Here we rewind time, ten days before the scene with Wyatt and Roy. Ronald, Talusek, D'Kovo and whoever I said was with them, reached Mifdola safely. They still intend to visit the Dolphin tribe of Nizozu and see Malaru, friend of the deceased Otto Kergoff. And they still aim to seek Otto's surviving relatives in Pathamel, roughly southeast of Kikoro. First, however, they sit in on a conference in the Mifdolan royal palace, presided over by Queen Sotavalit and her wizard consort Felipe Catalano. Among the participants is the Loi-Jeltua dirigible pilot Kring Dakamish, representing his government.
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A Mifdolan Bear Brother, and his tundra-bear partner, had lately come home from a scouting mission in the unsettled land area between Mifdola and Jeltua, the latter being the birthplace of the Queen Mother. The human and ursine spies had made good use of the noisy winds created by a flyover of Punksteema's abnormally-low moon, to avoid being heard.
Less than an hour before the Queen's confidential meeting, Dijond Lotak recounted seeing Sledge Nomads doing something which was highly unusual for them: building a serious log fort, with corner blockhouses, near the centerpoint between the two civilized kingdoms. Thanking Dijond for his timely report, Sotavalit asked the scout to tell the Bear-Uncle (similar in authority to an army colonel) to join in the impending conference. The Bear-Uncle's first response to the news of a barbarian fortress was: "They probably got the idea from some other tribe they have dealings with, on the far side of the north pole."
Ranwyn Brightpetal, a female Mellow Druid who had been part of her fellowship's official visit to Mifdola, and who had remained here as a contact person, remarked, "Yes, outside influence is most likely. The Sledge tribes, when living by their own customs, are exquisitely skilled in surviving harsh conditions without permanent residential structures."
A man not previously onstage spoke now: "They obviously DON'T want a ground corridor established between our nations." This was Master Prant Zoldo, the royal architect.
Kring politely gestured for a turn to speak. "What do they think they can accomplish, when we have airship transportation between our lands?"
"THE USE of the intervening territory is what they want," replied the Bear-Uncle. "For themselves alone."
The Queen scowled. "We would be far more inclined to concede the buffer land to them, if they weren't so prone to raid and plunder everybody in reach."
Also present in the chamber were Vicar Tegmorsh, who had officiated at the wedding of Don Ysidro to Dona Mercedes; and young Denram son of Bivgof, Lord of Hanzidrel in the south of the kingdom. The former had been instrumental in stopping Mifdolans from blaming the latter for Lord Bivgof's crimes. The Queen had invited Denram to this meeting as reaffirmation of the youth being in the crown's favor.
He now said, "Will Your Majesty perhaps try offering to recognize the barbarians' ownership of the immediate surroundings of the fort, then see what counter-offer the Nomads come back with?"
In a quick reaction, Tegmorsh interjected: "This, in fact, would be similar to an incident on distant Earth, recorded in the Bible, when a young chieftain--" (he smiled at Denram) "--made concessions over well-digging rights, and eventually got what he needed without violence."
Reminding the readers that Mellow Druids worship Actual God, Ranwyn observed: "Yes, Isaac's diplomacy may prove to be a guide for Mifdola and Jeltua. It is known that beyond the pole, aggressive tribals closely akin to your Sledge Nomad neighbors recently suffered a major defeat, for which part of the glory belongs to the ronin Jonawiku. If the Nomads near us have heard this news, they may have become sobered by a realization that their warrior ways do not confer invincibility."
