Totlya opened his mouth, possibly to object to Solae’s words or assertions but Andalyll made a sharp gesture with an unsettling combination of his right hand and left wingtip that silenced the younger male. Not for the first time, Rene wondered if there was some political angle here that was too obscure or simply too alien for them to understand.
 
“The Duchess has spoken and has agreed to help redress this wrong,” Andalyll said formally. He bowed to Solae and then said something to Lithyll in the Kalderi language before taking Totlya by the arm and withdrawing. No one spoke until the pair had passed the stone lintel at the entrance of the gardens.
 
“They seemed in a hurry to leave,” Rene remarked arching an eyebrow. Lithyll nodded and made a slight hissing sound which Rene had learned to interpret as a sigh.
 
“Andalyll does not want to risk Totlya causing an issue with careless words, wounds of the heart quickly lead to wounds of the mind,” the alien lamented. A human might have added wounds of the body to the list but Rene didn’t feel a need to amplify the statement.

“As for your questions Duchess Solae, the humans handle their own records of ships coming and going. The vessels in orbit perhaps have records, but perhaps not,” Lithyll told them. The idea that military vessels, or at least what Rene thought of as such, wouldn’t keep accurate records of shipping struck Rene as profoundly wrong but perhaps the Kalderi viewed matterers differently. All in all it sounded like a matter best handled by police, but the Kalderi didn’t have an analogue of that human institution. Crime was not unknown among them, but it was rare and generally the result of a disturbed mental state rather than an act of desperation. Empowering one part of the community over another in such explicit terms was antithetical to their world view, even their leaders as Lithyll and Andayll certainly were, seemed to be individuals who had a talent and desire for the role which was recognised by the group, rather than any explicitly official status.
 
The conversation went on for a few more minutes, though there was little additional information to be gained. Lithyll knew little of Bouradine or any other human traders and had only biographical knowledge of Bel’sian. Perhaps the most interesting revelation came in response to a question from Rosaria who wished to know how Toltya had become Bel’sian’s mate in the first place. Lithyll explained that when a Kalderi female reached an age a ceremony was held by her family and their circle. The woman had to give her assent to the proceedings, which wasn’t a given, Kalderi who didn’t wish to mate for whatever reason could and not infrequently did, decline to continue the rite. If they did assent males who were interested would gather and engage in a variety of courtship rituals, the lesser rituals did not involve combat and weeded out those the woman found overtly objectionable. Only at the end was a trial by combat invoked in order to determine a choice between two equally qualified males. Rene wasn’t a sociologist but he got the impression that the transgressive nature of violence in Kalderi society gave the act a special significance above and beyond its physical dimensions. Totlya had gone through the rite over a year ago and he and Bel’sian had been mates ever since.
 
“I think our best bet is to speak to the traders ourselves,” Rene stated when the discussion had wound down.

“They might be more forthcoming with us, I’m sure if this Bouradine did abduct Bel’sian they are nervous that their trading concessions will be revoked or worse. Though…” he trailed of looking at Solae.

“Anyone that sees you might carry word back to Duke Tan that you are here,” he worried. Rene didn’t think the Duke was foolish enough to risk a war with the Kalderi by trying to remove Solae by force, but that wasn’t certain.