It looked remarkably like the twin temples back in Kexx’s village, minus the dome for their rover or the sacrificial altar in the basement one. Instead, the low chairs favored by the Atlantians circled the room. Kexx stood in the very center and exchanged heated words with several of the others, including one particularly nasty-looking character with an even nastier-looking leg wound. However, it was one of the smaller ones, a bearer, Benson was almost certain of it, who seemed to be giving Kexx the most trouble. Benson couldn’t understand more than the very occasional word of the conversation, but he could see Kexx suppressing frustration, even anger, as ze talked to the smaller Atlantian. Whoever ze was, whenever ze spoke, everyone else shut the hell up and listened. Zer body was unadorned by the sorts of jewelry and colorful dress Benson had come to associate with chiefs during the gathering back in the village. But then, this was zer house. Maybe ze just didn’t feel like dressing up for the barbarians from the plains.
