John managed to get a decent amount of sleep in the end. To do this though he'd had to alter his bed slightly. He found it could tilt up, and by wedging the chair under the lower end it formed an angle much closer to horizontal. He couldn't understand how anyone could sleep with their bed at the angle his had previously been.
Entilzah returned the next day. John hadn't expected this, given the way yesterday's encounter had ended. Entilzah looked at John's bed with something that might have been amusement on his face.
"You do not like the sleeping arrangements?"
"No, I much prefer my beds to be horizontal," John replied.
"On Minbar that is seen as bad luck," Entilzah said, "Only the dead sleep horizontally."
"I think it'd be good luck, since you're far more likely to fall off the bed when it's tilted." Entilzah thought for a moment, then laughed.
"Perhaps," he said. John then removed the chair from under the bed and sat at the table to eat the meal he'd been given. After he'd finished he decided to risk a question. After all, this Minbari seemed much nicer than any of the others he'd seen.
"Yesterday, Hatir said something that I think was an insult. What was it?"
"Ithirin Lemana," Entilzah replied, "It means honourless beast."
"I've been called worse," John muttered.
"What could be worse than being honourless?"
"You've never met a Psi Cop. Though, when I think about it they are pretty much honourless, so maybe it amounts to the same thing."
"These Psi Cops are on your world?"
"Yes. Maybe you'll actually be doing the galaxy a favour when you wipe them out," John commented. He'd much rather keep the Psi Cops though than have his planet wiped out, but he didn't think he'd have much say in the matter.
"They are of your race?"
"They don't think so. They're telepaths, and think that they're superior to everyone else."
"You don't like telepaths?"
"I've never really known any. I've met a few who've been nice enough people, but not Psi Cops."
"Minbari telepaths are treated with great respect," Entilzah said, "They use their skills for the good of all."
"Clearly your telepaths aren't dishonest, self-important scum."
"Scum? I do not know this word."
"It's an insult. Scum's the dirt and rubbish that floats on the surface of water."
"Perhaps Elcann would like to hear this word," Entilzah mused with a smile. It seemed there was no love lost between those two. From what he'd seen of Elcann, John could understand why.
"Why don't you like Elcann?" John asked.
"He considers me and my organisation an embarrassment to the Minbari people."
"What organisation?"
"The Alashak. Members of all three casts, who have chosen to give their lives to the fight against the ancient enemy, when they come again."
"What enemy?"
"Why should you listen when most of my people do not believe the danger?"
"I'm just curious," John said, wondering whether Entilzah was deliberately trying to change the subject.
"Curiosity is a fine trait," he said. Definitely deliberate, John decided. "Dukhat was curious. He felt we should seek out your people and make contact. The Grey Council opposed him and this war is the result."
"Who are the Grey Council? And who's Dukhat?"
"You are curious," Entilzah said with a laugh, "The Grey Council is our ruling body. There are three representatives of each cast, and a leader is chosen from among. Dukhat was our leader, killed by your people, so now there is no leader to the Grey Council. In ten cycles the Grey Council will choose another, and I have no doubt Delenn will be the one."
"Who is he?"
"She," Entilzah corrected, "is the chosen of Dukhat. She went through the ceremony to be part of the Grey Council on the same day that your people attacked. The same day your kind murdered Dukhat." John heard the angry edge to his tone, and the same angry rose in him.
"It was your people who began that battle. You were attacking the Prometheus!"
"We did no such thing."
"So you deny that your ships approached on an attack vector with gun ports open?"
"That is why they attacked?"
"Yes, the Prometheus simply did it first!" The look of anger on Entilzah's face transformed into shock and then rather quickly into panic.
"I must speak with the Grey Council!" he said, and had left the room before John had a chance to ask why. He could only sit there, feeling very confused.
***
"Are you certain he speaks the truth?" Delenn asked. Lenonn stood in the centre of the Grey Council, feeling intimidated as always by the faceless figures around him.
"I am fairly sure of it," Lenonn replied.
"He is human, and cannot be trusted," Coblann argued.
"Perhaps," Delenn said, "but if he speaks the truth then this war was started because of a mistake. We should not commit genocide over a misunderstanding."
"But how can we know if he speaks the truth?"
"The triluminary," Delenn replied, "We can probe his mind." Lenonn had heard of the triluminaries, but had never seen them. They were the Minbari's most sacred relics, given to the Grey Council by Valen himself.
"Bring him, Lenonn," one of the Council said, a nameless shape in a grey robe.
"If he speaks the truth we will end this war," Delenn said.
"And if he lies," Coblann added, "his kind will pay the price in blood."
***
Author's note: OK, I made up the Minbari insult, but since I don't think anyone in the show was ever called that it doesn't matter. I apologise for any mistakes in the spelling of Minbari words, since I can't spell in English I can't be expected to spell in an alien language. Or rather, I can spell, just not correctly.
Please review and let me know what you think of the story so far.
Entilzah returned the next day. John hadn't expected this, given the way yesterday's encounter had ended. Entilzah looked at John's bed with something that might have been amusement on his face.
"You do not like the sleeping arrangements?"
"No, I much prefer my beds to be horizontal," John replied.
"On Minbar that is seen as bad luck," Entilzah said, "Only the dead sleep horizontally."
"I think it'd be good luck, since you're far more likely to fall off the bed when it's tilted." Entilzah thought for a moment, then laughed.
"Perhaps," he said. John then removed the chair from under the bed and sat at the table to eat the meal he'd been given. After he'd finished he decided to risk a question. After all, this Minbari seemed much nicer than any of the others he'd seen.
"Yesterday, Hatir said something that I think was an insult. What was it?"
"Ithirin Lemana," Entilzah replied, "It means honourless beast."
"I've been called worse," John muttered.
"What could be worse than being honourless?"
"You've never met a Psi Cop. Though, when I think about it they are pretty much honourless, so maybe it amounts to the same thing."
"These Psi Cops are on your world?"
"Yes. Maybe you'll actually be doing the galaxy a favour when you wipe them out," John commented. He'd much rather keep the Psi Cops though than have his planet wiped out, but he didn't think he'd have much say in the matter.
"They are of your race?"
"They don't think so. They're telepaths, and think that they're superior to everyone else."
"You don't like telepaths?"
"I've never really known any. I've met a few who've been nice enough people, but not Psi Cops."
"Minbari telepaths are treated with great respect," Entilzah said, "They use their skills for the good of all."
"Clearly your telepaths aren't dishonest, self-important scum."
"Scum? I do not know this word."
"It's an insult. Scum's the dirt and rubbish that floats on the surface of water."
"Perhaps Elcann would like to hear this word," Entilzah mused with a smile. It seemed there was no love lost between those two. From what he'd seen of Elcann, John could understand why.
"Why don't you like Elcann?" John asked.
"He considers me and my organisation an embarrassment to the Minbari people."
"What organisation?"
"The Alashak. Members of all three casts, who have chosen to give their lives to the fight against the ancient enemy, when they come again."
"What enemy?"
"Why should you listen when most of my people do not believe the danger?"
"I'm just curious," John said, wondering whether Entilzah was deliberately trying to change the subject.
"Curiosity is a fine trait," he said. Definitely deliberate, John decided. "Dukhat was curious. He felt we should seek out your people and make contact. The Grey Council opposed him and this war is the result."
"Who are the Grey Council? And who's Dukhat?"
"You are curious," Entilzah said with a laugh, "The Grey Council is our ruling body. There are three representatives of each cast, and a leader is chosen from among. Dukhat was our leader, killed by your people, so now there is no leader to the Grey Council. In ten cycles the Grey Council will choose another, and I have no doubt Delenn will be the one."
"Who is he?"
"She," Entilzah corrected, "is the chosen of Dukhat. She went through the ceremony to be part of the Grey Council on the same day that your people attacked. The same day your kind murdered Dukhat." John heard the angry edge to his tone, and the same angry rose in him.
"It was your people who began that battle. You were attacking the Prometheus!"
"We did no such thing."
"So you deny that your ships approached on an attack vector with gun ports open?"
"That is why they attacked?"
"Yes, the Prometheus simply did it first!" The look of anger on Entilzah's face transformed into shock and then rather quickly into panic.
"I must speak with the Grey Council!" he said, and had left the room before John had a chance to ask why. He could only sit there, feeling very confused.
***
"Are you certain he speaks the truth?" Delenn asked. Lenonn stood in the centre of the Grey Council, feeling intimidated as always by the faceless figures around him.
"I am fairly sure of it," Lenonn replied.
"He is human, and cannot be trusted," Coblann argued.
"Perhaps," Delenn said, "but if he speaks the truth then this war was started because of a mistake. We should not commit genocide over a misunderstanding."
"But how can we know if he speaks the truth?"
"The triluminary," Delenn replied, "We can probe his mind." Lenonn had heard of the triluminaries, but had never seen them. They were the Minbari's most sacred relics, given to the Grey Council by Valen himself.
"Bring him, Lenonn," one of the Council said, a nameless shape in a grey robe.
"If he speaks the truth we will end this war," Delenn said.
"And if he lies," Coblann added, "his kind will pay the price in blood."
***
Author's note: OK, I made up the Minbari insult, but since I don't think anyone in the show was ever called that it doesn't matter. I apologise for any mistakes in the spelling of Minbari words, since I can't spell in English I can't be expected to spell in an alien language. Or rather, I can spell, just not correctly.
Please review and let me know what you think of the story so far.