost six houndsmen to them. We are clearly the party with a grievance here, and even though we are refugees, we reserve the right to defend ourselves.”

Nasreghur was having none of that and continued with his aggressive language. “You have no rights to harvest Nentian timber or occupy Nentian land without our prior approval. Refugee status does not confer to you the right to do whatever you wish within our borders. You are in violation of the Sovereignty Accords, and your navy is also illegally blockading our national waters. We insist that you end your blockade immediately and relocate to some other place in Hathrir.”

“The citizens of Baghra Khek, together with their lavaborn and military and naval forces, retain the right to defend their lives wheresoever they are regardless of official status or international treaties. And it is the height of callousness to demand that we relocate to a poisoned land on the instant. We offer you no harm and will gladly compensate you for timber harvested without permission in our hour of dire need. I formally request permission to continue timber harvesting with the understanding that we will pay in steel and glass for such resources; indeed, we would like to trade with Hashan Khek and other Nentian cities as we did in Harthrad.”

I noticed the entirely unsubtle use of “lavaborn,” just in case we had not yet noticed that there was a lavaborn giant standing there with her head on fire. I did not know at that time, however, if Sefir was lavaborn herself. Nasreghur shook his head and ceded nothing. “This is not a trade negotiation, though we would of course be delighted to trade once you are back in Hathrir.”

“Are we not to be allowed basic needs? You would have us die because we temporarily occupy a space you are not using?”

“The fact that we do not use a space within our borders does not create a right for you to occupy it any more than unused land in Hathrir is available for Nentian use. You continue to cast yourself as the victim when it is you who are victimizing Ghurana Nent. You are occupying land you have no permission or right to occupy regardless of whether a volcano erupts in your land or not. So answer me plainly: Will you agree to remove yourselves from this land at the formal request of Viceroy Lohmet?”

“Yes.” The Hathrim hearth’s smirk returned. Either she was lying or she was relying on a nebulous definition of when she would agree. Nasreghur was ready for that, however, and quickly moved to pin her down.

“When?”

“I’ll agree when a formal request is made.”

“I formally request that you leave Nentian soil immediately.”

“You misunderstand. I meant I would agree to leave when Viceroy Lohmet formally requests it.