"So," he said, before she had a chance to respond, "we Walk. Dr. Wilson, would you be kind enough to inform the rest of our party? We must make our formal statement of intent to Stiff Tail."
Wilson turned to the two Sivaoans. "What do you say, Jinx, Brightspot? Shall we take a stab at it?"
It took both of them a moment's time to understand what she was asking, then, with a bravado it was apparent they did not feel, the two said in one voice, "Yes, we'll Walk."
"Okay, then you find Chekov and Uhura. We'll meet you outside Stiff Tail's tent." The two hurried off, talking at rapid fire to each other.
Kirk said, "I thought I'd assigned that job to you."
"A good officer always knows how to delegate authority. I don't want them to have a chance to start worrying, Captain."
"How about you?" he said pointedly.
"I never worry about things I can't change."
"You could, Evan."
"No," she said, "and stop pushing, Captain. Neither can you."
So she'd caught him out. In spite of that, he gave one last try. "I thought you said you never took foolish risks."
She favored him with her wicked grin and asked, "Can you honestly define this as a foolish risk, Captain?"
He had no recourse but the truth. "No," he said soberly, "I can't. It's the only chance we've got."
An hour later, the full party assembled before Stiff Tail's tent. Brightspot or Jinx must have spread the word of their intentions, because the remainder of the camp had turned out as well. Jim Kirk, rehearsed by Jinx in the full formalities, called Stiff Tail to the opening. "We wish to leave your camp, Stiff Tail. We ask the name of a camp that has need of seven adults. We will begin our Walk tomorrow at dawn."
Her ears shot back. "Seven?" she said. That was not a ritual question; there was a subdued growl from the assembled crowd. Stiff Tail steadied herself and began again. "How are the members of your party called?"
That was acceptable. Jim Kirk identified himself, then he stepped back and gestured the others forward. Spock, Chekov and Uhura each identified themselves. "Jinx to-Ennien," said Jinx next with an air of defiance. The crowd made a low noise, whether approving or disapproving, Kirk couldn't tell; certainly, Jinx's inclusion caused a mild sensation.
Then Brightspot did the same, with the same defiance. Stiff Tail fixed her daughter with a glare. "Brightspot to-Srallansre," she said bristling, "you are still young. Do you truly wish to Walk in this company?"
Again, Stiff Tail had broken ritual, and again the crowd reacted with a low growl. Kirk started forward to argue that it was Brightspot's right, but Evan Wilson stopped him, shaking her head in warning. "Her fight, Captain," she whispered. "Let her make her own decisions."
Brightspot bristled back at Stiff Tail. "I choose my own time," she said, "I choose my own friends to travel with." That put an end to it, as far as the crowd was concerned, but Stiff Tail continued to glare at Brightspot.
Wilson said, "Doctor Evan Wilson, Acting Chief Medical Officer, U.S.S. Enterprise," and then it was Kirk's turn again. "We ask the name of a camp that has need of seven adults," he repeated. "We begin our Walk tomorrow at dawn."
Not taking her eyes from Brightspot, Stiff Tail said, "I have heard that Sretalles has need of seven adults.... May you Walk in safety and arrive in maturity." She turned on her heel and vanished, tail lashing, back into her tent.
The crowd closed in around the party, to wish them well on their journey and to offer an overabundance of advice. Afraid he might miss something important, Kirk switched on his tricorder.
Through the forest of ears, he caught a brief glimpse of Rushlight at the entrance to Stiff Tail's tent. When Stiff Tail did not respond to his politely thrust tail, Rushlight called out his name. A reluctant growl from within at last granted him permission and he entered.
"Sretalles, Captain," said Wilson, cutting deftly through the jostling elbows of natives to join him. "Do you suppose that's serendipity or setup?"
Jinx heard the question and pushed to his other side. "She gave us a close one," she said. "She thinks Brightspot's too young to Walk, but she can't stop her from going. So she did the best she could to help."
"That's the best answer we're going to get to your question, Dr. Wilson," Kirk said. "Let's see if we can get this expedition organized, shall we?"
Jinx said, "You'll need weapons. I'll get the wood." She flicked her ears back abruptly. "You don't have knives!" she said. "Or usefuls!" Before Kirk could respond, Jinx snatched at Distant Smoke and repeated this.
His ears too flicked back and he, in turn, grabbed two others. Kirk could see the word spread through the crowd. Moments later, the rest rushed to and fro, gathering items from their tents and piling them onto an outstretched useful Distant Smoke provided.
Leaving Jinx in charge, Distant Smoke vanished briefly himself- to return almost immediately with Rushlight and Stiff Tail in tow. Stiff Tail had lost none of her anger, but she appeared to have regained her control. She called the crowd to quiet. "We must come to a decision," she said. Distant Smoke undercut her by dropping his burden noisily into the pile.
She showed him her teeth but went on. "Some of the members of this traveling party are unfamiliar with our world and our customs," she said. "This leaves them at a disadvantage we would do well to redress. I ask that they be permitted to retain some few technological items on their Walk."
"What items?" demanded a voice from the crowd.
"First," said Stiff Tail, "because they have no protective fur, I ask that they be allowed to retain their clothing and their boots."
"Seems fair," said the same voice, "if only because they'd frighten the children in Sretalles with their lack of fur." Tails looped on all sides.
"Agreed?" asked Stiff Tail. There was no dissent so she continued, "Secondly, I ask that they be allowed to retain their translation devices. One cannot cooperate without communication."
Kirk tensed. Stiff Tail was right: without the universal translators, the trip would be impossible.
There was discussion of this, and Jim Kirk sweated out the decision. At last Rushlight put in, "A bard is nothing without a song to sing. Let them have their bard and her words."
"Agreed?" asked Stiff Tail, snatching at the opportunity Rushlight provided. Again there was no dissent.
"Third," she said, and a ripple of disapproval went through the crowd. Two items, they might agree to, given the extraordinary circumstances, but a third...Kirk knew she was asking too much. He doubted they'd allow phasers under any circumstances. This was, after all, a test of their ability to survive without such supports.
"Third," she repeated, "I ask that they be allowed to retain the devices that permit them to contact the others of their kind."
"On what grounds?" demanded Winding Path; his tail whipped twice.
Kirk, who had kept contact with the Enterprise as discreetly as possible, started. That he did not like at all. If it was cheating to carry communicators on the Walk, it was cheating in the line of duty. He had no wish to be cut off from the Enterprise for any extended length of time.
"On the grounds that their families may worry about their safety," Stiff Tail said.
Winding Path scoffed. "And you won't worry about Brightspot, Stiff Tail? Every mother worries about her child's Walk- often for years before they take it. If the traveling party is in constant communication with their families, it might be tempted to rely on the advice of others. That is no Walk, Stiff Tail. I say no to this request."
Rushlight said, "Will you make no allowance for their unfamiliarity with our world, Winding Path?"
"They are familiar enough to wish to attempt the Walk. I have made sufficient allowances already." The two stood nose-to-nose, tails twitching.
"Enough," said Stiff Tail.
Almost reluctantly, she asked, "What is the decision?"
This time, Kirk could see, it was against them; that gave him grave second thoughts about the project. Stiff Tail said to him, "You will not be allowed your communication devices."
Evan Wilson said, "And my medical sensors, Stiff Tail? We have no way of knowing what foods are safe without them. Would you have us poisoned?"
Ears flicked back around the circle. "I had not thought of that," Stiff Tail said. She glanced around her as if expecting dissent, but Rushlight glared Winding Path silent.
"Medical supplies are okay," someone else pointed out and, to Kirk's relief, the rest agreed the sensors fit this category.
"But," said Winding Path, "we have had enough exceptions for one Walk."
Even someone as stubborn as Stiff Tail knows when to give in, thought Kirk. "Yes," she said, "we have had enough exceptions for one Walk. Who will carry our decision to Sretalles?"
I guess they like to tell the next camp to expect the kids, Kirk thought, as Distant Smoke volunteered and was accepted. That way, someone will look for the injured survivors if they don't arrive within a reasonable amount of time. Injured survivors, he thought again and knew he needed a word with Spock in private. The loss of the communicators was a serious complication.
As the crowd began to thin, Stiff Tail fixed him with a stare and said sharply, "Captain Kirk, your people have no knives, no usefuls. As unprepared as you are, I cannot deny you the Walk. Do you wish to reconsider? Any one of you may." She avoided Brightspot's eyes.
"We have no other way of learning the information we need, Stiff Tail," he said carefully and, when she did not contradict him, "I must make the Walk. I leave the others to their own decision." He hoped that the loss of the communicators would deter some of them, but he should have known better. One by one, again, they agreed to the journey; and by the custom, he could not order them to stay behind.
Stiff Tail looked over the landing crew. "You are as stubborn as my own child," she said. "So- my people wish to lend you these things. You will need them." To each in turn, she and Rushlight gave a beautifully designed knife and a half dozen usefuls.
When she came to Wilson, she paused and said, "I have lost four of my children before they came of age. They Walked too soon or too often. Don't be angry with me, Brightspot. I do not mean to imply that you are unprepared, nor do I blame Evan Wilson for your decision: only you could have made it. I only mean to say..." She proffered knife, hilt first, and a neatly folded bundle of shimmering usefuls. "These belonged to one who took the other trail to adulthood. I wish to make you a gift of them. May they serve her memory and her blood and the friend of her blood well."
To Kirk's surprise, Evan Wilson made no move to accept. "The gift of a knife?" she asked. And when Stiff Tail nodded, she went on, "I'm honored by your offer, Stiff Tail, but I cannot accept without a pledge that is, to me, as binding as any you might make in Old Tongue."
"What pledge? I will observe your custom if it is possible for me to do so."
"You must take the knife and make a small cut in your skin and in mine...." As solemnly as any child, Evan Wilson proposed blood-sisterhood to Stiff Tail. Stiff Tail listened carefully and, when Evan was done, she nodded, laid aside the usefuls and made a nick in the heel of her thumb. Wilson offered her outstretched hand. Stiff Tail hesitated. "Please," said Wilson. "You must." Stiff Tail steeled herself and made the cut.
As the blood welled bright against Evan's pale skin, Stiff Tail jumped back, but Evan caught her hand and pressed their palms together, knife blade flat between their two hands. "This knife knows we are of one blood," she said. "This knife knows the taste of that blood. This knife protects that blood wherever it pulses. May Elath hear and strengthen us down the years and across the seas." She suddenly clasped and released Stiff Tail's hand. "It's done," she said. "Now I may accept your gift."
Matching Evan's dignity, Stiff Tail again extended the knife; this time Evan took it. Evan turned to Brightspot and said, "Daughter of my sister, would you help me find the proper wood for my weapon? I prefer a quarterstaff to a spear any day."
Brightspot swelled with pride at the new status conferred on her. "Quarterstaff?" she said. "I don't know what that is, sister of my mother."
"I'll show you - I'm sure it's legal. It's only a spear without a point."
Kirk, who continued to watch Stiff Tail, saw what Evan had done: she had promised to bring Brightspot through, safe and sound. We all do, he thought, but she found a way to say so without being asked. Stiff Tail knows we're adults and she can't admit it publicly.
Rushlight broke the silence. "Lieutenant Uhura," he said, "I would also like to make a gift. Does your culture require the same ritual?"
"No, it doesn't," said Uhura. "My culture gives and accepts gifts freely; and those between friends, with deep feeling."