10. Kian

10

KIAN

A s Okidu placed dish after dish on the buffet table, Kian braced himself for the topic he was about to raise, which he had no doubt would spark controversy.

When the last dish was served, and the Odu retreated to the kitchen, Kian cleared his throat, drawing his family's attention.

"Before you head over to the buffet, there's another issue I need to bring to your notice." He waited for the chatter to stop and for everyone to turn to him. "As you all know, we've been dealing with petty thefts and minor sabotages in the village recently, and it has become clear to me that we need to take more drastic action to resolve this situation."

Alena frowned. "What do you mean by drastic action?"

"I've decided to have Toven question all the Kra-ell and humans in the village using compulsion. It will save us weeks of investigation and surveillance efforts."

As a heavy silence fell over the table, Kian wasn't surprised by the concern he saw on the faces of his family members. No one liked using compulsion, and he had expected strong opposition to his idea.

Amanda was the first to speak. "Everyone? Even those we know couldn't possibly be involved?"

Kian nodded. "We need to be thorough, and we can't show favoritism. It's the only way to ensure we find the culprit and maintain trust within the community."

Amanda shook her head. "The Kra-ell and the humans are not everyone. If you are going to question all of them, you need to question all the clan members and Kalugal's people as well. You'll get enough resentment for that either way, but at least the investigation will appear impartial."

Orion turned to his father. "That's going to be a massive undertaking. Do you need help? I can handle the humans."

"Arwel is going to question them," Kian said. "There aren't that many, and his empathic ability should be enough."

Orion nodded. "If you need my help, don't hesitate to ask." He smiled. "I'm still considered an outsider, so perhaps less resentment would be directed toward me."

"I appreciate the offer," Toven said and then turned to Amanda. "The pureblooded Kra-ell are nearly impossible to compel or thrall. The only way I could do it before was with Mia's enhancing help, and I will need her help this time around as well. Taking on the clan members and Kalugal's men on top of that is too much, especially since it's unnecessary. Both coexisted with no problems or issues until the Kra-ell and the few humans arrived."

"There might be another way," Annani said. "While I understand the necessity of this unconventional interrogation, perhaps we can approach this in a less confrontational way."

Kian leaned forward. "What do you have in mind?"

His mother's eyes twinkled with that familiar mix of wisdom and mischief that Kian had come to associate with her brilliant and also the not-so-brilliant ideas that had caused him many sleepless nights. "What if we were to put something on the clan's bulletin board about the upcoming investigation? We could give the perpetrator a chance to confess with minimal repercussions."

As the table fell silent, with everyone considering her suggestion, Kian turned it over in his mind. If the culprit came forward voluntarily or semi-voluntarily because of fear of being found out and suffering greater repercussions, it would resolve the situation without the need for mass compulsion and without causing friction in the community.

"That's a good idea," Toven said. "It could save us a lot of time and trouble if the perpetrator decides to come forward, and if not, at least it would give everyone a fair warning and make it clear that we are using compulsion as a last resort."

Annani acknowledged him with a nod. "If that does not work, I will question my clan members and Kalugal's people. There is no reason for you to shoulder the burden alone."

Toven looked relieved. "Thank you. I appreciate your offer and accept it with open arms."

Annani turned to Kian with a raised brow. "Any objections?"

"Not even one. There is no danger for you from the clan or even Kalugal's people, and it will give you a chance to reconnect with clan members that you haven't gotten to spend time with lately."

His mother rewarded him with a brilliant smile. "I love it when we agree."

"Shall we adjourn to the buffet?" Syssi asked. "The food is being kept warm, but we wouldn't want it to dry up." She rose to her feet and turned to Annani. "Would you like me to fill up a plate for you, Clan Mother?"

"I can serve myself." His mother surprised him by standing up and gliding toward the buffet. "The smells are fabulous. If everything tastes as good as it smells, we are in for a treat." She lifted a plate from the stack and started scooping brisket onto it.

Everyone waited politely until she was done before even approaching, and when her plate was full, Kian offered to carry it to the table.

His mother graciously accepted the offer.

Once everyone was seated with a full plate in front of them, Kian lifted his wine glass. "To family and our combined wisdom." He clinked his glass with those seated near him, took a sip, and put the glass down. "I'll ask Shai to post the announcement on the bulletin board first thing tomorrow morning, and we will give it until Monday evening. If no one comes forward, we will start the questioning Tuesday morning."