KILRATHI FIXER WITH SMALL ROUND GLASSES, SEVERAL BOOKS AND MAGAZINES PILE UP ON THE TABLE, AND A NOTEBOOK.
Burrows: “My name is Grayson Burrows”
Sivistian: “A great honor to meet you; my name is Sivistian ko Cax-Ki’ra; –you may call me Sivi.”
B: “Are you related to Baron Jukaga?”
THE KILRATHI CAN’T HELP LETTING OUT A DEEP GROWL
S: “... Forgive me, human; you have a sharp mind; I was not expecting that...”
B: “I did not mean to offend, if I did...”
S: “You have not offended me, some in my Clan would feel honored... It’s all that he represents to me...”
B: “What?”
S: “Superior intellect at the service of inferior agressivenes; –a dishonorable thing all by itelf.”
B: “I see...”
S: “You humans had your Renaissance. We Kilrathi never had a Renaissance. Hopefully we will now...”
B: “In what sense?”
S: “In the sense of liberating our brains from slavery to our claws and fangs.”
B: “Didn’t know some of you felt that way.”
S: “Our thoughts have been supressed, together with our voices.”
B: “By ‘we’ you mean the Ki’ra?”
S: “I mean what the Ki’ra serving under the Kiranka represented. I don’t believe in ‘blood’.”
B: “Yet another surprise for me.”
S: “Well, I’m what you would call a ‘bastard’: Caxki from my father’s side, Ki’ra from mother’s side.”
B: “Didn’t know that happened.”
S: “Of course it does. It’s often hidden under a ‘new clan name’, but my parents were proud of each other.”
B: “I wasn’t meaning to pry into your past...”
S: “I’m glad you did, though, human; I feel relieved, now that you know where I come from, and stand.”
B: “Let’s talk business.”
S: “Yes. I’m an ‘Investigative Journalist’, you might call it.”
B: “A Kilrathi news-mag? That’s too much in one day...”
S: “Hopefully we’ll have magazines, newspapers and open debate soon; not yet...”
B: “Journalist for what, then?”
S: “Internal publications, clan level, exist in Kilrah. All sentient species need information... like food.”
B: “I guess that’s true.”
S: “My specialty has been human psychology and history; or ‘Psycho-history’ as one of your writers ...”
B: “Yeah, I remember Professor Hari Seldon... He wasn’t a Hari, though...”
THE KILRATHI LETS OUT A LOUD, BELLY LAUGH
S: “Great pun!”
B: “And you have a good knowledge of old Terran literature.”
S: “Most of the old Kilrathi literature is a bit too epic for my taste, you might say.”
B: “I’m not a psychologist though, Sivi.”
S: “The job doesn’t require it. This is more like ‘detective-work’, I need.”
B: “I could give it a try. What type of crime is it?”
S: “Organized crime.”
B: “That’s hazardous work.”
S: “Indeed. That’s why I put a word around that I needed the best human privateer. Money is no issue.”
B: “It is for me...”
S: “The first job pays 30,000 credits, just for finding out the name of an organization for me.”
B: “If it exists...”
S: “If it doesn’t, I’ll pay you double for hard proof it doesn’t. But it does.”
B: “What does the organization do?”
S: “Murders confeds. Sometimes makes it appear like suicides...”
B: “Any particular case?”
S: “Rear Admiral Nicholai Ubarov, Admiral David Whittaker, and many others.”
B: “What’s the second job?”
S: “20,000 credits per name of person, business or other organization associated with the first.”
B: “Third job?”
S: “100,000 credits for finding out how it is funded and what are some of its aims.”
B: “Fourth job?”
S: “Don’t know yet. Once you do the first three, we shall see.”
B: “Any leads to get me started?”
S: “None, Mr. Burrows.”
B: “But you must have reasons to be so convinced this organization exists...”
S: “Many reasons, but none that qualifies as a ‘lead’... Psycho-historical currents...”
B: “You take our sci-fi a bit too seriously, Sivi.”
S: “I hope you’re right. Otherwise we’re in trouble; humans and kilrathi alike.”
B: “What if I find nothing?”
S: “You will, in time. There is no pressing rush. Come see me if and when you find something.”
B: “Very well. I’ll be on my way for now.”
S: “Here, take this.”
PUSHES A SMALL BOX TOWARDS BURROWS
B: “Gems!”
S: “A little something to offset your travel expenses.”
B: “Thank you.”
S: “Good luck.”