Copyright © 1987, by David Brin. All rights reserved. No duplication or resale without permission.

The Suzerain of Propriety fluffed its feathery down, displaying at the roots of its still-white plumage the shimmering glow that foretold royalty. Proudly, the Suzerain of Propriety hopped up onto the Perch of Pronouncement and chirped for attention.
     The battleships of the Expeditionary Force were still in interspace, between the levels of the world. Battle was not imminent for some time yet. Because of this, the Suzerain of Propriety was still dominant and could interrupt the activities of the flagship's crew.
     Across the bridge, the Suzerain of Beam and Talon looked up from its own Perch of Command. The admiral shared with the Suzerain of Propriety the bright plumage of dominance. Nevertheless, there was no question of interfering when a religious pronouncement was about to be made. The admiral at once interrupted the stream of orders it had been chirping to subordinates and shifted into a stance of attentive reverence.
     All through the bridge the noisy clamor of Gubru engineers and spacers quieted to a low chittering. Their four-footed Kwackoo clients ceased their cooing as well and settled down to listen.
     Still the Suzerain of Propriety waited. It would not be proper to begin until all Three were present.
     A hatchway dilated. In stepped the last of the masters of the expedition, the third member of the triarchy. As appropriate, the Suzerain of Cost and Caution wore the black torc of suspicion and doubt as it entered and found a comfortable perch, followed by a small covey of its accountants and bureaucrats.
     For a moment their eyes met across the bridge. The tension among the Three had already begun, and it would grow in the weeks and months ahead, until the day when consensus was finally achieved -- when they molted and a new queen emerged.
     It was thrilling, sexual, exhilarating. None of them knew how it would end. Beam and Talon started with an advantage, of course, since this expedition would begin in battle. But that dominance did not have to last.
     This moment, for instance, was clearly one for the priesthood.
     All beaks turned as the Suzerain of Propriety lifted and flexed one leg, then the other, and prepared to pronounce. Soon a low crooning began to rise from the assembled avians.

--zzooon.

     "We embark on a mission, a holy mission," the Suzerain fluted.
--Zzooon--
     "Embarking on this mission, we must persevere"
--Zzooon--
     "Persevere to accomplish four great tasks"
--Zzooon--
     "Tasks which include Conquest for the glory of our Clan, zzooon"
--ZZooon--
     "Conquest and Coercion, so we may gain the Secret,
     the Secret that the animal Earthlings clutch talon-tight,
          clutch to keep from us, zzooon"
--ZZooon--
     "Conquest, Coercion, and Counting Coup upon our enemies
     winning honor and submitting our foes to shame,
          avoiding shame ourselves, zzooon"
--ZZooon--
     "Avoiding shame, as well as Conquest and Coercion, and last, and last to prove our worthiness,
     our worthiness before our ancestrals,
our worthiness before the Progenitors whose time of Return has surely come
     Our worthiness of Mastery, zzzoooon"

     The refrain was enthusiastic.
--ZZzooon!

     The two other Suzerains bowed respectfully to the priest, and the ceremony was officially at an end. The Talon Soldiers and Spacers returned to work at once. But as the bureaucrats and civil servants retreated toward their own sheltered offices, they could be heard clearly but softly crooning.
     "All... all... all of that. But one thing, one thing more....
     "First of all... survival of the nest...."
     The priest looked up sharply and saw a glint in the eye of the Suzerain of Cost and Caution. And in that instant it knew that its rival had won a subtle but important point. There was triumph in the other's eye as it bowed again and hummed lowly.

Continue reading sample 5, 6, 7 and 8, or purchase The Uplift War.