вЂњThat would be the Ciwril Xidyla who translated the treaty so the weevils could read it to suit them, would it?вЂќ asked the constable. вЂњShe came here to work things out, not to try to kill anyone.вЂќ вЂњThis is Ciwril XidylaвЂ™s daughter next to me,вЂќ said the Sovereign. Today if I have anything to say about it.вЂќ The weevils are here illegally, and they will get off this planet and back to their ships. Do they want a war? An excuse to try to kill us all? We wonвЂ™t be pushed any farther. вЂњWe know the Raksamat tried to kill you,вЂќ put in the constable. вЂњAnd weвЂ™ve had it with the weevils thinking they own our planet. вЂњThere are three weevil farmsteads in those woods,вЂќ cried someone from the back of a groundcar. вЂњAnd where are you going, Constable,вЂќ asked the Sovereign, вЂњwith six groundcars and dozens of people behind you, some of them with guns? ThereвЂ™s nothing behind us but trees.вЂќ TownвЂ™s that way.вЂќ She pointed back along the way the procession of groundcars had come. вЂњGlad to see you safe, Sovereign,вЂќ said the woman, вЂњbut I am constable of this precinct and you are blocking my path.

вЂњJust what do you think youвЂ™re doing here?вЂќ Attempting more or less credibly to sound imperious even despite the one hand holding the cloth over her face, but the girlвЂ™s voice shook a little. Murmured the translator clipped to AshibanвЂ™s shirt. вЂњI am the Sovereign of Iss,вЂќ announced the Sovereign. Just as she came up behind the Sovereign, the passenger door of the groundcar facing them opened, and a woman stepped out onto the road. She opened her own door and clambered awkwardly down. But the Sovereign looked so small standing by the side of the road, facing the other groundcar. Getting out of the passenger seat would be slow and painful, and Ashiban really didnвЂ™t want to.

Closed the door, pulled her cloth up over her face, and walked out into the pool of light at the edge of the road. Slowly the Sovereign opened the groundcar door, slid out again. вЂњWhat could you possibly say to them, child?вЂќ But there wasnвЂ™t much good doing anything else, either. Nothing more happened for the next few minutes, except that the people in the backs of the cargo cars leaned and craned to see what was going on. Began to turn, and stopped when its lights brushed their stolen groundcar. The first car in the procession slowed as it approached the path where Ashiban and the Sovereign sat.

Another word for quit