The Rossem Project is close to success, and will allow a hand picked expedition to explore other worlds, searching for the threat that faces the planet Tharia, but as they begin their mission they discover that there are many other threats out there...
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The felisian guest house was everything the elders had promised, which was impressive considering that the cat people had absolutely no experience of entertaining human guests. Felisians fully human in appearance brought their meals to them in the lavish dining room, apologising for the lack of variety in greens and vegetables.
The Tharians understood, knowing that the felisians were fully carnivorous and had neither the need nor the desire to eat plants. When Thomas found that the waiter could speak the Tharian common tongue he asked him where they'd gotten the potatoes and carrots which, though small, had an intense flavour that they liked.
"They grow wild all through the city," the man replied, looking ashamed and embarrassed at the admission that he was, in effect, serving his guests weeds. "When we learned that you ate them, though, we started cultivating them, to try to understand you better. We even tried to eat them." He screwed up his face in disgust, then started in shock in case he'd offended the offworlders, but the Tharians just laughed and he returned to the kitchen in relief.
"The city builders must have been omnivores, like us," speculated Lirenna. "Were they the ancestors of the felisians, I wonder, or did the two races live side by side?"
"That's one of the questions Saturn's trying to answer," replied Strong. "The truth may be buried somewhere in the city he's exploring, although I doubt there's anything left after such a long time."
"Divination spells can reveal a lot from the very slightest remains," said Thomas. "He'd do well to let Braddle loose on the problem."
"The nome?" said Jop Sonno, the crewman Matthew had chosen to join the shore leave party. He was a cavalryman who'd served with distinction in the rak wars; the continuing struggle by the Kingdom of Belthar to eradicate the last vestiges of the old Shadowarmy, now controlled by the rak DarkThorne. "Is he really a wizard?"
"He certainly is," agreed Lirenna, "but his speciality is the acquisition of knowledge rather than worldly power."
"We should have brought him with us," said Thomas. "Him and Karog, to show that, in our society, humanoids of all races can live together in peace. It might reassure them that we mean them no harm."
"They already know all about our society," pointed out Strong, glaring suspiciously at a waiter hovering in the corner in case he was needed. "They've had spies among us for years. Decades maybe. Who knows how many of them there still are on Tharia, insinuating themselves into the highest seats of power?"
"We're much more of a threat to them than they are to us," said Thomas, though. "They're terrified of us."
"A frightened enemy is the most dangerous," said Strong, eying him closely. "Never forget that."
"All the more reason to do everything we can to allay their fears. We could show them the dozens of minor races inhabiting Tharia that we could, in theory, eradicate or enslave but which still live free alongside us. The lizard men. The centaurs. The various races of giants..."
