Fineprint

It appeared to be a gigantic, open balcony that looked out over the city. The expansive room was open to the air, Dennis could see heavy wooden shutters that had been raised between the marble pillars that supported the roof, it looked as if they could be closed in the winter to insulate the room. The view was incredible, towering above the cityscape, the domed rooftops and arches extended in every direction as far as the eye could see. In the middle of the room was a great table, clearly carved from a single towering tree, similar to the one from the Ranger longhouse. This one, however, was larger and more elaborately carved. Each leg that held it up had been carefully sculpted into the pawed leg of a Borealan, complete with textured fur and pointed claws. The surface was patterned with the natural rings of the original tree, polished as smooth as glass. The stools that seated the Patriarch's guests were no less elaborate. Borealans seemed to dislike chairs, perhaps because they constrained their tails?

The walls were decorated with curtains made from fine cloth and beautifully embroidered tapestries displaying the customary scenes of war and hunting, some of which looked extremely old. Dennis smiled as he noticed a depiction of a rainbow spider woven in silver thread, perhaps from the very fur of the animal itself. It was surrounded by small figures brandishing spears, or maybe glaives as they challenged it. Ornate chandeliers hung from the ceiling along the length of the table, colorful gems hanging from their arms on the ends of delicate chains. Unlike the ones from the Ranger longhouse, these were electric. There was a large banner placed behind the throne at the head of the table, adorned with the strange Borealan script. The writing was curved and halting, like claw marks in sand, which may very well have been how it had originated in their ancient past. He couldn't guess at what it meant, but the significance of its placement was obvious. The Patriarch sat in his throne, a wooden base with a tall, baroque headboard that extended far into the air above his head. It was gilded with rare metals, jewels and the bones of fell beasts. It made a clear statement. This was the seat of the Patriarch, at the head of the table as he was at the head of Elysia, and perhaps the whole planet.

Along the length of the great table were seated two dozen dignitaries, Alphas and regents, who knew what else. Each one was more elaborately dressed than the last. Their clothing and finery blended with their diverse patterns and pigments to dazzle Dennis. All eyes were on him as he waited patiently to be seated.

"Ah, our Ambassador has arrived at last, along with his beautiful aide. Please, take a seat at the table." The Patriarch's baritone reverberated through the room as Dennis pulled up a stool at the far end of the table and hopped up awkwardly, Xhe seating herself beside him.

"I will translate anything that is said. Please rely on me," she whispered into his ear, and Dennis nodded.

The Patriarch continued to speak, his loud voice echoing throughout the room. It had the acoustic qualities of a cathedral. Xhe translated for his benefit, leaning down to whisper to him. The Patriarch gestured towards Dennis with his claws, the golden thimbles that adorned them catching the light from the ornate chandeliers.

"May I introduce you all to Ambassador Carlisle, our envoy from the Earth territory. He is lubricating the gears of the relationship between Earth and Elysia, so to speak. He has been touring our territory and immersing himself in our culture for the last several days."

Dennis noted that he had said Elysia and not Borealis. That meant that there were representatives from the other territories here today, and that the Patriarch was using him as a status symbol to flaunt his influence with the Coalition. He should play along. Earth's business was with Elysiedde, not these other, less influential rulers.

"And what a territory it is!" Dennis interjected. The Patriarch smiled and gestured for him to continue with a wave of his massive hand. "I have been very impressed with what I have seen so far. The city is modern and cosmopolitan, the lakeside villages are picturesque, and the jungles are a brimming with natural wealth. The Elysian people are of noble character, I have been well treated wherever I have found myself."

Xhe translated for the benefit of the other Borealans and the Patriarch puffed out his chest with pride.

"A valid assessment, if I say so myself." He pointed a golden-tipped claw at Dennis, his eyes dropping below his face to his collar. "Is that what it looks like, Ambassador? Have you been hunting with our Rangers?"

Dennis lifted his tie, the iridescent fur refracting light into shades of blues and greens as he held it aloft for the Patriarch to see. There was mumbling amongst the other guests. As Dennis had hoped, they were impressed. The Borealans were a tribal people, earning their respect as an individual meant earning respect for his tribe, which in this case meant the UN. With some careful political maneuvering, he could raise Earth's standing and importance in the eyes of these aliens, which might result in more favorable defensive pacts and trade contracts. This was where Dennis excelled, he was in his element.

"I can't take credit for bringing the beast down, but it was killed mere feet from me as it charged our position. I've never seen a creature so large, it snapped trees like they were toothpicks."

"Did you...partake of the meat?" one of the unnamed guests asked, struggling to pronounce the English words. He looked older, his red hair was greying, and he was leaning his weight on the varnished table.

"I did."

More muttering, all according to his plan.

"Well!" the Patriarch exclaimed, "I now see that when you spoke of experiencing our culture you were sincere. Venturing into the jungle and taking part in a hunt is no half measure."

"The Elysian Rangers are unparalleled hunters, I've never seen anything of the like."

The Patriarch nodded appreciatively, he was clearly enjoying himself. He expected Dennis to extol the virtues of Elysian society and that is what he intended to do.

"I must say, Ambassador," the Patriarch continued. "You wear the fur well. I had thought human fashions dull and simplistic, but you used the blandness of the surrounding clothing to draw attention to the fur and create a focal point. It is an alien style, but an attractive one."

Dennis had not anticipated that fashion would be discussed at a diplomatic gathering, but judging by the elaborate and ornate clothing that the Borealans were wearing it had a cultural significance that transcended simply looking presentable.

"Thank you, Patriarch."

"Where are my manners?" the enormous Borealan said as he waved a gilded hand to his right. "Down this side of the table are seated the rulers of the other eight Borealan territories, and to my left are some notable Alphas and public figures. The main reason that I convene these banquets is so that we might strengthen ties and share news on what is happening in our respective spheres of influence."

Dennis noted that none of the other territorial leaders were as finely dressed as the Patriarch, nor were they afforded the same level of respect. He had not even introduced them individually. Based on the knowledge of Borealan society that Dennis had gleaned from his travels, he concluded that they were not on equal terms. The Patriarch had declared himself as the strongest among them with seemingly no opposition. Earth had chosen her ally wisely, and if the Patriarch was given access to more ships and technology, then he would surely remain safely ahead of the other regions. Dennis would make sure to relay his observations to the UN.

***

The Borealans chatted about regional issues, and inter-territorial disputes as Dennis sat with one ear to Xhe, his companion translating anything that she thought was of significance. He resolved to gain at least a passing understanding of the language for future meetings lest Xhe miss important details that would stand out to a more seasoned politician or otherwise choose to withhold sensitive information.

As the casual conversations went on, the Patriarch called for the food, and the table quietened as an army of waiters brought out innumerable platters of meats and fish. Dennis had never seen so much food in one place before. There were entire roasted carcasses of animals that he was not familiar with, stacks of choice cuts along with shredded and pulled meats, fish of all shapes and sizes. The smell was mouth-watering. He suddenly remembered the stasis unit that he had placed on the floor beside his chair and cleared his throat to get the attention of the Patriarch.

"My Lord Patriarch, I have brought with me a gift from Earth." He rose from his seat and retrieved the glass box, walking down the length of the table in order to present it to the seated monarch. The Borealan picked it up in his massive hands and examined it, his gold-plated claws clicking against the glass.

"What is it?" he asked curiously, cocking his shaggy head.

"This is the rarest and most prized of all the meat that Earth produces. It is known as Kobe, and it comes from the Japanese territory. The livestock are massaged every day to keep their meat tender, and they are fed a special diet in order to influence their flavor. If you would like to eat it today, I have some ideas on how the meat should be prepared so as to maximize its flavor for the Borealan palate. The glass box is a stasis unit, the meat is suspended in a particle field that slows time almost to a stop so that the contents will stay fresh on long journeys."

As Dennis had hoped, the Patriarch was as impressed by the technology as by the meat, his eyes glazing over in wonder as he turned the box over in his hands.

"No need to return the stasis unit," Dennis added, sensing that the Patriarch would like to make the artifact part of his collection.

"A fine gift!" the Patriarch boomed. "You please me, Ambassador. By all means, deliver your instructions to the cooks, and I will sample this Japanese Kobe today."

Dennis bowed and returned to his seat, then he explained the cooking process to Xhe.

"It should be grilled over a wood fire, and the meat should be rare, that means red and moist on the inside. Understand?"

Xhe nodded and left her seat, heading to the kitchen. Dennis knew to wait for the Patriarch to choose the first cut, watching as the imposing alien hovered over a platter, examining the slabs of juicy meat. He hooked a large chunk of what looked like steak in his claw and brought it to his mouth, severing a large chunk with his sharp teeth. He chewed contentedly, savoring its flavor as the juices escaped his lips.

At this signal, the rest of the Borealans dug in. They piled mounds of fish, meat, and gourds onto their wide plates. Dennis retrieved his cutlery from his pocket and used the fork to select choice cuts of meat and fish. The Borealans watched him curiously as he used the knife to cut the meat into edible strips. Although Borealan food lacked much of the sweetness that humans craved, he was able to pick up on some of the more subtle savory flavors, salts and oils seasoning the expertly cooked meat. He found himself more drawn to the fish than the meat, especially the shark-like creature he had so enjoyed on the pebble beach by the fishing village. He wondered idly if it had come from that same settlement or some other village that bordered the lake.

He noticed that a few of the Borealans seated at the table were using small, unlabeled spray bottles and corked vials to coat the meat with oils, just as his guide had described. Dennis would kill for some barbecue sauce right now, but alas he had not thought to bring any with him on his interstellar expedition. Xhe returned from the kitchen and sat beside him, informing him that the Kobe beef was being prepared as he had instructed. She retrieved some meat for herself, a far larger amount than she had eaten in the longhouse. As she began to dig in, she noticed that Dennis was staring at the massive portion.

"Tomorrow is the start of the eclipse," she explained. "These banquets are traditionally held on the day before the winter comes. As you may recall, Borealans enter a state of low metabolic activity during the cold periods. Most prefer to eat heartily before the winter so that they might sleep until the primary star returns."

"What can you tell me about her?" Dennis asked, pointing towards one of the Borealans who was seated with the territorial leaders. Her appearance was odd. At first he had assumed that she had been wearing some kind of fluffy animal hide, but as his eyes kept being drawn back to her, he had noticed that she was actually covered in a layer of downy fur that covered her whole body. All of the Borealans that he had seen so far were naked besides for their heads and their extremities, but this one had silky fur on its face and body too. It was snow white, complete with black patterning like a leopard that somewhat resembled the rings left by coffee cups. She was clad in clothing of a notably different style from the others, very light and airy, the colors almost monochrome.

"That is the Regent of the Polar territory," Xhe replied. "In our evolutionary past, all Borealans had fur, like her. As we began to take shelter in caves and later dwellings during the winter period, we lost the fur that insulated us. It was more beneficial to Borealans living in the deserts to shed heat during the hot period that accounts for most of the month than to retain it during the shorter cold periods. That wasn't the case for those who lived in the polar regions of the planet, however. They retained their fur coats into the modern era, for obvious evolutionary reasons. They rarely leave the polar territory because they cannot tolerate the heat at the equator, they only venture beyond its borders when the eclipse comes."

"So they're a sub-species of Borealan?"

"Not really, we have a common ancestor. Think of them as our evolutionary cousins."

Dennis eyed the furry alien curiously, wondering what life was like in the polar territory. Maybe he should request a tour some-time.

His thought was interrupted by the Kobe being brought into the dining hall on a small platter. The Patriarch clapped his massive hands in anticipation as the waiter brought it over to him, placing the meat on the table before him. It was a little small compared to what the Borealans commonly ate, but Dennis hoped that the Patriarch would appreciate it as a delicacy.

The Patriarch grinned across the long table at Dennis, then hooked the meat gently in his golden claws, examining it closely. He sniffed it, then his yellow eyes widened, his textured tongue reaching out to graze the surface. He followed with a small bite, rolling the meat around in his mouth, savoring the flavor and texture. Dennis could see that it had been cooked to perfection, Xhe and the kitchen staff had done an admirable job. Stripes of red, rare flesh lined the inside, and it dripped juice onto the platter.

"Marvellous! I must eat it slowly, I don't want this to be over too quickly!" he chuckled. He took dainty bites, clearly enjoying the morsel. It didn't take him long to down the whole cut, and when he was done he licked his lips, picking his sharp teeth with a gilded claw. "That was a treat, Ambassador. You may tell your Japanese territory that they have a new client."

"I'm sure that they will be honored to provide you with their finest cuts, Patriarch," Dennis said with a bow of his head.

"More and more I am glad to have made the decision to ally Borealis with the Coalition. Don't you agree that this was the correct course of action, Regent Tarsas?"

He directed the question towards a stout male Borealan with black hair and fine clothing, who lowered his eyes, clearly repressing the desire to disagree.

"Of course, my Lord Patriarch," he hissed in his native tongue. Xhe translated for Dennis, but the Regent's body language conveyed what his words could not. He was being deferential, but there was a tension to his mannerisms that wasn't present in the other Borealans that Dennis had encountered. His subservience to the Elysian monarch was clearly not voluntary.

"Tarsas over here," the Patriarch continued in English, "didn't believe that the Borealans should ally ourselves with the Coalition. He wanted the planet to remain isolationist. Now Elysia has a starship fleet, modern weapons and armor, and we have opened up trade between half a dozen member species. Elysia is booming like never before. Our soldiers are recognized by everyone as the best in the Galaxy and are specially requested for all manner of tasks, my own daughter has told me as much herself. She is the Matriarch of the Pinwheel space station, in charge of all Borealans who pass through their training programs."

The Regent did not respond as the Patriarch scoffed at him, holding his tongue. Dennis got the impression that the same advances had not come to Tarsas' territory and that the Patriarch was gloating about that fact.

"Indeed Patriarch," Dennis replied. "I have heard rumors and stories about the exploits of Miss Elysiedde, it appears that she is becoming quite famous."

The Patriarch looked a little concerned, his face falling.

"Rumors, you say?"

"All positive I assure you, Patriarch."

"Of course, of course," he laughed as he returned to his jovial state. "Any Borealan that interacts with humans was likely trained by my daughter. She has a wonderful temperament you know, ever since she was a child. Not unlike Secretary Xhe over here," he added as he waved his hand in her direction. "Incredible patience, I can't understand it myself."

"I serve my Lord Patriarch in all matters," Xhe said as she bowed her head respectfully.

"Indeed you do, and don't think that I don't appreciate your service, running our little Ambassador all over the territory. I will see to it that you are rewarded appropriately."

One of the Borealans seated to the left spoke up, his auburn hair an incredible display of feathers and jewels. This one looked more tribal, similar to the Rangers that Dennis had met at the jungle outpost. He spoke in Borealan as Xhe translated.

"Perhaps you could confirm something for me, Ambassador? I have heard rumors that despite being of smaller stature and strength, humans do not in fact confine themselves to their starships, but serve in military engagements alongside Borealan troops. Is this correct?"

"Indeed," he replied, with Xhe acting as his intermediary. "Human soldiers are quite competent, the use of advanced weaponry and armor makes up for our lack of physical prowess. Our soldiers make excellent marksmen and work well in small units."

"Remarkable. I would never have imagined," the Borealan replied, returning to his meal.

"Of course, the UNN is incorporating more and more Krell and Borealans into their mixed units," Dennis continued. "Their battlefield prowess is unmatched, so I am told."

The Borealans nodded appreciatively and muttered affirmations, that seemed to have pleased them.

"I met a Krell once," the older Borealan with the greying hair added. "It was as large as a Borealan, but they stoop you see, so they don't look very tall. Once you get near one, however, you realize that from head to tail they're quite massive. Heavy too, they wouldn't fare well on Borealis, that's for sure. Agreeable beasts though, I never saw one so much as argue with its comrades."

***

And so the conversation continued long into the night. The Borealans feasted and quizzed Dennis on many aspects of human civilian and military life, what he thought about their planet and how he saw the political relationship between the UN and Borealis evolving. He did his best to answer them, the concept that he was himself a civilian was hard for them to understand since all of the humans that they had ever interacted with before him had been UNN personnel, Navy pilots or Marines. His descriptions of towering skyscrapers in the relatively low gravity of Earth and the domed cities of Mars enthralled them. The Patriarch was especially interested to hear about the classes and capabilities of modern UNN ships, his knowledge was impressive, and Dennis enjoyed indulging him. He was no expert himself, but he had access to more recent news reports and information than the aliens could get their hands on all the way out here.